Ministry Partnership Development
Growing up we are always taught that it is good to be nice to others, give to charitable causes, stand up for what's right...you get the picture. Well what does it look like to really be intentional with the giving of your time and money?
Enter: Ministry Partnership Development
When I tell most people what my job is and what I will be doing they instantly think it is awesome. "Wow, reaching out to college students, leadership development, helping them strengthen their walk with God or explore their faith for the first time"...pretty stinkin' cool. Until I tell them that I am responsible for raising the funds to support not only my ministry, but also myself. Cue the deer in headlights look.
But, I am so proud of what God has called me to do, and how awesome would it be to be a part of what God is doing on college campuses?! Now, this isn't a plea for money or support or anything like that, but just a challenge to have a mind-shift. More recently I've been convicted about all of my "nice things". Sure it's great to have nice things, but what are they really getting me? Not a whole lot...So I would much rather intentionally invest my time and money into things that I am passionate about and that are life and world changing.
2 Corinthians 9:6-15 offers some good wisdom into what it means to be a "cheerful giver"
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
How awesome is it to equip the people around you to fulfill God's purpose for them. And I'm not just talking about missionaries. Anyone who works at a non-profit is usually responsible for some amount of fundraising. Being in a sorority we had a philanthropy that we raised money for. My sorority, ZTA, raised money for Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) and had a partnership with Susan G. Komen. We typically raised over $30,000 per year...just for BCA!! Imagine the impact of the fundraising efforts of all of the college Zeta chapters in our country...holy cow! It was so rewarding to know that our intentional investment of time and money toward our philanthropy events was helping to fight breast cancer for women all over our country.
Now for the funny parts...as I have been traveling all over with my mom and Stephen I have had to do my Ministry Partnership Development, formerly called Fundraising, from a variety of different locations and places. In order for me to start my work at Clemson University in the Fall, I must be fully funded at 100% of my budget. So it has been the summer of MPD while the Nowell's are on their vagabond road trip!
First, I started in Harrisonburg, VA where I finished up my hospital job and reached out to people in my church there. Here I am with some of my supporters and advocates in the church...
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| Arvid VanDyke is on the top with me and Mom; and Gary Edlind is on the bottom with me. They are both awesome advocates and have been so helpful with all of my MPD work! |
Some of the youth in our church kept pulling things off my poster boarding and hiding them or doing this...haha!
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| Will just loved Matt sooo much! |
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| Still not sure how I managed that.... |
While working at the beach I was able to do some of my reading assignments in the beautiful weather! During my first year, I will be reading through the bible and taking a biblical course through a partnership InterVarsity has with Gordon-Conwell Seminary and we have a few reading assignments.
From there it was off to Chapin, SC where I was greeted by the best and cutest little MPD assistants a girl could ask for. Mary and Sarah have been helping me with letters and keeping me organized...they love helping out and it is such a treat to spend time with them!
So far it has been such a rewarding process doing Ministry Partnership Development. InterVarsity intentionally changed the name from Fundraising to MPD because we want to create partnerships, not just raise the funds to support the work God has called us to do. I am a little over half way to my support goal and it is so exciting to see the way God has been working. If you would like to receive my updates and newsletters you can subscribe here: Katie Nowell Greek IV Ministry. I am thankful for all of my friends & family and their constant support and encouragement through this process!
"What then shall we say in response to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?"
-Romans 8:31
XoXo,
Southern Saving Grace
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