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The Sower: Redefining the Ministry of Raising Kingdom Resources
This book portrays is a realignment of priorities that places changed hearts above changed bank balances. It is a new order that seeks to develop faithful stewards whose hearts are rich toward God. It redefines development work as ministry in the Kingdom of God. And it replaces manipulative techniques and closing strategies with a dependence on prayer and relationship building as the essential tools for success.
- GenresNonfictionBusiness
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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July 14, 2012This book was a wonderful surprise in its biblical foundation. Excellent resource that helps me balance my biblical worldview against the culture I intersect with each day. What a great reminder that we worship God when we give joyfully and generously.
September 18, 2024
As a fundraiser for a Christian ministry, this was an interesting read but, for my money, has a couple of major concerns.
On the positive side, it is a good one-stop reminder that all Christians are called to be stewards of the resources that they have. I do believe that Christians are called to be generous and think about money differently. I don't even mind the idea of fundraisers thinking of themselves as sowers of good stewardship principles.
My concerns are psychological and practical. On a psychological level, if fundraisers for Christian charities were trying to consistently preach to me about my obligation to be generous as a Christian, I would pretty soon be viewing this as a manipulative ploy. (The exception I would make to this is a church context, where I think it is absolutely appropriate to teach a congregation about Biblical generosity.) But to task professional or grassroots fundraisers to take this approach, regardless of how well-intentioned, would soon sound like a gimmick to me and one that would potentially be off-putting.
Which then brings me to the practical side: by framing a fundraiser as a "Sower" of Biblical generosity principles, the book uses the framework of the parable of the sower to leap to the conclusion that we should be expecting a 30 to 100-fold increase in funding because we're using a Biblical method rather than secular manipulative methods.
But there is no empirical evidence to indicate that such an approach would indeed increase giving to a charity and I think it is misleading of the authors to suggest that this is the case.
Fundraising, done well, can be a completely ethical job, where people are invited to see a need and consider whether they can give towards that need. Hinting that fundraisers will not have success unless they view themselves as Biblical generosity teachers seems unhelpful to me.
On the positive side, it is a good one-stop reminder that all Christians are called to be stewards of the resources that they have. I do believe that Christians are called to be generous and think about money differently. I don't even mind the idea of fundraisers thinking of themselves as sowers of good stewardship principles.
My concerns are psychological and practical. On a psychological level, if fundraisers for Christian charities were trying to consistently preach to me about my obligation to be generous as a Christian, I would pretty soon be viewing this as a manipulative ploy. (The exception I would make to this is a church context, where I think it is absolutely appropriate to teach a congregation about Biblical generosity.) But to task professional or grassroots fundraisers to take this approach, regardless of how well-intentioned, would soon sound like a gimmick to me and one that would potentially be off-putting.
Which then brings me to the practical side: by framing a fundraiser as a "Sower" of Biblical generosity principles, the book uses the framework of the parable of the sower to leap to the conclusion that we should be expecting a 30 to 100-fold increase in funding because we're using a Biblical method rather than secular manipulative methods.
But there is no empirical evidence to indicate that such an approach would indeed increase giving to a charity and I think it is misleading of the authors to suggest that this is the case.
Fundraising, done well, can be a completely ethical job, where people are invited to see a need and consider whether they can give towards that need. Hinting that fundraisers will not have success unless they view themselves as Biblical generosity teachers seems unhelpful to me.
June 19, 2015
The Sower: Redefining the Ministry of Raising Kingdom Resources by Gary Hoag and Scott Rodin redefines the way of fundraising as, “the transformational ministry of raising Kingdom resources.” What I saw was my whole ministry redressed in light of fundraising.
As a Social Media Missionary, my work is investing seeds in other people’s lives. So I resonated with this book. When I teach people to rethink their missionary letters, I am basically echoing what Hoag and Rodin say:
“Pray for a deep sense of God’s love and grace that you might truly be God’s worker sowing life, hope, and joy in the lives of your colleagues, co-workers, supporters, friends, and family.”
One missionary they wrote about sent devotionals every week. His supporters looked forward to receiving those devotionals. A missionary letter doesn’t have to be a report, but it can encourage great stewardship, worship, and growth. It’s not how often you communicate, but how deep you sow those seeds into the lives God brings your way. The Sower: Redefining the Ministry of Raising Kingdom Resources can be summed up by three principles:
Who Owns You?
Stewardship
Seasons of Sowing
Who Owns You?
A few years ago our church went through a couple of layoffs. I held my breath and prayed each time, terrified at losing my job. If I lost my job, my husband and I looked at losing even our home, as the area we live in has a struggling economy. Hoag and Rodin convicted our possession of our jobs:
“If you believe you absolutely must have your job, that you cannot afford to lose your job, that you don’t know what you would do if you ever lost your job, then you are playing owner of that job. As you try to control it, it will put you in bondage. If you want to be free, then say to God, ‘Lord, you have me here for a time, when you are finished, move me on. I know you will prepare another place for me. In the meantime, I will live in freedom in my relationship with my job.’”
Fundraising is about living and growing in faith. I believe we should prepare, but my husband and I won’t live in bondage of our circumstances. Everything we have is because of God, and honoring Him through good stewardship of our time and the money He has entrusted us with is part of that relationship.
Stewardship
Investing time in loving my supporters, family, friends, and colleagues are a part of my ministry, but The Sower: Redefining the Ministry of Raising Kingdom Resources really highlights this as they take what is secular and makes it spiritual. I must keep my seed bag full by spending time with God and in His Word so I may find strength and joy every day in sowing those seeds into the lives around me. This can happen in many ways.
Timely emails or phone calls, in person visits, coffee or lunch together, prayer, and how I communicate with my supporters are illustrations of sowing seeds. In my life, I always try to have “wiggle room” in my tight schedule. Since I am on God’s time, I make my daily plans, but when God says I must spend a little extra time with someone, I obey. I have the NIV Stewardship Study Bible: Discover God’s Design for Life, the Environment, Finances, Generosity, and Eternity on my Amazon wish list. Stewardship is worship.
My husband waits til Sunday morning to sit down and make his tithing to our sending church electronically. It’s an act of worship for him. He likes to imitate the widow in Mark 12:42 by giving more than he did last year each week as it is growing his faith. I don’t know how we are making it from paycheck to paycheck, but somehow God provides in the lack. We manage to pay all our bills, get necessities, and when we have a need, God provides in most unexpected ways, like a new client or a bonus. Being good stewards though also means financial responsibility and accountability. Whatever God gives us, we must honor Him in how we use it.
Seasons of Sowing
The authors refer to their experiences as a farmer. They call this book the spiritual almanac. In this book they go through the four seasons of giving: summer, fall, spring, and winter. It encourages me to read through it knowing that, like farming, some seasons will stretch me; some will bring me great joy of an abundant harvest; and through it all, I must be faithful to do the plowing and seed sowing.
In social networking as in life, relationships take time. In some communities where missionaries live and work, that community must invite them in before those missionaries can share with them the Good News. People who receive missionary reports sometimes have unrealistic expectations of the work of a missionary.
Because it’s about relationships, you must sow the seeds into that person’s life through ardent and consistent prayer, communication, and face-to-face (or in my case, online community). They must trust you before they will share their deepest fears, loves, and allow themselves to be vulnerable with you. Like using a machete to cut down weeds in a field, you must work through the weeds that choke the person’s life from growth. A harvest in that community or in that person’s life could take years. Redemption is the work of the Holy Spirit, or as my former pastor used to say, “Salvation is a spiritual miracle.”
Conclusion
So I am taking the lessons to heart in this book by planning my communications out so I am sowing seeds into the lives of my friends, family, supporters, and colleagues. Enewsletters to look forward to are: devotionals, prayers, updates, and stories of what God is doing. But I also need your participation. Your stories, your experiences, your feedback, your wisdom, and your volunteerism help me serve God better. If you would like to partner with me in prayer, please email me at nikolehahn@thehahnhuntinglodge.com. I can add you to my newsletter.
As a Social Media Missionary, my work is investing seeds in other people’s lives. So I resonated with this book. When I teach people to rethink their missionary letters, I am basically echoing what Hoag and Rodin say:
“Pray for a deep sense of God’s love and grace that you might truly be God’s worker sowing life, hope, and joy in the lives of your colleagues, co-workers, supporters, friends, and family.”
One missionary they wrote about sent devotionals every week. His supporters looked forward to receiving those devotionals. A missionary letter doesn’t have to be a report, but it can encourage great stewardship, worship, and growth. It’s not how often you communicate, but how deep you sow those seeds into the lives God brings your way. The Sower: Redefining the Ministry of Raising Kingdom Resources can be summed up by three principles:
Who Owns You?
Stewardship
Seasons of Sowing
Who Owns You?
A few years ago our church went through a couple of layoffs. I held my breath and prayed each time, terrified at losing my job. If I lost my job, my husband and I looked at losing even our home, as the area we live in has a struggling economy. Hoag and Rodin convicted our possession of our jobs:
“If you believe you absolutely must have your job, that you cannot afford to lose your job, that you don’t know what you would do if you ever lost your job, then you are playing owner of that job. As you try to control it, it will put you in bondage. If you want to be free, then say to God, ‘Lord, you have me here for a time, when you are finished, move me on. I know you will prepare another place for me. In the meantime, I will live in freedom in my relationship with my job.’”
Fundraising is about living and growing in faith. I believe we should prepare, but my husband and I won’t live in bondage of our circumstances. Everything we have is because of God, and honoring Him through good stewardship of our time and the money He has entrusted us with is part of that relationship.
Stewardship
Investing time in loving my supporters, family, friends, and colleagues are a part of my ministry, but The Sower: Redefining the Ministry of Raising Kingdom Resources really highlights this as they take what is secular and makes it spiritual. I must keep my seed bag full by spending time with God and in His Word so I may find strength and joy every day in sowing those seeds into the lives around me. This can happen in many ways.
Timely emails or phone calls, in person visits, coffee or lunch together, prayer, and how I communicate with my supporters are illustrations of sowing seeds. In my life, I always try to have “wiggle room” in my tight schedule. Since I am on God’s time, I make my daily plans, but when God says I must spend a little extra time with someone, I obey. I have the NIV Stewardship Study Bible: Discover God’s Design for Life, the Environment, Finances, Generosity, and Eternity on my Amazon wish list. Stewardship is worship.
My husband waits til Sunday morning to sit down and make his tithing to our sending church electronically. It’s an act of worship for him. He likes to imitate the widow in Mark 12:42 by giving more than he did last year each week as it is growing his faith. I don’t know how we are making it from paycheck to paycheck, but somehow God provides in the lack. We manage to pay all our bills, get necessities, and when we have a need, God provides in most unexpected ways, like a new client or a bonus. Being good stewards though also means financial responsibility and accountability. Whatever God gives us, we must honor Him in how we use it.
Seasons of Sowing
The authors refer to their experiences as a farmer. They call this book the spiritual almanac. In this book they go through the four seasons of giving: summer, fall, spring, and winter. It encourages me to read through it knowing that, like farming, some seasons will stretch me; some will bring me great joy of an abundant harvest; and through it all, I must be faithful to do the plowing and seed sowing.
In social networking as in life, relationships take time. In some communities where missionaries live and work, that community must invite them in before those missionaries can share with them the Good News. People who receive missionary reports sometimes have unrealistic expectations of the work of a missionary.
Because it’s about relationships, you must sow the seeds into that person’s life through ardent and consistent prayer, communication, and face-to-face (or in my case, online community). They must trust you before they will share their deepest fears, loves, and allow themselves to be vulnerable with you. Like using a machete to cut down weeds in a field, you must work through the weeds that choke the person’s life from growth. A harvest in that community or in that person’s life could take years. Redemption is the work of the Holy Spirit, or as my former pastor used to say, “Salvation is a spiritual miracle.”
Conclusion
So I am taking the lessons to heart in this book by planning my communications out so I am sowing seeds into the lives of my friends, family, supporters, and colleagues. Enewsletters to look forward to are: devotionals, prayers, updates, and stories of what God is doing. But I also need your participation. Your stories, your experiences, your feedback, your wisdom, and your volunteerism help me serve God better. If you would like to partner with me in prayer, please email me at nikolehahn@thehahnhuntinglodge.com. I can add you to my newsletter.
March 22, 2022
This was an assigned reading for us from last year's MPD Training. It was a wonderful training and I think I need to refresh my learnings from it.
But I just continued reading this again this March 2022 and it was so timely especially with my support raising journey today that's at the brink of the line.
This book is so encouraging in terms of having the correct perspectives that 1. God is our main fundraiser, we are just stewards and 2. The importance of sowing broadly. I used to think I have a lot of partners already until I realized how little was that.
Another thing, I was reminded of my responsibility as a missionary support raiser to be a minister to my partners spiritually as well. 🙏
But I just continued reading this again this March 2022 and it was so timely especially with my support raising journey today that's at the brink of the line.
This book is so encouraging in terms of having the correct perspectives that 1. God is our main fundraiser, we are just stewards and 2. The importance of sowing broadly. I used to think I have a lot of partners already until I realized how little was that.
Another thing, I was reminded of my responsibility as a missionary support raiser to be a minister to my partners spiritually as well. 🙏
March 18, 2021
A simple book on the importance of sowing. Helps one to look at the big picture of fund raising. The most important aspect is moving from transactional to a more long term approach of relationships...
July 20, 2021
Outstanding
Truly a Biblical approach to being stewards, doing our part and leaving the results in God’s hands. Easy to follow and well laid out for all of us who try and grow the Kingdom of God.
Truly a Biblical approach to being stewards, doing our part and leaving the results in God’s hands. Easy to follow and well laid out for all of us who try and grow the Kingdom of God.
Read
May 20, 2015Winter:
sow biblical stewardship principals - god is the fundraiser
Spring:
help others use the spiritual and material gifts entrusted to them to accomplish god’s work
Summer:
discern where people are in the stewardship journey - leave the giving results up to God
Fall:
celebrate god’s provision and give glory to him
What are 1-2 biblical truths I’d like to keep in my quiver for meetings?
God, the creator and sustainer of all things and the One “Who works within us to accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine,” is a God of infinite abundance and grace.
From God’s abounding grace, Christians’ giving reflects their gratitude for what God has provided and involves growing in an intimate faith relationship with Christ as Lord of their lives.
sadf
Warnings:
Recognizing it is the work of the Holy Spirit that prompts Christians to give (often through fundraising techniques), fundraisers and/ or organizations must never manipulate or violate their sacred trust with ministry partners.
sow biblical stewardship principals - god is the fundraiser
Spring:
help others use the spiritual and material gifts entrusted to them to accomplish god’s work
Summer:
discern where people are in the stewardship journey - leave the giving results up to God
Fall:
celebrate god’s provision and give glory to him
What are 1-2 biblical truths I’d like to keep in my quiver for meetings?
God, the creator and sustainer of all things and the One “Who works within us to accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine,” is a God of infinite abundance and grace.
From God’s abounding grace, Christians’ giving reflects their gratitude for what God has provided and involves growing in an intimate faith relationship with Christ as Lord of their lives.
sadf
Warnings:
Recognizing it is the work of the Holy Spirit that prompts Christians to give (often through fundraising techniques), fundraisers and/ or organizations must never manipulate or violate their sacred trust with ministry partners.
September 15, 2016
Good paradigm shift for Christian fundraising, but a little short on practical suggestions,
March 25, 2016
It was good...more principle and theory than practical application, I think.
July 28, 2016
Great book for biblical view on giving
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews