Fundraising has been around for a very long time. Even Biblical heroes like Moses, David, Hezekiah, Nehemiah, Jesus, and Paul asked people to financially support God’s work. Despite this, almost every time I’ve told pastors that I love asking people for money they say, “Thank God you like doing that! I hate talking about money. I’m sure glad someone enjoys it.”
I really do enjoy asking people for money—asking people for money can be one of the best ministries in the world! Asking for money is a tangible way to advance the Kingdom. Jesus had more to say about money than about most other things that we talk about in church. Money gets right into the real stuff of our lives. Most of us commit incredible amounts of our time, energy, and creativity to making money, but comparatively few seem to know how to handle it.
There’s no greater joy than seeing someone invest in something they deeply care about. This article isn’t about financial stewardship; plenty of wonderful books on that topic are already on the market. I’ve listed some of those at the end of this article. This article is to help give a biblical framework for asking for money. It’s intended for both practitioners and for volunteers. My prayer is that it will inspire millions of believers—lay and clergy—to begin the exciting journey of fundraising.
