Some thoughts on Giving

I'm here at Orientation for New Staff for my new job with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. We're in Madison, Wisconsin until next Wednesday night. The first 3-4 days of the program are devoted to fund development.

This is a topic many of us are eager to learn more about because we've been spending most of our time on fundraising. It is good to have another booster and refocusing around issues of funding and giving.

One topic that has stuck out to me over and over again is the idea of partnership in giving. This is the idea that donors are a part of the ministry--not just the means to getting us there (on campus).

When donors are a part of the ministry, it works both ways. Not only are our donors able to give to us monetarily and spiritually, providing blessing for us and teaching us to be dependent on God and trust in something other than ourselves to provide for our needs.

Also, this includes the idea that we can minister to our donors as well. We should be concerned for the spiritual development and growth not only of students on campus but also of the donors and supporters of our ministry. One donor spoke about how donors also have "unfinished business with God" and we should be open to being a part of what God wants to do in their lives.

It is not just about asking--but inviting donors into being in need before God. Giving, especially giving money taps into a lot of taboo things in our culture (asking for money, talking about money). Our relationship with money is often very tied to our relationship with God (some people I met talk about the "Big 3": sex, money, power).


Today we studied Philippians. Who knew that Philippians was actually a donor letter Paul wrote to the church in Philippi? (yes, Paul the tent maker also received donations in some occasions as well). Paul demonstrates this kind of spiritual concern for this donors. He talks about how he is not really in need of the money maybe in the way the donors may think ("I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances"). Paul primarily discusses ways that he is looking to be a part of the spiritual development of the giver--("he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ").

This plays into a lot of our insecurities. For me, thinking about the spiritual development of donors is a great conflict--seeing as almost all my supporters will be older than me. It is difficult to not think that spiritual development accompanies physical development (that all older people must be more spiritually mature than younger people). But maybe more on that later.