Was the Fundraiser a Success?

It depends. How do you measure "success"?

If success equals raising the Annual Fund, then it was not a success. If success means that every school family filled out pledge card or gave a gift, we weren't successful there, either.

Okay, did you get some big lead gift or more? Yes, sort of. We had a family pledge $10,000 This will be their first major gift and it represents some good spiritual growth in the father.

What else? Of the school families who pledged or contributed, all but one were new families to the school - that is exciting that the new families are catching the vision early.

One of the new donors is a young single woman who makes a very modest salary, but she is totally on board with the style of Christian education (classical) and sees the potential of students being educated in this environment. Her first gift was $250, very significant for someone at her station in life.

Lastly, in my "ask" I told our guests that we SHOULD give because we NEED to give. I explained that our gratitude to God for eternal life purchased by Christ must have a way of being expressed. Giving gifts is an important part of our responding with thankful hearts. Thankful hearts lead to generous giving. Generous giving is stewardship in action and leads to Kingdom building (treasure in heaven).

In conclusion, the evening was a success because Christ was held high and His people were encouraged to love Him and walk with him deeply.

Matthew 6:25-33

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."