Fundraising – A Shift From Obligation to Generosity

Fundraising is so much more than raising funds. It is about encouraging generosity, creating disciples, and developing a joyful spirit of giving. 

Fundraising is Not an Obligation

Rob: Fundraising, fund giving is not an obligation.

That's why I wanted to direct you to John Stott's teaching.

And also your own reading of 2 Corinthians 8:9, where Paul clearly says, you must be persuaded in your heart, to give from what you have and what you, not, what you don't have.

One of the things we have to deal with in our world, all of us do, is that heresy, that's come out of the United States, of the prosperity gospel.

This idea of give, to get. This idea of claim, and name it, and claim it. This idea that, your money is your ticket to heaven, and your ticket to the good life.

We have to come against that. Fundraising is not an obligation. You don't give what you don't have.

However, we need to give everyone, including that widow, the opportunity to give.

It's their decision. It's, you cast vision.

You show them how to be a part, and then you honor them, if all they give you as a nickel, or 500 dollars.

It's a shift in attitude, towards this communion of giving or receiving is to get away from this idea that there's an obligation.

The Pastoring Function of Fundraising

Rob: The Old Testament tithe was a tax. So, I consider my taxes, part of my tithing today.

In addition, 10% was the assigned the task, tax. The New Testament doesn't teach that.

It does, it honors it, but it doesn't teach it. So, you can use that as a handle, but it's not, it's not what I teach.

I just teach this motivate people, to understand what you're doing.

Find those that are really in, we'll get into this, of discovering who's supposed to be your donors, and where are they, and how do you activate them?

We'll get into that in some of the practical sessions, a little later down the, down the road here.

But we're in the communication, of what God is doing, and looking for who he's calling to participate with us.

And some are going to be people that can make large gifts, and some are gonna make, be people that can hardly feed themselves.

And I've seen this all over the world. I mean, I've had the privilege of traveling, to nearly 70 countries, and getting, and not staying in the capital cities, but getting out to the furthest reaches of where the gospel is at work.

And I've seen generosity in the most difficult of circumstances. And all we are about is encouraging generosity, because out of that generous spirit, that they are disciples.

Poverty is not an excuse. For give, for not giving. And of course our heart goes out and our, we're not making demands on people's money.

We're offering them an opportunity to participate. And if they can't, maybe there's a way we can help them, but that's, that's the pastoring function of fundraising.

The Joyful Spirit of Giving

Brad: So, Rob, I know that if you, without going into details, you give a whole lot more than 10%. 

And it's joyful, and it's, so it's not that the tithe is a tax, but you joyfully give a whole lot more than 10%.

And I think that's the point. It's a joyful, it's part of your love for God, and your love for others.

And so though, some people think that, just as long as I give 10%, I've given enough, and that obligation mindset creates a problem, rather than the joyful mindset, which leads to much more than 10%.

Rob: Yes, and in the, in looking at generosity, and particularly the materials and others that you can encounter on this issue, and encourage maybe jogs, these journeys of generosity in your setting.

We come to this place of giving, because we want to. Because it's a joy to participate in giving.

And so, that's, we're just trying to encourage that, and encourage a generous spirit in people.