In the middle of the morning we were challenged by Rev. Marshall Hatch of New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church.  He spoke about the idea that our resources are a part of a larger design to invest in people and develop relationships — something I thought of as a literal ‘means to an end’ if you will.

Resources in this particular forum are not just financial, and in fact, focus on talents, networks, unique skills, and what is often the hardest thing to part with: time.  While many marketplace leaders are blessed and poised to write a check when approached, there are many other tangible and often underutilized ways to engage them as a resource.  Many times, marketplace leaders can step up financially in a significant way.  Engaging their minds and skills as well builds a deeper network and creates an additional level of attachment to an organization that will often lead to increased financial support.

Engaging talents of a gifted manager, an accountant, a marketing strategist, a financial expert, or an attorney to name a few can make a game changing difference in the impact and efficiency of many organizations.  An outside source of knowledge alone is valuable, but one of the most important resources these leaders have is their network and the ability to ask others to also serve in some way.  This is a win for the organization as it gains insight and support, and a win for the leaders as they feel like they are investing at a more significant level and making a difference in operations and efficiency as well as or in addition to the balance sheet.

Here are a few practical options for engaging these non-financial resources:

• Invite a leader to speak at an outreach or fundraising event.
• Invite a leader to review your business operations and offer any thoughts they may have – an outside perspective is never a bad thing.  Remember their feedback yields suggestions that you may or may not use.  Either way, the leader has been engaged, and you have been challenged to think in a different way.
• Invite a leader to speak to your staff and/or volunteers about a particular area of their expertise or interest.
• Invite a leader to serve alongside your staff and/or volunteers.

Rev. Hatch joked with us about his tendency to close three times before he was actually finished speaking.  That’s exactly what he did, and every time he closed he repeated this saying: “The giver always gains.”  Are you creating as many resource giving opportunities as you should be?

Assuming that approximately half of non profit donations come in through the generous gifts of high capacity givers then the natural temptation for us is to go into ‘Safari mode.’  Pith helmet?  Check! GPS?  Check! Guide?  Check! Binoculars? Check! Safari Rifle, scope and ammo?  Check!  Check!  Check! And now that we are properly outfitted we are ready to go on safari in search of “Big Game”!

That mindset shouldn’t totally surprise us given the fact that it is our natural state to default into our sinful nature when we are not open to the  Spirit’s leading.  The world we live in shapes our attitude with messages that form our perception of wealthy people (a relative term) each and every day.  For example, the age old story of Robin Hood taking from the rich in order to give to the poor.  In fact its as current as today’s headlines (i.e. President Obama accused of class warfare against the America’s upper socioeconomic class).

I grew up watching classic westerns in the 60′s and 70′s and so the following analogy was not lost on me.  I found myself newly on staff with Crown Financial Ministries (18 years ago) at the annual Crown National Retreat in Colorado Springs and seeking counsel on the subject from a very successful, retired Fortune 500 company Executive V.P.  He put his hand on my shoulder and looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Its just like the bad guys in the old days of the west, at the end of the day you just have to find out where the money is, and go get it!”  It was his folksy way of stating the obvious truth, that if you need to raise support for your ministry, then it all boils down to finding who has surplus financial resources and invite them to invest.

God gives vision to people who are or whom He is calling to become a leader.  God also provides people (most of us) more time, talent, and  treasure (some much more than others) than we need for ourselves.  He does this to allow us to contribute to the family business of being a part of His mission of reconciling the world unto Himself.  At the intersection of people with vision and people with resources there will always be fund raising.  With apologies to ‘ole blue eyes’, its kind of like the old anthem, “Love (vision) and marriage (resources) go together like a horse (leader) and carriage (donor).

There is inherent within this task of raising Kingdom capital for Kingdom projects to make intentional investments in the human capital that help make them possible … the opportunity, even stronger, the responsibility to minister to the needs of the individual, to serve the needs of the giver, to affirm and fan into flame the gift of generosity of the disciple.  In the grand scheme of things we must see this as an opportunity to invest in these folks, not simply to seek investments from them.

The reminder for you and I is profoundly simple.  To first and foremost view donors in general, and major donors in particular, as not simply the “means” to the end but also as the “end” as well.  We must come to see these uniquely gifted servants as not simply mission critical pieces (i.e. “big game” ) to the success of our mission, but as (part) of the mission itself.  Because in God’s economy, its not about the means or the end, its about the means…and… the end.  From His perspective (i.e.”big picture”)… its a both and.

Several resources prescribe practical steps to take in fund raising for your church plant.  While helpful, most of these resources are fairly predictable reflecting classic church stewardship methods borrowing heavily from mission-based fund raising techniques.

Success tackling practical steps presumes 3 value choices. Once these high level values are in play, the church plant team and leader passionately pursues funding if they capture the urgency of why they would pursue new church funding and the compelling benefits.

Here are 8 very  persuasive reasons to align the work for funding with your vision.

1. More people are reached.  Abundant funding does not guarantee success, but in observation in years of coaching church planters, it sure does help.  Helps a lot.
2. You get to your calling sooner. Abundant financial resources enable your team and you to focus on the people development sooner not later.
3. Create better environments.  Most church planters need $75,000 + for the core sound and light systems.  While you can garage sale environments, it helps to purchase equipment specifically designed for church planting.  The efficiency in set up and tear down are huge labor savers.
4. Fewer headaches.  Church planting by definition pounds the head and heart enough in the spiritual battle already. Abundant financial resources decreases perhaps the largest headache source in church planting.
5. Fewer personal financial challenges.  Huge one here. A spouse and children sign-up for the cool factor of church planting.  Being broke from lack of paychecks erases the novelty quite quickly.  Marriage pressure is hard enough in planting.  Avoid the financial pressure by adequately paying your team and yourself.
6. Freedom for expanded ministry. You can only plant the church once.  Provide a solid financial foundation from which to launch so you can get to your ministry dreams sooner.
7. Developing generosity in the lives of others is a blast!  Many church planters feel reluctance to engage others outside the plant in giving.  Part of your role as a leader is to match the heart of donors with vision.  Releasing the gift of giving and engaging people in meaningful ministry investment is one of the most rewarding parts of your leadership.
8. You get comfortable in the on-going role of chief resource officer which you as the senior leader will never relinquish.  Make generosity conversation for you normal now and it becomes an integral part of your leadership for years.

Which of the benefits appeals to you the most?  Rank the 8 in order of your priority.

How might your team rank the benefits in priority?

A strong foundation in stewardship education is key for any church to accomplish its mission of “going into all the world” to tell people about Christ and his transforming love.  The financial resources needed to run a church or fund a capital campaign initiative don’t represent “giving to the church” — they represent the enabling of God’s Great Commission.  When people understand and put this reality into action, the harvest will be beyond your wildest dreams!

Let me know what stewardship education offerings you have in your church — and share with us their effectiveness.  Tell me your stories!

Years ago it was impressed upon me that stewardship goes way beyond T3. You see, God owns everything we have – absolutely everything. He owns the cattle on a 1000 hills – he owns the hills! Nothing exists that He did not bring into being. “…for the world is mine, and all that is in it.” Psalm 50:12b (NIV – emphasis mine)

That means that God owns my family…my children. Psalm 127:3-5 tells us: “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” (NIV – emphasis mine)

To be a good steward, not only am I to have my possessions, my time, my talents laying in my open palms, lifted to God as an offering to Him to do as He desires, I should also have my children in those same open palms. For they are His – a gift to Andrea and I – that we have been blessed to steward during our time on this earth.

So like you, we have done the best we can to love, teach, nurture and yes, occasionally to rebuke, our children. And all along, we have offered them back to God, asking in our prayers that He would bless and protect them; that He would use them to glorify Himself and His kingdom here on earth.

And as God promises, He has poured out blessings that overflow our capacity to hold them all. We are truly blessed by our son Ryan and our daughter Ashley.

Last year we did what many parents did around the country. We loaded up the car and escorted our two children off to college. This is Ryan’s third year and Ashley’s first. We are officially empty nesters, and honestly, I’m not sure I’m enjoying it just yet (though my friends and family tell me that we will). As I walk by the empty bedrooms down the hall from my own, I reflect on the many years of memories God has given us with these two. We are truly grateful for the reward God has granted us through them.

As tough as it is to begin letting go, I remember the definition of steward: a person employed to manage another’s property, • a person whose responsibility it is to take care of something. We have managed, as best we know how, these that God has given us. And today, after again praying for God’s continued blessing in their lives, for their protection, for His use of them to glorify Himself and His kingdom, I am reminded that they are His, stewarded by us for a season, and offered back to Him to do with as He pleases.

And really, when my chidren are offered to God in palms that are fully open, rather than being held tightly in clinched fists, is there any better place for them to be?

1. The ‘Web’ Ramp – Your church website is most often the first opportunity that you have to encourage and inspire generosity through your layout, video stories and copy. Online giving continues to grow in popularity as a giving avenue, especially with younger families.

2. The ‘Orientation’ Ramp – Your new member orientation process is a strategic moment to explain what members can expect from the church and what the church can expect from members.  This is a natural and expected opportunity to frame this vital conversation and explain how to give.

3. The ‘Preaching’ Ramp – Your preaching messages provide an opportunity to contextualize giving as a mission critical aspect of personal discipleship and Kingdom mission.  Position stewardship as one of the “5 Keys of Discipleship”; 1) Having a Personal Relationship With Jesus; 2) Being held accountable within a small group; 3) Serving others through acts of love and compassion to build God’s Kingdom; 4) Demonstrating a life of Stewardship 5) Sharing the Gospel and reproducing disciples.

4. The ‘Offering Message’ Ramp – Your offering messages are the best opportunity that you have to celebrate generosity as a core value of your church to your constituents 52 times every year.  Leverage offering messages to reinforce key stewardship and generosity  themes.  Link ministry stories directly to the generosity of givers.

5. The ‘Discipleship’ Ramp – Your discipleship groups and classes are potentially the most intense environments that you have to infuse generosity deep into the DNA of your church. Leverage the natural thirst that people have in the current economic climate for holistic biblical counsel on a wide range of financial issues.

6. The ‘Community’ Ramp – Your attenders and members are far more likely to invest in the ministry of your church if they are relationally connected to core members of your church fellowship.  Develop an intentional strategy to draw fringe members in and involve them in the body life of the church.

7. The ‘Mission & Ministry’ Ramp – Your attenders and members are far more likely to support the mission & ministry of the church if they are emotionally invested with their time and talents.  Personally invite uninvolved members to go with you on a short term mission trip or simply prepare and handout sandwiches for a local homeless shelter.  It is an essential part of the discipleship process.

8. The ‘Thank You’ Ramp – Your new and existing givers are more likely to become recurring givers when gratitude is extended through personally handwritten notes.  A quality gift book and/or DVD to first time givers is a prudent investment.

9. The ‘Giving Testimony’ Ramp – Your church will be inspired to give generously as they hear real life stories of God’s faithfulness in the lives of their peers.  These live and/or video testimonies should be multigenerational and can be leveraged during worship, offering messages, online, and at church events.

10. The ‘Leadership’ Ramp – Your example as a sacrificial and generous leader may be the single most essential on ramp of all in providing a model worthy of following.  You can’t lead someone where you haven’t been yourself.

Successful fundraising efforts typically employ a similar three-stage rocket. The first stage consists of the organization’s leadership.  For a church, that would be pastors, staff, and campaign leaders.  For other organizations, it would be officers and board members.  These are the people who must “ignite” first.  They must overcome inertia, generate momentum, and get the campaign off the ground.

The second stage is typically about 20%-30% of the organization’s membership.  These are people who have demonstrated their commitment and loyalty to the organization with their past performance and support.  These are willing participants who will become involved in the campaign organizational structure and will contribute financially to achieve the campaign goal.

The third stage of the rocket represents the remainder of the organization’s constituency.  Many in this third stage will be eager to participate.  Some will need to be won over to the campaign with the campaign message and meaning.  And, of course, there will always be some who will choose not to participate.

Ideally, this is how it works. Stage one, the campaign leaders, get the campaign off the ground and take it as high as they can with their own effort and financial commitments.  Then, the second stage leaders “ignite” and they add to the altitude achieved by stage one.  The stage two leaders take the campaign to the highest level of which they are capable.

Now, it is time for the people, stage three, to participate.  The leaders have put the people in a position where they can achieve success.  This is what leadership is all about, putting people in a position where they can succeed. The altitude that has already been attained is a great encouragement to the people.  They can see the goal that had seemed so far away is now in sight.  Even those who were doubtful in the beginning now know that the goal is achievable.  They can win.  With their participation they can take their campaign over the top.  Or, better yet, they can take your campaign to the moon!

The beach is my favorite place in the world.  It is the only place that I can truly relax.  However, it usually takes me a few days to relax and by the middle of the week I am already worried about what all I have to do when I get back home.  Please tell me I am not the only person this screwed up!

Recently when I was at the beach, I could not sleep so I got up to enjoy the sunrise as I only do at the beach.  (I am NOT a morning person!)  I felt led to get my coffee and head out to the sand to be with God.  Mornings at the beach are unbelievably peaceful.  I took my coffee, my breakfast bar and my ipod to enjoy some worship music, think and pray.

As I listened to the music and began to think, I felt God urging me to not be so serious all the time.  Quit worrying.  ”I have it all taken care of” I heard Him say in my head.  Part of my taking things too seriously is worrying about work and whether or not I will have enough of it to pay the bills.  Thinking about work and working hard is a good thing, but when it dominates your thoughts I don’t think that is pleasing to God.

I was thinking about the whole ‘serious’ thing when I saw the dorsal fins of two dolphins appear over the water.  That certainly caught my attention and made me smile.  I began to think about dolphins and how all they appear to be concerned about is playing and having fun.  I felt God smile as I received His message this morning.  As I kept watching,  the two dolphins then appeared in full body as they rode a wave together for a good 5 seconds; just having a good time!  What a gift!  All I could say was thank you.

I then felt led to a certain passage of scripture: Leviticus 18:1-5.  You know that had to be God because how else in the world could I have come up with that?!

“Then the Lord said to Moses, Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.  I am the Lord your God.  So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you.  You must not imitate their way of life.  You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God.  If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them.  I am the Lord.”

All I could do was say “Yes Lord.  I hear you.  Don’t act like the world.  Follow you.  You are in control.”

I love the beach.

Selecting and hiring church staff is one of the most crucial decisions a senior leader will ever make. Vanderbloemen Search Group has carved out a niche by specializing in corporate quality executive search for churches. Justin Lathrop founded and heads up HelpStaff.me, a search firm that has shown enormous abilities in searches for positions in the middle of a church org chart like children’s and student pastor searches. Last year, HelpStaff and the Vanderbloemen Search Group united. Their merger has broadened the capabilities of the  Vanderbloemen Search Group so they are now able to help any church fill any position. I had a chance last year to visit with both William and Justin to get their thoughts on what they are seeing in church staffing. Here is our conversation.

1. Is there any particular big trend you are seeing in the way churches are being staffed?

Justin:
We’re seeing lots of new staff positions emerging that haven’t before, particularly among the larger, innovative (and smart) churches we get to work with. My hunch is that their innovations will become much more common in the near future

For instance, several of our clients are now employing a Pastor of Social Media. It’s a step up from simply having person who is good with social media to a person who has pastoral skill and is good online. This position often covers online campuses, like our friend Brandon at LifeChurch.tv or Nils Smith at Community Bible Church in San Antonio.

William:
Another new staff position we are seeing is a Pastor of Generosity. This is pretty much a Chief Fundraising Officer that has pastoral skill. When Jud Wilhite and the folks at Central Christian asked us to find this position for them, it showed me a new reality: (1) lots of new believers are coming to growing churches, (2) new believers don’t usually give or tithe, (3) dollars are tight everywhere, and (4) the Senior Pastor cannot  ask for money all the time. Smart churches are hiring folks to help close the gap, just like hospitals, charities, and universities have for years. I know you all have been our in front of your sector doing some key thinking about raising generosity and generous cultures. Seems like the idea is catching on.

2. The role of the strong Executive Pastor, a COO type of position, seems to be expanding. What do you see in that area?

William:
Executive Pastors searches make up about 40% of the searches we do, so we are seeing more and more models for the role. The common denominator I see in all the models is an increase in authority, responsibility, and implementation of the vision. Lead/Senior Pastors seem more intent than ever on casting vision, protecting their preaching preparation time, and getting out of the way for a strong XP/COO to get the ball from point “a” to point “b.”

3. What about multi-site? Any particular challenges there?

Justin:
Many Campus Pastor roles don’t involve weekly preaching so the perception is that communication isn’t important. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The ability to communicate is greater than ever before.

Because of this perception, it is difficult for churches to get the right communicator that doesn’t view campus pastoring as a purely administrative role.

William:
The Campus Pastor is a role that is here to stay. As the number of campuses at churches mushroom, staffing the role is more difficult than ever.

Bil Cornelius and I were visiting some time back about innovative ways to staff small campuses in small towns with superior leadership. A whole lot of new models are emerging in response to this crucial need.

4. Looks like there are a lot of Baby Boomer pastors leading mega churches. Are they thinking about succession? That’s a big looming issue, isn’t it?

William:
I think succession is THE looming issue in the Church. It’s also the most common search we lead now.

The fact is, we are all interim pastors. And a whole lot of key churches are going to face pastoral retirement in the next 10 years. You know, retirement is only mentioned once in the Bible. It had to do with requiring the retirement of priests. It’s so natural for a Pastor to love his job and church so much that he doesn’t plan for the day he’s not there. But it will happen. So we are spending loads and loads of time working on this and have been blessed to receive a high measure of corporate training on the matter. Getting to help churches through that process is a rare honor and one we are taking very seriously.

7. I see you announced some big news about a week ago. Tell me about it? What prompted the partnership?

William:
I’ve known Justin for about as long as I’ve been doing search and watched his company grow. He’s a great guy with a real gift. I’ve also noticed that he’s really good at mid-level searches, which were searches we weren’t really focused on. We talked for a while about referring searches to each other and then it dawned on us that it would be better to do this together. So now, we never have to tell a client “we can’t help you.” Whether it’s our traditional Senior and executive level searches or mid-level, we can help staff the Church. And we love getting to do that!

Great stuff, guys. Thanks William (@wvanderbloemen) and Justin (@justinlathrop)! You can find them at www.vanderbloemensearch.com.

The Village Green section of Christianity Today magazine which presents answers from leading Christians to pressing questions. CTI asked me to contribute to this question for their March 2011 edition. Here is what I said.

Yes, with generosity!

Perhaps the greatest tragedy of the recent economic meltdown is long-term unemployment, a reality in which many thought they would never find themselves. For the first time, hardworking, well-intentioned individuals are paying their bills with the income they receive from government checks instead of their profession or trade.

During these tough times, it is easy for churchgoing, typically responsible Christians to fall off the radar as they deal with the shame of being unable to provide for themselves or their families. In these times, it is more important than ever that Christians seek out pastors, leaders, and friends who can provide loving community and accountability to be faithful stewards in times of hardship.

Scripture does not speak directly to the topic of tithing on an income that is not your own, so I am reluctant to say firmly, “Yes, give this much.” But the Bible has much to say on the subject of generosity and gratitude.

There are four questions church leaders and others can ask to help someone struggling with tithing on their unemployment benefits.

• Do you see unemployment benefits as part of God’s provision for your life?

• Are you continuing to practice generosity in every area: time, talent, and treasure?

• How does giving a portion of your unemployment benefits differ from giving apportion of your “employed” benefits?

• Would giving a portion of your unemployment benefits demonstrate gratitude that God is providing for you in this season of your life?

Generosity is a condition of the heart. As resources come into the hands of a generous person, he or she can’t help giving them away. It’s second nature. A lifestyle of generosity should not stop when times are hard. If anything, tithing when income is low reinforces gratitude and trust, as it reminds the giver that God can use even the smallest gift to accomplish his will. It also reminds me that I am always dependent on God for my sustenance, whether I have savings in the bank and a regular paycheck or not. This is where Christian community should be most apparent, in encouraging and supporting each other to live out generosity in tough times.

I’m not going to argue that a specific percentage be given, just as I wouldn’t in responding to an employed individual. That is between the individual and God. Living a generous lifestyle is not an obligation but rather an opportunity. It is something I get to do for God’s kingdom, not something I have to do.

As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:7–8, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”