Make it Transformational: A Blog for Champion Discipleship

In my blog posting a week ago, I said I wanted to transform Christmas. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the envisioned outcome.  Why stop at Christmas?  Let’s see how we can transform the entire year!  But let’s do it from a Transformational Giving perspective – and let’s apply it to the ministry God has called you to.

As we now look to the New Year and the goals and plans we have for 2010, think with me about what your champion development program might look like if you implement MIF’s TG training from 2009.

Hopefully, you have some house parties in your plan, put on by one or more of your champions.  They have designed a meaningful and impactful “experience” portion into the house party, where guests get to actually experience doing your ministry.  The guests come away with a new understanding and interest in your cause, leading them into further involvement with this cause and possibly your organization.  Some of the guests decide they want to host a house party of their own and the cycle continues throughout the year, as you see guests transformed by impacting the cause.

Your plan also includes coaching your champions into the fullness of Christ, by inviting them to participate in your cause and getting involved directly by serving, praying, giving, teaching, sharing, or relating.  You decide to invite one of your champions to mentor a teen in your youth program because you have seen that champion’s heart for troubled boys and know he would be a valuable mentor.  You also invite one of your current champions to take on a larger role by coordinating a cookie distribution to kids at an elementary school for high risk kids.

Every good development program also has a plan for finding ‘lost sheep’ and inviting them to be involved again in the cause.  Call to find out why they are no longer engaged and encourage them to participate in an area of interest.  Several of your lapsed champions become active again because of your personal contact with them and your deliberate pursuing of that relationship.

We can’t forget to add in that signature participation project to your marketing efforts that will invite new people into an opportunity to become champions for your cause.  A long time champion agrees to coordinate a community wide food drive and distribution just before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.  They invite their friends and others in their sphere of influence to participate and help with the coordination efforts.  The food drive is such a success, the champion agrees to head the committee again next year and involve even more people in the planning.

Another element of the plan includes thinking about the future and impacting the cause after we’re gone from this earth.  You ask your champions to prepare a will for the purpose of being deliberate about passing things on to their heirs and to the causes they love.  They make provision for both financial and non-financial assets, even those non-tangibles assets they want to pass on during their lifetime.

Wow, it’s been a great year, huh?  Look at the incredible things God has done to those champions who have taken part in your cause through your organization.  Changed lives, transformed hearts, healed souls – now let’s get out there and make it happen!