7 Lessons About Fundraising

"7 Lessons My Father Taught Me About Fundraising" by Dr. Barry Corey

This was a great article for Church Boards and Pastors.  Here are the main points.

1) Write letters.
2) Model the gift of caring.
3) Recognize people's spirit over their status.
4) Pray for the miraculous.
5) Keep an eternal perspective.
6) Have an abiding zeal - your zeal for your vision is like an enticing aroma that does not fade.
7) Pray for favor, not favors!

It's Church Budget Time

George Bullard recently blogged about church budgets and it got me thinking about addressing this issue specifically for churches in Illinois. I get this question quite often; "how much should be budgeted for salaries?  how much for facilities?  what about mission?  

Here are a few bench marks that I think are pretty fair to keep the church engaged in the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment.  

70% - Facilities and Personnel

30% - Mission and Ministry

There are times that this will be out of balance.  There were several years that I would plan on being out of balance in order to build momentum, create outreach, and specific movements toward vision.  However, my goal was to always be within that realm.

I would begin with Mission and Ministry when doing budget.  To me they were non negotiable.  Personnel was not left to the last.  Please don't leave personnel 'to give them what's left over'.  If you have to make up for a tight budget start with the facilities.  Why would a group of loving followers of Christ in a church family budget for new carpet and air conditioners while leaving staff in the dust for a raise?  The Bible calls us to show pastors double honor.   I have seen churches put facilities over personnel too many times.  Let's start a movement to stop this.  

What about cutting staff, salary, benefits?  There are times that it happens and it's necessary.  Most of the time it's just the easiest thing to do.  Here is the only reason I can think of cutting staff or benefits.... when the mission and vision is impeded and people are giving until it hurts. 

How much should pastors be making?  Check out www.cogpension.org / There are many great resources on this web site.  

One Mind - One Purpose

“Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another and working together with one mind and purpose.” – Philippians 2:2

Does this mean that will think and act alike? It wouldn’t be consistent with the rest of scripture.  We certainly must agree on the main issues of the Christian faith.  We might disagree on what those main issues are.  There are many minor matters that will bring a great deal of difference of opinion.  I dare not begin to list them - that would go against this text.

Uniformity and unity are not the same things. I believe you can have unity and we can have different opinions.  Uniformity comes from the word uniform.  It’s the action to get everyone looking alike so that nobody steps out line.  It’s a way to control behavior.  Uniformity is intimidating.  It can be awe inspiring.

Unity is to be like-minded or to have the mind of Christ.  Unity is to see things as Christ would see them and respond as He would respond. To agree wholeheartedly and love one another means to have a love that did not count the cost.  Have you ever had a friend that didn’t count the cost of being your friend?  If yes, you’ve been blessed!

NLT says, “working together with one mind and purpose”. I love to use this text when talking to leaders and churches about vision.  Working together with one mind and purpose is to move in harmony toward the vision of where God is leading.  It is to be in  unity as to show the mind of Christ is directing our every move. 

In terms of mission, vision, and values this text speaks to having an understanding of where Christ is leading and we pull together to get there; and we are having a great time doing it!

Reflections On Pastor Appreciation Month!

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. If I could accomplish one thing this month it would be to help churches see the value of this celebration.  I pastored a church for over 20 years that honored my wife and me every October.  There were years that it was embarrassing how gracious they were. The words that were expressed in cards or even spoken to us that month would make us want to be better servants!  Gifts... (and yes I reported the income to the IRS) I was blessed.

I have had pastors ask me, “how did you get Shorewood to do that?” I didn't get them to do it but I can think of two responses.  

I have learned a few things being out of the Pastoral Ministry these last two years.  One of the things is this; I get the impression that a lot of shepherds don’t like their sheep.  The sheep have bitten them, the sheep stink, and they are messy. Much of the time, the sheep are not treated kindly. It seems to me that appreciation received happens because you give it first.

Anyone angry yet?  Let me push it a little further.  When was the last time you told the congregation that you loved them and you appreciated them?  When was the last time you celebrated the volunteers or gave appreciation to the worship team?  Churches that respond to Pastor Appreciation Month are usually led by pastors that are strong lovers of people!  Pastors, lead the church in honoring one another.  This is a line we stole from Willow Creek when we honored teachers, volunteers, youth workers, children…. “we hold you in high regard.” Then the church would bust out in applause.

You might say (if you are a pastor) I do that all the time – and we don’t even get a card!  I am sorry. Truly I am. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:7 that we are to honor those who preach and lead.  I am truly sorry that the congregation doesn’t do that.  They are standing in the way of God hugely blessing them.  I mean that – Shorewood would receive a huge blessing out of blessing me.  That is totally biblical by the way.  They would laugh, scheme, plan, and sneak around for weeks.  All the time, I would know exactly what they were doing. The first thing is this: Create a culture of Appreciation.

Now to the sheep.  Read Hebrews 13:7, “Appreciate your leaders who give you the Word!”  Do it and do it well.  Honoring your pastor will encourage them and bless them.  It will make sleepless nights and long weeks seem less disturbing.  You will help them realize that what they do matters.

I had a person approach me in Shorewood and say, “I don’t get appreciated at my job, after all you get a paycheck.”  Actually he is correct.  The church doesn’t owe the pastor appreciation unless of course they want to obey the Word.

Anyone reading this that is not a pastor: lead this in your church.  Do it.  You will be blessed and it will bless your pastor.

I now serve in a different role.  There isn’t a month to “hug the State Guy!”  I’m perfectly fine with that and don’t expect it.  Pastors are doing the heavy lifting and I have the privilege of loving and supporting them.  Last week, Lisa and I were talking about this very subject and I was remembering gifts during the month of October. Shorewood was really awesome at this folks!  One year, dinner was brought to our house every night – 30 days of supper at home. That had never happened and it hasn't since them.  We actually got tired of cleaning dishes and couldn’t wait to go to Chili’s.

As we talked about those days – it still blessed us. 

Let me wrap this up in a simple package…

Pastors, lead the revolution by creating an atmosphere of appreciation.  Not for the sake of getting blessed but for the sake of obedience to scripture.

Everybody else, lead the revolution of honoring your pastor every October. Get it in the Culture and DNA of your church.  Talk to someone today.  Think big and then back down if you have to.  Don’t start small and hope it grows into an all expense paid vacation to Florida. 

One more thing, Shorewood always honored our two daughters as well.  The girls would receive gift cards and money too and the church would always give them a note that said something like this, “thank you for sharing your mom and dad with us. We appreciate your sacrifice too.”

That was better than what Lisa and I received.  I would love to hear comments but be nice.

Molder of Dreams

Thirty years ago, I wanted to be a teacher!  I had great teachers in High School that influenced my life greatly.  Two things still make me wonder what it would have been like.  

First, this time of year when all the kids are returning to school. I love new beginnings.

Secondly, this poem entitled: Molder of Dreams.  

Incidentally - it was a favorite of Ronald Reagan's.

You are the molders of their dreams

You who build or crush

Their young beliefs of right or wrong.

You are the spark that sets aflame

The poet's hand or lights the flame

Of some great singer's song.

You are the leaders of the young, the very young

You are the guardian of a million dreams

Your every smile or frown

Can heal or pierce the heart.

Your patient work, your touch

Make you the leaders of hope

Who fill their souls with dreams

To make those dreams come true.

You molder of dreams

My Focus Today: Leading Me! Tough Day....

The most important person you will ever lead is not your staff, your family, your church… The most important person you will ever lead is yourself. 

I don’t know about you but leading self can be difficult.  Leading yourself to make wise decisions.  Leading yourself to eat right.  Leading yourself to exercise.  Leading yourself to Love God first.  

It’s much easier to point fingers and ‘mutter’ (see Luke 15) about what everyone else needs to do to change.  How many times have I thought, “Life would be easy to fix if I were them.  Here’s what they should do.”  Yep, I can fix your life but it’s mine that’s tough and the reason mine is tough is, “ME!”

It’s easy to forget that I must be growing and changing in order to effectively lead other people. The best gift I give to my family, to pastors and church leaders, to my staff is my growth and development plan.  Then, when I as the leader, start to grow and change, guess what I begin to see happen? People around me start to grow and change. 

Everything rises and falls on leadership.

1)   How are you leading yourself?

2)   What is your personal growth and development plan?

3)   What are your personal growth areas?

4)   What specific steps could you begin to take to grow in these areas?

The Truth About Leadership

In the Truth About Leadership, Kouzes and Posner describe what research has revealed about leadership and how certain aspects of leadership endure over time.  Here are a couple of things that I gleaned from reading the text.  I think these 10 lessons are essential for pastors and church leaders to review often.

1. Individuals make a difference not programs. Inspirational leadership is accompanied by a positive attitude.
2. Credibility is the foundation of leadership.
3. Values drive commitment. For a humbling exercise, write down desired values, actual values and stated values.  This is one of the most desired values (and stated) "Lost people matter to God".  Actually many times it is not the actual value. The actual value is; "we matter to God and lost people would to if they came to our church and acted like us."
4. Focusing on the vision of the church sets leaders apart. Good vision casting connects the hopes and aspirations with the congregation.
5. Pastors cannot do it alone.
6. Trust rules!  Honest leaders not only tell the truth, they also lives according to their own guiding principles.
7. Difficult times (cross bearing) is the nuts and bolts of greatness.
8. Leaders either lead by example or they do not lead at all.  Words are cheap - Action is powerful.
9. The best leaders (and pastors) are the best learners.
10. Leadership comes from the heart.

I stand ready to protect and fight for the truth of this statement: Jesus is and will always be the Model of Leadership - across the board and in any situation.