Cultural tolerance and equality are high values in Canadian culture.[1] So even though I enjoy hearing from other cultures, I’ve had my head turned time and again through the excellent coaching of the international voices that make up the Ministry Fundraising Network (MFN). I find their “new-to-me” inspirations from the Scriptures refreshing and their views on giving and fundraising capable of breathing new life into my work in the ministry of fundraising. Being connected to the MFN continuously reminds me that the Gospel is in great hands in much of our world today and we need to give public voice to […]

Who is the most generous person you know? After three decades of stewardship ministry I’ve met a lot of wonderful givers, but the most generous people I’ve ever known are my own mom and dad. It’s not the size of their gifts that makes them the most generous. There are plenty of other people who have bigger bank accounts and write much larger checks. It’s their consistent acts of generosity that is remarkable. They love to serve others, to meet a need, to satisfy a want, to share their abundance and let others know they are loved. They give money […]

I recently heard the testimony of a pastor who took his youth group to Guatemala on a mission trip. They visited the trash dump on the outskirts of town and met the people who make their living by picking through the garbage. Later, they visited a local church where the people from the dump would gather for a meal every day—a meal freely provided by the church. When the pastor asked how this outreach ministry was funded (assuming of course, that funding for such a ministry would come from donors in the USA or wealthier people in Guatemala), he was […]