Confession Time:
My Top Five Mistakes in Support Raising

1. I prayed too lightly
WHY oh why do I not pray more?! When I pray…I see God work. When I don’t pray…it seems like His blessings dry up. So, why do I not pray more? I guess I am just a fool. To think I can plan my work and work my plan without bathing “the before, during, and after” in prayer is the height of arrogance and pride and shows precisely where my security is—in myself, instead of God.  If I choose to sacrifice time in the prayer closet because I am supposedly too busy, I am literally shooting myself in the foot!

2. I planned too carelessly
WHY do I just assume everything will fall into place? Why do I just kick back and hope that somehow my support will magically come together? There have been times I’ve been lazy, sloppy, and haphazard in my planning. I’ve not been willing to pay the price—in advance—to properly download and utilize my support raising software, to think broadly, to gather hundreds of new names, and to keep immaculate records on who, what, when, how, and for how much I was going to approach each person.  At times, I’ve been a “grace abuser,” just believing that if I “let go and let God,” He would act on my behalf. Not understanding what is God’s  part and what is my part can be a death knell in support raising.
 
3. I asked too timidly
WHY was I so fearful? What or who was I afraid of? And why do I let fear of rejection paralyze me? Instead of praying, planning, and then walking toward my fears, I have, at times, rationalized and backed out. Either I wasn’t able to ask the “golden question” (i.e. inviting them to come onto our monthly support team) then let them respond, OR I chose the less personal (and less intimidating) route of utilizing Facebook, email, or pledge cards to do my asking for me. When I get to heaven, I don’t want God to say: “WHY did you ask me—and others—for so little?” I really don’t want to have that conversation!

4. I closed too vaguely
WHY do I sometimes leave the appointment without a very specific, clear-cut follow-up plan as to what the next steps are? Just last month, I was able to do a face-to-face ask with a man, inviting him onto our monthly support team, even suggesting a range of amounts, but I did not communicate and agree with him exactly when and how I would follow up on his decision. (Yes, I like to use the word “decision.”).  So, if there is anything that is nebulous, any untied loose end, I cannot blame anyone but myself.
 
5. I communicated too selfishly
WHY can I not get outside of my little world, my little bubble? Why can I not consider others as more important than myself? In my appointments, I talk about myself and my plans so much more than asking that other person about their life, their plans, their family, their needs, etc…And then once they come on my team, I take them for granted way too often. Just this past week, we may have lost a long-time supporter. Why? I haven’t gotten to the bottom of it yet, but my feel is—by our lack of interest in them—that they may not think we care about them anymore. OUCH! And the scary thing? They might be right! DOUBLE OUCH!!