by Chris Horst | Mar 5, 2010 | Blog |
Honestly, man, we don’t. My advice is to go down the street to Bruegger’s Bagels. Their bagel sandwiches and lunch specials are second-to-none.
Because I work remotely, I often office out of coffee shops. Today, I happen to be working at Caribou Coffee in downtown Denver. When the lunch hour rolled around, I asked one of the baristas if Caribou sold any good lunch food. Without a second-thought, he pointed me down the street to Bruegger’s, a direct competitor.
While Caribou lost the two bucks I would have spent on a blueberry muffin, in the end they will have gained a lot more! The barista was concerned, more than anything, about my interests. He put himself in my shoes. He knew that a blueberry muffin wouldn’t hack it. And you know what? The guy garnered instant credibility from me. Anybody can get you to buy their product. It takes someone special to gain your loyalty.
This is true in economics as well. Protectionist economy policies never work. While it seems more advantageous to focus on our jobs, our economies and our communities, it has proven that will hinder vibrant economic growth. When we open our borders and trade freely with our neighbors, only then will we see flourishing happen in our own communities.
I think about this often in regards to fundraising. We talk about this as a team at HOPE. We need to be committed to Missio Dei, not solely to the our organization’s mission. We have to be focused on the grander story of what God is doing in the world, not on building our own closed-walled fortresses. Sometimes, as a HOPE representative, that means I need to be willing to open-handedly introduce potential and current HOPE donors to other organizations, and, yes, even to “competing” ministries. In doing so, by being responsive to the needs, interests and passions of those who I meet with, hopefully these folks will know, with confidence, that I care more about them than I do about their resources.
I so often fail…and meet with folks with my “HOPE blinders” firmly in place. But, then I remember the wise words of the Apostle Paul, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 2:4-5)
Well, time to get back to work. And you better believe I’ll buy an afternoon latte from this savvy barista to power me through to the weekend.
(Chris)
by Chris Horst | Feb 15, 2010 | Blog |
My friend, Brian, recently returned from a missions trip to Kenya. He led a group of youth as they supported their Kenyan partner church ministry for two weeks. The Kenyan ministry’s focus was HIV positive mothers in its very poor slum community. They provided food, money, prayer and helped their children—demonstrating the love of Christ in word and deed. Brian and the youth group dove in. They spread the news of the church’s ministry into the neighboring communities.
A week into the trip, Brian had a stirring, even haunting, realization. This Kenyan ministry had become “the cocaine of its community.” He shared candidly with me that these mothers were completely dependent upon the charity, and indirectly on Brian’s church which funded it. Instead of working, these capable women would sit every day at the door of the charity, waiting for the free distributions. As a result, their children saw their moms time-and-again not as providers, but as placid receivers.
The more I study, the more I discover how different the biblical prescription of charity is from my own. Consider gleaning. God’s people were not commanded to harvest the fields fully and give a tithe of their grain away, but rather to leave portions of the fields unharvested. Doing so provided the poor, the widows and the foreigners with meaningful work, sustenance and on-the-spot vocational training. And gleaning was a command for all business owners, not just the wheat farmers.
When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. (Deut 24:20-21)
I believe we have misinterpreted God’s commands to help the poor. Jewish scholars state that woven through the Torah is an understanding that “not all charity is created equal.” They cite that “the greatest level [of charity], above which there is no greater, is to support a fellow Jew by endowing him with a gift or loan, or entering into a partnership with him, or finding employment for him, in order to strengthen his hand until he need no longer be dependent upon others.”
Does this prescription align with the majority of our charitable endeavors? Brian had deep respect that this Kenyan ministry served the “least of these.” But, was this charity in alignment with the biblical model of charity? Were they helping these women…
- To no longer need to receive charity?
- Experience the dignity of honest work?
- Enjoy the blessing of providing for their children?
- Know the joy of giving charitably to others?
In fairness, there are times when the only appropriate response is to freely give things away. The Haiti earthquake and support to the disabled are examples of such. But, barring such exceptions, our long-term aim should always be to help in a way which frees recipients of the need for our charity, “so that they might help others in need” (Eph. 4:28). Well-intentioned charity devoid of this goal can lead to unhealthy dependency, it can strip parents of their God-given role as providers, and, as Brian saw in Kenya, it can lead to addiction.
by Chris Horst | Jan 24, 2010 | Blog |
It’s a recipe with basic ingredients, an unoriginal name, and a standard appearance. Yet, this recipe can take away the sting of my alarm clock (a feat) when it’s on the breakfast menu. I married into this recipe. I never thought to ask Chris which recipes he would bring to marriage, so you could say I lucked out… I did well.
* Proof that I’m speaking the truth: In the process of writing this post, I decided to prep a batch for tomorrow morning. As it sat on the counter, I decided I might as well have it for dinner. Currently, I have an empty bowl, scraped clean, sitting beside me.
The recipe: baked oatmeal
3/4 c applesauce (or oil)
1 1/2 c sugar (I often use some combination of honey, brown, and/or white sugar)
4 eggs
6 c oatmeal
4 t baking powder
2 t salt
2 c milk
- Mix first three ingredients.
- Add oatmeal, baking powder, salt and milk.
- Mix well and pour into 9×13 pan.
- Bake 350 for 30 minutes.
It’s a forgiving recipe (my favorite kind). So feel free to improvise. We love ours served hot in a bowl with milk poured on top. Sometimes we add fruit, sometimes I forget ingredients, sometimes I try it with agave nectar. Regardless, it always tastes delicious. Try it today.
(Alli)
by Chris Horst | Jan 18, 2010 | Blog |
This is part three of a three-part series, “How Then Shall We Help?”
It’s not just about serving and it’s not just about preaching. There’s the eleven word summary of the first two parts of the series. So…what is it about? How then shall we help? As Christians, what is our calling in a world that desperately needs the saving grace of Christ but also needs food, homes, clothing, and access to financial services?
Where better to look than the life of Christ? The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 families is a familiar one. In John 6, we read about how Christ miraculously multiplied just five barley loaves and two fish to feed an expansive crowd. It is interesting to note Jesus’ motivation for this act. “When Jesus went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them” (Matt 6:34). Christ’s act of love and service to the people flowed out of the compassion of his heart.
The word “compassion” is used many times to describe Jesus’ ministry. We read later in Matthew that “Jesus had compassion on the crowds and healed their sick” (Matt 9:36). Literally, the Greek word used in these passages means “to be moved by compassion.” There is greater richness in this word than can be gleaned at first glance. Charles Spurgeon describes it this way:
The original word is a very remarkable one…It is expressive of the deepest emotion; a striving of the bowels—a yearning of the innermost nature with pity…I suppose that when our Savior looked upon certain sights, those who watched him closely perceived that his internal agitation was very great, his emotions were very deep, and then his face betrayed it, his eyes gushed like founts with tears, and you saw that his big heart was ready to burst with pity for the sorrow upon which his eyes were gazing. He was moved with compassion.
Christ exhibited in this story a “yearning of the innermost nature.” When is the last time you had that sort of deep emotional churning deep in your gut? Jesus felt it often. He looked out over crowds of people—the sick, the hungry, the beaten-down—and was moved with compassion. We read in this specific story that Jesus went on to feed the crowds of hungry people. But, Jesus’ ministry did not end there.
Later in the day, Jesus left with his disciples and sailed to the other side of the sea. The crowds followed him. When they found him, Jesus offered these poignant words (John 6:25-27, 35). “You are seeking me…because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life…I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” First, we met Jesus the social worker. Now, Jesus the evangelist. He fed the crowds…and shared the Gospel. Matthew 24:19 described Jesus as “a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word.”
And there we have it. In this brief snapshot of Jesus’ life in John 6, we have our answer. As Christians, we are called to give bread and to proclaim the Bread of Life. It should never be separated. Jesus fed the five thousand, healed the sick, spoke against racism, and defended the cause of the outcasts in society. Moved by compassion, he provided bread. And, he demonstrated the absolute necessity for heart change. I am the bread of life.
Theologian Christopher Wright says it beautifully: “It is not a matter of engaging in both the gospel and social action, as if Christian social action was something separate from the gospel itself…Biblically, the gospel includes the totality of all that is good news from God for all that is bad news in human life—in every sphere..” It is not an either/or. It is a both/and. Not one without the other. Word and deed. Evangelism and service. Bible-translation and microfinance. Clean water and church plants. Hospitals and seminaries. Adoption and Christian youth camps. The seen and the unseen. Bread and bread of life.
by Chris Horst | Jan 14, 2010 | Blog |
Those of you who know me well know that I am not an alarmist. I think non-profit organizations often ride the “horse of emergency” all too often in trying to raise money and get people to give. Motivating Americans through guilt-laden campaigns featuring pictures of bloated babies causes more long-term harm than good.
But, the recent happenings in Haiti are reason enough for me to “sound the alarm.” Friends, the situation in Haiti is dire. And I’m honestly concerned the worst is still to come. In the midst of all the confusion and unanswered questions about what is happening there, here is what I know:
- The situation in Haiti is absolutely devastating.
- We serve an all-powerful God.
- Generosity exudes from the transformed hearts of Christians.
My encouragement on how to help:
- Fast and pray on behalf of the people of Haiti and the courageous people who are traveling to Haiti to help from the Dominican Republic, elsewhere in Haiti and around the world. To guide your prayers, perhaps view this slideshow.
- Give generously, effectively* & quickly. This is a situation where I believe we all should consider giving “above and beyond” our normal charitable giving. Here are a few organizations I recommend as I know they will bring both “clean water and the Living Water” to the people of Haiti:
*There are many wonderful Christian organizations which need funds for food, medical supplies, clean water, shelter and the rebuilding process throughout Haiti. It’s easy to just give to whoever asks first. I would encourage you to think strategically about where to give. Please comment below if you support organizations you know to be ministering in “word and deed” and in ways which promote dignity among the people of Haiti.
by Chris Horst | Jan 12, 2010 | Blog |
A few months ago, an acquaintance of mine, a fellow fundraiser, introduced me to a prominent business owner in Denver. It was a gracious gesture as we likely would not have met otherwise. The business owner and I connected deeply at our lunch. We talked at-length about family, politics, and faith.
Later that afternoon, I got a call from the fundraiser who had introduced us. He peppered me with questions: “How did it go, Chris? …what’s your strategy to get him to give to HOPE? …how do you plan on maximizing that relationship?”
I felt sick to my stomach when our conversation came to an end. Is that what fundraising is all about? Really? His comments had reduced that business owner to nothing more than what was in his wallet. It was not about who he was, what he cared about, or about who God had created him to be. It was about how much he could fork over if and when I asked.
An email I received today took me back to that memory. It was from the organizer of a weekly lunch for high-profile Christians in Denver. Apparently, several non-profit leaders had sniffed out the luncheon and had begun hitting up the lunch-goers for money. The leaders of the lunch heard that this activity was going on. Like an elementary school teacher who caught wind of recess bullying, the organizer sent out this note:
“Out of respect for our organization and the vast majority of our members, the leadership team requests that no solicitation of any kind take place among group members. We only say this because in our five year history together, many men we’d love to have still with us have dropped out because in their words they feel “worked” or pushed by some of our members. It saps the joy and ease for guests and members alike if they are made uncomfortable by someone obviously working an agenda…”
In any position, be it sales, fundraising, or pastoring, it is easy to view people by their capacity to give (be it their money, time or abilities). As soon we view people that way, we strip away their humanity. They are no longer people. They are just a checkbook. Or a skill-set. Or a Rolodex. Once we reduce someone to what they can do for us, the prospects of developing a true relationship are very dim.
