If you are emotionally drained, fundraising is overwhelming! Phoning a potential donor feels like climbing Mt Everest all alone. Your heart is right, but you are out of gas. The ducks are winning!

You intended to make funding appeals the last two months, but you didn’t get around to it. And now the students arrive in two weeks…

Listening to the daily COVID-19 news brings me great hope but also great sadness…

I have been meditating on the Lord’s prayer the last few days. Have you noticed that the Lord’s prayer is primarily asking? It contains six requests:

Our Father who is in heaven...

This week I received a note saying:

“I feel charged after a funding appointment, love it. BUT the management of database, emailing, texting, phone calling to get one appointment, drains me.”

Our friend is not alone. Many gospel-workers long to accomplish big things, but little administrative things kill their joy. I get it. That’s when Zechariah 4:10 helps me...

What if you live in a country where the economy is going downhill? Can you still fundraise while your countrymen suffer?

During economic downturns I am tempted to:

• Freeze in fear and hope things will improve
• Hide finances from my spouse. “Everything is fine.”
• Eat chocolate ice cream out of the carton(s) late at night
• Blame the other political party

Instead, how about taking three action steps?

What does your family think about your fundraising?

• Consider you a spiritualized beggar

• Embarrassed and hope you don’t appeal to their friends

• “Okay” with your decision to go into ministry but don’t understand what you do

• Assume you will be poor all your life and that they will have to subsidize you 100% behind you in your choice to go into gift-income ministry