Ready to Start a New Year

In Exodus 33:12-18, God calls Moses to lead His people.  Moses comes back to the Lord in this amazing conversation and says:

• Who are You sending with me?
• Teach me your ways so I may find favor with you
• Remember that this nation is your people

God replies, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

As if to underscore the necessity of God's Presence Moses says, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.  How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?  What else will distinguish me and your people from all of the other people on the face of the earth?"

As we know, God is pleased with Moses and insures that Moses' requests are granted.  In the big picture, it is Moses coming into alignment with God's plans.

As resource raisers, we must pray that God's Presence (the Holy Spirit) is going ahead and with us.  It is incumbent on us to realize our total dependence on the Lord to raise up givers and gifts. 

As Moses declared, we dare not venture into the financial fray without asking to be filled with His Presence and to follow His lead.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. - Proverbs 16:9.

Let's make it an obedient year!

The Stewardship of Our Integrity

I struggle with humility.  I want my school to be as big and as strong and as beautiful as the finest I have ever seen.  I also have bouts of "building envy", that feeling that comes over me when I see the building that "we should have".  Hence, there is the temptation to stretch or exaggerate how good things are, however we postmoderns tend to define good - generally more and growing.

Dan Busby, President of the Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability (ECFA), has written an article in which he warns of slipping integrity as the result of both comparing and competing where and how we should not.  The consequences of slipping integrity can be disastrous to our schools.  It's a problem that creeps in under the radar but one that can erode the very truth we stand for as a Christian institution.

The solution is given to us by Paul in Philippians 2:6-7, to be a servant like Christ. "People who recognize and embrace their smallness keep getting bigger and bigger in God's eyes.  It's the oddest scoring system." to quote Dan.

Please read Integrity Slipping and see how the Lord may be speaking to you with regard to how you represent and present your school.

The Beauty of Consistency

In the story from Paul Trip below, we see how the Holy Spirit works through difficult experiences to bring Himself glory and for us to participate in the process of being grace givers.

Even though this is a general "devotional", the message for stewardship officers is clear: Don't be buffeted by the storms of relational life, trust that God is accomplishing His purposes, and rejoice when we get to see spiritual growth.

Relationships: Something Bigger

We were surprised. We simply didn't see it coming. We thought things were going well. We thought we'd built a good relationship. We thought that we'd been good neighbors. We lived in a twin house, with our landlady living in the attached home with her adult daughter. For reasons we couldn't understand, the daughter began to get mad at us. She would yell and curse at our children. She would play her stereo very loudly late at night, waking our children. She did everything she could to make our lives miserable. We didn't understand what was happening and everything we tried to do to make things better only made things worse.

Things came to a head on the Fourth of July. Months earlier she'd let us use a refrigerator that she wasn't using. Luella's parents were up for a visit and we'd gone out and bought more food than we'd normally have in the house. On a hot Friday afternoon we got a call from the landlady's daughter saying that she wanted her refrigerator back. We asked her why she needed it so suddenly and she told us that it was hers and she wanted it back in the garage by five o'clock. I couldn't believe it! What were we going to do with all the extra food that we'd bought? Why would she do this to us?
I was quietly angry all afternoon. I was tired of the tension. I was incensed at her meanness. And I rehearsed to myself over and over again what I'd like to say to her. Luella was making cinnamon rolls and as I walked into the kitchen to check on her progress, she suggested that we send a plate of fresh, hot rolls over to our landlady's daughter. I thought, "Yea, right, that's exactly what I was thinking!" But Luella wasn't finished. She then suggested that I write a note telling our landlady's daughter how much we cared for her and how much we were committed to having a good relationship with her. I think it was the hardest letter I ever had to write.

In about forty-five minutes I found myself at our landlady's front door, praying for a dog (some of you will get that later). I knocked and our landlady came to the door. I gave her the cinnamon rolls and she told me that after the way her daughter had treated us I must be some kind of nut doing such a thing. That afternoon we began to look for ways to do good anyway we could in the face of the evil way we were being treated.

For months we stayed committed to our love offensive, but with all of our noble efforts, nothing seemed to be changing. Then one spring afternoon, there was a knock at our door. The moment I saw our landlady's daughter, I thought to myself, "What now?!" When I got nearer to the door and could see that she was upset, I was even more concerned about what may be coming next. She asked if she could come in and talk to us. Luella and I sat down with her at our dining room table and listened as she said these amazing words to us. "You both know that for months I've been a very angry person. It hasn't been directed just at you. I've been angry with everyone in my life. I've destroyed all of my relationships. I've alienated everyone in my life. The only two people in the world who I am sure love me are you and Luella. I'm here to ask for your forgiveness and to ask for your help. I want what's enabled you to respond to me as you have."

What is the point of the story? It surely isn't meant to highlight my character! I struggled to do what was right every day of those seemingly unending months. No, what the story points out is that in the messiness of our relationships, there's always something bigger going on. Our relationships are never just about us. They're never just about our plans, our purposes, and our happiness. They're never just about who we want to be around and what we'd like to offer or receive from those relationships. There’s always something bigger going on because there's a God who is sovereign. He puts us right where he wants us and he never gets a wrong address! In our relationships he takes us where we don't want to go in order to produce in us and others what we couldn't achieve on our own.

In those difficult months with our landlady's daughter, God wasn't only working to rescue her; he was working to rearrange me. The tough relationship wasn't the result of God's forgetfulness. It was a clear sign of his love, for us and for our landlady's daughter. So as you live and relate to the people in your life, there's one thing that you need to remember. You'll never fully understand what's happening and you'll never do and say the right thing until you begin to recognize and accept that in every relationship in your life there's always something bigger going on.

God bless

Paul David Tripp

Mid-Year Check Up and Prescription

Here we are in the middle of the summer.  For many of us, it is a time to plan and to take strategic steps as we get ready to re-launch the regular activities for the fall.  Here are two ideas:

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR ANNUAL STEWARDSHIP CHECK-UP

“An annual stewardship “check up” is a great way to stay in shape as a good steward. Questions for this checkup might include: How is God’s grace present in your life? How is God blessing you? How are you responding? How are you taking responsibility for the ways in which you live your life? In what ways are you going beyond yourself in service? How have you experienced God’s presence as you served others this year? In what ways will you challenge yourself this coming year to reach out to someone in need? How are you offering yourself in generous response to the lavish gift of Christ’s love?”

Leisa Anslinger and Victoria Shepp in Forming Generous Hearts: Stewardship Planning for Lifelong Faith Formation (New London, CT: Twenty Third Publications) p. 103-104.

MAKE SOME NEW FRIENDS AND CHECK UP ON THE OLD ONES

This is a great time to connect with those you might not see during the school year.  You can have relaxed conversations as you share what God is doing in the school.  As always, we should listen to hear what they like (or love) about the school and how they connect to the mission.  We can always ask if they feel comfortable recommending the school to a potential new parent or someone else who might have an interest in education.  If you have an introductory tour of the school, make sure you hand out cards with the dates and times.  These visits are great for soliciting ambassadors for the school.  If possible, go to them in person.  We need to leave our comfortable desk and meeting them where they are conveys honor and value,

The Compelling Case

If you had a chance to give a reason for your school's existence, what would you say?  Would you give them your school's mission or vision statement?  Here are the typical definitions:

A Vision statement outlines where you want to be in the future. Communicates both the purpose and values of your business. A Mission statement talks about HOW you will get to where you want to be. Defines the purpose and primary objectives. The problem with both of these as it relates to resource raising is that they are internally focused - mostly about what and how we do what we do. What we need is a Compelling Case for our existence that draws others into the next level of conversation so that they might see if God is leading them to participate with your school.  Consider "Tall Oaks Classical School exists because this nation needs a generation of young leaders who are committed, through classical and Christian education, to redeem the culture and our future for Christ". This kind of general and provocative response could cause more questions to be asked and then we can have a productive dialog about the "what" and "how" of the next steps. Similarly, if someone asked about your job at the school, don't just say "I raise money and resources for the school".  That doesn't invite more conversation; it could cut it off. Instead, consider this: "God has called me to help His people to see and to appreciate their riches so they can be used to bless God and others". These answers are designed to be short and engaging so that we can listen as much as we speak.  Proverbs 1:5   "let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--"

Giving Away Blessings

This past week I was at the annual conference of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools in Dallas.  At this conference I was able to conduct two workshops: the seasons of stewardship - how the sower prepares the soil. plants seeds, waters and fertilizes, nurtures growth of seedlings, and watches God bring in the harvest. 

The second workshop provided more detail on how the school can reach out and into the community through tours, music, and service.  The attendees were very gracious and told me that the talk was helpful.

In particular, here is one note that underscores one of the major points. "Your words echoed our mission statement: 'To mold and shape the minds and spirits of all students to what God has intended them in Christ to be.'  The focus being first on giving the blessing of God's Word and love to one another."

That is the goal of Christian fund raising or development; to help people grow in their love for the Lord through vigorous and regular blessing.  Secular development is man and technique-centered; it does not have the beauty of seeing the Spirit involved in transforming hearts.  What a privilege we have in our work.

Who have you blessed today?

Development is Relationship, right?

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend a development workshop at a Christian college.  The vice president of development spoke about the importance of relationships.  The major points:

• Why people don't give to an organization (they aren't asked, aren't convinced, or don't understand)
• Why we fund raisers are hesitant to ask (don't know how and fear of rejection) 
• Fund raisers need a Fund Raising Plan comprised of:
• Create the case
• Have needs and objectives
• Identify potential giving sources
• Develop the plan
• Make the ask
• Important details
• Developing the "ask cycle"
• Cultivation
• Communication

While I can agree that all these are useful pieces, this method or techniques misses the heart of stewardship: raising up donors to be generous to God with thankful and glad hearts. 

Sadly, had it not been for the venue of the meeting, this training could have been at any secular non-profit organization.  The gospel, discipleship, the Bible's instruction on giving were no where to be found.

I believe that God has "raised up" Christian fund raisers to help people to connect their faith and their finances.  In this way, God uses us to show His dominion and authority over all of life, including how we do our charitable giving.  Biblical stewardship gives us a road map of how we are to disciple donors.  It also give donors an impetus and template by which they can respond to God's blessings by returning to Him money to be used for Kingdom expansion.

The Stewardship of Wealth Transfer

Ron Blue of Kingdom Advisors is doing some important teaching for the many Christian advisors who are part of this excellent organization. This month the focus is on wealth transfer with the key question: "How do you decide how much to leave to whom?"

As stewardship officers, we don't have the training or certifications to allow us to work on the specific documents, nor can we be fully objective in posing the question about how much is being left and to whom and why.

We can, though, ask general questions that might cause our donor friends to see the need to do some deliberate and structured thinking with someone who is skilled in this area.

Ron made keen observations about the difference between wealth transfer and estate planning. In general, wealth transfer focuses on the needs of the beneficiary whereas estate planning is focused on my needs to minimize taxes. Also, wealth transfer can begin now, whereas estate planning only comes into play after we're gone.

There are only three destinations for our wealth:

1. Heirs
2. Charity
3. Taxes / Expenses

There are three principles to keep in mind as we enter into these personal discussions:

1. Treasure Principle - You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead (Matt. 6:19-21).
2. Unity Principle - Your spouse completes you, they don't compete with you (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
3. Wisdom Principle - You transfer wisdom before your transfer wealth. Wealth never results in wisdom; but wisdom can result in wealth (Proverbs).

Having some of these "exploratory" questions in our mind may help the donor consider larger Kingdom ideas than they have before.

When the Donor Thanks the Fundraiser

We had a need come up this week in connection with our annual Day of Service, which you can read more about here . One of the sixteen organizations that we are serving is a community kitchen where we provide the food and prepare a meal for one hundred and fifty people who cannot get a warm meal. Last year, a local church sponsored the $300 expense.

This church has since dissolved and we were left "fund-less" with only ten days before the event. I am not normally given to panic, so I said "OK, Lord. This is a blessing in the making, right?"

I reviewed the list of the students going to this particular location and thought about what I knew about the parents and their love for the school. One parent came to my mind and I presented the situation to her. She thanked me for thinking of her and said she would get back to me by the next day after discussing with her husband.

Twenty minutes after our first conversation she contacts me and says that they would be thrilled to cover the whole amount. She thanked me profusely for the opportunity to be involved this way.

Learnings:

1. There are no "chance" occurrences - everything is for a reason
2. The Lord wants to bless donors with the joy of participating in Kingdom work
3. We fundraisers are merely messengers or presenters of these opportunities
4. Someone in your stewardship sphere is ready to be blessed by giving - pray for that awareness

Asking the Next Question

In our work to both bless others and enlarge the network of friends we must be somewhat inquisitive in asking questions. My general framework is the "3 P's of the Stewardship Conversation".

1. What has God given you a Passion for? What Kingdom work excites and fulfills you?
2. What gifts (Provisions) of time, talent and treasure has God given you that you can make available for Kingdom work?
3. To what destination (or Purpose) could the combination of your passions and provisions be applied? In other words, what ministry task or work would be a good intersection of the first two?

One month ago, I volunteered to host a meeting of the local green ways leaders. They are managing farmland adjacent to the school so we want to be in on the plans for Community Sustainable Agriculture (the co-op idea).

In the meeting I met Mike who asked me questions about the school and we got to talking about his interests. In addition to agriculture, he is also a Gideon. After a little more conversation we put together a plan for him to come and present Bibles to our fifth graders and to share the mission of the Gideons. It was a wonderful convergence of Mike's Passions and Provisions.

When the presentation was made, two other men joined for the presentation. One of the two told me that his son graduated from the school where our school is now located. Further, that son now has a newborn son who the grandfather wants to introduce to the school!

While we cannot predict how and where these situations go, we can be confident that our Father has gone before us and is bringing wonderful resources and solutions to bear. We just need to be available and trusting the Lord to lead in the direction He wants.

The "Books" on Stewardship

God has given me a the opportunity to talk to many people about Christian schooling in general and classical Christian schooling in particular. Most people have some general idea that classical schools major in classical music, literature, and rhetoric. All of this is generally true and there are other dimensions as well.

Because Tall Oaks and other classical Christian schools are strong in the humanities, a church friend offered us the books he was cleaning out of his mother's house after she passed away last year.

We like books, but we are not in an acquisition mode. However, Tom was willing to deliver them in nice boxes. After it was all said and done, we "received" thirty boxes of books, probably three hundred or more. "Great", I say as these are now lining the wall of my office. "I have more to sort through!" I'm feeling a little inconvenienced, and a little sweaty moving these boxes around.

Then, as the Lord always does, He brings to mind some important truths and new information:

1. Tom was happy to now be connected to the school - part of the team
2. Many of the books are wonderful references and "classic" works
3. One of our school moms saw the boxes and asked if she could coordinate the sorting - wow!
4. This is often how new relationships are begun; someone knows of a need that they can meet

So, yes, I almost missed a golden opportunity. As we go into this Easter weekend, let us not miss the significance of Easter and remember that our Lord Jesus spared nothing; He poured himself out for us and for our salvation.

A Journal devoted to Stewardship!

The Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS) has published its spring issue which is dedicated to biblical stewardship. The leadership asked six of us plus the Executive Director talked about the topic in his lead article.

Please read one and see the amazing consistency between us in our desire to please God first in how we go about our work.

The link is below. Even though these essays are written by and for schools, the principles are valid for anyone in Christian ministry.

Let me know what you think!

http://www.accsedu.org/files/2012%20CLASSIS/2012%20Spring%20Classis%20%28online%29.pdf