Rethinking Ministry Support Beyond Donations #
Biblical Examples of Self-Sustaining Ministry Funding #
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- 1 Thessalonians 2:5 – “For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.”
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- Fellowship Example: Far too often international members join the NACM and their first approach in solicitation is to send friend requests to members in the USA. Upon making contact, the offer a prayer and or a “mighty blessing on you and your ministry objectives.” After they have filled their US contacts with “words of flattery,” they will then ask for donations of Bibles, money, etc. and or even invite US members to come and visit their churches on the other side of the world. And so goes the story…
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- 1 Thessalonians 2:9 – “For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.”
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- 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 – “…but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.”
The Problems with Over-Reliance on Donations #
Passive Dependence vs. Active Contribution: What if donations stop, or never come at all whatsoever? This is what you should reasonably expect. Sustainable ministry requires you to give first (by working to provide financial goals, and giving of any resources with which God has already blessed you. Why would anyone be compelled to give to your ministry goals, If you have not already been setting the example of giving what you have to do what you believe God is calling you to do? If you are not convinced of your own calling to the extent that you will give up your own resources, do not expect others will be of encouragement. It is a bit presumptuous to think it all should work by miraculous means at the giving hands of others. Paul understood this and told us to understand it and inmate him.
Unbiblical Manipulation Through “Prayer Requests”: Fundraising disguised as prayer requests can pressure believers into giving. Someone may not explicitly ask for money, but they will make the object of their prayer requests about the provision of monetary things. Can you see the irony?
What Did Jesus Do? #
The Gospels never record a mention in history where Jesus asked for money to fund His ministry. The Bible mentions that people gave, but it was never recorded in the Gospels that Jesus ever initiated it as campaigning to support His ministry. In fact the opposite seems true. For example, the coin in the fish’s mouth (Matthew 17:24-27) provided for the temple tax, showing God’s provision. Notice Jesus did not expect to escape taxes, nor for His followers to be responsible for what He owed. This is further echoed by is teachings to “render unto Caesar what belongs in taxes (Matthew 22:15-22)..
As an additional note, Jesus said when we give:
Mat 6:1-4
(1) “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
(2) “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
(3) But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
(4) so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
This message seems to be a far contrast from the modern practice of giving with receipts so we can write them off on our taxes at the end of the year…
Alternative Approaches to Funding Ministry #
- Bivocational Ministry: Working part-time while serving in ministry.
- Entrepreneurial Ventures: Creating businesses to support ministry efforts.
- Online Platforms: Using digital content to generate income.
- Stewardship and Budgeting: Managing finances wisely for sustainability.
Conclusion: A Balanced Perspective #
Financial gifts are not wrong, but it is narrow-minded to believe ministry must be sustained only through donations. A self-sustaining, biblically rooted approach aligns with Jesus and Paul’s examples. We talk of doing Church differently, while we hold thigh to the principles of old to fund ministry. Funny thing is, it is not really of old, because these practices do not reflect the particles of the early Church.
If anyone reading this concludes that I am against giving to support ministry, you have reached the wrong conclusion. Rather the point here is to realize that the idea of relying on giving to support ministry is narrow minded and misses the truth of many wonderful examples which scripture encourages otherwise. If it is time to do Church differently, it is also time to reevaluate how to set our expectations on supporting ministry differently also.
