Book Review: Imagining Abundance

 Information about the book

Imagining Abundance: Fundraising, Philanthropy, and a Spiritual Call to Service by Kerry Alys Robinson.  Liturgical Press. Collegeville, Minnesota. 2014. Amazon link.

Summary

From Amazon: Fundraising is ministry—a transformative ministry that challenges all people to realize their own gifts and how they can be used for the benefit of the church. In Imagining Abundance, Kerry Robinson focuses on reasons why each of us are called to be stewards. We act because we’re excited about what it is that we do for the church and where we’re called by God to be, we want others to be just as excited about what that is, and we want people to be partners with us in that ministry.  In Imagining Abundance, Kerry Robinson offers an inspirational and practical guide to effective fundraising that is ideal for anyone invested in a faith community. Bishops, provincials, pastors, ministers, executive and development directors and trustees of faith-based organizations will benefit from this healthy approach to the activity of fundraising that situates successful development in the context of ministry and mission.

Impressions

This was one of the books I was assigned to read for my Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising.  There were several things I liked about the book:

1. It was written by a woman who has fundraising and grantmaking experience through her service on her family's foundation's board, but most of the book is written from her viewpoint of working as a fundraiser for a Harvard's Catholic Campus Ministry group.  She accepted the position when the ministry was struggling, and her work through that (with the executive director) gave a reality to the book that I enjoyed.
2. The philanthropic philosophy that the author has dovetails nicely with religious fundraising. She explains it as ministry, and this is a philosophy I have come to share and appreciate. 
3. There are many stories and illustrations that added to my understanding and that I am able to use (with proper credit to Robinson) in my own teaching.

As a United Methodist, I was glad to read a book that was outside of my denominational box. 

This is not a long book, but it is well written and packed with gems.  I would recommend it to anyone in ministry for whom  inviting people into ministry through the sharing of the financial gifts is part of their job (and that's just about everyone, right?).

Posts about book

Other posts that refer to this book with be labeled with the tag Robinson Abundance.

Winning the Lottery

I'm reading a book called Imagining Abundance: Fundraising, Philanthropy, and a Spiritual Call to Service by Kerry Alys Robinson. 

She relates a story about her sister-in-law, who passes a billboard each day.  The billboard indicates the current value of the lottery if you were to win it.  The two of them have a discussion about what the sister-in-law would do with the winnings if they were hers.

This prompts Robinson to write, "'Winning the lottery' implies a random, undeserved gift of good fortune awarded by chance.  hasn't each of us already won?"

Think of the ways you have already won the lottery. Your family, your faith, your work, your talents, your character. As I thought of this, my list of "lottery winnings" seems endless. That doesn't mean my life is perfect - there are always worries and the mistakes I make - but I have more undeserved gifts than I "can throw a stick at." My life is blessed. I am grateful.

Think about this for a bit. Instead of thinking about what you feel like you are missing or the problems in your life, spend some time remembering all the ways you have received undeserved gifts - both large and small.  Spend some time in gratitude.