When it comes to fundraising at Good Shepherd’s, we are different from other organizations in how we use them. Fundraisers can be good, but there are also concerns with them. This series will carefully step us through what makes fundraisers work so they are healthy for God’s people.

Step One: Fundraisers that work are mission-minded

To begin, ask yourself, “Why did Christ put me here on earth?”

Christ did not put you here to accumulate stuff. He put you here to, “go and make disciples.” That’s his command from Matthew 28. And that’s what we do at Good Shepherd’s. Through our church, school and early childhood center we share his message of forgiveness to make disciples.

Can fundraisers be a part of that mission? If fundraisers lead us to focus on our mission of going and making disciples, then yes, of course. But fundraisers typically are focused on acquiring things. And therein lies a concern with fundraisers. Fundraisers may shift our focus away from Christ’s mission to things. They can lead us to place more value on the tools we use to accomplish Christ’s mission. For example: what good would a new scoreboard do if we spent more time talking about the thing rather than about how that thing helps us serve Christ’s mission?

Our mission is more than textbooks, Smartboards, fieldtrips and facilities. Our mission is the soul of every person we can reach with forgiveness. Fundraisers that work are mission-minded.

Thought questions:

If Christians don’t feel the importance of their mission, how might that change their financial support of that mission?

Could this statement ever be true: Fundraisers fill the hole when Christians lose sight of their mission from Christ?

Up next! Step Two: Fundraisers that work are stewardship driven.