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4 Ways to Boldly Pursue the Provision
By Raul Rivera
Coming back from a pastor’s conference that was held at a large church, I couldn’t help but dream of having that same impact in my city.
There was something about the excellence and effect that they were having in their local community that had my heart racing.
I knew it could be done in our town, but I was wrestling with the question that many pastors ask, “What do I do when my vision is larger than my bank account?”
Very often, the vision of a pastor's heart is greater than what the church's finances can provide.
In that moment, it’s very easy to find your heart feeling discouraged.
If that’s you today, I want you to know two things.
First, God will provide! When God gives the vision, He will also bring the provision!
If you are dealing with discouragement, I want to speak a word of encouragement over you that God spoke through the prophet Isaiah; “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and I will help you.” Isaiah 41:10
No matter where you are today and what dreams you are preparing to fund, let God’s word encourage you as you take bold steps towards your vision, knowing that He is going to provide for everything He has called you to!
Secondly, I want to remind you that raising finances is a part of ministry and when done right, can open the doors to amazing things!
Even when God gives the miracle in your fields, you still will have to get out your sickle and harvest it. This may not be easy, but don’t let that stop you. The greatest way to receive a blessing is to be prepared to receive it.
In my experience, there are four important steps to help you raise money for your church, ministry, or non-profit.
Four Important Steps For Raising Money
Step 1: Be able to tell your story in five sentences or less.
I know this is hard for us as pastors and ministers, but this is a critical step. Because you have such a passion for your ministry, it is easy to get excited about it as you tell others.
But having had hundreds of pastors and ministry leaders share their vision with me, I have learned that for many, they try to say too much and miss saying what needs to be said.
For someone who is just hearing your vision for the first time, the entire story told in 30 seconds can be overwhelming.
The best fund raisers simplify their vision casting to just a few simple points. This leaves room for your listener to ask questions and engage with you.
This creates an atmosphere where financial support is easy and natural. To help you develop a simple, yet effective vision casting pitch, I suggest you let these questions help frame your speaking:
- Who are you wanting to reach?
- Where are those people located?
- Why do they need your help?
- How are you going to reach them?
- What do you need to accomplish that?
These five questions will help you craft your vision pitch or “elevator pitch.” This still leaves plenty of time for you to share you heart and also opens the door for questions.
Step 2: Make your request specific
As your vision grows, your needs grow. Take the time now to break down your needs into phases.
Large dollar amounts can be overwhelming for donors to see. They may think that their $20 is insignificant, and decide not to give.
Below are some ways to help your donors see that every dollar counts!
- Make sure to explain what you are raising money for and how that will directly impact the vision and purpose of your church or nonprofit.
- Make the amount clear. Use statements like: “We need to raise $1000 to build a playground for the church to use for our after-school care program for inner-city kids”.
- Make sure to include the resources you already have, that doesn’t have to be money. If you already have a team ready to put the playground up after the money is raised, include that. “Our building team is ready to start building the playground, we only need to raise 300 more dollars.”
- Make sure everyone knows how they can donate towards your project. Can they give cash or write you a check? Can they give online?
Step 3: Make Giving Easy Online giving is a great tool to collect money quickly and securely.
Over 3.1 billion dollars has already been raised this year through online giving. It helps you keep track of who has donated, and allows for donors to have a secure way to give their money through a debit or credit card.
StartSITES, StartCHURCH’s new website creator, allows for you to create a website in less than hour, and set up online giving with a few clicks of the mouse.
Be able to tell your story and collect donations all at once. You must make it easy for people to support the vision.
Start Receiving Online Giving Today
Step 4: Always Keep Everyone Informed Anyone who donates deserves your thanks.
Make sure to thank all of your donors, no matter the amount given. They gave for a reason.
Update your donors regularly on your progress, without asking for more money.
Once your playground is up, send out an email with a picture of the playground and thank them for their contribution. Let them know that not only did they give money, but through your church or organization, they helped make an impact. If you have the resources, send a newsletter with updates.
This helps donors stay engaged on projects that they may have contributed to, and also shows them what is on the horizon for your church or ministry.
Always continue to share your vision and heart with you donors. Let them be excited about the work that God is doing - never keep stories for yourself.
Boldly Pursue the Provision
While raising finances is not the easiest part of the ministry, it is a critical part of the ministry.
Don’t let the fear of being turned down prevent you from boldly pursuing the provision for what God has placed in your heart.
I believe that if you arm yourself with encouragement from God’s Word and if you take the correct steps to make it easy for people to give - miraculous things will happen.
At StartCHURCH, it is our goal to help you bring your ministry visions to pass!
If you are interested in finding out more about StartSITES, or have questions about how this tool can help your church or ministry, please go to www.StartSITES.com or call us at 877-494-4655 .
Set Up Your Website in Less Than 1 Hour!