The Third Conversion : A Novelette

by R. Scott Rodin

Engaging application of stewardship building among donors.

Genres: Christianity

Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Marije · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stemt tot nadenken over de relatie tussen ons geefgedrag en onze relatie met God. En of we wel blij worden van ons geven.

[Ian Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fundraiser this book offers an amazing shift in how we think about giving as Christians. This book will not only challenge you and break your preconceptions of ministry fundraising but it will also convict and inspire you to find joy in personal giving. For it is not our money, but Gods, and we are stewards of his money.

[Lyf · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciated the concepts and philosophy behind the book, I would much prefer these types of books to have a decent and well written narrative. The narrative here is weak at best and simply serves the purpose of articulating the philosophy/theology of the author.

[Jeff Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Were Fundraiser Walter Rodgers' apprehensions about the new employee he was training relevant? Was the completely different approach Rodgers and the ministry Hands Of Love International promoted something Carl Burns could comprehend, let alone accept?

R. Scott Rodin poured out his heart and convictions in the novella "The Third Conversion. He clearly had the aim to win the reader over to his conclusions, and he made a good case. Rodin wrote two other novelettes "The Million-Dollar Dime" and "The Seventh Key." He also has written and co-written non-fiction books dealing with the same subject.

The scenario is a worker nearing retirement is training a young man in the fund-rasing part of a Christian ministry, and is more concerned with the development of the lives of the donors to the ministry than on getting sizeable contributions.

This is a thought provoking book. It does have some preachy parts in this book: this novelette is clearly written for a Christian audience. The title "The Three Conversions" is from a quote by Martin Luther: "There are three conversions necessary for every man: the head, the heart, and the purse."

I recommend this book for those looking into fundraising and an overall one-kingdom theology (as opposed to a two kingdom view where an individual has one set of standards for Sunday and another for the rest of the week).

[Josiah Neumann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick little story about fundraising for Christian ministry. I read it because I was starting my own fundraising journey. It tells the story of an apprentice and a master, where the apprentice has experience raising funds, but does not truly understand how to fund raise in the most God honoring way.

I found this story really encouraging. It really focuses on the principle that all money, given or ungiven, belongs to the Lord. And that when you go to others asking for their support, it is not just about money. It is about a relationship. Giving ought to be just as joyful for the person giving as the person receiving. These principles revealed my eyes to the ministry of fundraising, where each phone call, funding appointment, newsletter or whatever is an opportunity to minister to others.

The story is simple and the characters are just a little boring. But the intent of this book is to illuminate a healthy fundraising posture, and this does that well.

[Sam Crerar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a literary masterpiece by any means, but it is an incredibly helpful book for Christians who have to fundraise to serve in ministry. Learning that God is the fundraiser, and what we need to do is be faithful and remember that He is in control is a helpful lesson. As said already, the narrative is not a masterpiece, but it serves the purpose of showing the struggles people have when it comes to raising funds. It reveals temptations that could creep, which I think is helpful for people to be aware of as they fundraise. Overall, a helpful book, but lacking in the story-telling aspect.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for anyone involved in Christian fund raising BEFORE you begin your next fund raising campaign project.

[Jirre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kort en krachtig, over denken in een schaarstementaliteit omvormen naar denken in een overvloedsmentaliteit. Gericht op fondsenwerkers maar ook toepasselijk op je eigen financiële huishouding.

[Jake Griess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful concepts in this book.

[Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for ministry fundraising

[Brittany White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers great perspective shift on giving, fundraising and joyful generosity for a Christian!

[Tung · Rating 3 out of 5]

For many people (Christians and non-Christians), speaking about money and the church brings about feelings of unease. The church and Christian organizations have been criticized often (and rightly so) for the means they have used in fundraising efforts. Whenever the church operates like a business, it causes dismay. Christians who truly understand Biblical stewardship have no such discomfort in talking about money, however; and churches that truly understand stewardship feel absolutely comfortable in discussing money. Because at the end of the day, a Christian’s attitudes and behaviors around money speak volumes about their faith. This book is an allegory: a veteran fundraiser for a Christian non-profit (Walt) is training an experienced fundraiser new to the organization (Carl). Over the course of two days and multiple visits to prospective donors, Walt attempts to shift Carl’s paradigm (and the reader’s) on what Christian fundraising looks like when its grounded in Biblical stewardship. For example, if God is truly in control of His resources and the giving process, let God be the one who puts an amount into the heart of the donor, rather than the organization asking for a specific amount. If giving is a spiritual act of worship, fundraising looks less like shaking a person down, and more like discipleship. While I’m not a big fan of allegories like this book because I feel the conversations operate through a strawman, Rodin’s book was a quick, engaging read, so I was able to get past that issue. This would be a great book for a church’s leadership team to read together; it would spark some good conversations methinks.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read that gives a different perspective to fundraising for Christian nonprofits. I love that it emphasizes the reality that fundraising is a ministry. My only concern is that it focuses a lot on "heavenly hinting." You have to know your donor and have a great relationship with them, but you also need to articulate the needs of your organization. That's what makes a great fundraiser - someone who knows the difference and when the timing is right.

[Josh Montague · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm not a huge fan of the narrative style (the book could easily and effectively be summed up with a one-page essay), the emphasis is still communicated well (fundraising as discipleship) and this is a good, balancing read for fundraisers alongside the pillars of the sub-genre like Shadrach and Morton.

[Emily Fuentes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the message behind this book. Though the style of writing isn't the type I am usually drawn to, the message & heart behind this book is truly transformational. Highly recommend reading this.

[Elizabeth Gaddis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, easy read on the joy of giving and becoming a good steward of what God has given you. I'd say, if you're looking at raising funds for a ministry you should probably check out this book.

[Duane Frasier · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different kind of book about fundraising. It's short, narrative and addresses the heart and mind of the fundraiser rather than the details of fundraising. If you hate raising funds read this.

[Eleazar Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A total paradigm shift in how I see fundraising!