IT IS EASIER TO KEEP A DONOR THAN TO RAISE ONE My column last summer reflected on the worrisome economic conditions of those days. Sadly, not much has changed between then and now. I continue to hear from friends about the struggles their ministries are facing. One told me that income in 2009 and 2...

A missionary in Central Asia took his family for a hike in the countryside and walked by a rock foundation of an abandoned building. He noticed two 10-year-old boys playing on top of the wall, but there didn't seem to be any easy way to scale the wall. So he asked, "How did you boys get up there?" O...

Over the last several years, Pregnancy Resource Centers and Medical Clinics (PRCs) have faced intense efforts by the abortion industry — led by Planned Parenthood (PP) and NARAL — to pass restrictive legislation that would severely restrict operations and close down some PRCs. Recent ba...

Jeff* was recently elected to the board of a pregnancy care center. It didn't take long before he discovered that some previous decisions made by the board seemed contrary to good board policymaking and ministry development. He wondered about the background and rationale for those decisions.  ...

Fundraising gets a bad rap among some Christian leaders who are uncomfortable with asking for money. They cite George Müller and Hudson Taylor as examples of great Christian men who told their needs to no one but God. Some modify that approach and are willing to share "full information" with do...

The small center was doing okay. The board thought all was fine, but the executive director was beginning to feel fatigued. She kept saying that more staff was needed, but the funds were not available. Their town of 12,000 was in an economic downturn, the large factory had closed, so the board did n...

For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. Psalm 112:6-8 "You've placed our center in great harm! HOW COULD Y...

The board's role in governance of a ministry includes policymaking, budget oversight, strategic planning, public relations, fundraising, and so on. However, being a board member also requires having the proper attitude about the ministry. I was reminded of this the other day when "Sue" called. As t...