Dealing with The Monster of Time Management

~ Jenn Fortner ~ Leave a comment
As the holidays approach, so do the packed schedules. Am I right?! I personally feel as though I ran through November and am not wanting a repeat for December. Does anyone else feel like Thanksgiving possibly can’t be this week? Anyone?! Okay just me? Anyway…
As I’ve been pondering best practices of time management in my own life, I would like to share some of my thoughts on the subject in the context of financial partnership development. I’ve also added the advice of a few christian workers in the throws of intensely packed schedules.
If you have ever procrastinated partnership development in favor of getting the other thing done or just gotten tired of hearing the words “I’m busy” come out of your mouth  – this post is for you! (in all reality, this post really is for me and maybe for you…)
 Time-Management
Time Man·age·ment
noun
noun: time management
  1. the ability to use one’s time effectively or productively, especially at work.
    “time management is the key to efficient working”

7 TIPS FOR BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT

1. Keep a detailed calendar. Become familiar with the calendar on your smart phone (or computer) and start using it… EVERY DAY. Set multiple alarms (sometimes I set it to daily if it is urgent) for yourself so you are reminded of your tasks. If you aren’t a “scheduled type person”, strongly consider figuring out how to become one. Find some helps in the area of time management online if need be. Try out a daily method of entering calendar appointments and checking your calendar.

2. Get an accountability partner or a coach. It is easy to get behind on raising up a committed team. If you can find someone within your ministry context to hold you accountable. Ask that person to hold you accountable on multiple levels:

  1. Daily goals.
  2. Weekly goals (Sometimes it is better to commit to weekly goals instead of daily goals. However, some people work better with daily goals instead. Find out what works best for you and commit)
  3. Overall goal of when you want to be at 100% fully-funded.

Your accountability partner can be someone you work with, for, or even a good friend who can do a good job at motivating you. Try to be as transparent as possible with this person. As you go through highs and lows keep them involved and informed. Having someone to chat with about this season of life can be helpful in and of itself.

3. If you can cut back somewhere, do it. While raising your funds you may have other ministry assignments within your local church. You may also have multiple hobbies, small groups, or other things that take extra time out of your schedule. Find out which of those to keep and which of those to let go of in this season.

While raising up your team it may not be the time to say yes to joining the new softball team that your work is putting together. It may be time to ask your worship pastor if you can cut back on your commitment with the worship team to once a month. It may be the time for someone else to lead the small group at your church. Of course, ask God about your commitments. Realize that this season takes some time out of your schedule and is important to do correctly and relationally. If you can cut back on some commitments, do it.

4. White boards. Perhaps you are not so good about checking your iCal / Google Calendar, but you are a visual person. Enter the good ole’ white board! Find a space in your home that you see on a daily basis, and put up a dry erase board. Create weekly and daily goals to write up on that white board. Change the day goals daily and the week goals weekly. It always feels good at the end of the day to scratch things off the list!

5. Take a sabbath. Be kind to yourself during this season of life. Make sure to take time out for God, yourself, and for your family. Take one day a week for sabbath. Let it be a full day, and hop back in the other 6 days of the week.


 time-and-money6. Don’t do the thing I do. If I need to get a lot of things accomplished on my to-do list during a busy week, typically I work on everything but the hardest thing on the list first.

Consequently, if you are anything like me during a busy week or season of life, the first thing you’ll fall behind on is financial partnership development.

Let’s call that what it is: ole’ fashioned procrastination.

Here’s my suggestion if you have a problem with this: switch and reverse. If you START your work on the hard thing you will feel better than if you leave the hard thing for the LAST THING. If it helps, here’s some permission: you can still procrastinate! Just procrastinate the easier things instead of giving yourself mental trauma for a week by procrastinating the hardest thing on your list.

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Warning: you may not like me much after this next one….

7. What’s your favorite Netflix show right now? If you can easily answer that question I may need to have a coaching moment with you:

AnimationNOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR NEFLIX.

I know I know… hear me out though. As I mentioned in #3 and #5 – white space, flex-time, important commitments, and a weekly sabbath are all very important to adhere to during seasons of partnership development. I personally need scheduled white space in my routine. I also need to let my brain unwind after a complex week. However, scheduled productive white space is different than hours of Netflix binging.

To stay productive but to successfully unwind – watch out for time sucking habits such as Netflix or hours in front of Facebook. Try and limit the amount of downtime with those as your go-to’s. When you do seek out white space, seek out restful activities that are natural energy resources to you. For instance go have a cup of coffee with a dear friend, take a nap, go for a walk or a bike ride with your spouse or by yourself, play a board game with your family, work on a painting or home project, or play your guitar. Go with what brings life, energy, and fun back to you.

Also don’t forget, one of the most restorative things we can do with our time is spend time in front of God! Right?! Right.

Here are some other thoughts on Time Management from other itinerating christian workers:

TIPS FROM 7 OTHER CHRISTIAN WORKERS 

Worker 1:  I’m substitute teaching 4-5 days per week as I raise my budget. I did leave my super hectic reporting career because there’s pretty much no way I could handle all the nights and weekends while trying to schedule appointments and speaking engagements. So that’s something to consider – if you can, keep working but possibly cut back a little. Apart from that, prioritization is so key! Having a to-do list (I use the 2Do app) has helped a ton. I never get everything done that’s on my list, but it helps ensure I get done what has to be done on a certain day. And this may seem simple, but I also just started keeping my TV off for most of the day. I started looking for little time suckers and took steps to eliminate them. I didn’t sit for ours in front of the TV, but getting distracted here and there for a few minutes at a time added up!

Worker 2: Divide and conquer. It sounds so simple, but I feel like our generation can get so overwhelmed with huge tasks that we freeze in our tracks or don’t know where to start. Break your weekly tasks up into bitesize chunks. Send 5 emails. Get caught up on thank you notes. Make 10 calls, write newsletter. Write them down and cross it off the list. It really does help!

Worker 3: Lists are extremely helpful. Keeping a detailed planner that I take everywhere and being intentional with my time has also helped.

Worker 4: Say “Yes” to the planner! You never know when someone will call you back about an appointment and it’s best to have your schedule right in front of you. As a substitute teacher, I’ve had to have a planner anyway; I have a different job every day.

Worker 5: I am not a planner by any definition of the word but I have grown to rely on my online calendar very much. I do not make plans any more without checking it. And when I do make plans, I update it immediately. There is time in life, but sometimes we need to truly force ourselves to take advantage of it when it is there.

Never give up!

Worker 6: Know that it’s going to take time. More time than we’d like. We live in an instant society. Everything we do we expect immediate rewards or results. Don’t feel guilty if your fundraising journey takes longer than others, just don’t compare at all. Comparing more harmful/painful than helpful.

Remember God is using this time to prepare us in more ways than we even understand! So ask for patience, be content in all things, and rest in God’s timing rejoicing with others and not worrying about how fast or slow you get to the field.

Worker 7: I strongly recommend substitute teaching during support-raising season if you MUST work. With substitute teaching you are able to set MANY preferences. Specifically, which/how many days to devote to both subbing and support. At the end of the school day (for the most part) you don’t have work to take home with you!  So many positives about substitute teaching, I could keep going, but won’t. (wink emoticon)

Do you have practices that help you in the area of time management? Share them in the comments please!

Dealing with the Monster of Rejection

~ Jenn Fortner ~ 9 Comments

A subject that comes up regularly in the hearts and minds of ministry workers raising their finances is that of rejection. Eeew. I know, I’m going there. We are talking about it…

To explain a little further what I mean when I say “rejection”, I define “rejection” as facing the fear of rejection and/or what happens when we are given a “no” when asking for financial support.

I’ve gathered some insights from various ministry workers that I coach to speak on the subject of rejection. Before sharing those, I would like to share 5 thoughts that may turn the lights on the monster lurking in the corner.

original
Re·jec·tion
rəˈjekSH(ə)n/
noun
  1. the dismissing or refusing of a proposal, idea, etc.
    “the union decided last night to recommend rejection of the offer”

Facing rejection can be daunting to even think about in the context of raising funds. Will I damage the relationship? Will they say no? Will I be awkward? Will they be awkward? Will they answer the phone? Are they screening my phone calls? Do they not like me now that I’ve asked them for an appointment? Am I annoying? Did I ask for too much? If I call them and ask to get their commitment in what will they think? It goes on and on. All of these thoughts I’ve absolutely had myself and have talked with other workers about on a regular basis.

As far as actual rejection goes, I’m not going to sugar coat it for you, it’s a sure fire thing while raising your funds (and let me point out, while in ministry in your field) you will deal with some form of rejection. I know – shocker. It just happens.

Whether it is the fear of rejection or actual rejection that is hanging you up from accomplishing your goals (or is just getting in the way of this being a great season of life in ministry) here are a couple of thoughts on combating the fear of rejection, or the “no” itself:

1.People have different giving goals, sometimes it just isn’t about you, it’s about them and the Lord. Not everyone is meant to join your financial partnership team, and that is okay. Tithes and offerings are a very personal thing between a person and God. For a lot of people giving directly links them to the cause they are passionate about, and giving may be their only outlet of involvement with that cause or ministry.

For example, let me give you a story: Say “Joe” is very passionate about disaster relief aid, but Joe works a full time job in food service and never gets to volunteer due to a busy and irregular schedule. Thus Joe is very passionate about providing finances to several disaster relief organizations and does not have much room in his budget to give to something that doesn’t fit within that context. Then you ask Joe to financially partner with you for reaching college campuses and Joe tells you no, because he just started supporting a new relief effort.

Now you have two choices here: (1) You could walk away from Joe feeling defeated because he didn’t partner with you monthly, and maybe even feel like somehow the relationship is damaged or awkward because he said no. Or (2) you could walk away celebrating that Joe is able to directly influence the thing he is passionate about, just like you are by starting your journey with ministry to college campuses. So which would you choose? Which do you normally choose? What do you automatically think when someone doesn’t give to you?

(Keep in mind, you could easily insert a pastor of a church into this story as easily as “Joe”. Churches have numerous projects, causes, and workers vying for their financial attention. Celebrate with churches who give in general, even if it isn’t to you!)

2. You don’t have to apologize.  I think this is one of the most important things to remember in the midst of asking for finances. Asking someone for financial support is okay and it’s even biblical. (If you doubt that to be true, here are some verses to check out) Also, what you are doing is downright cool and inspiring. Seriously. You don’t have to be ashamed about telling people about Jesus and you certainly aren’t the only one since the days of Moses who raised finances to do it.  If it means anything, I give you permission: You can be bold. You can be confident (and it actually helps). You don’t have to apologize for following God’s path, and you actually get to be an inspiration for those you connect with to follow their own paths with God!

3. Remember this is God’s thing, not yours. If He has called you surely He will provide for you. Also, He’s actually the one that set it up for the christian worker to live off of support. He can sympathize, Jesus empathizes (Luke 8:1-3), and has a plan for you and for your financial team. If someone doesn’t join maybe someone else is supposed to. I can be as simple as that, if you let it be.

4. Perceiving rejection is typically worse than actual rejection. What do I mean? If your anything like me, most of the time the real battle doesn’t even leave your own brain. Often times we become our own worst enemy when it comes to raising our finances. If you think about it, the real worst thing that can actually happen in raising your funds is asking and hearing a “no”.

However, I don’t think that we let that be the worst thing. I actually think the worst thing that happens to us is in the battle of our own minds – and as we focus on  perceived thoughts that may or may not be true we become jaded, upset, unfocused, unsure of our calling, etc etc etc. Practical combat here: avoid the troubles this creates by being clear in your asks and let the actual “rejection” be the worst thing that can happen (because really it’s not that bad!). Truly, sometimes the fear of rejection is more real than your actual being rejected is.

5. Just because a pastor or individual doesn’t immediately call you back doesn’t mean they are rejecting you (or mad at you). Try to keep in mind that it’s not always about you. People have busy lives and are not as keen on raising your support as you are. Pastors are busy and have a lot of various priorities. Individuals lives can get busy and inboxes can get full of emails and to-dos. Give those you try to contact a little grace and don’t give up too quickly. Don’t tell yourself they have said no before they have had the chance to.

If someone doesn’t connect with you after multiple attempts that’s okay. Give it a little time and try again. Maybe their season of life is a busy one. Here’s where it may get scary: sure, maybe they don’t want to join your ministry team. But you don’t know that until they say no. Whatever the case actually is, in your assessment try and assume the best before the worst and whatever you do, keep moving forward.

6. BONUS: Don’t give up! If you are reading this it is probably because you are doing something awesome God has called you to. If that is true then He has given you grace for it and He knows your obstacles and fears in the midst. I think the main thing I have learned in my personal experiences and from coaching is simple: keep your perspective biblical and your know that God has got this. Amen? Amen.

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To go along with these thoughts, here are a few more thoughts on rejection from workers who have recently gotten to 100% with a team of committed financial partners:

Worker 1: Someone once told me “God already knows your partners; you just have to find them.” That helped a lot in dealing with rejection. If someone says no, they’re just not one of the ones God had in mind for my team!

Worker 2: I would say that the hurt of rejection is a result of the expectation that said person is going to become a partner…so for us the biggest let downs are the ones that come from those people we though “for sure” would join our team. If we walk into support meet-ups having the understanding that it’s the Spirit doing the real convincing (even though it’s our jobs to communicate accurately and be straightforward), then we would walk out with the understanding that no matter how it ended, the Lord is in it and He’s the one forming our team.
From a practical stand-point, I would add that it’s better that you hear a “no” from a potential partner rather than a “yes” only to have that commitment fall through months down the line while serving on the field! (That helped me, anyway!)

Worker 3: Last week after reaching 99% fully funded, I lost a $200/mo supporter, and when I was praying about it I laughed! I thought “God is my supporter” (this sounds cheesier now that I’m writing it down.) I’m just saying – rejected? No. Trust God and keep going. One thing I’ve learned: It’s not about me.

Worker 4: God has hand-selected every church and individual financial partner that will get us on the field. Never let those pastors or financial partners that do not feel personally led by the Holy Spirit, or do not currently have the funds to support, feel like they have failed. Smile at them warmly and honestly and tell them the faith you have in God for getting you to the field. Typically they already feel both shame and regret for not being able to support you. Do not let them walk away feeling like they let you down. If we can’t handle this “rejection”, how will we handle the rejection when those we serve reject Christ when we share the gospel?

I hope you find some of this helpful. When dealing with the monster of rejection, remember to turn the lights on. It may not be as scary as you think!

Have thoughts? Post them in the comments!


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The B Roll: All the Things They Didn’t Tell You

~ Jenn Fortner ~ 3 Comments

Support raising is a dense subject! Right? Right.

As I continue to teach on support raising, I’ve found typically there is more to teach than time allots for. As I coach numerous small groups and individuals, we just never get to all of the things. Teaching and learning how to raise a budget can be like drinking from a fire hydrant. #TOOMANYTHINGS

Thus, I’m calling this post: The B Roll.

This post goes out to all of those workers I have coached along the way! Here are some random pieces of information that may have gotten stuck in the cracks of little time, lots of practice, and dense material.
Untitled Infographic (4)

 

 

I mentioned above the post on How To Create a Successful Facebook Campaign. Check it out and I hope it helps!

Also, a quick word on #5…I’m not saying never ask for a appointment on Facebook. I’m just saying do some strategic thinking before you do, and I wouldn’t default to it.

Want more practical tips, you can find them in the Financial Partnership Development Workbook here.

 

 

PAUL WRITES WITH SINCERITY TO HIS SUPPORTERS IN PHILIPPI – Support Raising Solutions

~ Jenn Fortner ~ 1 Comment

Yesterday Support Raising Solutions featured one of my blog posts on their site. I’m very honored, as I have gleaned much from SRS and their ministry. May I suggest checking out Support Raising Solution Bootcamps if you or your ministry are wanting quality training in the area of support raising. I went through a bootcamp in 2014 and loved it!

If you haven’t read the post check it out on their site in the link below.  – JF

Source: PAUL WRITES WITH SINCERITY TO HIS SUPPORTERS IN PHILIPPI – Support Raising Solutions

I’ve been reading the book of Philippians lately and from it I have been gaining wonderful insights in the area of ministry partnership development. Don’t you love Philippians? The tone that Paul carries throughout is so warm and kind. Philippians is a book full of encouragement and vulnerability and contains this well-known verse: “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13) A bonus is that it carries my favorite very-zealous-teenage-self verse, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21) Do you happen to know why Paul wrote to the Philippians? […]

 

Grab the Elephant: 3 Critical Components of Successful Support Raising

~ Pastor Chris

SPECIAL GUEST BLOG!

Before we get into this really amazing post, I (Jenn Fortner), just want to say how thankful I am to Pastor Chris for agreeing to challenge us with his wisdom in the area of ministry partnership development. You guys!! This post is full of practical wisdom straight from a guy that truly knows the ins and outs of raising funds biblically. Unfortunately, we have to do a little bit to hide his identity for security reasons, so I can’t say much about who Pastor Chris is. However I can tell you what an honor it is to have our friend writing a guest post with hopefully more to come! Enjoy! – JF

*Once upon a time there were 3 blind men in India.  Each man was asked to go up to an elephant and then give a description of the elephant.

The first blind man puts his arms around the leg and realized the elephant was sturdy and strong.  He came back and reported – “An elephant is like a tree.”

The second blind man found himself behind the elephant and grabbed the tail.  He returned and said, “An elephant is very much like a rope.”

The third blind man approached the front of the animal and reached up and felt the flapping large ear.   He turned and exclaimed, “An elephant is like a large fan!”

The morale of the story is that each man is correct.  But he is only partially correct which makes him dangerously wrong.  Each man was feeling only a part of the animal and therefore missed the BIG picture of what an elephant really is.  In fund raising when I listen to missionaries I hear that many have only a part of what it means to raise financial support in the Kingdom of God.  Over many years I have discovered that there are 3 critical components to be a good fundraiser and to maintain good partnerships over the long haul.  If you have one or two of these principles in operation you may succeed but it will likely be a struggle.  When you have all three in operation in your life and ministry you will find fund raising to be enjoyable and meaningful.

#1 – Your Spiritual Relationship to money

Do you fully understand what the Word teaches about finances and are you practicing those principles in your life?  If we are asking others to give are we being givers ourselves?  If we are asking others to partner with us have we personally picked up a few missionaries for monthly support?  Do you see in the Word that God is a Good Father and wants to provide for you?  That His calling on your life is not a call to poverty but a call to generosity?  Are you praying and exercising your faith for your financial support?  Is your increase of faith resulting in an increase of actions?  Are you managing your finances in a way that honors God – in others words – do you live by a budget?

As you can see by my many questions above that there is much to understand about your spiritual relationship to money.  So do not just give a quick check that says, “yeh – I’m good.”  But take an inventory of your life and your relationship to the resources God has already brought into your life.

#2 – Your Philosophical Understanding of fundraising

Do you know that God has called you?  Do you know that by the nature of your calling you are “worthy” of financial support?  If you are “worthy” can you boldly proclaim your vision and ask others to join in the work to which God has called you?  Once you have supporters it is critical to treat them as partners.  We cannot do the work we do alone and without their support we would utterly fail.  So what do you “owe” them?  Yes – you do “owe” them dearly.  You owe it to your partners to be faithful and work hard… But you also owe to them sharing the information of what is happening in your ministry.  Regular communication is critical to keeping partners working with you. 

Once you have a correct philosophical understanding of fundraising, you will never again feel like you are begging.  You will never feel like you are asking them to pay you personally.  You will never be embarrassed to ask someone to partner with you.  You will never be uncomfortable in sharing your vision and inviting others to join you in your calling.   

#3 –Your Practical Application of Good Financial & Fund Raising Principles

Are you an accountant?  Probably not… But guess what?  You are now expected to be one and you better be a good one!  Learn to track your partners giving.  Learn to do all your reporting accurately and timely.  Learn to pray over all your partners and contact them regularly.  Find unique ways to communicate and share the good things God is doing through your ministry and through their partnership.

Once you are good at the practical side of things, create systems so that everything naturally repeats itself.  Using your monthly statement as means to review, pray, and communicate with supporters is an excellent way to keep these activities going on a monthly basis.

So the morale of This Story… Your Story… is get the big picture of what God is wanting to work into your life and through your life in the area of finances.  Do not make fundraising a “necessary evil”, but turn it into an encouraging and empowering ministry where you gather many people and churches together to accomplish something great for God.

*[Old Indian Folktale – Author unknown]

 – Pastor Chris

17 Resources That Will Make You A Support Raising Rock Star

~ Jenn Fortner ~ 3 Comments

Below is a list of great blogs, books, design tools, social media helps, and more. All of these resources can majorly help as you build your financial partnership team. Below the infographic I have the links for all of the resources. Check them out!

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  1. Support Raising Solutions – www.supportraisingsolutions.org
  2. Funding Your Ministry by Scott Morton – amazon.com
  3. A Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen – amazon.com
  4. People Raising – the book and blog are available here
  5. Reachmodo.com – find out more on their website
  6. Piktochart.com
  7. Canva.com
  8. MailChimp
  9. IMissionsPro
  10. TNTMPD
  11. Portent’s Content Generator 
  12. How to Create Your Own Facebook Campaign
  13. Funding the Family Business – book and blog available here
  14. Dunham&Company – Fundraising Research
  15. Tailored Fundraising – Twitter feed
  16. 101 Fundraising Blog
  17. Biblical Basis from jennfortner.com

Also as a resource, check out the Financial Partnership Workbook available here, and my Twitter and Facebook pages. I try to continually share content from multiple angles on partnership development and think you will find it helpful!

Have your own great resources? Post them in the comments!

5 Support Raising Lessons from The Widow’s Olive Oil

~ Jenn Fortner ~ 4 Comments

2 Kings 4:1-7

Let’s read 2 Kings 4:1-7.  Before you do though, a little precursor: If your anything like me, you may be tempted to read scripture on a blog post like a cereal box in the morning – as in – not throughly. I invite you however to slow down and take a moment and really read this woman’s story. You will find some great nuggets of wisdom in the area of support raising I promise.

“The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” 2 Kings 4:1-7

So lets take a few moments to consider this widow’s story together. This woman’s prophetic, God-fearing husband is dead; making the widow a single mom of two boys with insurmountable money problems. As in, she doesn’t have any. Because she is so behind on payments, creditors are coming to take the two boys to be sold into slavery. From reading about the widow’s situation we can induct she is likely to be experiencing frustration, exhaustion, anxiety, stress, and loneliness amongst other things.

In her desperate need she seeks out the man of God (Elisha) for help. Elisha asks what she has in the house, and she says nothing at all but a lonely and useless jar of olive oil. (Have you ever wondered if that is literally all they had? I mean, do they even have straw beds in the house? Perhaps a dishrag? Only a jar of olive oil?!? What about a a pair of socks or a dust pan or broom? (I digress. I realize this is not the point.)

Essentially Elisha tells the widow what to do to save herself and her sons. Go collect empty jars from her neighbors and pray for a miracle of course! You have to know she probably felt crazy following his seemingly unhelpful instructions. I know I would. And not only does it seem absolutely NOT the right answer for creditors coming to take her sons, but then factor in the potential uncomfortable situations this creates for the widow. Maybe she has already asked her neighbors numerous times for resources and favors, making Elisha’s plan dig into her already existicolorgroupng wounds. Maybe there is a judgmental neighbor in the neighborhood, someone she wouldn’t want to ask a favor of in a thousand bad years. Maybe the neighbors are long distances away, making this task seem to be the icing on the cake of her exhaustion.

All of this to say if I were the widow I’d be in no mood for all of this faith business. But then again, she asked for it.

There are so many lessons on healthy support raising in this story I do not even know where to start!  For the sake of brevity, here are 5 lessons I’d like to point out:

imgresLesson #1: Having faith often doesn’t make sense and often makes us uncomfortable. I’m a very practical person. Sometimes to a fault. If God told me the solution to my epic mountain of a problem was to go collect empty jars from my neighbors I would think twice. Actually probably more than twice. I’d like to say I would do it, but I would be hesitant. For me the actual act of gathering the jars from neighbors would include a lot of faith, some embarrassment, awkwardness, and loads of uncomfortable self-talk (ie. “this person is going to think I’m crazy”, “she will give me a jar but has nothing herself, how can I ask?”, “she will give me a jar but will hang it over my head” ) Sound familiar?

When the widow acted on her faith and said yes to God’s plan, she experienced a miracle. It is likely that God may be asking you to act in faith so that He can provide. Maybe collecting jars to you looks like inviting someone to join your team that you haven’t talked to in eons. Maybe it is just asking someone that makes you uncomfortable. Let the self-talk go and ask God what He wants to do.

imagesLesson #2: Having faith DOES NOT mean we should sit around and wait for God to do all of the work. Have you noticed that God’s plan usually involves us actually doing something? Elisha could have clapped his hands and made the jar appear out of thin air, but typically that’s not how these things work. Just like the fish and five loaves, or Peter getting out of the boat – we often have to take action in our faith. We WALK by faith and not by sight.

In your support raising, you will always have what I call “manna moments”. It’s that thing where without asking an individual eagerly jumps on your monthly partnership team, or a church CALLS YOU and asks if you can speak at their next service. Most of the time, manna moments are the exception and not the rule. Sure God provided for the Israelites for awhile with manna from heaven, but at some point they had to move forward.


imgresLesson #3: Ask and you you shall receive. “We have not because we ask not.” (James 4:2) What would have happened if the widow asked even more of her neighbors for jars? Quick answer here: she would have had more money to live off of. What would have happened if she gave into the awkwardness and not asked her neighbors for the jars? Quick answer again: She wouldn’t have had enough money to pay her debts.

Raising support is not about waiting for people to get the hint and support you. There must be action on your part, and your part is to invite others to join in what your doing and be a part of the Great Commission.


imagesLesson #4: God wants to involve others, and it is about more than just you and your needs. As I stated above, God could have just snapped His fingers and provided enough oil and jars for the widow. But He didn’t. I believe He wanted the widow to act in faith but He also cared for the neighbors. He wanted to show Himself to them. He wanted them involved for His glory.

You may think you it would be lovely to just get paid via check for the ministry work you do. I’ve been there. I get it. But think about the team you are building around you and I challenge you think about the big picture. Just as God didn’t want to provide the miracle in a vacuum for the widow, the same goes for you. He’s all about them being involved, revealing hearts, and moving them forward in the call on their lives and of the Great Commission too. Think macro, not micro. Think no vacuums.


imgresLesson #5: Listen to God, not to your fears. Again, the self-talk going on in my head if I were the widow would be un-ending. It’s likely that you could be experiencing something similar as you step out in faith. But I challenge you to be like the widow and WALK by faith and not by sight. To move beyond the awkwardness and boldly ask. To involve others, even the uncomfortable ones, in the story. I challenge you to listen to God and not your fears.

Let’s be like the widow people.

God will provide the oil if we go get the jars. – Tweet this

Busy? 10 Easy Ways to Keep Up With Donors While On The Field

~ Jenn Fortner ~ 4 Comments

This past month I traveled for the majority of the month, visiting various christian workers I had previously coached. Those workers are now on the field in active their respective ministry roles. In almost every conversation I had with them, they touched on the need for help connecting with their financial partners while leading very busy lives on the field.

Thus I wanted to take a little time to share on my post on this topic again and update it with a few new ideas. (If you have read the old post, this one will have a few new ideas – so please read again.)

If you are a worker already in your field of ministry – this post is for you! And now for the post:

Here’s a statistic that Bill Dillon, a guru in the support raising world and author of People Raising, has that I think you’ll find potent:

For every 100 people that stop supporting you:

66% of people stop giving because they think you don’t care about them

15% are unhappy with your organization

15% transfer their giving somewhere else

4% move away or die

Woah.

Investments that Count

When I train missionaries on how to raise their budgets I tend to stay away from the word “fundraising” for many reasons, and when I really think about it — this statistic is at the heart of all of my reasons.

No one wants to invest in something that yields no return.

If the people/church giving a christian worker funds every single month feel as though the worker could care less about their giving, they will go somewhere else with their giving dollars.

And in my opinion, they should.

Ouch! Why you ask? Because the reason donors are investing in the Great Commission is because they are called to be a vital part of the Great Commission, too. And if they are called to be a part of the Great Commission, why should they be made to feel as though their vital part is on the sidelines?

I believe that one reason we forget to invest ourselves into the relationships we have with our financial partners is because we forget (or perhaps don’t have the paradigm) that they are as vital to the work that we are doing as we (as ministers) are. (Side Note: I call “donors” by the term “partners” or “financial partners” because donors also give blood – look up the definition – you’ll be surprised)

That being said, many christian workers on financial support struggle in the area of continually connecting with their financial partners even they have a high value for their relationships with them.

It makes sense. We are all busy. Ministers are typically very busy.

As much as I understand, I also believe it isn’t a valid excuse. There are so many easy ways to connect across continents in our world. As such, I would like to offer up 10 suggestions on how ministers on financial support can continually – and easily – connect with churches and individuals who financially invest in the kingdom work they are doing.

Minister to Partner: Ways to Connect

1. The Quarterly Newsletter

Here’s a no-brainer: Send your newsletters. You should do a minimum of four a year. Keep them short, and talk more about ministry than personal things. Include pictures of active ministry and not vacation spots.

Here are two “do not’s” with newsletters:

The Vacationer Newsletter

I recently got a newsletter that made me jealous. And not in a good way. There were pictures of vacation spots all over it, making me wonder (from my desk in the middle of a rainy Missouri day) why I couldn’t go myself? I want to go to these wonderful, beautiful, far off destinations to do “ministry” instead of supporting someone else as they take these paid looking vacations; however, I know my job, and my calling is here.

Sure I knew that they were active ministers, or else I wouldn’t have started supporting them in the first place. However, there was something as I was reading that felt just a twinge off and left me wondering. Let’s not put the people that are giving us the opportunity to minister in that place of wondering. Let’s keep our newsletters active in ministry.

The Negative Newsletter

I have read a lot of newsletters over the years. And can I say one thing I see over and over again? A negative outlook. I believe I’m with the majority when I say positive newsletters win verses negative newsletters all day, every day. Sure prayer requests are important, and of course there is the need to be honest. However, the general feel of your newsletter should be one of a positive outlook and experiences. No whining. No complaining about how hard it is to raise your finances. Keep your newsletters vision based and focused.

2. The Digital Hello

When you get on the field, pick 5 – 10 financial partners each month and email them a short personal hello/touch base. For example:

“Hi Sally, just wanted to touch base with you and see how you have been doing. You and Chuck are, of course, on our prayer list and we are wondering if you have any updates or requests. Things here are going wonderful! We just finished with our building project and couldn’t be more excited to receive students this coming fall. I am really looking forward to getting back into teaching. Anyhow, hope you all are well and let us know how we can be in prayer for you.” – Jenn

See…how painful is that? It took me all of one minute to write that… You may be saying, but what happens when they write back? Then, take another minute of your day to promptly reply to those who responded to your email. If all 10 respond it will take you around 10 minutes to respond to all of the emails. Then, take the time to mention them in your prayers and follow up with that as you have time. Keep a simple notebook. Write them down. It will make all of the difference and mean so much to the people spending so much time praying for you.

Once you have gone through your 5 – 10 partners each month, circle back around your list. Put these on some sort of white board in your room or house to remind you, or put it into some sort of calendar each month. Whatever you do, calendarize it in some way.

3. The Traveling Present

Send small gifts or postcards to your financial partners. Tell them thank you for their continuing support.

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I recently received a postcard from a friend vacationing in Costa Rica. That postcard remained on my fridge for 2 months for two reasons: (1) My friend thought of me from a far off destination and it made my day getting that postcard! (2) It was beautiful! Personally, I’m a sucker for a pretty print of any far off destination.

Small gifts do not have to cost much to mean a lot.

4. Stay Active on Social Media

If you don’t already have one, create a Facebook page. Create a secret group if you are going to a sensitive country. Stay active on it while you are on the field. Pictures, prayer updates, videos and praise reports are all fantastic. *If you are somewhere sensitive keep that in mind while posting and follow the rules of your organization.

If you have the time and know-how, get onto Instagram and Twitter as well! This is not for everyone, and typically I say to start with one social media outlet and do it well. However if you have the time and know how try one or both of these. I love posting on Twitter and have a personal Instagram page as a creative outlet. Both have been effective in communicating with friends and helping me to network on a larger scale.

5. The “I’m Thinking of You” Share

Facebook message your financial partners or like their posts. Stay active on your personal page (including Twitter or other social media outlets).

Sometimes as I listen to audio sermons, worship sets, podcasts, or Scriptures, I’ll ask the Lord if He would like me to share any of those with my friends, family, or financial partners. If I feel prompted, I’ll send that sermon or verse to a friend on Facebook with a little message. These have to make sense and the sermons probably shouldn’t be overly convicting on major sins or anything. (Don’t imply that your friend has a problem). Use common sense. ie. Don’t send a message on tithing to a partner who hasn’t recently been giving.

6. The Church Letter

Write a short letter to the churches that financially partner with you. Put a note in to the pastor to please read where he feels it appropriate to the congregation (small groups, prayer groups, Sunday school).

7. The Homecoming Event

When you come back home, hold a non-fundraising event in key areas where your financial partners are. During the event provide desserts and coffee. Share stories from the field, answer any questions, tell them about your future plans, and thank them, thank them, and thank them.

These events can be as elaborate or simple as you want to make them. I would of course error on the side of taking care of your important guests by providing refreshments and some sort of dessert or snack – these also provide an incentive for your guests to come.

Recently, a ministry couple I coach held one of these type of events but made it a fundraising event (this type of event means they asked for monthly commitments from friends and family at the event. A non-fundraising event means you only ask for contact information and do not ask for commitments from your guests).

They took care to have a sign in book at the front door that collected people’s contact information as well, and they had a pastor come up and share with the guests about the value of missions and their ministry. They raised a total of $1,200 in monthly support in one night.

8. The Homecoming Coffee

In addition to the church event, when you come home set up one-on-one coffee times with pastors and friends and family that have supported you. Thank them and catch up on their lives while you were gone. Be relational and intentional.

9. The Real Time Facetime / Skype Meeting

Are you spending some time on Facetime or Skype with your far away family and friends? Why not pick 6-12 financial partners per year to Skype or Facetime while on the field? This is particularly good practice with financial partners that are giving sizable amounts or with churches and small groups that are partnering financially. Give them a real-time live update on where and how you are. Take them into an actual ministry event via skype or Facetime on your phone if you can. They will be floored at your thoughtfulness and most likely continue to financially partner you throughout assignments to come.

10. Text them!

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There are multiple programs available that will allow you to set up video and picture messaging while on the field. If you have a urgent prayer request, why not send a group text message out to your financial and prayer partners with a picture detailing your prayer need? If you have a praise report, send a text and allow them to celebrate with you (of course, keep in mind time zone differences so that you are not texting them at 2:00am)!

I personally use ReachModo for these purposes. It allows me to communicate while on the field and to set up a Text to Give option and a Text to Connect option that helps tremendously while itinerating. (Text to Give is when someone wants to start giving financially, and Text to Connect is when someone wants to sign up for prayer alerts and newsletters.) I then use the service to group text everyone on my ReachModo list. As I said above, there are numerous programs available for this type of service like Constant Contact and ReachModo. Keep in mind that you need to use a service that is secure, and check in with your organization that you are following your organizations security protocols. Check it out and you’ll be glad you did.

If you are a minister on financial support, I hope that these help you. Let’s remind our financial partners that they are important to us and to the Great Commission! Let’s keep our attrition rates up with our financial partners by spending just a little time letting them know that we care. Let’s value them! Let’s realize that they are vital part of what we do. Amen? Amen.

Want to know more about how to connect with financial partners? More practical help while raising your funds for ministry? Check out the Financial Partnership Workbook: Biblical and Practical Tools to Raise Your Support. 

How to Effectively Communicate with Your Financial Partners: ANSWERS FROM ACTUAL FINANCIAL PARTNERS

~ Jenn Fortner ~ 1 Comment

In continuation of my previous posts Hard Questions with Thoughtful Answers:  Q&A With Support Raising Geniuses, here are some “Hard Questions with Thoughtful Answers” from another perspective. The perspective of those that give. 

I hope you find these as helpful as I have! Wow. What great responses! Thank you to the pastor and individual who answered these questions. And ps. – thank you for giving to the work of the Great Commission. I hope it is said often enough to you how vital you are to the work of God. Truly, you make it possible.

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A Canonized Thank You Note

~ Jenn Fortner ~ 2 Comments

I’ve been reading the book of Philippians lately and from it I have been gaining wonderful insights the area of ministry partnership development. Don’t you love Philippians? The tone that Paul carries throughout it is so warm and kind. Full of encouragement and vulnerability, it is a book that houses one of the most famous verses in the entire bible “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.” 4:13 and it carries my personal favorite very-zealous-teenage-self verse, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philip 1:21

Do you happen to know why Paul wrote the Philippians? I didn’t know until I became a ministry partnership development coach and started digging for areas of bible study on financial giving. Here’s what my New Living Translation Bible has to say about the book of Philippians:

“While under house arrest, Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians to thank some dear friends who had sent him money. In this letter he told them about a joy that does not depend upon external circumstances because it is rooted in Jesus Christ, who gives it freely. Paul began by expressing his thanks to the Philippians.”

My New King James Bible says it this way:

“Paul wrote Philippians as a thank you note to the believers of Philippi, for their help in his hour of need.”

So essentially the whole book of Philippians is an example of a canonized thank you note to supporters?!?! A CANONIZED THANK YOU NOTE!!

Before sharing some of the insights I’ve had from realizing this amazing-ness, let me back up a little and set the stage of Paul and the Philippians.

While writing the Philippians Paul was on house arrest in Rome. The Philippians sent Epharoditus with their support on a journey that took approximately a month for Epharoditus to reach Paul. That is quiet a difficult journey (Epharoditus got so sick that he almost died! 2:27, 2:30) and an investment for the Philippians.

In the midst of the Philippian church sacrificing so much; Paul was old, tired, and on house arrest.  Therefore most likely Paul was not in much need of finances at the time. Paul and the Philippians most likely had a growing relationship but were not extremely familiar with one another. In the past the Philipi church had supported him in an ongoing way (4:10, 4:15, 4:16) after Paul had only visited them on a short visit. The letter suggests they potentially had stopped their support before due to difficulties getting Paul the finances (4:10). Their newly continued financial support (and their commitment shown by sending Epharoditus) probably came as a surprise and a blessing to Paul. Something of the equivalent to Paul of a financial supporter buying you a new car.

Paul was so moved by this that he sent Epharoditus back with the letter to the Philippians. Consequently I think we can learn a lot from Paul’s thank you note to the Philippian church.

Here are 2 insights from Phillipians I trust you’ll find helpful:

1. True Vulnerability, Concern, and Friendship with Our Supporters

In Philippians we find true vulnerability from Paul as he shares his thoughts on his suffering and dying state in chapter 1. He remains venerable and honest with the Philippians throughout the book, giving the entire book a warm and encouraging tone:

“For I have told you often before, and say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.” Philippians 3:18

“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.” Philip 1:3

“Dear brothers and sisters, I love you and long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward of my work. So please stay true to the Lord, my dear friends.” Philip 4:1

Throughout the book Paul gives us a great model of relationship to strive for with our support team: they should be the joy and reward of our work. As in, they should be true friends and partakers with us in ministry. Do we see our team as actual partners in the work we are doing? Or do we view them merely as a necessary means to an end? Do we view our relationships with our team members as our joy and reward? Are we communicating honestly, vulnerably, and with concern to our financial supporters? Are we treating them like friends?

2. Don’t Just Seek The Gift

Philippians 4:17 blows me away every time I read it:

“Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.” Philip 4:17

Paul isn’t merely seeking the gifts of the Philippian church as he writes the Philippians his thanks. His worldview is given away here, showing us Paul’s true motivation – and it’s not money. He is motivated by the desire to see the Philippians reward in heaven as true partakers in the Great Commission. This perspective and worldview of our support team may not be instantaneous, but I can say from experience as a coach: those ministers that seek to grasp this concept, that view their team as real partakers in the Great Commission, make the best support raisers I know. Once we stop thinking of our fundraising as a means to an end we will succeed in fundraising – as it will come secondary to enhancing the kingdom of God – which is our primary concern as ministers (and Christians!) anyhow. Are you just wanting money from your team? Are you desiring what will be credited to their account in heaven? Do you see them as partakers with you in ministry?

One of the most quoted scripture verses of all time is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.” Now that I know why Paul wrote the Philippians and that he wrote it with so much concern, love, and vulnerability to his support team,  verse 14 means so much more to me:

“I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.“

Let your team share in your “troubles”. May they be an active and vital part in what you are doing. Let your heart towards them not be about money, but that they are credited in heaven for their vital part in the Great Commission. May they become your friends and truly a “support team” around you. May your relationship to your team be like Paul and the Philippians.