The Development Year in Review – How was it?

When we think of this past year, or are asked about it by peers or managers, our responses might be along these lines:

1. We raised __% of our annual fund goal
2. We had these activities or events that involved these constituents
3. We produced this brochure, or video, or improved the web site
4. We raised foundation money amounting to __
5. This % of our parents participated in the annual fund

Why do we describe our work this way? I suggest that it is because these are tangible measures of “performance” against a particular goal. And, none of these descriptors are wrong; they are valuable metrics. The problem is that they don’t tell the whole story as I described in my last blog.

Try this. Call three or four donor/friends who you have had the most interaction with this year and ask them to evaluate your work. Listen to what they say and see how they describe you. I hope you hear something like this.

This is not to boast, but it is to show forth our Lord’s mighty hand in changing hearts. Two weeks ago a donor/friend said to me, “Harold, had it not been for our interactions and your challenge to give generously to the Lord, I would have not known to do it”.

By God’s grace this man has joyfully increased his giving ten-fold from where he was before. The amounts are not important; the growing in grace is.

God created us, Jesus saved us, and the Spirit lives in us so that we can reflect (show forth) His glory. That is to say that we may need to evaluate or measure our performance in non-traditional ways.

This is why I suggest that Christian development officers have a ministerial orientation. If not, then we simply do what the non-Christian world does and see how much we can extract from folks that “have plenty”.

The One who has plenty owns it all (cattle and hills, right?) and He will give it to our schools in response to our faithfulness to Him.

To “summarize”, don’t leave out the choicest morsels from your year-end review, even if you cannot put a number on them.

Zacchaeus and financial commitment

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ “
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

In the past I have challenged the development officer (or minister of stewardship) to seek the “bi-lateral” blessing in the asking for a gift. It is bi-lateral when the steward (donor) experiences blessing from God as they respond to His call on their lives and (temporary) possessions and the school who received the gift is blessed as well.

This is the transformational giving that begins the “whole life stewardship” that we will speak to in the future.

Until confronted with the truth about himself, Zacchaeus was self-sufficient and in total control of his money.

He obeyed Jesus and got of the tree, encountered Jesus as a guest in his house, and then responded mightily with his treasure.

Jesus clearly ties the Gospel transformation to Zachaeus’ response, “Today salvation has come to this house,…”

This is a vivid example of how and why we fund-raisers must link the Gospel to giving. If we merely solicit a gift for the good of the school, we miss the spiritual dimension of giving. Giving is an act of worship and it reflects God’s grip on our life.

We do not want to assuage someones guilt for having too much money, nor do we want to puff someone up who “graces us” with a large gift. The Kingdom must always be in view and the Lord cares deeply about our motivations for giving, not just the act.

If we can ask for gifts and help the donor see the Kingdom impact, we are becoming the ambassadors of Christ that He calls us to be.

Let’s think about “linkages” the next time we seek funds.

Ann – a blessing in disguise

Proverbs 3:28

Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow”– when you now have it with you.

Luke 10:27

He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

I wrote earlier about the “spiritual” experience of sitting through a timeshare sale presentation. If we had not gone through this we would have missed the ministry opportunity we had with the “front person” who scheduled the visit in the first place.

God works in wonderful and mysterious ways; sometimes I am too busy looking in the wrong place to see Him work.

Meet Ann, the “concierge” at the resort we visited in South Carolina.

She scheduled our timeshare sales presentation; that should have been our last interaction.

However, she invited us to come back and let her schedule and reserve the seats for the entertainment that we earned for sitting for 2 hours. She was so helpful that we asked for advice for places to dine; she gave us great seats at the show and great advice on dining, too.

Something else was calling us into a deeper relationship with Ann. While we talked with her more, we found out that she had 2 previous marriages and no husband now for a medically-distressed four-year-old daughter, who weighs only 14 pounds – I thought I had problems!

Ann works all day and stays up all night with her daughter who can’t sleep except for short naps; this goes on for 4 days each week. I get tired just thinking about it.

With all of the kindness Ann showed us, my wife and I bought a little gift for her daughter and presented it to her the next day. You might have thought the gift was a new home by her reaction; she was crying tears of joy before she opened the stuffed animal and a Max Lucado book for children. She gave us an Easter card the next day; more tears and hugs – you get the picture.

If you have gone this far, you may ask, ‘what has this got to with development?’

All of life, if seen through the Savior’s eyes, is a spiritual experience. There is a life lesson in almost all we do, especially when we go “life on life”.

Ann is another person created in God’s image with purpose, capacity, passion and a legacy. If we can open the heart doors through acts of genuine Christian love, there are marvelous opportunities to minister Christ and usher folks into new and exciting places; places where they can impact lives for eternity.

Isn’t that worth the time with a stranger?

The Refiner’s Fire

Malachi 3:1-4

“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,

and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.”

Sometimes we get frustrated when our plans don’t work out. We make a presentation to a donor and it doesn’t connect with them and their plans. We plan an event and there are not enough volunteers, or the attendance is lower than we had hoped.

What do we do with disappointments or, dare I say, failures? We could attribute them to our arch nemesis, Satan. He’s always to good to blame.

How about the donor who just could not or would agree with our wonderful plans to extend the Kingdom through the school? Are they at fault?

Maybe the pastors that we try to bring into the school’s sphere are just not grabbing the idea with gusto.

I believe these “sub-optimal” results are from the Lord’s hand who loves us and wants our offerings to be acceptable; “offerings in righteousness”.

Our work and our very lives are the crucible (remember high school science?) that is used for driving off our impurities in the approaches and motivations we use to raise funds.

These are not comfortable or easy times, but the loving God who gives us our call insures that we are refined and not destroyed; such is the nature of silver and gold.

A "big picture" for Christian school development

This may be helpful as a starting point to help with the overall focus we need to develop and maintain.

Our Philosophy of Development
—————————–

We start with the knowledge that God owns it all. (1), (2)

We are to honor the Lord with our lives, including our material possessions.

We believe that generous giving is the Biblical norm, not the exception (3).
We challenge donors to give liberally to Kingdom causes. We urge donors to do prayerful giving to the school(and to God’s work in other ministry), not for tax benefits or for personal recognition.

Lastly, while we know that giving is commanded in the scriptures, it is also a joyous act (4). Therefore, the gift to the school provides a two-fold blessing, to both the giver and the school as a recipient.

We believe that giving to the school puts a great responsibility on us as a school as a recipient of donors’ giving.

1. We will work to make the school worthy of Kingdom investment

2. We scrutinize our message and methodologies against not what works, but against God-honoring principles

3. We will also practice integrity and make ourselves accountable to external examination through full annual accounting audits

Finally, we are to have a good testimony in the community we serve, to the believer and especially the unbeliever so that they would seek the reason for our faith and have a desire to know our Savior Jesus personally.

Mission
——-

The mission of the school’s advancement function is to raise awareness of and resources for this Christian school that equips students with skills to pursue excellence through Christ in every area of life.

Vision
——-

The vision of the advancement function is to:

1. Bless the donor in their faith walk

2. Encourage and educate the community in Biblical generosity

3. Provide resources to the school so that it can execute its mission with excellence

4. Demonstrate the school’s value to the community (including the churches from which we have students)

5. Provide resources that would bless other Christian schools

(1) 1 Chr. 29:11 “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”

(2) 1 Chr. 29:12 “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. 13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. 14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”

(3) Matt. 6:19-20 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

(4) 2 Cor. 9:7 “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Open Doors in the Face of Economic Downturn

From Rob Spykstra, Veritas Academy, Lancaster, PA

If you were hoping for the secret door to development success in raising funds during economic downturn, then you might be disappointed in my thoughts, disappointed that is, if you define development success solely on money raised. However, if development success in fundraising is defined differently, then you might be greatly encouraged.

As Christian development directors we are to define our success in fundraising, not merely by dollars raised, but more importantly by hearts ministered. And I am finding great success, that is, open doors like never before.

Just today I spoke with a businessman who I had never met. As I shared with him the possibility of his company taking tax credits for the benefit of our school he simply said, “I don’t need tax credits. I don’t have any taxes because we’re not making any money.” Then he began to share his concerns. By the tone of his voice he was asking for some hope.

This became my open door.

Perhaps God will give you open doors. Here are some thoughts we can share. Here is some hope we can give.

We can share about God’s purposes. God graciously gives us economic downturn to reveal our hearts and sweep away our trust in the uncertainty of riches. Riches have always been uncertain and unreliable for true joy. The writer of Proverbs reminds us to stop toiling after wealth, “When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.”(Proverbs 23:5). Rather we are to trust “in God who graciously gives us all things to enjoy.”(1 Timothy 6:17) God is after our joy, and he knows it is not found in wealth.

We can share about God’s resources. I found that if hope in my abilities or in others’ abilities my joy always wanes. This economy certainly causes me to shudder at my and others’ abilities. But I am not without resource. Our hope is in God who owns all things, “all that is in the heavens and the earth is yours.”(1 Chronicles 29:11) Our hope is in God who strengthens us in the face of great difficulties, “In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.”(1 Chronicles 29:12) There is plenty of resource.

Finally, we can share about sound investments. Paul says, “Be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.” Why? “Thus storing up treasure for yourself as a good foundation for the future.”(1 Timothy 6:19) What future? Eternity. In the face of economic uncertainty we can offer up our ministries as a sound investment, one where those who receive will benefit, but also one where those who give will benefit . . . both not only now, but for all eternity.

Give God thanks today for this economic downturn, there is some real open doors for success.

Stop, Drop and Pray

When we are are caught in a fire and our clothes are burning we are told to “stop, drop, and roll”. Sometimes we see our job of fundraising as one where we feel flames licking our clothes. There is so much to raise and so little time and so few resources to tap.

1 Th. 5:16-18 ‘Be joyful always; pray continuously; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’

I was at a conference recently with other school advancement officers and there is a sense that we are fighting an uphill battle, mostly by ourselves. Even though we realize that God Himself is the one who brings all good gifts, we often act as though it is all up to us, or up to our boards, etc.

Paul’s instruction reminds us that we should remember to be joyful for who we are in Christ. He wants us on our knees ‘continuously‘ seeking and trusting. We are to give thanks in all circumstances, even difficult ones.

Stopping to pray is recognizing who God is in our work, declaring our own inability to do everything, and trusting the Lord to lead us in the way we should go. This might mean being still and listening to see what the Lord would have us to do next. Or, He might just be saying, ‘stop and watch me work.”

If we build our work on Kingdom principles we can be sure that, even if we “fail” in our fund raising objectives, God’s truth abides and it will sustain us and our school.

Matthew 6:33-34 ‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’

Are Development Directors Mis-named?

John 21:17

Our first call as Development Directors or Advancement Officers is to be ministers. Ministry means to serve, and with that consideration it is possible that we may be inappropriately titled.

Actually there is a pastoral hue upon those of us called to help find the financial resources to sustain a given ministry. Such a repositioning of our calling may cause us to reconsider the priorities in our present role.

In a real sense we are Stewardship Shepherds. Our mission is to nurture souls, not necessarily to negotiate gift giving. In the mandate of the Lord to Peter, He said, “Feed my sheep,” not fleece the flock! That ‘feeding’ includes prayer for the potential donors, passion for God’s will in their lives, and a pursuing of the Word of God and the parceling out of it to the sheep (donors).

We must be careful to shed the robe of being seen as money mongers. Rather we should clothe ourselves in the garment of His righteousness. Doing so does not diminish “the ask,” but rather prioritizes our approach.

Our mantle should be that it is far better to feed the flocks than forage the donor in the name of fundraising.

May the Lord give us great discernment and sensitivity as we reconsider our titled positions. Let us consider being recalled, retooled and renewed so that we are seen as Stewardship Shepherds.

From Sandy Outlar, Headmaster of Lancaster Christian School, Lancaster, PA

What is Advance Christian Schools?

I believe we, in the Christian school movement, are missing a wonderful opportunity to do our fundraising work in a way that honors the Lord. Many of us (me included) have employed secular techniques, sprinkled on a little Bible (for sanctification), and wonder why we are not being blessed financially.

Here is where I describe a new opportunity:

Mission

The mission of AdvanceChistianSchools.com is to develop biblical approaches to development and advancement in the Christian school industry.

Vision

The vision is to train a new generation of leaders who will lead their schools to set new standards of biblical stewardship so that Christian schools simultaneously grow stronger (both relationally and financially) and glorify God, who gave them their original mission.

http://www.advancechristianschools.com/

I invite any administrator or school board member to join on this journey to transform ourselves and to assist in the transformation of God’s people as we link the Gospel to giving and link giving to the Gospel.