GTP at 5
April 3, 2024
Július Slovák – Reaching generations for God’s kingdom
April 30, 2024
From Intimidated by Fundraising to Inspired to Resource Ministry: BCE and GTP
In my youth, God called me to ministry. This led me to attend Bible school where I learned about youth and children’s ministry with the goal of going into camping ministry. At Bible school, I met Alexander, who would become my husband. We got married after I graduated. He planned to return to his home country to start a children and youth camping ministry. So, a week after our wedding, we traveled from Canada to Belize to prepare for our first summer of ministry. That was 16 years ago.
We founded Belize Camping Experience (BCE) and after many years of trial and error, God graciously enabled us to have the solid team we now have. As the team grew, God brought us young people with energy and gifts in areas that we don't have. Our role as founders became more about providing support and less about the daily activities of the ministry.
My husband’s main role involves resourcing the ministry. While I have the title of “Assistant Director,” I see myself as the ultimate support staff. I've been involved in many things from leading the kitchen in the summertime to taking the lead in writing the local summer camp curriculum.
Leah with Alexander, her husband, and their children, Anya and Chase
In 2022, we heard about GTP when they came to Belize for a conference. We heard it announced in our church. Although the timing wasn’t great and we couldn’t attend the whole event, we decided to attend on a Saturday as the topic, “Strengthening Churches and Ministries for Sustainability,” interested us. There, we met the GTP team: Gary Hoag (GTP President & CEO), Ereny Monir (GTP VP of Training & Empowerment), John Roomes (GTP Regional Facilitator for the Caribbean), and Paula Mendoza (GTP Global Administrator).
The GTP team provided answers to questions we had, guidance on areas where we struggled, and encouragement to persevere. From there, Alexander and I subscribed to Journal Entry, GTP’s regular email updates. One of those emails talked about a course called Faith and Finances. This interested us because we deal heavily with finances that resource the ministry. So, we signed up for the course and we found it very helpful.
Leah with the GTP Team and the participants of the Strengthening Churches and Ministries for Sustainability event in Belize, 2022
Several months after Faith and Finances, we learn about the pilot group for a new course called, When Money Goes on Mission. I have read some other books about fundraising, but while they had some biblical insights, they did not offer practical advice. So, we signed up for When Money Goes on Mission.
We enjoyed the content from the course, which we find easy to contextualize. We also loved the videos, which work well for visual learners. We are taking out time going through the book the course is based on because we want to really chew on the concepts presented in it. The course and the book fed our hungry souls and addressed how to raise finances in the context God has placed us in the manner God has already shown us.
My husband has a big heart for visiting potential supporters, praying with them, encouraging them, and knowing about their lives like we do with the kids that we minister to. Going through When Money Goes on Mission taught us and helped us understand the concept of “the communion of giving and receiving” – it put words to what has already been in our hearts!
Leah among the participants of When Money Goes on Mission pilot group
Personally, I struggled with letting go of ministry areas I have been involved in and enjoyed, such as writing the curriculum, working in the kitchen, and some of the hands-on tasks. This hesitation arose from avoiding being more involved in my husband's fundraising efforts, which I considered intimidating. However, When Money Goes on Mission inspired a desire in me to embrace fundraising more and help my husband in that specific role.
Because I got the affirmation that fundraising is not begging, and that the giver and the receiver are equal at the foot of the cross, I made a commitment to the Lord to accept the challenge of delegating other ministry responsibilities and being more proactive in resourcing the ministry. I also applied what I learned by sharing with my team some of the concepts from the course, including how to confidently communicate the unique approach to raising resources God has for us.
Leah with the Belize Camping Experience team leading a Bible lesson at a local school
One of the most important tools I got from the course was the Letter of Interest (LOI). After I finished the course, I started using this visual and concise tool. It has helped us serve as storytellers for the ministry. With an LOI, we clearly and concisely communicate ministry needs and opportunities to givers and prospects. In the last 6 months since we started using LOIs, we have already seen positive outcomes and responses. Let me share two examples.
The first example relates BCE’s need for a van to transport our team and summer camp volunteers to and from the day camp and outreach locations in communities across our city, and to get the kids we serve to various activities throughout the year. So, we wrote an LOI about this opportunity to give towards a van. We sent it to an interested giver with whom we built a relationship and shared the purpose of the ministry. They responded with a commitment to fully fund a brand-new van!
The second example involves sending a proposal to a local dairy company that services our entire country with everything from milk to cheese to ice cream. The manager used the LOI we wrote to present our case to their board of directors, who agreed to our proposed “Scoop of Hope”! Through this one-day event on the first of June, the company will donate 50 cents for every ice cream sold at each of their 7 branches in Belize to our organization in support of our summer camp programs.
Leah co-facilitating When Money Goes on Mission with the GTP Training Team
Seeing the fruits of the course firsthand, I was so joyful when the GTP Training Team invited me to co-facilitate When Money Goes on Mission for the April-May 2024 global cohort. I said “yes!” because I believe this course that was an answer to our prayers can provide a sense of community to people around the world who want to raise local resources for God’s work. I want to support others in their journey.
Aside from enjoying the course content, I like that way people share their experiences on the online learning platform. I find that co-facilitating a course like this is an amazing way to also learn from what others are doing. For example, I appreciate the story Rob Martin, the author of the book, shared about people in Romania who gave toward a ministry in Egypt after understanding these principles.
Leah leading an orientation workshop for the BCE team
God calls us to do different things. For those in leadership roles, God wants to work through us as storytellers who establish and resource local ministry. This work can seem daunting. I pray that everyone reading this story who serves in a position of leadership will not give up despite the challenges, but instead, stay the course, remembering that Christ is with them as they rally others to join in God’s work.
I pray that more Christian workers attend When Money Goes on Mission. You get more than a certificate on the way! You join a learning community that helps you go from being intimidated by fundraising to feeling inspired to play your role in resourcing ministry. When you serve as a storyteller and use tools like LOIs, God provides through people you know and surprises you by engaging others in His work that you never expected.
