Where is the "FUN" in Fundraising?!

One of my main responsibilities as a lead pastor of a new ministry (Vertical Church) is to be the primary fundraiser. As of yet I have failed to see the ‘fun’ in fundraising. Why? Because, it’s just hard! You see, my wife and I are undertaking a huge risk to touch an urban area of Atlanta (West End/Vine City) that is in desperate need of change. This risk has cost us quite a bit personally, but the anticipated result will, we hope, overshadow this temporary difficulty. Our challenge has mostly been financially.

One encouraging thing is the amount of people who are interested in helping us succeed. If we had a dollar for every person that asked how he or she could help, we would need very little. But, it’s a curious thing to see the people’s reaction to my response to that question. I generally start by asking for continued prayer as that is our primary need. Then, I mention that we need financial support for the church, ourselves, for our son, and I watch their eyes quickly glaze over. It seems like people, although well meaning, get a little funny when you talk about money. Which is a challenge when doing work that requires donations. Hilarious!

I recently met with a gentleman that has been in the missionary support realm for decades, and he said something that was interesting to me. He said, “The challenge as an African American, is that many black churches especially mega churches, don’t support any efforts that don’t directly connect to what they are doing”. If this is true, it’s not only sad, but shows why there is a great need for a church like the one we are starting. My perspective is that missionary support is a new concept for many people.

The Bible says, “But if a person has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need and that person doesn’t care—how can the love of God remain in him? Little children, let’s not love with words or speech but with action and truth.” 1 John 3:17-18 This is not a scripture that you hear people share very often, because it is tough! So we are so grateful to those who do, and have gotten behind us in this way. It encourages our hearts as we continue to talk to loved ones and potential supporters about our current needs. It’s not fun, but we are willing to traverse the choppy waters in order to impact the lives of people who need what we are doing. Our faith continues to rest in God’s secure arms.

Please pray for us and consider supporting us as we continue forward in this journey.

Supporting Vertical Church –Donations sent to P.O. Box 965161 Marietta, Georgia 30066

Supporting the Boyd family – Donations can be made on-linewww.hhmin.org then clicking the make a donation icon on the home page, then select the Donate to Helping Hands Approved Projects icon, then select Ministry on the category drop down list, then select DamianZarat Boyd

If you have questions, ideas, or suggestions, contact me at damian@damianlboyd.com