Professional Fundraiser

I was surprised to learn there are organizations that professionally fundraise for different Christian ministries earlier this month. You would be surprised if I listed some of we well known persons who use the professional fundraising companies.

It feels like for most of my ministry I have needed to raise money for projects or just to live on. In my early days of No Compromise Ministries people gave me all sorts of advice. One person told me I needed to make a wish list of all the things I wanted for our ministries. Another told me to send out a newsletter and to communicate our needs in that newsletter. Another suggested we hold an annual fundraising banquet to solicit financial support.

We did all of those things. I never felt good about them. Especially the banquet. I always felt uncomfortable. I think the people who attended were also uncomfortable knowing they would be asked for money at the end.

I wrestled with this for a long time. I prayed through it. I wondered if a person could pray about financial needs and not communicate those needs to people but trust God to hear and to intervene. One day I prayed about this very thing in my office at Denman Avenue Baptist Church. I don't remember what need I had but I asked God if I could just ask Him for my needs or if I needed to drop hints to people to get them to help.

I know God uses people. I can never express enough thanks for all ones God has used in my life over the years. More times than I count people have told me along the way, "If you need anything call me and let me know." Many people stand ready to help if they just knew what the needs are.

That day in my office I really wanted to settle this issue in my life once and for all. I read about how George Mueller did not ask for help directly but trusted God for provision in housing and feeding the orphans he cared for. I wanted to know what God wanted for me personally, Could I communicate my needs to others or was I to take them to Him alone?

In the middle of that prayer my phone rang. On the other end was a family I met in Amarillo, TX at the airport. I flew in there because I was peaching at FBC in Dalhart, TX where they were members. They were returning from a vacation and were my ride from Amarillo to Dalhart, I never saw them again after that. Yet they were on the phone calling me. Here is what they said. "God laid it on our hearts to send you some money and we tracked you down to call and get your address." WOW!

God answered my prayer in dramatic fashion that day. Since then Brenda and I do not tell people what we personally need. I have asked for help in projects like the hospital in Honduras, adding a room on a house for a special needs boy in Seminole, and the Kermit revival.

When it comes to our personal needs Brenda and I take our needs to God. Whether we are living in abundance or facing financial lack we ask God to meet our needs. This is a deep seated conviction. People have no idea how we have lived over the years. Trusting Him for tanks of gas, groceries, houses, vehicles, and bills like car repairs. All they see is the clothes, the house we live in (by faith) and the cars we drive (by faith).

Now back to these fundraising companies. Did you know they do tings like include a certain color envelope because it is proven to generate the best response. They hand address envelopes in blue ink because it is proven to solicit the best response. They even have it down to what days of the month to send such fundraising letters to get the best response. Man made methods. Doing things like the world. I abhor this intentional manipulation.

God is bigger than all that. He knows our needs. He knows the specifics. He also knows your address and mine. He does not need us to manipulate and to prey on people's emotions to fleece them. We can trust Him. That is my conviction. He wants us to pray. He wants us to depend on Him alone not the methods of man.