Archives by: Gary Hoag

Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you. Deuteronomy 32:7

What are the “New Frontiers in Nonprofit Fundraising” that Christ-centered ministries and churches are pressing into as they navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing landscape that has resulted?

Which ideas and strategies to fund the mission are gaining the most traction in these new frontiers? Here’s what ECFA’s survey participants told us. Top 5 Findings:

1. The biggest fundraising needs are (a) new donor acquisition and (b) moving existing donors “up the donor pyramid.”

2. Having the right people with the right priorities for CEO and paid fundraising staff is the biggest distinction between effective and ineffective fundraising programs.

3. The biggest channel of pandemic giving was major donors, the most effective fundraising medium for new donor acquisition was direct mail, and the fastest growing technology is paid social media postings/placements, most heavily Facebook.

4. The most important priorities of the CEO or equivalent top leader are to understand and model a biblical approach to fundraising and generosity. The most important practice of the CEO or equivalent top leader is to effectively share the fundraising role with others.

5. In the most effective fundraising programs, one or more staff members have specific donors they are building relationships with.

Warren Bird in New Frontiers in Nonprofit Fundraising.

Click here to download the research from ECFA at no cost. All these findings are helpful for church and ministry workers to understand.

Perhaps the one that spoke to me most was point #4. As a CEO of GTP, I must understand and model a biblical approach and share the work with others.

With intentionality I am pouring each of the four staff that report to me to me to help them understand and and model a biblical approach to partnership work.

Do this at your church or ministry and watch the impact of your efforts multiply!

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, including my dad, Jack Hoag. I’m thankful he understands and models generosity. It’s touched my life deeply.

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:24-25

“The more generous Americans are in their practices, the more they enjoy greater well-being in their personal lives… Far from being a draining cost that leaves the generous giver at net loss, practicing generosity for the good of others actually tends to enrich the lives of the givers in ways that are of fundamental human value. Rather than leaving generous people on the short end of an unequal bargain, practices of generosity area actually likely instead to provide generous givers with essential goods in life–happiness, health, and purpose–which money and time themselves simply cannot buy. That is an empirical fact well worth knowing.”

Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson in The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose (Oxford: OUP, 2014) 43.

Part of what I love about generosity research is that it provides empirical data that corroborates what the Bible teaches. Generous practice bless others and us in the process.

In this study, Smith and Davidson provide the cure for many COVID woes like depression and anxiety. Serve others with your skills and resources.

Like the Dead Sea, if you allow flow to come in and not go out, it leads to poverty. Choose a better way that begets life in you and those you serve.

How can you refresh someone else today? Through hospitality, sharing, or providing assistance, aim at enriching someone’s life and see what happens.

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 

Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:28-35

“Why do people in church seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the Absolute? The tourists are having coffee and doughnuts on Deck C. Presumably someone is minding the ship, correcting the course, avoiding icebergs and shoals, fueling the engines, watching the radar screen, noting weather reports radioed in from shore. No one would dream of asking the tourists to do these things. Alas, among the tourists on Deck C, drinking coffee and eating doughnuts, we find the captain, and all the ship’s officers and all the ship’s crew. The officers chat; they swear; they wink a bit at slightly raw jokes, just like regular people. The crew members have funny accents. The wind seems to be picking up.

On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us to where we can never return.”

Annie Dillard in Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters (New York: Harper & Row, 1982) 40-41.

Dillard’s passion reminded me of Paul’s words to the Ephesian elders. He was not messing around during his three years in Ephesus while laboring among them. Meanwhile, modern day churches appear to be run more like cruise ships with people lounging rather than laboring.

Comfort has become the idol rather than courageous service. Where generosity comes into view is that Paul would urge us to set an example of sacrifice and provide people what they need to flourish. That might mean we give them “life preservers” to make it through the storms of life.

So, here’s my shout out to you all in the same spirit. Most so-called followers of Christ flatly ignore the teachings of Jesus on money. They are chilling on Deck C in luxury and rationalizing their disobedience as acceptable. Are you among them?

Notice how Paul uses the word “remember” twice. Firstly, he wants us to we remember his example. Secondly, he locates his example in the words of the Lord Himself. In plain terms, generosity is better than anything they are offering on Deck C. And when we share this with others, we can literally save their lives.

All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing. Proverbs 21:26

“In his book, Necessary Endings, Dr. Henry Cloud suggests that all of us will need to give up something in order to move forward. In life, this might be ending a business relatioship, a personal relationship, or giving up a possession. In giving up something, space is then created for the birth of something new.

For organizations, especially established ones, the necessary ending may be with an employee or a habit that is no longer effective. Often, organizations such as churches need to give up a particular practice. This practice could be relatively new in its implementation but never gained enough traction to be fruitful or viable.

After all, sometimes even new practices are hard to give up when hard to give up when hurt feelings are involved. In many instances, the practice is longstanding tradition to which the leaders and people have become accustomed, and passing the offering plate is one of those long-established practices.”

Donald A. Smith in A Better Offering: 5 Unmistakable Habits of Generous Churches (2020).

Are there any longstanding practices in your life, church, or ministry that need to go so that generosity can flow?

Do this. List your cravings. They could be desires. They might also be practices that you think “have to” happen.

We actually become dependent on these props, which when broken down, often allow fresh growth to appear alongside old growth.

In this book, one point Smith makes is to expand the understanding of giving and the channels of generosity beyond traditional offering methods.

For example, we “have” to do Stewardship Sunday! But what about the other 51 Sundays of the year? Redefine generosity holistically in the context of discipleship!

Or we have to pass an offering plate! But what if automatic giving from bank accounts makes sense to most people? Create new channels and opportunities!

Every church and ministry can improve in these areas. Perhaps engage the next generation of God’s servants to help you see blind spots.

These are places and practices where “necessary endings” become a new beginning for generosity to flow in a variety of ways.

“But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:21

“The faith that can overcome such stubborn resistance as you have just seen in this evil spirit, Jesus tells them, is not possible except to men living in very close fellowship with God, and in very special separation from the world–in prayer and fasting. And so He teaches us two lessons in regard to prayer of deep importance. The one, that faith needs a life of prayer in which to grow and keep strong. The other, that prayer needs fasting for its full and perfect development.”

Andrew Murray in With Christ in the School of Prayer (New York: Fleming H. Revell) 67.

Today I celebrate the gift of prayer.

When this Daily Meditation goes out, I will be gathering for prayer with brothers and sisters around the world. Together we will set aside our desires and all that is of the world and ask for God’s will to be done on earth, in the countries in which we live, as it is in heaven.

We will pray for provision where their is need, protection where there is danger, peace where there is unrest, and power where there is opposition. Let us remember to put this gift to work. It may be the most generous thing we can do for our context. Separate from the world and draw near to God.

Reply if there’s any way I can pray for you from my new place of prayer pictured above (path above new apartment)!

With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God — gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise,stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities. Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?” Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. 2 Chronicles 29:2-6

“Now I would be greatly remiss if I left the impression that the pastor (drill instructor) can lead by himself or herself. No one is more important, but laity (fellow recruits) must also be willing to pick up the mantle. No one motivates better than a peer. When a fellow recruit gets out front and encourages compatriots to follow, the troops take notice. When they exalt, “You can do it and I will show you how,” others listen. It is one thing for a coach to suggest that players come in early or stay late, but when one of the players announces that he ior she will be there early and stay late, now that gets attention. For the church to become a generous community that Christ desires, there must be laity willing to step forward and lead in announcing their commitment. They must stand in front of a congregation or a Sunday school class and invite persons to follow them. They must share their stories as to how generosity is a priority in their Christian walk that keeps them grounded and close to Christ.”

J. Clif Christopher in God vs. Money: Winning Strategies in the Combat Zone (Nashville: Abingdon, 2018) 16.

In today’s Scripture, David brings his gift, then his compatriots pitch in. Their response has a domino effect. Then the entire community makes willing gifts in gratitude for all God had richly supplied to each of them. But notice the power and importance of the compatriots.

If we read on in the text we see the impact in verse nine. “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.” Notice that the people did not rejoice at David but at the response of the next layer of workers.

We need more compatriots for generosity to spread in church congregations and ministry constituencies. As a CEO of GTP, I am expected (like David) to give sacrificially and invite generous giving. But the best way people can help me (and the best way we can all serve our pastor) is to rally others to join in the work by giving.

Be a good compatriot and rally others to rich generosity, with you!

And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? Luke 16:12

“Stewardship is spiritual before it is financial. Stewardship is about our faith before it is about our finances.”

Joel Mikell in Crafting a Theology of Stewardship (Horizons Stewardship, 2013).

The thought of fishing for men has me thinking about the connection between generosity and discipleship.

In this book, Mikell states seven perspectives to help readers build a theology of stewardship. This is his first and foundational point. Ponder it.

Before we focus on money, we must determine where we place our trust. Once we anchor that in Jesus, we are positioned to obey His teachings.

As we do it leads us down a path to generosity, where God is the Supplier, and we are distributors. But it starts with faith then the finances follow.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 4:19

“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and you’ll be looking for a new fishing spot.”

Irish Proverb quoted by Carl Safina at Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College in 2012-2013. See his notes here on Overfishing.

Jesus taught the disciples to fish for people. Let’s see how this relates to the “give a man a fish” proverb we have been exploring.

Many people say “education” is the cure to solving the issue of “poverty” and then they cite the “give a man a fish” proverb. This Irish variation tells us that some will use the skill for selfish reasons and take the very spot where you fished.

This explains why instruction must be taught in the context of stewardship with standards and sustainability in view. Without the latter, the former will result in overfishing. The person will use the skill seeking their own good rather than the good of others, both now and into the future.

Those who know me know that I like fly fishing. I have visited Colorado mountain lakes or streams yet this year . There was heavy snow all winter and, as a result, there is lots of runoff right now.

Soon I will go practice”catch and release” fly fishing. Why do that? Each fish I catch is a gift from God, and each on I release is a gift to the next angler. In between I may snap photos like this one taken a few years back.

With this knowledge, let’s go catch people and release them to catch others following the example of Jesus. Find receptive people, teach them everything Jesus commanded (which includes generosity) and release them to catch others.

And if you want to see videos of my son, Sammy, and I fly fishing, visit his SammysFlyShop YouTube page.

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14

“You give a poor man a fish and you feed him for a day. You teach him to fish and you give him an occupation that will feed him for a lifetime.”

Jack Nelson in Rockford Register-Republic on 11 November 1961 on Page 4, Column 4, Rockford, Illinois.

As I look at historical variations of this famous quote, I am also exploring related biblical texts. The idea of occupation surfaces in today’s post and Scripture.

Some in Thessalonica were being lazy and not working and expecting handouts. Here, the Apostle Paul would say, don’t give these people anything!

Instead our generosity must be in the form of encouraging and helping the weak. This implies giving them the hand up as we have been seeing in other passages.

Again this relates to the work of GTP as “occupation” comes into view. Helping the poor build local capacity is hard work, but it bears fruit in the long run.

Include GTP in your giving. We are praying for $37,000 for trainings and translation of materials into Arabic, Bahasa, Chinese, French, and Portuguese by 30 June 2021.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Proverbs 3:27

“If you give a man a fish he is hungry again in an hour. If you teach him to catch a fish you do him a good turn.”

Anne Isabella Thackeray Ritchie in Macmillan’s Magazine, Mrs. Dymond written in August 1885.

Did some research on the current theme of shifting our generosity from handouts that create dependencies to hand ups that build disciples. I like this expression that dates back to 1885. We can take a person from hungry to doing “him a good turn” by teaching him a skill.

How could your generosity teach people skills so they can contribute to the flourishing of others? Think about that. Most people who struggle have made a wrong turn. We all have! But when we help such folks, as Christ as helped us, we do them a good turn. For sure!