Burning Question #1: Fundraisers

At our recent 1st Birthday celebration, I provided index cards and asked people to write down any question they had about the Springs. After sifting out the really profound ones, like "what color does blue and yellow make," I realized that almost all of the questions fell into 2 categories: finances/fundraising and marketing/advertising for the church. In this post, I'll address the fundraising question, and tackle the marketing question in my next post.

Q: can we do (insert fundraiser idea here) to raise money for the church?
A: we could, but do we want to? probably not.

That may sound like a weird answer from the pastor who reported that our 2008 income barely exceeded our expenses. But there are a couple of compelling reasons why we won't venture very far down the fundraiser path. One is time. Each of us has a finite amount. And of the portion we're going to give to church activities, fundraisers are going to be way down on my list. I truly believe that if you took the time and energy you would spend on a fundraiser and invest it in building relationships in your neighborhood and community, in the end it would result in much more support for the church (financial and otherwise) than any fundraiser. The other reason is the nature of our relationship with our community. Our friends and neighbors who don't participate in church usually have a view that the church exists to get something from them. We are determined to change that perception. We are here to give something to them, not to take...especially their money. People who see the results of our ministry will want to support it. Give and you shall receive. So let's brainstorm how we can give to our friends and neighbors!

So how are we going to increase our income? Ultimately, the solution is for our base of Springs participants to increase. 67 individuals and families gave to the Springs in 2008, but 13 of them really carried the freight, so to speak, by giving very consistently and giving 10% or more of their household income. Undoubtedly there are 13 more, already at the Springs today, who could join them in 2009, and new families who God will send across our path in the weeks and months to come. In the meantime, we do have some partners outside the church who have made significant contributions during our start-up phase and may do so again. If you know of a person or organization that may be interested in supporting us, by all means let us know. We're also continuing to pray for - and work toward - an ongoing partnership with a church or churches who will offer us some financial support.

If we do a fundraiser, it's more likely that we will do it for Starfish Kenya (we participated in a golf tournament for starfish in December), Habitat for Humanity (women's 5k on February 8), or another charity in our community than for ourselves. In our own case, fundraisers would be a band aid, and we're looking for more long-term financial health.

Q: Can we set up automatic payment for our tithes? Is there an address we can mail it to?
Y: Yes and Yes! Our mailing address is...

Church @ the Springs
2527 Attwater Way
League City, TX 77573

To set up automatic debit, go to www.cometothesprings.com and click "giving," or contact me directly at csimmons@the-springs.com or 281-794-9747.