You may have noticed that last week was Giving Week for Baptist Women in Ministry. Every August we do a week-long campaign, calling for new monthly givers. We share multiple testimonials every day through our enewsletter and on our blog, testimonials written by our current monthly givers. We post photos of monthly givers on social media. We ASK for five straight days, and we are excited to announce that last week, twelve new supporters stepped up and signed on to contribute each month.
Asking for contributions, requesting money for a cause makes some people uncomfortable, but one of the first things I learned ten years ago when I became BWIM’s executive director was this truth written by Henri Nouwen in A Spirituality of Fundraising: “Asking people for money is giving them the opportunity to put their resources at the disposal of the kingdom. To raise funds is to offer people the change to invest what they have in the work of God. Whether they have much or little is not as important as the possibility of making their money available to God.”
Asking for money on behalf of Baptist Women in Ministry and the good work this organization does brings me great joy. Inviting others into the movement of the Spirit in Baptist life and opening doors for others to support women called and gifted for ministry has been a true honor.
I believe like Nouwen that “God’s kingdom is the place of abundance where every generous act overflows its original bounds and becomes part of the unbounded grace of God at work in the world.”
Today, I’m thankful for twelve generous supporters who are unleashing the abundance of God’s grace among Baptists. And just because Giving Week is over doesn’t mean you can’t sign on to be a monthly giver!
Pam Durso is executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry, Atlanta, Georgia.