The Stewardship Coach crosses the finish line for another marathon!
Are there any lessons from the Boston Marathon that we as pastors can learn when it comes to raising funds? I believe the answer is yes!
I have run 25 marathons in my life but I have never run the Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon is the holy grail of marathoners. Yet what many people don’t realize is you have to qualify to run Boston. Each age group has a time standard that they must meet in another marathon before they are admitted into Boston. While I am proud of my past marathon accomplishments I have never been fast enough to run with the best in my sport. To date I have never qualified.
How one qualifies for Boston gives us lessons on how to raise funds. Let me list what it takes to qualify for a marathon like Boston and make an analogy towards what it takes for you to fully fund your ministry.
It begins with an awareness that the path won’t be easy. Here is a truth, fat people don’t qualify for the Boston Marathon. That is probably reason number one why I have never made it! There is a price to pay for success.
When it comes to fully funding your church the same is true. As our world becomes increasingly secular the path towards fully funding your church will become more difficult. Churches must realize that they cannot keep doing what they have always done and be successful. Are you willing to pay the price to be fully funded?
It only happens if you have a plan and you work your plan. Those that qualify for Boston have a plan and they work their plan. While I have not run Boston in every one of my 25 marathons I had a plan that I followed that got me not only to the start line but the finish line.
Most churches don’t have a plan when it comes to stewardship. Thus without a plan they are in actuality planning to fail. Get a plan and work your plan!
You have to be disciplined! Marathoners are disciplined if they are anything. You have to eat right and train right. It takes discipline. While I hate to admit it I have never been disciplined enough. Too many cheese burgers have kept me from the start line of Boston!
Are you disciplined when it comes to stewardship? Most only think about the budget when money is short and they can’t do the ministry they want to do. Churches that are fully funded are disciplined when it comes to stewardship. Without discipline you will never be fully funded.
You have to commit the time to be successful. If there is another down fall of mine when it comes to qualifying for Boston it is that I have never found the time I needed to get in shape and qualify. You have to log the miles week in and week out. You have to do those long runs for hours on end. If you are not willing to commit the time you will never get to the start line.
Most pastors seldom to never give stewardship any time at all. They are busy with so many things that stewardship planning gets shoved to the back burner. If it is not a priority of yours it will not be a priority for anyone else at your church. If you are unwilling to spend the time no one else will. You have to commit time to the process in order to be successful.
Those that qualify never let defeat or discouragement keep them from the goal. In my training for all my marathons there were weeks that I simply did not have it. I would enter some 5K or 10K and just have a bad race. I had to run through those times. I had a goal in mind and I did not let defeats or discouragements get in my way.
What about you? Have you let the difficulties of raising funds overwhelm you? Does it seem too difficult a task that you have simply quit trying? Those that are successful at fully funding their churches never stop the process. Some plans may fail but they keep trying. The result is more money to fuel more ministry.
I can help you qualify for your Boston Marathon! I don’t mean the actual 26.2 mile road race. I mean helping you fully fund your budget this year. I have extensive plans that can help any church no matter the size or location. I coach pastors of churches in the top 100 in America and churches that run around 100 a week. I can help you. To find out more go to http://thestewardshipcoach.org/
We are the leaders in helping churches with creative plans for capital campaigns! Throughout this website you will find great tools listed on how we can help you raise the funds you need. Contact us today to get the help you need. For more information contact Tom Holloway at Tom@TheCharisGroup.org
Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach
Founder and President
The Charis Group and Charis Giving Solutions