A Look Back, Ahead and In The Mirror
I know you're doing 'it'...the New Year's resolution thing. We can't help ourselves, can we.
We look back at the years in the rear view mirror. We reflect a bit on our highs and lows, our family and friends, and God's 'more than enough' of what we need. We are grateful.
We look ahead to the years before us. We consider the challenges in our path, the love we want to show and grow, and the Spirit's nudge to live more faithfully on purpose. We are hopeful.
We look in the mirror to that face of self-doubt. We ask "What now, Lord?", "How, Lord?" "When, Lord?" and "Why me, Lord?" We hear God's 'more than enough' promise again. We are confident.
"God can bless you with everything you need,
and you will always have more than enough
to do all kinds of good things for others. "
II Corinthians 9:8 CEV
My personal look in the rear view mirror is a panorama of joy at the gifts of my husband and children, grief at the death of my dad, and satisfaction with my life's vocation. Looking ahead, the possibilities get my adrenaline racing, despite the implicit fears of an ever changing world that might tempt me under the nearest rock to hide. My perspective on the past and my hopes about the future position me in the mirror asking myself the questions that increasingly nag at me. I call them my legacy questions.
"Am I living true to the faith that parents, grandparents and others were so careful to plant in me?"
"Am I sowing the seeds of faith in the hearts of my own children? Will their children walk in faith?"
"Will the ministries that support the life of faith even survive the current culture, much less thrive in it?"
and the scariest question of all, "Lord, what would you have me do about it in the days and years ahead?"
I've had the privilege of accompanying hundreds of faith-based organizations in their fundraising work. The capacity of the faithful to support these ministries - both during life and at death - is tremendous. God's 'more than enough' blows my mind, imagining all the good things that could be done for others! But the confidence of most leaders to raise money for these ministries is tepid at best. God's 'more than enough' couldn't possibly exclude the courage to invite others into the joy of generosity?!
Getting back to that New Year's look in the mirror... With more than 30 years of experience and perspective, more than enough ways to reach and teach, and just enough confidence to pull the trigger, Brenda Moore & Associates is taking a digital leap of faith into 2018. I'll continue to equip ministry leaders with philanthropy's best practices. But I hope to scale that work in support of the majority of ministries whose capacity could use a boost. My private consulting practice is going public with the launch of a website at BrendaMoore.org, a new Legacy Giving program, a free download "6 Keys to Legacy Giving", and a monthly webinar series. A Faith & Philanthropy subscription service will soon follow.
I'm doing this because of the legacy questions. Because of the legacy questions, will you help? Yes, your likes, follows, shares, and subscribes would be wonderful, thank you! And beyond that, put a bug in the ear of your pastor or the executive director of the ministry you hold dear. Give a shout out to the board members or the professional advisors who are ready to move the needle on generosity. Dig in yourself!
In this new year, may God bring you everything you need, and more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others!