Fundraising as Ministry

“as spiritual as giving a sermon, entering a time of prayer, visiting the sick, feeding the hungry”

By Catherine Williams, MN Conference UWFaith MNO

 

United Women in Faith is an organization focused on mission that provides educational and monetary resources for the marginalized and those yearning to gain skills aimed at developing a life centered on God.

 

For over 150 years we have been asking others to send their pennies for women, children, and youth learning to support their own families and communities.

 

To continue our work, we have to gain the courage to put ourselves in front of others and ask for gifts to meet the needs of God’s kin-dom. We can look to Henri Nouwen, a special person that spent his life supporting God’s work.

 

“Henri Nouwen was never content to observe life from the sidelines,” writes Sue Moesteller, “He looked at the world convinced that right in the midst of life he would find the God who loves us without conditions. …

 

“Generosity begets generosity – especially when generosity is rooted in the rich soil of relatedness . Henri always looked for points of relationships with people. His desire for authentic relationships stirred this desire in others, and so he experienced people as generous with their time, their concern, and also their money. …

 

“Henri encourages fundraisers to become more confident and joyful; allowing donors to participate in a new communion with others while becoming part of a much larger spiritual vision and fruitfulness. Make Love your aim.”

 

Henri Nouwen’s unscripted speech on fundraising to the Marguerite Bourgeoys Family Service Foundation was recorded and the manuscript was later given as a gift to the Henri Nouwen Society for its own work in financial development. John S. Mogabgab of Upper Room Ministries and Nouwen’s mentee and grad assistant was asked to edit the manuscript for the booklet A Spirituality of Fundraising.

The following quotes and the one above are from that booklet.

• “From the perspective of the gospel, fundraising is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission. Vision gives us courage to speak. Fundraising helps us proclaim what we believe and offers other people an opportunity to participate in our vision and mission” (16).
• “Every time we approach people for money, we must be sure that we are inviting them into this vision of fruitfulness and into a vision that is fruitful” (29).
• “Those who need money and those who can give money meet on the common ground of God’s love” (6)
• “I ask for money because I believe in what I am about. I believe that I have something important to offer. I invite people to be a part of this vision” (19).
• “In fundraising and ministry, we are inviting people into a new way of relating to their resources. By giving people spiritual vision people benefit by making their resources available to us” (19).
• “When fundraisers and donors come together, a deeper, creative energy of love is nurtured in the lives of people developing through our relationship with Jesus” (30).
• “’From beginning to end, fund-raising as ministry is grounded in prayer and undertaken in gratitude” (34).
• “Fundraising is a confident, joyful, and hope-filled expression of ministry. In ministering to each other, each from the riches that he or she possesses, we work together for the full coming of God’s kingdom” (37).

You can download the booklet by clicking here.