Their Story

Part of discipleship others is telling your story. Having a new disciple tell her story is a key part of the journey with Christ. In fact when you disciple people, you help teach them that they are now to be a witness. We teach them to tell someone else about Christ.

Look at Mark 5 and see what Jesus tells the man from Gadarene to do after the demons were cast out

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed
begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own
people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had
mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how
much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Jesus asks him to tell his story. The same holds true for when giving to God transforms our walk.

We spend most of our communication with donors and champions in telling them what God has done through their gift. Nothing wrong with this. This type of ‘reporting’ is good accountability. But it is one way communication. Let’s create two way communication.

The one giving to the ministry also has a story to tell. He needs to tell others how giving changed his walk. You have the opportunity to build a ‘stage’ for the champion to broadcast his story.

• Start by asking the champion to tell you her story.


• Then assist her in broadcasting the story. Perhaps tell the champion’s story in your next blog or newsletter.


• Finally coach her to tell this story she just told you to others.
  

Transformation is too important to not be talking about. It is also too big for us to talk about by ourselves. Get others talking. God likes it when we talk about Him!!

One Size Does NOT Fit All

The last three post we did a flyby of the three levels we can disciple donors/champions in the cause. We have champions who are at the Participation level, Engagement level and Owner level. Now as we think of the champions in these levels of their journey, we begin to see that our communication cannot afford to be a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

Think about the champion who is an owner of the work. They assist in funding, they rally people for prayer and even get others to go on a team or volunteer. Now think of the newest members of your support team. They are just learning the ropes of what is means to be mission active. The idea of being involved on a regular basis is still churning in their mind. Should these two types of champions receive the same communication? Not if the communication is speaking into their need not your need.

TG is about the need of the team member and equipping them for the journey. Most champions are in one of these three levels of activity. The time has come to write communication in at least two, if not three different ways. One letter needs to target the “P” level champion with challenges for them. The second letter could be a letter combined to target the “E” and “O” level champions. This letter is more involved and shares deeper aspects of the ministry and how the champion can continue to be an impact.

Each communication needs to incorporate a challenge. Certainly the challenge to the “E’s” and “O’s” would be different from the challenge to the “P’s”. A good starting point to move your fund-raising into a transformational giving focus is to divide your champions according to their level of activity and then target your communication accordingly. This then reflects the champions need and where they may be in their journey. Now you become a part of their growth in the team and thus we see the discipleship of giving impacted.

The days of one mass newsletter to all level champions, ie. one size fits all, needs to be a strategy of the past.