Well, we’re nearing the end of July and plans for the upcoming year are starting to take final form. I’m not sure what this process has been like for you, but for us, there have been a lot of changes, edits, additions and subtractions from the model of ministry we were serving out of last year.
In a lot of ways I think our ministry models need to be in a constant state of flux, always with the ability to change in order to better meet the needs of the students we serve, as it seems most appropriate and feasible.
This flexibility, while likely a little easier to come by in the form of programmatic-spirit, will be much more of a challenge in the area of finances.
I don’t know about you, but we submit our budget requests in December for the following academic year. This means that in October, November and early December of last year, my team and I were trying to project what we would be doing — and therefore, what kinds of monies we would be needing — in the upcoming academic year.
Most years, the kinds of minimal changes that we might choose to make to our ministry models — and subsequent budgets — don’t create much of an issue. This year — for us — it does.
Since we made our budget projections back at the end of 2011, we have introduced some new initiatives to our ministry model, as well as seen a reduction in our overall operational budget by several thousand dollars.
Needless to say, we’re having to get creative!
So, here are some of the avenues we’re pursuing in order to come up with the funding we believe we need:
> We’re combing back through our budget to see where we might ‘trim the fat’ so to speak. Are there areas, within the scope of our control, that we can ‘work’ in order to ‘free up’ some of the necessary funds?
> We’re looking over some of the ‘secondary’ funds that are committed to our work. These are not budgeted funds, rather the residuals of endowments that have been set up by donors who are all about our work and mission. I realize that most schools and/or ministries don’t have something like this, so if you can, consider setting up a meeting with the development office at your institution to explore the possibility of identifying donors and alum that might be interested in creating this type of endowment! While it may not immediately (or even directly) impact your ministry, you are setting something up to impact future ministry efforts on your campus, as well as giving Christian alum a place to direct their institutional/ministry-related gifts.
> We’re exploring ‘service’ or ‘work-for-hire’ opportunities as a ministry. A unique fund-raising opportunity that our ministry participates in every semester is delivering online book orders to students rooms (someone’s got to get them there). It requires a partnership with both the campus bookstore and the residence life staff, and with more and more students purchasing their books this way it is becoming an increasingly profitable way for our team to spend a couple of hours working together right here on campus.
> We’re pursuing outside ministry partnerships. Donations in the form of volunteers, money, equipment, etc. are ways that other ministries might choose to partner with yours to help meet needs on campus.
> We’re considering less expensive ways to do what we want to do — still striving to achieve the highest levels of excellence — just without some of the ‘bells and whistles’ we might like to include as we launch a new ministry initiative.
> As a last resort, we could consider tabling new ideas, or eliminating old ones, so that we have adequate funding during the upcoming budgeting season. This is definitely a last resort for us, and trust that God will help us to know where (and how) to spend the funds we’ve been entrusted with.
So those are some of the avenues we’re pursuing in order to carry out the mission and ministry we believe God wants to be about on our campus…
How about you?
> Does your ministry have enough ‘flux’ to allow for new initiatives that pop-up?
> How do you deal with budget restrictions?
> Do you have any creative fund-raising ideas you’d add to this list?
Thanks for adding to the conversation!
5 thoughts on “Creating Space [For What’s Necessary]”
This image demonstrates exactly what the process feels like!
I just realized as I saw the comments below that this was a post made last year! Oh well…I’ll add my comment about helping with funding the campus ministry.
Last November my wife and I started the Dave Ramsey way of thinking about finances. Completely out of debt and on baby step three, we have been encouraging our college students to reframe the ever-present discussion on money and giving. Last spring we walked through this discussion toward the end of the semester. Amazingly enough, we had 13 students (of about 45 students at the end of the year) step up to make very public commitments to give in big ways! Two of these students publicly committed to raise funds for the ministry!
In the midst of this conversation, I let students feel the weight of our budget constraints. I just told them what was going on. Oddly enough many of them decided to pool their money, sacrificing personally to pay for ministry “extras!” At the same time, I ask our students to pay more for things and encourage them to consider what to give up. And, as you mentioned, I regularly ask for special donations for specific ministry initiatives.
Our students have responded admirably. I’m amazed at how money conversations can easily turn into conversations about spiritual discipline! To close, I have to mention what one student told me last week as I asked her if she was going on one of our mission trips next summer. She said she had a crazy idea, but it sounds like Jesus to me. Instead of going on another amazing Let’s Start Talking trip (lstu.org), she wanted to help the new students experience it for themselves by working all summer to give ALL that money toward those students’ projects! Amazing!
Hey Chris!
Thanks for sharing this… one of the great things about blogs is that you can pick up conversations and continue them no matter when they were started!
Those are some amazing stories of faith and stewardship on the part of you and your students — I can’t even begin to imagine how this is setting them up for life after college. AWESOME!
I can also imagine that there’s a new level of ownership and “buy in” (literally) on the part of students. They’ve got to feel more personally invested in the ministry — which has got to be encouraging to you!
Have you seen any drawbacks or negatives to sharing and challenging students in this area?
Are there any things you might suggest to others who want to try your approaches here?
I think that it is a risk to share these things. Some students receive this openness differently. I’m sure some misunderstand and never ask for clarification. Those are probably more on the “fringes” so-to-speak. But generally speaking my mindset is one of inviting participation from students with all kinds of involvement. I encourage our more mature students to set the tone and they have been doing a good job. I’m also relying on our student leaders and interns to teach me the perceptions from other students.
In experimenting with having higher expectations of our students, I find more responding with enthusiasm wondering why they’ve been so slow to “get it.” I also generally look at people with a deeply-seeded attitude of anticipation to see them be what God called them to be. I know this comes out in how I come across when talking about anything, but even with money. I may say something like, “I know you are able to sacrifice. You are just needing to find out how God wants you to. God will help you discover that. I have no worries about that.” And then I move on to something else like I really have no worries.
Maybe I’m rambling right now without much direction, but your questions are good ones. I’m sensing blog post material. Thanks.
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