When you have made all the dumb mistakes and you can save others some trouble.
This week I just wanted to pass on some “conveniences” that some of our team members have proposed or used in the past with success. As we learn and grow together it is so important for our community (of fellow servants and followers of Christ) to pull each other along and share our successes… so here goes.
1. How to manage church finances and CarePortal donations to best facilitate the CarePortal Ministry:
Many of you have asked about the best way to get CarePortal cash donations into the hands of your point person in the most efficient way. We all struggle with the “red tape” of finances, committees, and reimbursement time lines and we all agree that these processes slow down the “real time” aspect of this work. SO here are a few ways to tackle that problem.
-Set up a Venmo Account. The church office can easily reload your Venmo on a regular basis and give the point person easy spending power.
-Purchase a reloadable prepaid Visa card. Same principal… the church would decide on a monthly budget for CarePortal OR load individual donations on to the card.
BOTH of the above options should include the practice of TURNING IN RECEIPTS in order to protect and safeguard your ministry with accountability and oversight.
-Set up a DIVY account… again, similar system. Only Divy works like a credit card, can be set up with one time donations and or monthly support AND comes with an app that records and turns in receipts for you!
2. How to scrounge up more volunteers:
We’ve all experienced the ebb and flow of volunteer burn out and resurge. It's a big part of the human condition AND an issue for every ministry on the planet. I say that to encourage you. Haha… This is not a problem that you created with a lack of leadership skills and it isn’t an issue that we can solve by “doing it right”. However, I would like to just speak a few words into your ministry if I could. How we present our “ask” is one of the most important parts of engaging the Church.
-First of all, See your ministry and your part in it as important and valuable. Not just to the families we serve, but to the servants we need to disciple. This is GOD’S work, and he has blessed us to help lead it! What a privilege!
-Secondly, NEVER say “we desperately need help/volunteers/ workers etc”… No one wants to jump aboard a sinking ship. Do your very best to paint your ministry with HOPE and EXCITEMENT. First SHOW your heart, tell how much you love the work, what it means to you and then INVITE them to join. Not to “rescue you” or to bail you out of a jam… but to be part of a dynamic and exciting move of God!
-and Lastly, Please, and I can't stress this enough… Banish the guilt and don’t take any of this personally. Trust me when I say, “ I get it!” When we are passionate about something (and we are all passionate about serving our community) we can't help but wonder why other people aren't quite as excited as we are! Hahaha. And then the enemy finds a way to feed us lies like “if I was a better communicator… a better leader… a better strategist… If somehow I were more effective …”. But the truth of the matter is that there is NO ROOM for guilt in this good work that God has called us to. The BEST way to draw partners out and into this movement is to
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” -Matthew 5:16
… because at the end of the day, we do ALL of this for HIS glory and not our own.
3. How to Simplify the process when things get crazy:
We all have THOSE times… when things get too busy and we get overwhelmed and something’s got to give… but we don’t want to drop our ministry. Here are a few strategies that have worked for our team members in the past and might work for you next time things get a little too hectic.
-Consider choosing a need from the list of open request that your church ALREADY has in storage. This works especially well for smaller items like play yards, bedding or diapers etc. Now, I know the temptation is to just “do it yourself” and mark it off the list… but consider taking that small item with you into church (with this "make a connection"page printed and filled out)… then BE BOLD. Ask someone if they think they have time to drop this item off and pray with a local family. Most of the time people respond favorably to this invitation … and the “make a connection” sheet gives them all the information they need to be successful and feel good about what they are doing.
-Consider giving me a call! I’m a resource at your disposal and I LOVE to connect people, facilitate collaboration and HELP wherever, whenever I can. If things are just feeling overwhelming, PLEASE let me know so I can pray for and support your ministry.
-And Last but not least, reach out to your friend circle and invite your besties into the adventure. My friends and I have had more fun driving around this city than we probably should admit. There is something so special about turning that “sit and chat time” that we might usually do over coffee at a Starbucks, into “GO and chat time"! We are still every bit as social, but we feel that our time together has been spent on the best kind of multi-tasking!
I hope this is useful information and helpful ideas. If anyone has anything to add, PLEASE reply. I'd love to hear what your church does and what’s working for you! And as always, please know, that you are so appreciated. Feild Teams are the backbone of the CarePortal Network! EVERY vertebrae is necessary and vital! None of us could do any of this without the rest of us… so thanks again for your steadfast forward march! Together we are gaining ground for God’s Kingdom!
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