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DevotionalsCounting the Cost: When Sanctification is Painful and Confusing
Posted by ALEX SHIPLEY on Aug 13, 2021
Before continuing on with this article, I suggest you go and read C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity, or at least for the purpose of this article flip to Book IV and read Chapter 9 titled "Counting the Cost". Most of us, when we were saved, did so because we recognized a need. We recognized we were sinners, feeling that weight of that sin in our hearts, and realized we needed a remedy, a great Healer, and that was and is Jesus. Once we're saved we fully expect Him to fix us and to continuously fix us as we continuously fail. As we sin again and again, as we fall from time to time, we look to Him to pick us up, help us learn, and to fix us where we were broken. That is in fact what a healer does, right? They make you better. Lewis doesn't deny this aspect of Christianity or of God, but points out that Jesus said before we became Christians we were to, "count the cost, " referring to Luke 14:28 which says, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" (ESV). But did we count the cost? Christianity isn't about being fixed over and over again until we're finally in paradise. If that's the case then we will never learn, grow, serve, and desire God for anything more than a quick and temporary fix. He's not Tylenol or, as Lewis puts it, when our tooth hurts we don't just get something to numb the pain. We go to the dentist to solve the problem itself, not just to prevent something like that from happening again, but it actually looks and feels better. Being a Christian is about being made new, being made different, and being made more like our Father in Heaven. But did we understand what that process would look like when it began, what it would feel like, and what He would ultimately do in order to get us there? Probably not. And that's why the pain and struggle of sanctification, the process of being made holy, is so confusing to us. We don't understand what God is doing in our lives to make us like Him and why it sometimes comes with growing pains, struggles, and fear. God is satisfied with nothing less than pure perfection. The Christian might say, "How can I be perfect when the Bible says that I can do no good apart from Him and that I am in fact a sinner? I will always fail. How can I be perfect when He says I can't be?" Well Christian, you're right. Lewis points out that it is not perfection completed by our own work or will that He expects, but rather because He is perfect, He is the only one who can work out and complete perfection in us. Even though our effort will get us nowhere on our own, God expects us to walk towards Him in faith and trust and He will carry us the rest of the way. Lewis says, "This Helper [God], who will, in the long run, be satisfied with nothing less than absolute perfection, will also be delighted with the first feeble, stumbling effort you make tomorrow to do the simplest duty". He then presents an analogy of believers as a living house, which he attributes to a writer named George MacDonald. He writes: "Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself." Before becoming Christians, we were completely separated from Him. We were sinners and broken, just as we continue to be now, but before Him we had no hope. To use the living house analogy, the house was abandoned. No one was living inside able to peel away the bubbled, water damaged, wallpaper; dust off the cobwebs stretched from wall to wall and corner to corner; fix our damaged, leaky pipes, dripping with murky, brown, water; or repair the bones of the house that ache and groan with every gust of wind. And we couldn't fix it on our own. Then, when we were saved, God opened the door of our hearts and instead of grimacing at the horrific sight of it all or sighing at the amount of work that had to be done, He simply got to work. For most builders or house repairers, when the job is complete they pack up their tools, wipe the sweat from their foreheads, and with a satisfied feeling in their bellies they step outside never to return until the next problem arises. But God decides to lay up residence among the debris and keep working. Where others would say, "we have another job to go to" or "that's just a waste of time". He begins to design, add on, and make the space beautiful, not just livable or good enough. Because, you see, He isn't satisfied with fixing us up and leaving us where we are. He's an architect who wants to build something magnificent. In other words, something from nothing. While He does remedy us He's also sanctifying us for the purpose of holiness and godliness. To us, the process of kicking down walls to build on and redoing those scraped up floors is confusing and painful to us at the moment, as we're unable to see what He's doing or what He hopes to accomplish at the end of it all. We haven't seen the blueprints and we probably wouldn't understand them even if we could. This extra work isn't what we asked for. But, He's determined to make something better, changing and redecorating every space of our hearts to look more like Him. In fact, instead of repairing our leaky pipes with a temporary fix or even replacing the pipes all together, He builds strong, enduring pipes and fills them with new water. No, not just new water - living water. He knows it's not what we asked for, or even thought we needed, but it's what He promised when we became His. And while the job is never complete while we're here on earth, He's so committed and in love with His own work, that as Lewis describes, God decides to dwell in us forever as He continues and completes His work. Lewis ended the chapter with this, "The command Be ye perfect is not idealistic gas. Nor is it a command to do the impossible. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said (in the Bible) that we were 'gods' and He is going to make good His words. If we let Him - for we can prevent Him, if we choose - He will make us the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, a dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now image, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though, of course, on a smaller scale) His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long and in parts very painful, but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what He said." So even when that pruning process is painful, trust that He's doing it not just for your good, but for the good of the Kingdom. The process of sanctification, being made holier and more like Him, is painful and scary at times, but without His work we would not grow or come to love Him for who He is - The Healer. The Builder. The Vinedresser. The Architect. The King of Kings who dwells within our hearts equipping us for His work on earth and preparing us for a world we have not yet seen.
Fundraising Tips10 Social Media Content Ideas to Promote Your GiveSendGo Campaign
Posted by ALEX SHIPLEY on Aug 12, 2021
Once you've created your GiveSendGo campaign, now it's time to share it with your family, friends, coworkers, church family, and community! You can do this through sending your campaign url through text or email, contacting your local news station, and sharing it on social media. But knowing what to post on social media to raise awareness about your campaign can be difficult. So, we have a few ideas to step up your social media game, no matter what platform you're using, to help you reach that campaign goal! 1. Founder Story Getting to know the founder behind a campaign and more of their story allows potential backers to connect with you on a more personal level. After all, if they're interested in your campaign they'll most likely want to know more about what they're potentially going to invest in. If they aren't sure what they're donating to or who they'll be backing they may not feel secure enough to give. So share a little bit about yourself and how you were inspired to start your awesome campaign! This is the time to share the details of your story! 2. Video Videos have a lot more impact than you may realize. Even a poorly produced or edited video does something more for your audience than plain text or even sometimes an image. We're in a day and age where people process and understand information primarily through visuals. Watching videos requires no effort on the backer's part. It keeps them engaged longer, since video is an entertainment tool and just by watching your video they're learning more than they even realize themselves. Videos are also sticky, as in people are sticking around and being exposed to your message for longer periods of time. You can also do just about anything through video. You can record yourself talking about your campaign (this might be a creative way to share your founder's story). Or, if you're camera shy or simply don't want to show yourself on camera you can still get your campaign's message across to your audience with video without ever making an appearance on camera. You can make a video slideshow of pictures, show some behind the scenes of your campaign, do a voiceover and cover it with some video or pictures instead, feature someone else related to your campaign and have them tell a story, or (if it's relevant) feature a place or product. No matter what you decide to do, it doesn't have to be long or professionally made to get the job done. Just be clear and creative and you'll see just how far your video will take your campaign! Once you've created a video, you can easily share it on social media with a few clicks. With just a few shares people will hear more about your campaign on a deeper level without having to take the time to read a ton of text. Make sure to include the link of your GiveSendGo campaign when you share your video, so if people are led to donate they have somewhere to do so! 3. Lives Live videos, like other forms of video content, reach a larger audience than pictures or text as well. The beauty of lives is that they aren't edited. Likewise, they don't need to be professionally done or super long to engage with your audience. You're also not required to always show your face in live videos. You can show a video of an event you're at, your family, your office space, or even something featuring the behind the scenes of your campaign. Anything that would add to your campaign's message or goal would be good to show in a live. You can use lives to also share a quick update regarding your campaign, or simply to thank your supporters for donating and praying. While you can share live videos to your social media page for people to watch later, people love tuning in to watch a live video because it's deeply personal and unique. They're able to see you speaking with them and are even able to have a conversation with you in real time no matter where you, or they, are in the world. Live videos feature a live comment section, so as supporters are asking questions you're able to respond to them as if they were right in front of you. This also gives you an opportunity to do a Q&A whether that's to answer questions about your campaign, your story, or even just to get to know more about the people who are donating. It's a really neat feature that connects you with your audience on a deeper level and lets them know you're invested in them as well. 4. Images Sharing a picture of you, your family, friends, or anything/anyone related to your campaign on social media adds another personal touch to your outreach. It also helps people put a face to the name, or in this case a face to the campaign. Let's say your family is raising money for medical expenses. Sharing a picture of your family along with some text detailing the story behind your campaign will capture your potential audience's attention better than plan ole' text. They want to see the people they're investing in. Showing a face is a whole other level of communication and often people are led to give simply because they've found ways to connect to you. An image is a quick and simple way to make that connection. But it's also important not to just share pictures for the sake of sharing them and don't post a picture if it's really bad quality. People are being engaged on social media thousands of times a day. What you post is just something else in a sea of posts, so make it intentional and something that will make them pause to read your caption and engage with your campaign. Be creative, personal, and make sure your photo is of decent enough quality that people actually want to look at it a second time, because it's what they'll see when thinking about your campaign later down the road. Remember, people are mostly visual learners. 5. Blogs While videos are known to be the best way to get the most exposure for campaigns, blogs are also a great tool. Blogs allow you to share the details of your campaign that you maybe wouldn't share in your campaign's summary or in a video. In a blog you can get more in depth with your story. You yourself can write a blog or have someone else write something on your behalf to promote your campaign. You can also get more technical with your blogs and share in depth details of how people can help you in your campaign, what they can be praying for, or how to give. Some use blogs as open letters to their supporters to thank them for all their help. You can also embed images and/or videos in your blogs to add a personal touch and to break up the text. No matter how you choose to use your blog, it's something that can also easily be shared on social media. Appealing to all of your audience's senses is the best way to get the most engagement. 6. Thank Yous People want to know that their support is making a difference. If they don't see their impact, they're likely to stop caring about your campaign, so be sure to genuinely thank your supporters and do it often. Because it's true, you really couldn't do it without them. On social media, a thank you can be done creatively like through a video of you and your friends or family all yelling thank you or through something as simple as typing up a thank you post and attaching a photo to share on your page. People will notice your gratitude, but they will also notice the absence of it, so be sure to recognize them for what they've done for you and your campaign. 7. Countdown You may not have a strict deadline for when you need your campaign to end. GiveSendGo allows you to raise money even past your campaign's deadline. However, some people need to have their money raised by a certain date. For instance, people going on a mission trip need the money before they're able to go. Likewise, a family building a house might need that money by a certain date. Use that deadline to your advantage. People may not realize how short or long of time you may have to raise that money, so they might simply be thinking they have plenty of time to give. You don't have to panic and constantly remind people that you're one day closer to not making your fundraising goal, but there are ways to encourage people to give before it's too late. One way to do this is through a countdown. People love a good countdown. Don't believe me? Everyone around the world goes crazy on New Year's Eve. You don't have to do an actual ticking countdown to promote your campaign, but for instance, say you're going on that mission trip mentioned earlier. A post saying "Only 30 More Days Until I Leave for Ghana! There's still time to help me reach my goal! Just click on this link to support my mission," sounds a whole lot better than "I only have 30 more days until I leave for Ghana and I haven't even raised half of the money I need. Please help." Have fun with every part of your campaign even when things don't always look promising. You might be surprised by somebody's donation! Some people just need a little time and some reminding before they're able to give and that's okay. 8. Hashtag This isn't so much a post idea, but rather something to go along with your posts. Brainstorm a hashtag that really captures the heart of your campaign and use it in your campaign posts. Come up with something creative, simple, not too long, and make it memorable. Encourage your audience to use the hashtag when sharing your posts or use it to celebrate on social media when they donate to your campaign. Hashtags stick in people's memory if used often enough. It's also easily shareable and spreadable to people who have never heard of your campaign before. Another bonus is it helps you keep track of how your campaign is spreading across social media. 9. Rewards You're not required to give your backers any rewards. However, it would be wise to do so. After all, they've invested in you and your idea, the least you can do is return the favor. One way you can reward people on social media for their giving and support is by doing a giveaway! You can make a post saying that when someone donates to your GiveSendGo campaign, their name will be put into a drawing and on a certain date you'll pick a name (or a couple) and send a gift or note to that person(s). Bonus: Record a live video of when you draw those names so you can thank them and even those whose names didn't get drawn for supporting you. This will draw people to your social media page in anticipation for the drawing and give your campaign even more exposure. Good gifts as rewards might be a t-shirt with your campaign name on it, a rubber bracelet with your campaign's hashtag, or a sticker with an image that represents your campaign. A note or handwritten letter thanking them for their support would also be great to send out as a gift or even to all of your backers. If you can't afford to give rewards like this or you don't have the time, you can simply reward your backers by continuing to update them on social media and thanking them for their support. Another free way to reward your backers is by featuring their names (if they didn't donate anonymously) on your social media pages. On GiveSendGo you're able to access all of these names if you do decide to thank them by social media or handwritten letter. 10. Campaign Updates If people are invested in your campaign, it's likely they want to see it flourish so you can reach your goal. Providing updates from time to time is a form of engagement with your backers and audience. One way to do this is by posting how much you've raised. You could post an update celebrating that you've reached the halfway goal or that you've raised 75% of the money you need. Updates like these make people want to give more so you can reach the end of your goal! Your updates should also be to keep people informed about the status of your situation. For instance, if you're raising money to cover medical bills for a loved one, you should periodically release updates telling people how they're doing. People give because they care, so one way you can give back to them is by sharing the details of your campaign and story as it's unfolding. Shine Brightly!
Fundraising TipsHow to Build the Best GiveSendGo Campaign Page
Posted by ALEX SHIPLEY on Aug 6, 2021
So you have a need or an idea that you need to fundraise for? GiveSendGo is a great place to develop your campaign landing page where people can come to donate and get to know more about your story, your goals, and your values. In order to get the most out of your campaign, here are a few tips on how to build the best GSG campaign page: 1. Set an Attainable Fundraising Goal. This may seem like a no-brainer, but before anything else you need to determine what your fundraising goal is and if that number is realistic. If you're trying to raise $20,000 in only a month, but you're just now putting your campaign page together, you may want to reconsider the amount you're trying to raise and lower it. Or, maybe, your goal is way too low. People won't want to donate if they think you could just save up for that money or if they don't think they'll actually be making a difference with their donation. Either way, make sure your fundraising goal is attainable based on the timeframe in which you need the money, the audience you plan to share it with, and the need that you want filled through donations. 2. Create a Custom URL When building your campaign page, GiveSendGo gives the option to create a custom URL. It may be as simple as a couple words to sum up your campaign or it may be something clever and witty. Either way, make it simple, concise, creative, and memorable. And, to the best of your ability, don't add in a bunch of unnecessary numbers or special characters. That's a lot for people to remember and you run the risk of someone missing that second asterisk or exclamation point. A word or two will suffice and will be easy enough for people to quickly type into their search bar. 3. Tell Your Story When building your page, be sure to give people the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your campaign! But while all of those six categories are important to develop and communicate to potential donors, the WHY behind your campaign is the most important. Simon Sinket, a marketing and leadership expert, once said, "People don't buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it." Other people may be raising money for the same thing you are, but you're the only person with your story! Your story behind your campaign is unique and it needs to be shared with your campaign's potential backers so they can see why you're fundraising. The best place to tell this story is on your campaign's landing page. Don't just tell people the details, although those things are important. Let people see your heart, your mission, and your story. Be creative and make people feel like they can be a part of your story too by donating and supporting you. For example, you may be raising money for something as simple as your pet's vet expenses. Seems small enough, but can be really expensive. A creative approach that is sure to capture your audience's attention and make them feel connected to your story (and to your pet) is by explaining your need as if you were your pet. In other words, tell your story from your pet's perspective! A little comedy goes a long way and adds so much more to your campaign than by simply telling your audience that you need money to pay for your pet's surgery bills. 4. Pick Relevant and Creative Media for Your Page GiveSendGo gives you the option to upload a header photo and even a video to tell your campaign story. The more interactive you can be with your audience, the better. Pick an image related to your campaign. Make sure it's something people can easily see and understand (no sideways or grainy photos). Choose a picture that will be an attention grabber. Make it something relevant, but also something people will be drawn to click on as they scroll through their social media or as they're looking through hundreds of other campaigns. You want to stick out! Videos are a great way to attract a large audience! If you do choose to upload a video, make sure it adds something new or different to your page. Maybe it's a video of you sharing a little bit more about your story or your campaign. If you're raising money to go on a mission trip, maybe you can share a video featuring an area you may visit. Whatever it is, make it relevant, but also make sure it adds another level of depth to your campaign page. Another tip is to keep the video short. Don't upload something 15 minutes long, because people won't stick around long enough to watch it. According to IdeaRocket: Users spend 88% more time on a website that contains a video Short videos (under 2 minutes) get the most engagement Video content generates 1200% more shares than images and text combined A video that's short, creative, and personal to your campaign will make your campaign all the more memorable. So now that you have a few tips to help you get started, start campaigning and be sure to share, share, share your campaign with as many people as you can, as frequently as you can, and on as many platforms that you can! Shine Brightly!
DevotionalsWe Were Made for Doxology? Morning, Evening, and Midnight
Posted by ALEX SHIPLEY on Aug 5, 2021
If you grew up in church, currently attend church, or have ever visited church there's a great chance you've heard and even sung the following lyrics: Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye heavenly host: Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Ending with a resounding "Amen", this classic hymn has been a part of church tradition for decades, even centuries. It's a song almost everyone knows, without knowing they know it and it won't be dying out anytime soon. The word doxology originates from two Greek words, doxa, meaning glory, and logos, meaning word. Doxology literally means, "a word of glory," meaning we sing, pray, write, read, and meditate on doxologies to give glory and praise to God. This doxology written by Thomas Ken is often met with heavy, dismayed, groans especially by the younger Christian generation. However, Isaiah 43:7 says God created us for His glory. So, when we look at this passage, the true meaning of the word doxology, and then at Ken's purpose in writing his doxology, it's not just made for one, much older, generation that only listens to classic hymns. It was penned specifically by Ken for his students, the younger generation, and meant to be carried into adulthood, into their old age, because it still contains the same rich promises, reminders, and truths about God. In fact, Scripture is filled with doxologies written by various authors, ultimately written by God, all for that same purpose - to cause people to glorify and be reminded of who He is. What God is saying through His word and what Thomas Ken is meaning to convey through his writing is that we were all created for doxology - we were made to glorify Him with our lives. As we take a brief look into Ken's life, we are better able to see how he made it a doxology to the Lord. Ken's Journey to Penning his Doxology Ken was orphaned as a young child and raised by his older sister, Ann, who was married to Issak Walton (a familiar name to some as he was most famously noted for his classic The Compleat Angler). When Ken was just fourteen years old, he began Winchester College and then four years later he began his studies at Oxford University. He later returned to Winchester College and took a position as the chaplain to the bishop. It was during this time, in 1674, he wrote and published a book titled A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College. It contained several hymns, each for their own unique purposes. This manual, included the following instructions: "As soon as ever you awake in the morning, . . . strive as much as you can to keep all worldly thoughts out of your mind, till you have presented the first-fruits of the day to God, which will be an excellent preparative, to make you spend the rest of it better, and therefore be sure to sing the morning and evening hymn in your chamber devoutly, remembering that the Psalmist, upon happy experience, assures you that it is a good thing to tell of the loving kindness of the Lord early in the morning, and of his truth in the night season." Among the hymns included in Ken's manual, was his Morning, Evening, and Midnight hymns written directly to his students at Winchester College and Oxford University to sing upon rising in the morning and going to bed in the evening. The Midnight hymn was added later as a song for students to rehearse when they were struggling to sleep at night. These songs, each over ten stanzas, ended with the now famous doxology. As David Mathis wrote in his article The Best-Known Hymn in History: Why We Keep Singing "The Doxology" for Desiring God, "Each hymn was a confession of faith, and an invocation of divine blessing, tailored to its particular moment of the day." Ken wrote these hymns about a God he truly believed in and whom he loved. He hoped his students would have that same infatuation and devotion to God, looking to Him in their every waking, and even in their every restful or restless, moment. While the doxology is only 25 words in its entirety, Ken was able to clearly communicate the gospel and the glory that God ultimately deserves from us through his lyrics (though our worship could never truly convey what God has done for us and who He is). All Goodness and Blessings Flow From Him "Praise God from whom all blessings flow" God is the one from whom all blessings flow. In fact, as Mathis pointed out, in 1 Timothy 1:11 and also in 6:15, God is referred to as the Blessed One. James 1:17 tells us that, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above" and in Ephesians 1:3 it says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places". He grants us every good thing we experience and treasure in our lives today. The fact that we can wake up and take a breath is a blessing from God that we don't deserve and yet still receive. This is what John describes in John 1:16 as "grace upon grace". Just in these few words, Ken is recognizing his life belongs to Christ and was given to him by God not because he deserves it, but as a blessing poured out from His grace. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 16:11, "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Thomas Ken experienced many blessings in his life. He ended up becoming an Anglican minister, a royal chaplain to King Charles II, and eventually a Bishop of Bath and Wells. But even he knew that God's blessings are not for our own benefit, although they do bring us joy, can make life easier, and often fill our wants and needs. No, they are meant to remind us that He holds the universe and sustains us. Ken, in his instructions, reminded his readers that before anything else, we are to present our first fruits of the day to Him, before anything else can reach us, we are to go to Him. The ability to do so is a blessing made possible only through the blood of Christ alone. For that, He deserves all the glory. Romans 11:36 says, "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." He is our morning, evening, and midnight. He is our Amen. Praise God in Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost "Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" We have the tendency to exclude, or only focus on, one person in the Trinity when we worship. While it's not wrong or sinful to worship one of His persons, He is also glorified when He's worshipped in all of his persons and in His entirety. 1 Corinthians 8:6 declares the Trinity as the Being in which we and everything that exists was created from. Paul says in this passage, "yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." He, in His goodness, even grants us every part of Himself, providing us with everything we need to glorify Him, to persevere in steadfastness, as well as giving us the grace to be forgiven (although it is not owed to us). Paul also says in 2 Corinthians 13:14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." His Trinity is beautiful and deserving of our worship. Every explanation, symbolism, and demonstration of the Trinity we come up with will always fall short because in our human capacity we cannot comprehend it, but we aren't meant to know everything. We're only to trust in the One who has bever left us, continues to guide us, and will always hold us. That is enough. All Praise and Glory Belong to Him As previously mentioned, we were all designed and created by our Father, as Isaiah 43:7 says, to glorify God - and to glorify Him with our whole selves. Ken knew his very purpose and instructed his students and friends to be devoted to this same life of glorification. He said, "the Psalmist, upon happy experience, assures you that it is a good thing to tell of the loving kindness of the Lord early in the morning, and of his truth in the night season." All of Scripture is saturated with these praises. Exodus 15:2 says, "The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him my father's God, and I will exalt him." The Psalmist writes in Psalm 150:6, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!" and likewise, in Hebrews 13:15, "Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." Finally, in James 5:13 it says, "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise." Mathis too exclaimed in his article that "we were made for doxology". "God is glorified in our heartfelt expression of praise. God made us for praise. He made us for doxology. He made the world that he might be praised. And these simple yet profound words serve that simple yet most profound human act of devotion - and all the more when we join our voices and sing together." Later in his life, Ken was one of seven bishops who refused to sign King James' Declaration of Indulgence, meant to promote Roman Catholicism. For his decision to take a stand for his faith and for this act of rebellion, Ken was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. He would later be tried and acquitted. In his refusal to sign the document, Ken let his life be a declaration of his doxology to God. Let your life be a doxology to the Lord in your every waking and sleeping moment, go to the One who gives endless peace and joy. "We were made for doxology", so let Him be your Morning, Evening, and Midnight.
DevotionalsGiveSendGo Team's Favorite Bible Verses
Posted by ALEX SHIPLEY on Jul 30, 2021
CoFounders Hebrews 13:5 - "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." All through my life I have been reminded by that verse that even when God seemed far, or life was hard , God is faithful. That He will not leave or forsake me. Even when sometimes I feel I don't deserve His love. Ephesians 6:12 - "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Customer Service Deuteronomy 32:4 - "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he." Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Romans 12:2 - "Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." The Old Testament gets a bad rep sometimes, but even then God's love has always been present and may be strict but always for our good! These verses help remind me that even when things get tough, or scary that God is always with us and is our rock and to focus on what he's accomplishing through us for His Mission. Psalms 103:1-5 - "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." Prayer Psalm 119:11 - "I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Years ago the Lord gave me an amazing insight into all of Psalm 119. Since Jesus is the Word made flesh, when I reread Psalm 119 and replace each occurrence of "law, Word, commands,"etc, with "Jesus" the whole chapter exploded with new meaning, fresh passion for Jesus, and a deeper appreciation of all He has done for me. Verse 11 not only says to me, "I have hidden Jesus in my heart that I might not sin against you" but it also showed me that the more hidden he is within me, the more pronounced and open he is in my life for others to see. Communications Colossians 1:13-14 - "??For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Honestly, all of Colossians chapter 1 is probably my favorite and reminds me of just who God is, but these two particular verses also remind me of who I am without Christ - a sinner, broken, wicked, and unable to do good without Him. And it's not because of me that I was saved or allowed into the kingdom of heaven. No, HE rescued me from darkness and transferred me into the kingdom of His beloved Son because it is through him and because of him that we have redemption and can be forgiven. Reconciliation was and is only possible through the work of Jesus on the cross and without him I am unable to build or maintain any other relationship he's blessed me with on Earth. That's what this verse reminds me of every time I read it. Development John 3:21 - "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God."
Fundraising TipsHow to Raise Money for Your Adoption
Posted by ALEX SHIPLEY on Jul 29, 2021
According to americanadoptions.com, the average cost of adoption is between $50,000 and $60,000. While costs do vary case to case and can depend on whether it's domestic or international, one thing is clear - adoption can be very expensive. The adoption process is also no easy task for a family and can take a heavy emotional toll, especially when there's financial pressure. GiveSendGo wants to be a resource for those families seeking to adopt and help support them in any way that we can. So, here are a few tips and suggestions from us for families seeking to raise funds for their adoption journey! 1. GiveSendGo Adoption Campaign We want to offer up our services to you! GiveSendGo has hundreds of families using our site to raise money for their adoptions. In fact, adoption is one of the top used campaign categories on our site. We highly encourage anyone looking to raise funds for their adoption to use GiveSendGo as a tool to make their journey easier. Just like with any other campaign, it's important to tell your story and to show your family's heart behind your decision. When creating your campaign, be sure to include those details to help other people understand your journey and desire to adopt. Once you've shared your story, share your campaign as much as you can with your family, friends, social media community, church family, co-workers, and your local community. Share it on your social media sites, send the campaign url through email to relatives and co-workers, and text the campaign url to your closest friends and family. You can't share it too much. After all, adoption is a huge undertaking and you'll need all the support you can get! You might even be surprised by the amount of people who want to help support you and your family throughout this process. The best way to raise funds for your adoption is to spread awareness, so share it in as many ways as possible to get the word out! 2. Church Fundraising Lunch/Dinner Church community is a great gift from God and they're the people who see you every week, who know your testimony, who see your heart, and maybe even who your family is closest with. Your church family can be a great support to you throughout this adoption journey whether that's through prayer, filling practical needs, and/or even donating to your cause. Hosting a Sunday afternoon lunch or after-service dinner fundraiser is a great way for your church to support you spiritually and financially in your adoption journey. Invite them to join you at your church for a catered lunch or dinner, carry-in potluck, or just for some simple drinks and snacks. Prior to the fundraiser meal, ask members to donate upon their arrival as they help support and celebrate your family's decision to adopt. People love to support and give when they can, so invite them into your journey! Some churches may also decide to take up a love offering during the church service to support your family in this decision. 3. Adoption Fundraising Letter A personal fundraising letter is a great way to share your story in a more intimate way. Write-up a letter explaining your situation, telling your story, sharing your goals, and offering different levels of donations people can give to as they feel led. Don't be afraid to share the details and maybe even tell your family's testimony of how you reached the decision to adopt. This is also a great time to share the url to your GiveSendGo adoption campaign to offer a more direct way for people to give. Offering as many payment options to people will increase the likelihood of your family receiving donations. Once you've written out a message you and your family like and have clearly explained to people how they can give, mail it out to friends, family, church community, co-workers, and those in your circle. You might even get a letter in response from people who are moved by your decision to adopt and want to help support you further! 4. Puzzle Piece Fundraiser Maybe you've already planned an adoption fundraising event and you're wanting to know what activities will help motivate your attendees to donate. Or, maybe you want something simple that will still be special to you and your family. Buy a 100-500 piece puzzle (personalized puzzles can be found and purchased online if you want to add a special touch to the activity). Then encourage people to write their name on one piece and donate $20 (or whatever amount they feel led to give) for their piece. After all the pieces have been signed, you can frame the puzzle and hang it in your child's room to be a reminder of all the people who were instrumental in their adoption. This will be a special memento to your child and to the whole family! 5. Adoption Prayer Bracelet Prayer is such an integral part of a believer's life and what better reason to pray than for an adoption? Invest in buying a few hundred adoption prayer bracelets to either give away or sell (this could serve as another fundraising method) to your family, friends, community, church, co-workers, etc. Or, you can direct people to a link with the adoption prayer bracelet you want them to buy as another way to fundraise. Each time a person looks at their bracelet, they will be reminded to pray for your family's adoption journey! 6. Bake Sale Nothing motivates people to give more than food, especially sweets! A bake sale is a great way to get your church, family, friends, and community together and involved in your adoption process. This is an event that may attract people from all over to buy baked goods and donate to your adoption journey in the process. Be sure to sell whole desserts, as well as individual servings so that everyone who comes to support you can be included in the fundraiser. A great personal touch might be to create personalized adoption tags to attach to each baked good! Bake sales can also be as big and as small as you want them to be. They can be a part of another event you may be hosting or the bake sale could be the whole event. You may also decide to make the bake sale a one time event or maybe it's something you do every weekend for a month. It's entirely up to you! 7. Go Through Local or State Adoption Agencies This isn't necessarily a fundraising tip, but more of a suggestion to make your adoption journey more affordable. Adopting, especially a foster child, through local adoption agencies is often a more affordable option for families as well as helps rescue a child out of the foster care system. According to childwelfare.gov, "Adopting a child from foster care involves very little expense because of Federal and State adoption assistance programs that minimize financial obstacles and encourage the placement of children whose special needs or circumstances might make them more difficult to place, such as older youth, sibling groups, or children with specific medical or mental health problems." Families looking to adopt through this avenue will more than likely receive Federal Adoption Assistance, whether through a one-time reimbursement or recurring monthly financial support, by adopting a child in the foster system. These are only a few of the many tips, methods, and suggestions a family can utilize to raise money for their adoption process. GiveSendGo is proud to support families who have made the decision to adopt and we are dedicated as an organization to praying diligently for these children and families. Shine Brightly!
GiversCommon Question: Donations
Posted by ALEX SHIPLEY on Jul 23, 2021
So you're thinking about donating to a campaign on GiveSendGo that you really care about? That's great! Here are some tips to make your donation process easier and enjoyable! We often get questions about donations such as - how do I make a donation, what kind of impact will my donation make, and other general questions regarding the donation process on GiveSendGo. The following 8 tips will help navigate and inform you on your donation journey! 1. Do I need to sign-up to donate to a campaign? GiveSendGo is powered by voluntary donations from Givers and Goers. We would love for you to join our GiveSendGo family and stay up to date with what we're doing here, but you're not required to sign up for anything in order to donate! Just click give now, fill out your credit card information, and hit submit. Then, just like that, your money is on your way to the campaign owner or beneficiary! 2. How can I donate to support GiveSendGo? First of all, thank you for wanting to help and be a part of our mission! Second, when you donate, there's an option to give a portion of what you give to GiveSendGo. This will help us keep our platform free for everyone to use! However, this option is entirely optional and you're not required to give us any money to use our site. 3. How do I make my donation anonymous? We get it! Not everyone wants recognition for what they give. Maybe God has led you to give anonymously! No matter the reason, on GiveSendGo you're able to change your name to say "anonymous" with just a few steps. After clicking the "give now" button, click the box marked "hide my name from public view" and your donation will be listed as anonymous. Keep in mind that the campaign owner will still be able to see your name as the person who donated to their campaign. Your name will just be hidden to the rest of the public. Don't worry if you happen to miss this step, but you still want to stay anonymous! Just email us at gsg@givesendgo.com and explain your situation. We'd be happy to help you switch your name over to anonymous! If you DO want to share your name with the public, that's also great! Just make sure to keep that box marked "hide my name from public view" unchecked. Either way, thank you for giving and making a difference! 4. I want to give a monthly donation We also offer the option to give to a campaign monthly. On the page you will input your card information make sure to change the selection from "single donation" to "monthly subscription". Then, a box will appear which will allow you to enter in how many months you want to give monthly recurring donations. Whether it's for two months or for ten months, thank you for being a blessing through your donation! 5. Is my donation secure? Now that you've donated you may be wondering - is my donation secure? The answer is yes! All donations are processed securely using industry-standard Secure Socket Layer encryption (otherwise known as SSL). 6. Are donations refundable? Unfortunately, since all donations are immediately disbursed to campaign owner's or campaign beneficiary's bank accounts, refunds are not possible. However, if you accidentally gave the wrong amount to GiveSendGo in order to help keep our service free, we are able to refund that money back to you or change the amount given. Just email our customer service team at gsg@givesendgo.com and they would be happy to help you! 7. What impact will my donation make? Your donation helps campaign owners and beneficiaries get one step closer to reaching their goal. Your donation might make the difference between someone reaching their goal or not. Just know that with each donation you make you're making a difference in somebody's life! Look at you Shining Brightly! 8. Are donations tax-deductible? Donations made on GiveSendGo are generally not tax-deductible unless you're giving directly to a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization with a government issued EIN Tax ID number. We advise you to consult your own tax adviser on any giving you may do on GiveSendGo. If you still have questions about GiveSendGo's donation process or need assistance feel free to email us at gsg@givesendgo.com Shine Brightly!
DevotionalsKnowing God
Posted by TYLER SHIPLEY on Jul 20, 2021
Recently, I have been contemplating and pondering through the work of J.I. Packer's book, Knowing God. Packer wrote this book to bring life to the believer who is pilgrimaging through this world and into eternal salvation. The main corpus of the book revolves around this single phrase: "Knowing about God is crucially important for the living of our lives" We are on a journey to seek truth in ways that we may never understand. We are on a journey to find something greater than what we have now. That's the beauty of our modern culture today. We are all searching to find something: health, wealth, and the pursuit of happiness. We are on the search for something to please our very needs. We need something to fulfill our emptiness. The answer to that emptiness in Jesus! Jesus is the something that we have all been looking for. In life's pilgrimage, the solution to our void is Jesus Christ. Jesus is our only solution to salvation from this life. He even told his disciples this when they asked him how to find the way. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:6-7) Notice what Jesus says here, "No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also." When you are trying to seek God, you must first seek His Son. The only way to know the Father is to know the Son. It is when you acquire knowledge of the Son, that you have acquired knowledge about God. We now have to ask ourselves: What is the aim of knowing God? What are my intentions with the knowledge I have acquired? Our aim of knowing God is to love him with all of our beings. When we love God, we should be intentional to pursue holiness because God is holy. The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Ferris Bueller once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Life does move fast. That's the truth about it. And when life moves too fast, you tend to miss the better things in life. Today, you need to ask yourself if you are going to tread on this pilgrimage knowing God or not. If you choose to go off on your own, there are consequences of hell and damnation that awaits you. A life of eternal suffering. A life of decay and death. But if you choose to know God, then you will come to know the vast promises that are offered through His Son. Notice this beautiful promise offered found only in Jesus: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) I encourage you to stop and think about how you plan to live your life. Will you choose to know God and to find satisfaction in Him?
DevotionalsSpiritual Disciplines: Be Enthralled With the Good Portion
Posted by ALEX SHIPLEY on Jul 16, 2021
If you're like me you love podcasts of all kinds. Christian podcasts, scripted fictional podcasts, and sometimes even a good true-crime podcast will keep me entertained for hours on end while I complete day-to-day tasks around the house. But if you're also like me, you're terrible at disciplining yourself, especially with spiritual disciplines. It's easy to start disciplining yourself and then fall off the wagon within a few weeks of thinking you've mastered the art of whatever discipline you're practicing. This can be incredibly discouraging and often leads us to give up disciplining ourselves altogether. Podcasts and spiritual disciplines probably mean nothing to you together, but I promise it will all make sense. This week I listened to the Podcast "Let's Talk" starring Melissa Kruger, Jackie Hill Perry, and Jasmine Holmes. The episode was called, "Spiritual Disciplines in Busy Seasons". Although their style is very much like an open discussion, I believe they offered some really great insight into practically putting into motion spiritual disciplines especially when our day-to-day lives seem to get in the way. Their discussion was so good this blog is probably going to be 80% counsel from them, but I hope what they have to say, in addition to a couple other resources, and what is contributed by me will be helpful to you. Another resource I will be referencing is a book called The Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney, which was also mentioned in this episode of "Let's Talk", and was a book I read back in college. It's also the book my church is currently going through during our Wednesday night bible study at church (things have a way of just working out, don't they?) First off, what are spiritual disciplines? In his book, Whitney lists out the following: Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, service, stewardship, fasting, silence and solitude, journaling, and learning as spiritual disciplines. Whitney said, "Spiritual disciplines are those personal and corporate disciplines that promote spiritual growth." So, many others could be added to this list, but these are great to get down first! I, just like you're probably thinking right now, didn't know half of those disciplines even existed, but each of them equip us to grow in our relationship and walk with Christ. Don't worry though, my goal isn't to give you a paragraph on each discipline and leave you on your merry way (you'll have to read Whitney's book for that), but rather to show you how spiritual disciplines are best applied in general and what obstacles stand in our way of practicing said disciplines. For instance, an obstacle we face is the weight of discipline. It's hard and sometimes because we have not been taught how to be disciplined so we end up just chasing our tails. Oftentimes we are weighed down by the pressure and the work that is disciplining ourselves in general whether that's eating right, working out, waking up early (I feel a little called out with this one), or getting ourselves on a routine of any kind. It's painful, hard work, and not so fun especially in those beginning days, weeks, and months. The same is true for spiritual disciplines. "When we talk about spiritual disciplines, the goal isn't misery," said Kruger. "The goal is a soul that works right." She later added,"Sometimes we think that it should feel good every time and that's what actually makes us stop from doing it." If there's anything that rings more true in my life, it's that comment right there. So the encouragement is to press on. Keep disciplining yourself even though you may not feel so "spiritual" or as on top of things as you may think you should feel. The goal is more than just practicing any discipline, the goal is Jesus himself. John 15:5 says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." Jesus is more interested in your heart than he is with how perfect your discipline may be. All he asks is that you abide in Him and he will do the same, giving you the strength and the wisdom to press on. Spiritual disciplines are non-negotiables because "God demands our heart and our mind" as Jasmine Holmes explained. It is that abiding in Christ that brings us to a place of need for Jesus, not where we simply cross something off of our to-do list, but as Holmes described it - to a place where we feel like we could not survive without that intimacy and daily intake of Christ. In doing so we must guard ourselves from tendencies of pride and legalism. "I choose to remember that I'm doing this to know a person. I'm reading so I can know a person, I'm praying so I can speak with a person," Perry added. "So, when it becomes about intimacy, and knowing Jesus, and doing the things you need to do so you can grow in your love for Jesus then you actually get distracted because now you're not even thinking about yourself enough to say, 'oh, I'm doing this so I can be this person.' It just literally becomes about Jesus at that point." Because, as Whitney and these women warn us, spiritual disciplines can easily be driven by idols. Our "discipline" can become legalism, a means of people-pleasing, and an act of shame without the joy that is getting to know the person who is Jesus. They listed things like unbelief, self-sufficiency, ambition, pride, and busyness as additional idols that keep us from growing in our relationship with Christ. They brought up an interesting point that shame and despair (of feeling as if we have failed at being spiritually disciplined) often shuts us down to the point of not doing anything, never trying to discipline ourselves, and never reaching out to Christ for help or for that relationship. It's the ever-hungry void that feeds on Satan's lies and our stagnancy. It feels like overwhelmingly heavy chains that keep from our passion to draw near to Jesus. "The cure is the thing that you're running away from, because the more that you learn about God, the more you learn about who He is, the more you learn about who He loves the less opportunity despair has to take root in your heart," said Holmes. "So, just keep in mind that shame can be a tool of the enemy to keep us from going to God. It turns into the very thing that's going to heal you is the thing that you think is going to destroy you, but that's how Satan has always worked." "Underneath the despair are some idols," Perry explained. "It should be concerning to you or alarming to you if you can continue your day-to-day life without any spiritual disciplines. That should alert you to where am I that this doesn't concern me that I haven't met with God, that I haven't read his Word. I claim to say that I'm in a relationship, but I'm not doing the things that will help the relationship grow and flourish." Kruger even suggested that sometimes our Christian actions can actually keep us from knowing Jesus. I think everyone, myself definitely included, is guilty of this to some degree. Sometimes our people-pleasing, busyness, and even our service in the name of God can look Christian. Service is important and is a spiritual discipline, but if we aren't actually spending any time with God in our personal lives and the motives for our Christian service are sour, then our discipline is without real purpose. It's all hollow if Christ isn't who we're running to through our spiritual disciplines. A passage Kruger, Holmes, and Perry brought up really speaks into this sin and comes from Luke 10: 38-42. It says, "Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'" Martha, although thinking that her busyness, her work, and her people-pleasing was righteous and justified, missed out on the intimacy that was sitting at the feet of Jesus. Mary set her priorities from the beginning, deciding that the most important thing in that moment was to treasure and soak in every word of the Messiah. We often miss out on the best portion, that intimacy with Jesus, and the joy of knowing and learning more about our God because the idols ruling in our hearts tell us what's more important. "Our goal of spiritual disciplines is not to be perfect, we already lost that a long time ago," Kruger said. "Our goal is to have a pattern of life that's growing towards God." So be enthralled with the good portion, with Jesus himself. See spiritual disciplines not as a chore, but as a means to know your Father in heaven who commands your heart and your mind to Him.
Fundraising TipsCommon Question: Who Donates to My Campaign? (Share, Share, Share!)
Posted by ALEX SHIPLEY on Jul 13, 2021
A common question GiveSendGo often gets is, "who will donate to my campaign?" and/or, "why am I not getting any donations to my campaign?" Bringing awareness to your campaign is the most crucial part in having a successful campaign. While GiveSendGo IS a free Christian crowdfunding site, most likely not just anyone who visits the site is going to be donating to your campaign. The best way you can get the word out about your awesome campaign is by sharing it with those you know and the people who are closest to you, such as your friends, family, co-workers, and community. They're the ones who will come alongside you and donate to your campaign because they know and trust your heart (and therefore, your cause!). Social media is a great way to get the word out and raise awareness. On these platforms you can share your campaign with your family, friends, and other people in your circle. Another way you can share is by sending your campaign URL through emails and even through text messages to your family and friends. Also, ask them to share your campaign on their platforms and with the people closest to them! You never know who may see your campaign and want to give! But that's not all! Find social media groups and blogs to also share your campaign with and have them share it too. You can also reach out to local news groups like newspapers and TV stations about what you're doing through your campaign. You'd be surprised what they're willing to cover in your area! The more people you can share your campaign with and the more you can get the word out the best chance you will have to propel your campaign forward. More awareness about your campaign typically means more money raised! We also have an Army of Givers who donate regularly to campaigns on GiveSendGo! However, there are 1,000+ campaigns for them to choose from, so 99% of the time it's those in your circle who will give to your campaign. This means you need to share, share, share your campaign as much as possible with your loved ones! Here are some more tips on how to get the most out of your campaign! Add an audio message to your campaign page. People want to hear about what you are doing, not just read about it. (Cover all your bases because people receive and process information differently.) Post daily on your social media pages (and be intentional with your posts). Tag givers on social media platforms to publicly thank the people who are supporting you. Also, give frequent updates on social media and on your campaign dashboard to keep people updated! They're donating to your cause because they care, meaning they probably want to hear about its progress too! The more the better! Crowdfunding works when you reach a crowd. Email, social media, news outlets are all ways to share your campaign. You never know who's going to want to share your cause. Make sure your campaign description tells a story, not just the facts. Let people know more than just the Who, What, Where and When. Make sure you emphasize the WHY! Ask friends and family to share and pray over your campaign. Remember, the worst thing anyone can say is no, so keep getting the word out about your campaign to whoever will listen! AGAIN, The #1 way for a campaign to be seen is to share it frequently with your social circles by email, text, social media. You can also invite friends and family to help you do that. The more a campaign is shared the more likely it will receive donations. For daily encouragement and more tips on how to get the most out of your campaign follow us on all of our social media platforms - Gab, MeWe, Facebook, etc. And don't forget to share, share, share your campaign! We love to see people succeed in their goals here at GiveSendGo!
