One of the great things about working for a great organization like Campus Crusade is that they have a ton of resources to help their staff members. Today I was doing some work on the Ministry Partner Development (a.k.a. support raising) website and a great quote fell into my lap!
Fund raising is proclaiming what you believe in and proclaiming it in such a way that you offer the other person an opportunity to participate in your vision. So it is precisely the opposite of begging. It’s not saying, “Please we have a problem could you help us out because lately it’s been hard.” It is saying, “We have a vision that is so exciting that we are giving you the opportunity to participate in that vision with the resources that God has given you.†[emphasis added by me]
-Henri Nouwen
This is so true! This thought has kept me going throughout this fall as I am on the support road. I’m not just fund raising! I’m giving people an opportunity to be part of something BIG that God is doing. I pray that God will continue to cross my path with people out there that are captured by the vision that God has given me!
Okay I need to get back to writing some thank you cards. Be a revolution, even when you are writing thank you cards!