When it comes to money no one stays on a sinking ship. It may be courageous for the captain of the Titanic to go down with the ship, but when we are talking bank accounts, and it looks like the financial ship is sinking, even the captain grabs a life boat.
In fund-raising many of our methods give the feeling that the ship is sinking. Desperation sets in, we start using phrases like, “If you don’t…”, or, “without your gift I can’t…” The overall impression comes across as ‘the ship is going down’. Then we wonder why no one is inspired to give. Would you want to board a sinking ship?
From Christian fund-raising to secular fund-raising the theme in teaching today is to stay positive. Negative impressions such as desperation, or ‘last push’ efforts lead to the conclusion that the ministry is in an unhealthy state.
For those who strive to practice TG, being positive is not a gimmick, or a neatly packaged sales speech. Rather, we are positive because our attitude is based in our theology. That is, we believe in the abundance of God and we walk in a faith that God supplies our needs. The ship is not going down.
Challenging people to give is a result of spiritual growth for all involved. It is a part of ministry. The giver sees that God is in control and provides for His work.
Being positive not only displays our faith in God, but also shows our belief in what we are doing. If our needed budget is based in the activity of the ministry, then a positive image of the financial need displays the fact we are confident in the outreach. When the funds are ministry active based and we use them for God, this allows us to confidently seek partners because it is not about us.
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