Are you prepared to
receive the BIG gift?
How one leader planned for it-and
then told his board the unexpected news. . .
Mike Brickley
As a CEO, it may have been the low point in my four years in
ministry leadership. Thank goodness no one was around to see what I was doing
on the morning I faced the fact that our best efforts to raise over half a
million dollars had left us way short. I wouldn't say our development efforts
had failed. However, because we had so far to go, I knew there was one thing I
had to do.
On that
dreary Saturday, I drove the two miles from my house in Lititz, Pa. to my
office at the Pocket Testament League. I unlocked the door and went in. I was
all alone, just as I had hoped. I should have enough faith. After all, I knew
the story.
Since its
founding in 1893, the League had distributed 100 million pocket-sized Gospels
around the world. At its peak in 1941, we had eight million members, yet there
were none left in 1999, the year I came on board. We reclaimed the founding
mission—to mobilize and equip Christians to read, carry, and share the Word of
God—and began to see new, dramatic growth.
Then a
breakthrough idea: At the dawn of the 21st century, high-tech advancements had
outfitted the world with a new "pocket," the Internet. Here was our
big opportunity. To equip our ministry partners with the Gospel, our leadership
team and board got behind a truly creative "out of the box" web site
initiative. It was ingenious and Heaven-sent. Through exhaustive research and
strategic efficiencies, we determined it would cost $520,000. That's above and
beyond our annual giving. For an organization with a seven-person staff and a
$1 million budget, half a million dollars was a lot.
We laid our
plan before the Lord, prayed about it, and then we went to work. We decided to hold
a "vision weekend," and so we brought 30 supporters to a ministry
retreat. Together, with our staff and our board, we celebrated the faith legacy
of The Pocket Testament League. Our supporters heard story after story of
changed lives. And they learned about our new, web-based endeavor.
If ever
there was a God-blessed gathering, this was it. And when the weekend was over,
we had raised a total of $100,000.
I was very
excited—and concerned. On that Saturday morning, I plopped down in my office
chair and said out loud, "What am I going to do? Our board meeting is in
one week. They're going to want answers." At that moment, I didn't know
what to tell them.
I knew one
thing. After doing everything to engage our supporters in the most God-honoring
way, we were $420,000 short. To take the ministry to the next level, we needed
a big gift.
That
Saturday, and most of Sunday, I prayed. If you want to know the truth, I spent
the entire weekend whining and sniveling to the Lord.
God, what do
you want me to do with your ministry?
When I left
the office to go back home on Sunday evening, I felt broken. I was exhausted
and frustrated. I had no idea what I was going to tell our board the following
week.
Things
didn't get any better. That night, I couldn't sleep. Around 4 a.m., I got up
and headed back to the office. An hour later, I was back at my desk having my
morning cup of coffee with the Lord. Later, while sorting through the
mail at the receptionist's desk, I saw a letter from an attorney. Inside was an
obituary notice of the mother of one of our supporters and a letter explaining
that this dear woman had willed $1,000 to a number of different ministries.
Unfortunately, I didn't see the Pocket Testament League on the list.
I put the
letter down and wandered around the office. I came back a few minutes later,
and saw the letter and another page attached.
It wasn't
for $1,000. It was a God-inspired gift from this same woman, who believed in
the unfinished work of The Pocket Testament League—a gift of $420,000.
I saw the
amount, sat down and wept.
It was so
unexpected, so undeserving, and it came from a source I never would have been
able to predict or plan. It was just like God's grace—the exact amount we need
at the exact time we need it.
The best
part of the story was yet to come. Over the next 36 months, we were able to
build and launch the complete web-based strategy to recruit 100,000 new
members, who have already shared their faith with nearly five million
people.
When I saw
that exact amount of $420,000, I felt truly humbled, knowing the Lord had
honored our diligence to determine how best to use funds long before they were
a reality.
Two things
we learned:
- Planning is the first step to
receive a major gift. We clearly thought through what our
ministry wanted to accomplish, and then we worked on the dollar figures to
achieve our goals.
Knowing what to do with the big gift, before it arrived,
gave us a path to see all that could happen, and what's now come true: When you
join The Pocket Testament League, each Gospel of John has a unique sticker on
the back with an email to tell the ministry the recipient's story of coming to
Christ.
Imagine getting an email (like thousands of members have) saying,
"Someone has asked the Lord into his (or her) heart because of the
Scripture you gave out. Would you like to read the story?" Imagine
being able to see those stories of changed lives, and those persons' prayer
requests, posted on your own individual page.
- Be clear and specific about
what you want to accomplish. Clearly, God
blesses the diligence of his people, and by doing the homework, we determined
we specifically needed $520,000. When you're specific, you can really
appreciate the Lord's sense of humor in providing the exact total.
Being
prepared to receive and effectively utilize the "big gift" taught us
something else: Our new virtual presence has since allowed us to do away with
our brick and mortar headquarters. Thanks to the efficient outsourcing of our
24/7 fulfillment and shipping, we need but a lean staff of (count 'em) seven
full-time people to get the Gospel shared with two million people this year.
What are you
doing to prepare for the big gift?
All your
God-given creativity and foresight can cause you to dream, strategize and
specifically determine what you want to do. Yet, don't be surprised if your
best human efforts drive you to your knees, where your humility meets God's
grace. When it comes to his people receiving his resources to do his work, this
may be the biggest gift of all.
Mike Brickley is CEO of The Pocket
Testament League. He can be reached at mbrickley@pocketpower.org.
