|
Most of us working
in Christian broadcasting make our living directly or indirectly off
the Gospel. True? Whether you have a commercial or noncommercial
radio or television station, a program or a support ministry to
those in broadcasting, ultimately you get money from the people to
whom the Gospel is preached. The question is, can we be trusted
with their money?
These people who we
call “donors” are the listeners, viewers, and consumers who are
exposed to the media through which we disseminate the Gospel
message. And when they feel like our ministry is helping them
spiritually, they will likely give back financially. Just like the
Apostle Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 9:11, “If we have sown
spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material
harvest from you?”
Though at times it
seems difficult to “reap” as much funding as we would like, it is
remarkable how relatively easy it is to get the audience to pay for
ministry. All we do is ask for money. And they give it!
We send them a
letter, do an on-air appeal, or ask them to buy a product or
patronize a business and they do it. Not all of them, but lots of
them. They give millions of their hard earned dollars every year to
countless broadcast ministries who promise to use that money to
effectively present the Gospel.
And in the process
of paying for all the operational costs of our ministry, we also get
to eat. That’s biblical, too: “Don’t you know that those who work
in the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is
offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that
those who preach the Gospel should receive their living from the
Gospel” (2 Corinthians 9:13-14).
Whether we ask a
5-year-old, the coveted 35-54 year-olds, or senior citizens – they
give their money. After 36 years in ministry I still find it
incredible. But it’s also frightening because of the responsibility
it places on us to use every dollar as carefully as if it came
directly from the hand of God.
After all, these
people who so easily hand over their money do so with complete
trust. They trust us when we tell them about the need and how the
money will be spent. They trust our fundraising appeals and respond
as we direct them to. They trust the impact we tell them their gift
is making.
So how
trustworthy are we?
If they could trace
their dollar from the time it left their wallet to what we spend it
on for salaries, equipment, office supplies, fund raising – would
they approve? Even scarier, would God approve of the way we got it
and how we spent it?
This is why it’s so
frightening to have the responsibility for the money God’s people
entrust to us for “the work” of ministry. He is very protective of
His people and obviously angered when they are taken advantage of.
Of course we never
intend to take advantage of our donors and believe we are 100
percent trustworthy with their money. And because we want to please
the Lord by upholding integrity with his givers, we ought to
deliberately track and assess the way we are getting and spending
His money.
Start with a
built-in system of accountability – one that is organized,
structured, and effective. Maybe it’s monthly meetings with your
board, a committee, an accounting firm, or trusted associates who
ask questions and keep tabs on at least three critical areas.
- Presenting
the need.
Financial needs are relative to the
vision and execution of ministry goals. But I’ve seen some
ministries where the drive for excellence and sophistication has
blinded them from seeing who is picking up the tab. On the other
hand, there are some organizations that are unprepared, never have
enough, and are always in need.
Ask yourself these questions:
·
How have we determined our
real expense and is our budget in line with what Jesus wants His
sheep to pay for?
·
Has there been any
rationalizing of some areas of spending because of thinking we
deserve it for working so hard for the Lord?
·
Is there even the
slightest exaggeration when presenting the need?
·
Is there anything we have
disguised?
·
Can a donor be assured his
dollar will go directly toward what we said, or will it be used on
something he has no knowledge of?
·
And is there a good,
clear, easy-to-understand written record of every financial
transaction available to donor anytime?
- Making the
appeal.
Can we be
completely trusted not to abuse our privilege to ask for money?
When we do fundraisers for stations, our team members have a list of
do’s and don’ts in front of them for what is done on the air; number
one is “Don’t beg, threaten, whine, bribe, manipulate, guilt them
[sic], or repeat myself over and over again.”
How
trustworthy are we to provide them with the right kind of motivation
for giving? Are the motivations biblical, like “willing hearts from
those who are prompted to give” (Exodus 25:2)? Are the donors
“rejoicing because of the willing response of those who gave freely
and wholeheartedly to the Lord” (1 Chronicles 29:9)? Do you
encourage them to be “cheerful” givers because they are performing a
service by supplying the needs of God’s people and giving thanks to
God?
Or is it
easier to get them to give by dangling carrots in front of them like
irresistible premiums, or over-exaggerated promises of what their
gift will do for God? And are we sensitive as to how often we ask
for their help? Do they feel like the only time we show any
personal interest in them is when we want their money? Does every
letter have to end with a postscript about needing their financial
help before it’s too late?
- Reporting
the results.
If they can
trust us to be honest in presenting the need and not to abuse our
privilege in making the appeal, can they also trust us to accurately
report the results of their giving?
I recently
received an annual report from a well respected ministry. It was
impressive. It left no questions as to how my dollars were used. It
shared exactly what their ministry accomplished in the last year
using pictures, stories, budgets, statistics, charts, strategies,
goals fulfilled, and plans for the future.
Can you say
the same for your ministry? Do your donors know the specifics of
how their money was used and the effect it had on someone for
Christ? Are we in any way holding back from reporting the details
because it is too difficult to explain the financial matters or
worse yet, because the results of ministry are just not there?
I have a
friend who has consulted mission organizations for years. After
thorough research, he sometimes discovered a ministry spending all
its money, time and efforts merely on self-perpetuation. His
advice? Pull the plug. He used to say, “If God is through with a
particular work, let it go, and let His people send their money
elsewhere.”
Are we
brave enough and caring enough toward God’s givers to do the same if
it’s time? Or are we stuck in the notion that God needs us to
complete His work? Have we selfishly declared that we are
indispensable and forgotten God has “reserved 7000 others” who are
waiting to take our place?
Ultimately,
it all comes down to the issue of stewardship; responsibly using
what God has given for the work that needs doing.
And those of us in
ministry … who are in any way handling the resources that originate
from the pockets of God’s people, must be found trustworthy before
asking for their help.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Todd Isberner is president of
ShareMedia Services, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in fund
raising for listener supported Christian radio and faith-based
ministries. Since 1975, ShareMedia has produced and hosted over
3,500 fund raising broadcasts, raising over $1 billion for radio and
ministry.
www.sharemediaservices.com
|
