When I eventually reached him, he shared that
he had some concerns about HOPE’s messaging.
Specifically, he recently watched an end-of-year
video I made thanking our supporters. In it, I
shared some of the important milestones we had
crossed. I told the story of a family we served in
Rwanda and how our efforts had impacted their
lives. I wished everyone a merry Christmas and
happy New Year. I thought it was okay.
But Greg disagreed. “Peter, this wasn’t the full
HOPE story.” Greg went on to describe how
the Gospel was only peripherally mentioned.
Watching the video for a second time, I saw
he was right. The full message of HOPE was
truncated to emphasize only the numerical
highlights and our achievements. I missed the
opportunity to communicate our full mission
and properly give credit to God.
More than anyone else I know, Greg actively
monitors the communication of organizations
he supports. As a financial advisor with Morgan
Stanley, he understands his role as an investor
in ministries and takes his role seriously.
Discontent to just write a check, Greg actively
monitors his charitable investments. And this
means he calls when he sees inconsistency.
Supporters of organizations have much more
influence than they realize. If benefactors
request clarity and consistency in messaging
and implementing the mission, organizations
respond. When I receive phone calls from people
I respect who are investing in our organization, I
pay close attention.
Twelve months later, we made another endof-year
thank-you video. As I prepared my brief
remarks, I could hear Greg in the back of my
mind urging accuracy in sharing our complete
message.
Shortly after I pressed “send” on the email, I
received another voice mail from Greg. This
time, I recognized a very different tone
in his voice.
“What a difference this year!” he celebrated.
Money is influence. Carnegie’s philanthropy
caused universities to sever all religious ties.
Greg’s philanthropy helps organizations stay
true to their mission.
Long-Term Impact
It’s easy to find stories about the power of
funding and the way it contributes to Mission
Drift. In this book, we’ve already highlighted
several examples.
Financially supporting an organization makes
you a stakeholder. It gives you influence. Do
your homework and invest in causes in line
with your beliefs. And question them if you see
inconsistency or the seeds of Mission Drift. Every
time you put a check in the mail you are sending
a message: “Yes, I believe in what you are doing.”
Don’t be passive.
Bruce Konold, senior pastor of Eagan Hills
Church, a Christian Missionary Alliance
congregation in Eagan, Minnesota, said that he
personally invests time in understanding the
ministries he’s partnering with.
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