New FaithRaising Training Seeks to Rescue Fundraising for Christian Ministries

Christian church and para-church ministries struggling to increase funding can find proven solutions in a new Bible-based development training offered by Saint Wall Street. A provider of training and coaching on donor, grants and earned-income development since 1998, the company's new offering brings spiritual power to under-funded ministries. Training introduces "Peter's Principles for Extreme Fundraising," Best Practices the Book of Acts reveals the apostle used to grow his ministry from penniless to one so well-funded it was able to meet every human need. These same practices are reflected in the histories and annual reports of financially flourishing ministries like The Salvation Army, World Vision, and Habitat for Humanity. Faith-raising is at the core of all seven of them.

One practice common among the best-funded ministries and consistently lacking among those under-funded, according to Saint Wall Street president Bernice Sanders Smoot, is that of publicly glorifying God for the miracles they produce. During her research, she found that funded ministries have websites and annual reports that provide stories and testimonials from persons served. Many attest to how the ministry went beyond fixing their problems, to fixing them so that they may never have the same problems, again.

"Miracles make believers and believers make supporters," said Ms. Smoot. "By taking miracles public to God's glory, ministries mimic the very action that triggered the outpouring of support for Peter's ministry."

Ms. Smoot added, "As the power of faith is not limited to a ministry's size or budget, nor restricted by social and economic conditions, faith-raising can increase support for any ministry, even given today's challenges of declining supporters and increasing secular competitors and opponents."

According to new research from the Barna Group, just five percent of Americans tithed in 2007. The percentage of believers who gave dropped to its lowest level this decade (76%). Church-giving today, as a percentage of income (2.6%), remains lower than it was during the Great Depression (3.3%). One estimate places the loss to the church at nearly $200 billion.

Religious givers provided the bulk of the $97 billion donated to America's religious programs in 2006 and, according to Generous Giving, provide two-thirds of all charitable dollars donated each year in the US.

Secular nonprofits, now spending up to $9 billion/yr. on marketing, as reported by Philanthromedia, stand to increase support from religious givers who Independent Sector reports are also responsible for three out of every four dollars their programs currently receive.

A study from the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society claims faith-based social services are no better and uses as justification a lack of "quantitative" findings. No assessment of the social and economic value generated by the transformed lives of those served was indicated.

The National Committee on Responsive Philanthropy, which has a new diversity in philanthropy initiative, has yet to bring Christian philanthropy to the helm, despite the fact that the biggest givers and servants to charity are believers, and thus the minorities with philanthropic careers and interests are likely believers, too.

Finally, secular groups like the Freedom from Religion Foundation are winning court rulings against federal funding for faith-based programs, crippling the progress intended by federal faith-based initiatives.

"Peter grew unprecedented public support for his Christian ministry in spite of secular leaders who tried to stop him and an atheistic society that had just crucified Jesus," said Ms. Smoot. "Faith-raising validates Christian philanthropy and affords ministry God-guaranteed success against all odds."

For more information on Saint Wall Street's Bible-based development training, contact Bernice Sanders Smoot at 410.266.8084; or visit online at http://www.saintwallstreet.net.




New FaithRaising Training Seeks to Rescue Fundraising for Christian Ministries



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