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So you’re trying to raise some money? Maybe you’re trying to pay for those expensive medical bills or want to raise funds for a legal defense. Maybe you know of a family in your community who’s in need or there’s a group in your church going on a mission trip. No matter what the reason is, everyone can agree on one thing - raising money can be a hassle. So, what do you do? 

The great news is that there are so many people out there in the world, especially those within your inner circle, who have a heart to give! Thanks to the internet, there’s tons of platforms out there that allow these givers to donate to cases like yours and they specialize in crowdfunding to help you conveniently and efficiently raise money for your needs, wants, and goals. 

So, let's see if crowdfunding is right for you!

Pros:

1. It’s super easy to use!

Forget the hassle of trying to organize a bake sale or trivia night to raise money for your cause. Instead of wasting your time and money on creative fundraising endeavors or events, simply turn on your computer and set up your fundraising campaign from home. Crowdfunding makes raising money so convenient and effortless. In fact, the average time it takes to set up your campaign is less than 5 minutes! Crowdfunding campaigns are also easily shareable on social media and through email and text with just a few clicks.

2. Not a lot of financial risk

Not only are fundraising events and endeavors a hassle, oftentimes they can cost you the very money you’re trying to raise. Crowdfunding usually costs very little to raise money, so there’s less financial risk. Therefore, you can focus on raising and saving the money you make to put towards your cause instead of spending it on start-up costs. 

3. You gain access to a whole new community of people

Crowdfunding attracts and unites a large community of people who love to give and help others. The more you share and get the word out about your campaign, the more wonderful people you have the chance to connect with because of their support for your campaign!

Cons:

1. It takes time, planning, and effort to get the word out

Ask anyone who’s crowdfunded before - it takes work. It's a common misconception that once you create a campaign everyone and their cousin will give to your cause. That’s simply not true. You have to share your campaign with your friends, family, co-workers, church family, community, etc. to get the word out. It’s typically those close to you that will care to give to your campaign. As you share your campaign through social media, text, and email you’ll begin to see people you recognize giving to your cause. Asking those who have given to your campaign to share it with their friends and family will help spread your cause to others and give you a greater chance of getting outside donations. 

Additionally, while setting up a campaign doesn’t take very long to do, it does take a little extra time to do it well. You need to write a description for your campaign that tells your story, hooks the reader, inspires others to give to your cause, and tells them exactly how they can give (typically all between 300-500 words). It’s best to also provide regular updates to your donors so they know how your campaign journey is going. Again, crowdfunding takes time, even after you’ve created the campaign. 

2. Your campaign might not reach its goal 

On any given crowdfunding platform there are thousands of campaigns. Realistically, if those you’ve shared your campaign with already aren’t giving to your cause your campaign may not reach its end goal. Unfortunately, this is the case for around one third of people who start a crowdfunding campaign.

3. Your campaign might get taken down on certain platforms 

Many crowdfunding platforms take down campaigns because it “violated their terms of service” or they simply disagree with it’s message. All that effort down the drain, your voice silenced, and your cause crushed. There’s no telling if this will happen to your campaign, so make sure to choose one who won’t censor you! 

So now that we’ve presented the crowdfunding facts, it’s time to tell you about GiveSendGo!

1. GiveSendGo prays for its campaign users and encourages others to do the same! GiveSendGo has special Prayer Partners that call each and every GiveSendGo campaign owner to pray for them and their campaign. What other crowdfunding platform does that? Additionally, each GiveSendGo campaign features a “Pray Now” button which allows you to send a prayer message to any campaign owner on our site. Whether you’re donating to their cause or not, we always encourage you to pray for them and their needs! We also have a prayer wall where you can submit your prayer requests and praises, as well as pray for others prayer requests. 

2. GiveSendGo won’t censor your campaign. So long as your campaign isn’t illegal and/or you’re not raising money to do something harmful or illegal we won’t take down your campaign. Whether we personally agree, disagree, like, or dislike your campaign we believe everyone has a right to have their voice heard. So don’t worry, your campaign is safe with us!

3. GiveSendGo is FREE! GiveSendGo won’t charge you any money to start a fundraising campaign. Our third-party processor charges a small fee to those who donate to your campaign, but GiveSendGo’s platform itself is entirely FREE to use. 

4. GiveSendGo has a Giver Army that’s dedicated to giving to campaigns every month. GiveSendGo’s Giver Army is made up of everyday people doing spectacular things! They dedicate their time and money to give to GiveSendGo campaigns every month. Additionally, they get to choose how much they give each month and who they give to. On top of that, our Giver Army receives a thank you package and a special invitation to our yearly GiveSendGo Fall Givers Party! You too can join our Giver Army and show off your cheerful giving!

Do the pros outweigh the cons for you? Does GiveSendGo sound like a great choice for you? Let us know what you think!

Happy crowdfunding!

Shine Brightly!

The scene takes place in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus has just been before Pontius Pilate and has been sentenced to one of the most humiliating ways to die. And now, His hands and His feet have been nailed to the cross. Here now we see the Messiah, hanging and slowly dying. Look at what happens: 

“Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:322-43) 

Maybe read that passage again. Did you notice the difference between the two criminals? One of the criminals mocked Jesus. This man not only challenged Jesus to save them and Himself but challenged His authority. While he challenged, notice what the other man did. He rebuked the challenger and said, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” (23:40-41) 

The second criminal rebuked the first! Can you imagine what everyone else was thinking when he spoke out like this? This man truly has the boldness that even the disciples did not have. Think about that for a minute. The eleven had fled the scene because they were scared; scared to the point that they denied knowing Christ. This criminal, with more boldness than the disciples, rebuked the other man. And following his rebuke, he then turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

What follows is indescribable! Jesus looked at the criminal, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (23:43) Jesus allowed this man into heaven. He did not say a prayer, he did not understand any doctrine or theology. He simply asked that Jesus remember him as Jesus returned to His heavenly sanctuary. 

Many people say that I did this and this to get to heaven. I repeated the prayer that my pastor, youth pastor, camp counselor, etc. said and now I am good. I did some pretty good works while I lived: “I was nice to others.” “I helped this person.” “I showed love when it mattered the most.” 

The list goes on and on! 

Are you one of those people? Are you relying on your deeds to get you to heaven? Well, guess what. Your deeds do not grant you access to heaven. Pastor Alistair Begg preached this text and said that we always talk about Christ in the first person. (Refer to what I said above) We should talk in the third person! It’s not what WE did, but what HE has done! 

We are allowed into heaven, not by our deeds or by anything that we have done, but because Jesus paid the debt of sin. Remember and reflect on the death of Christ today and always. You get to heaven not by yourself, but as Alistair Begg said, we get to heaven because “The man on the middle cross said I could come.” 

“The man on the middle cross said I could come.”

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks. 

Although two decades have passed since that terrifying and tragic incident, everyone who’s old enough to remember, can recall where they were when they first heard the news of the twin towers being hit. For those who were there in person, they remember it as the day the sky turned black, clouded with ash and smoke, over New York City. 

That day started like any other day. No one could have expected such an event would take place, stopping time for people nationwide. It was televised worldwide and broadcasted across radio stations across the U.S. All eyes and ears were on NYC that day. In that moment, the world was forever changed by the attack that caused 3,000 lives to be lost. 

Even though I was too young to remember where I was, or what I was doing, on that day (as I was just a toddler at the time), I do clearly remember the aftershock of 9/11. It was taught and talked about all the time as I grew up. I was told about how the world worked to heal, repair, and better defend itself in the days, months, and even years after what had happened. That event claimed more than just a day. It lives in the memories of millions of people, especially those directly affected by the attack. I grew up with these stories. I’ve watched videos, seen photos, heard testimonies from actual survivors, and read articles about that day. Whether you were there or not, it’s a memory shared by the world. And even though I know we can’t experience time as God does, it amazes me that the people of NYC didn’t feel the presence of the future staring back at them on that day. 

But, despite the gravity and devastation of 9/11, there is and was hope to be found in Jesus. 

How can I say this when such evil things like this happen? 

Psalm 46:1-2 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.”

This passage, among many others in the Bible, promises us that God didn’t abandon the world on that day. He didn’t desert those who were killed, the first responders who risked their lives to save people trapped under debris, or the people who lost loved ones due to the attack. Even in situations where the world was literally crumbling at people’s feet, God promised to be a refuge for those who were hurting and needed a Savior. God was still moving, providing hope, help, and comfort to those in need. 

Likewise, He is a God of justice who will bring about the judgement of those who were responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Psalms 37:28 says, “For the Lord loves justice and does not abandon His godly ones; They are protected forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.” It also says in Proverbs 21:15, “The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous, but is terror to the workers of iniquity.”

I want to end with the following quote. This quote is an excerpt of a prayer by John Piper who said this a decade after 9/11 took place. He said: 

“We turn to you, heavenly Father, as our rock and our refuge, as our King and our comforter. We pray that you continue to sustain all those who lost loved ones on 9/11. Show them mercy. Give them comfort. For those who believe in you, minister by your Spirit and the truths of your word. For those who are far from you, use this tragedy in a new way a decade later to draw these broken-hearted men, women, and children to yourself...We thank you Lord for the firemen and police officers who risked their lives, and often gave their lives, to search for and rescue the victims of 9/11... May every moment of adversity and prosperity point us to Christ. Keep our eyes fixed on the Author and Perfector of our faith. Let us run to Christ. Let us cling to Christ. Let us find forgiveness in Christ. Let us find assurance in Christ. For the only true promise of peace, in this life and in the next, is found in Christ. We gladly confess that he is our only comfort in life and in death. Some trust in chariots; some trust in horses; some trust in the Koran; some trust in their wealth; some trust in their ancestors; some trust in their degrees; some trust in tanks and talks and predator drones. But we trust in the name of the Lord our God. It’s in his name of the Lord Jesus that we live and move and have our being, and it’s in his name we pray, Amen.”