Dear FBCH family,
I have great news to share: as part of my position as Community Engagement Lead at FBCH, I’ve enrolled in the Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising, an online course offered by the Lake Institute of Faith & Giving at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (USA). This program has been a transformative experience, as fundraising is a new topic and I’ve never studied it in depth before.
My goal is to learn how to help our church strengthen its fundraising efforts. In the first weeks of the program, I’ve been immersed in a wealth of knowledge while analyzing our congregation’s challenges and opportunities. The course emphasizes the importance of communicating the work our volunteers dedicate to others, nurturing our donors, and embracing fundraising as part of our religious leadership. Ultimately, it’s about inviting others to join the mission of our church.
One of the key lessons I’ve learned is the importance of understanding my own story, so that I can be prepared to nurture the generosity of others. Generosity can be a habit, something we do almost without thinking twice, and what generosity gives can vary: money, time, attention, ideas, aid, encouragement, networking and more.
To complete this course, I’ll be presenting a practical application project that connects what I’ve been learning to enhance our church’s fundraising efforts and stewardship practices. Examples of past projects have included: designing a year-round stewardship program, an annual giving/fundraising campaign, a special fundraising initiative, an educational program to foster generosity, and a leadership development program for staff and/or governing board.
In the meantime, we’ve recently launched the Sailing Together campaign. The focus of this campaign is to get people involved in our activities and cultivate the habit of being generous. We want to empower our community to be active participants, and not only meet our financial needs but also deepen the connection between our congregation and the causes we hold dear.
I’m grateful for the generosity our church family has shown me. They’ve been listening and sharing their ideas, their networking, and the history of our church with me. I’ve received so much kindness in these past weeks!
I now invite you to set sail on this journey of generosity with our church community!
Let’s talk more about our faith, giving, and making a lasting impact in someone else’s life.
Come, Holy Spirit, visit the hearts of your faithful people. Kindle in us the fire of your love. (From: A Place Apart – Meditations on Living the Kingdom, Robert King with Gordon and Adele Finney)
