Intentional Partnership Tuesday...

Hello, friends!

Here's hoping you had a lovely Thanksgiving full of food, fun, family, and football. Oh, and if you got some shopping in there too, more power to you. =0). We are back from a wonderful week in SoDak visiting with Meg's side of the family.

Friends, have you noticed that the "days" surrounding Thanksgiving have become more numerous in past years? First it was Thanksgiving Day, which makes sense. After that, it's Black Friday. After Black Friday comes Small Business Saturday. I don't think there's anything for Sunday but Cyber Monday comes next. Then we end up here, on Giving Tuesday.

Look, I am all for good marketing and I totally get it. Black Friday is about getting a good deal for your Christmas gifts. American Express wants people to shop locally so they created Small Business Saturday. The online retailers decided to get in on the action for Cyber Monday. Then the non-profit sector hopped on the train for Giving Tuesday. It's the end of the year and folk are looking to maximize their charitable contributions so it makes total sense.

The thing for me is this: my new role next year is going to be a Regional Coordinator focused on Ministry Partnership Development. A big part of my job is going to changing the culture of Ministry Partnership Development in our Region so we can avoid the trap of thinking of it as a chore or something we need to do in order to get on campus but rather as an act of worship, a part of our ministry, and mutual blessing to us as well as our partners. I'm not sure how Giving Tuesday fits into that culture change.

What I really want to see is Intentional Partnership Tuesday. For ministry partners, I don't want your inbox to be flooded with emails asking you to give today, only for you to forget where you gave because there were so many requests. For staff, I don't want us to get into the habit of relying on marketing to bring in money when what we should really desire is the opportunity to cast vision and partner with those we know to bring the Gospel to every corner of the campus. I want our partnerships to be relational and worshipful, not just transactional.

So, here is my proposal:
- IF YOU ARE A MINISTRY PARTNER: If you choose to give to a particular cause or ministry, would you also prayerfully consider partnering with that cause or ministry beyond today? Maybe it means becoming a monthly donor. Maybe it means volunteering. Maybe it means telling your friends about where you're giving so you can give too. The key is to see if there are ways that your giving can turn into tangible partnership.
- IF YOU ARE STAFF: Pray for your ministry partners as you send out your emails. Make sure you have a plan for follow up if folk do choose to give. Write thank you notes and make sure they get Christmas cards. Be sure to add new partners to your address book so you don't forget the wonderful gift they've committed to you. Let's make sure we're caring for our partners well.

If you feel so inclined and would like to partner with the work that Meg and I are doing with InterVarsity, perhaps I could direct your attention to the Mid-Missouri Scholarship fund. Each Year, this fund helps send dozens of students to various InterVarsity conferences at reduced cost, allowing them to enjoy all that God has for them without having to worry about the finances. We have a plethora of conferences in the Spring while we are on Sabbatical, for White, Black, Asian American, LatinX, and international students, as well as conferences in Anaheim for students who want to plant new ministries and for students who want to be missionaries in the Greek system on their campus. We'd love for you to consider partnering with us through the scholarship fund. I promise we'll follow up well. =0).

CLICK HERE TO PARTNER    

Have an excellent day!

~Adam