Make A Significant (as large as you can manage) Financial Donation To Your Local Progressive Church
That's the ask!
I’m writing to encourage those with financial means to take a moment this weekend and make a significant (as large as you can manage) financial donation to their local progressive church.
If you are connected to my congregation, I am asking you to donate to us.
Top Ten Reasons To Give Big In September 2022
1. Fund what’s working. We’ve got a proven track record. During the pandemic we were a leading resource providing rent and utilities assistance, not to mention justice advocacy and pandemic education. We regularly launch projects that improve life in our community. If you want to amplify progressive faith values we are one of your go-to sources.
2. Socialism 101. “From each according to their ability, to each according to their need.” If you’re progressive you probably wish for more socialism and are hard-pressed to find it in our current economy and political landscape. But if you give to the church you’ll be practicing socialism. Your gift will provide for your neighbors need, in particular the need of members who don’t have as much ability to give as you but still have need.
3. Cheerful giver. I just have to throw this one in there. Scripture says giving is a cheerful enterprise, and research says the same thing. You’ll just feel better and be happier.
4. The time is now. We’ve experienced a great reshuffle in the life of faith communities and so even established congregations are kind of like new starts. Give like you’d give to a newly beginning congregation, give with that kind of excitement and fervor. And also, because this is such a pivotal moment, supporting progressive churches will also be one of your most effective methods for being the change you wish to seek as we face climate change, threats to civil rights, and massive wealth disparities, to name a few.
5. Conservatives donate big. There’s a reason. Maybe I shouldn’t frame it this way, but I don’t know another way. Why do you think someone recently gave $1.6 billion to form a new conservative think tank or why conservatives are generous to their churches? It’s because they know such gifts are effective. They get the job done.
6. Socialism 201. We don’t always think about this but when we give to the church it’s not exactly charity. It’s more like paying for a gym membership. You pay for a resource you also use. Since many members of churches need the services provided by the church (a building to worship in, a pastor to care for them, etc.) if you are generous because you can be, you fund services not only for yourself but for the other members.
7. It will help us align our values. Donors help shape orgs. We tend to listen to those who give and those who give tend to listen even more attentively to the places they donate. In other words, your donation will be mutually upbuilding and strengthening. We’ll grow together.
8. Time and talents is very last century. This one may also be kind of radical because it’s always been traditional for church members to think of giving of their time and talents as a balance to giving their “treasure.” But in 2022 work hours are longer, home-life is somewhat more balanced among the genders, families are heavily programmed, and many of us support multiple non-profits. In other words, we may not have a lot of extra time. But if you are compensated well for your time what you do have to offer is your treasure, which then employs others to give time to things you believe in and value.
9. Fund innovation. Generosity opens space for new possibilities. This has been true each time our own congregation has launched significant new initiatives. We helped establish a refugee resettlement agency but it was one big gift that set us up to be able to say, “We can do this!” I know it’s a chicken-and-egg kind of thing, innovation also attracts funding, but if you want to invest in hope invest in a local progressive church. We’re laboratories for what is next.
10. Love. Lots of you simply say you “love what we do.” Well, we love what you do! So I invite you to invest in what you love, because as Jesus said (and I really believe it), “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Which means, although we sometimes accidentally turn it around (thinking that we will love something first and then put our treasure there), really if you want to love something more put your treasure into it. Your heart will follow.
I’d be remiss not to conclude with the link to our donation page, so here it is. Thanks for pausing this week to consider a gift. A one-time gift is welcome. Recurring donations are also awesome.