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New Years Resolution #1: Faith
It was by faith Able brought a more acceptable offering
It was by faith Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying
It was by faith Noah built and ark to save his family
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave his home
It was by faith Sarah was able to have a child
It was by faith Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice
It was by faith Isaac blessed his two sons
It was by faith Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons
It was by faith Joseph, when he was about to die confidently spoke of God’s bringing Israel out of Egypt
It was by faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months
It was by faith Moses chose to share the oppression of God’s people
It was by faith the people of Israel went right through the red sea
It was by faith Rahab the prostitute did not die with all the others
It is by faith  INSERT YOUR NAME HERE

Having been raised going to church since I was a child, I read all the names above and recall many things I learned about each of these men and woman of faith. How they obeyed God, how they overcame obstacles, how they made hard choices, how they knew God. Heard God. Followed God. How exciting things happened because of their faith.
So often I want the exciting outcome, but I am too afraid to step out in faith to what God has called me to do.  This January, as much as I want to lose weight, keep up with the laundry, and read more books, those will not be what I will resolve to do.  I want to resolve to step out of the comfortable. To obey even when it does not make sense. To grow my faith in God. To live a story of faith for the generations to come.
As 2017  comes to an end and we look back on a year filled with highs and lows, faith and failure,  let us rejoice that we serve a God that wants to use us. Let's celebrate that His mercies are new EVERY morning.
So, even though we do not know what God has in store for us, let’s agree in 2018  we are going to be, as we say at GiveSendGo.com,  Shine Brightly! 

If you're about to begin a Christian crowdfunding campaign, the last thing you want is a campaign no one notices. You may fear invisibility and that the amount given to your cause may not meet your need. Although there are some things that are out of your control, there are many that you can influence. Here are 5 things you can do to build interest.

Include Video
Facebook faithfuls know there is power in a video. Even with the ease of access to making videos, there are still a surprising amount of campaign owners who don't take advantage of this technology. If you include a quality video, you'll set yourself apart from many others who don't. You'll reach more people since some won't stop to read about your campaign but will watch a video. Also, videos tend to be shared more on social platforms, especially if they are compelling and well put together.

Be Sincere
Sincerity is tough to stage. In most cases, potential givers will be quick to notice if you have it or not. And although sincerity matters in all forms of crowdfunding, it could be argued that it's most important in donation crowdfunding which is what Give Send Go is all about.A great way for people to see you are sincere is through video. But if you're not careful, it could have the opposite effect.  Eye-contact is huge when it comes to photos and video. If you struggle with eye contact, you're not alone. After all, videography likely isn't something you do for a living. There are several ways you can be sure to make eye-contact during your video. You can use a teleprompter but you don't necessarily need a high-tech gadget. You can have someone hold up the written words you wish to say so they're easily visible to you. Another option is to memorize your lines. Along with this, do your best to smile and keep potential donors interested by using an enthusiastic tone of voice.

Use Emotion
The use of emotion is an aspect of sincerity but is worthy of extra attention. Most people don't give just because of spreadsheets and facts. They give because a cause grabs at their heart. It's true that if emotion is taken too far it can be overdone and appear to lack authenticity. Yet, many are afraid to show emotion in video and their writing. In the writing world, people quickly lose interest if what they’re reading doesn’t show emotion. Readers need to feel something. Be open about how you've felt through your triumphs and challenges. It's ok to share about anger, bewilderment, elation, anticipation, fear and anything else you're feeling.  Every person you reach out to will understand that range of emotions. They’ll connect with you on a deeper level because you were open with them.  Along with this, be sure to be as transparent as appropriate. Blogger, Jeff Goins, once shared that if bloggers don't feel at least a little uncomfortable after posting an article, then they probably weren't as transparent as they should've been.  The same could be said for campaign owners.

Utilize the Power of "You"
The power of "you" is essential to draw potential givers in. It's also called the second person. Yes, share about yourself and your campaign but use the word "you" in your writing and video as well.  Essentially, what you're doing is including potential donors in your mission. If you want an example of second person usage, read over this article with new eyes. It wouldn’t be as interesting and motivating to read without the second person.  There’s an inviting quality to the second person. Be conversational and remember to draw others in using this approach. Include others like you’re talking right to each of them individually. If you get them interested, they’ll be more likely to get involved with your cause.  If you remember that crowdfunding is always a team effort, second-person usage will come easily.

Keep Sharing Your Christian Crowdfunding Campaign
This one has been mentioned in previous posts but is worth repeating. Provide consistent exposure to potential donors. One-time sharing will not get you the results you need.  Provide updates on social media through writing, photos and video. Consistently use email to your advantage.  Often, it’s not that people aren’t interested in your cause. It’s just that they have hundreds of other things clamoring for attention in their crazy lives.  Provide as much visibility for your campaign as you can without being obnoxious. 

Are you in the process of a Christian crowdfunding campaign on givesendgo.com or have you had one in the past? If so, what are some ways you found to build interest in a campaign that you would add to this list?

 

1.  “It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” 
-- Mother Teresa

2.  “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” 
-- Charles Dickens

3. “It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving.”
-- Richard Braunstein

4.“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” 
-- Winston S. Churchill

5.  “If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.”
-- Billy Graham

6.  Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.
-- Deuteronomy 15:10

7.  Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.
-- Proverbs 3:27

8.  “Remember this—you can’t serve God and Money, but you can serve God with money.”
-- Selwyn Hughes

9.  “I judge all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.”
-- John Wesley (1703-91), English evangelist and founder of Methodism

10.  “Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give.” 
-- Ben Carson

11.  “As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor. It can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.”
--A.W. Tozer (1897-1963), American pastor and writer

12. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
--Acts 20:35

13.  “Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting.” 
-- Brian Tracy

14. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him wouldn’t perish, but would have eternal life.
-- John 3:16

15.  "The more you give, the more comes back to you, because God is the greatest giver in the universe, and He won’t let you outgive Him. Go ahead and try. See what happens"
--Randy Alcorn

16. "The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation"
--Corrie Ten Boom

17.  Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.
--Luke 6:38

18.  “The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.”
-- Albert Einstein

19.  A lack of generosity refuses to acknowledge that your assets are not really yours, but God’s
-- TIm Keller

20.  I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.
-- C.S. Lewis

21. The world asks, ‘What does a man own?’ Christ asks, ‘How does he use it?
--  Andrew Murray

22.  “No person was ever honored for what he received. He was honored for what he gave.”
– Calvin Coolidge

23. And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”
--  Luke 3:11 

25. After giving something to God, you are no longer accountable for it. Your blessing is based on your giving, not on what others do with the gift.
--  Ed Cole

26.  Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.
--  Deut 15:10

27.  God has a way of giving by the cartloads to those who give away by shovelfuls.
-- Charles Spurgeon

28. God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them.
-- Augustine

29. God loves a cheerful giver. 
-- 2 Corinthians 9:7

30. There are three kinds of givers -- the flint, the sponge and the honeycomb. To get anything out of a flint you must hammer it. And then you get only chips and sparks. To get water out of a sponge you must squeeze it, and the more you use pressure, the more you will get. But the honeycomb just overflows with its own sweetness. Which kind of giver are you?