#GiveTwentyFive is a call encouraging anyone and everyone who was blessed by a college ministry to give $25 to that ministry between now and the end of the year.
Think of the thousands—and even millions—of college ministry alums. What if every one of them were to give $25 to that ministry in the next few weeks? The result would be astounding. We need you to help.
Promote #GiveTwentyFive. Use the hashtag. Encourage everyone you know to give $25 to the ministry that blessed them. Let’s not be selfish and just encourage people to give to our specific ministry. Instead, encourage everyone to give to the ministry that specifically blessed them. We will all benefit and be blessed if we do so.
For campus-based college ministers, I believe it is essential to give your alums opportunities to give. Many outside the ministry world receive year-end bonuses and profit sharing, etc. Those are not terms most of us in ministry know from personal experience. But, a mailing now to your alums telling what is happening in your ministry and asking them to consider your ministry for a year-end gift is a huge plus. I also always say to enclose a self-addressed envelope for them to use. It makes it easier to respond, AND it serves as a reminder to respond. While I served at Arkansas State, we received those envelopes in the mail throughout the year. Obviously, people stuck them somewhere to serve as a reminder. The people who have been blessed by your ministry—or the one you now lead—are the ones most likely to support it if they are made aware of the need.
Why $25? Why not a larger sum, or why give a number? Many people do not give because they feel that only large gifts are helpful. What good does a small gift do? Or, some are embarrassed to give a small gift. When we began to challenge our alums to give $25 once a year, we had 1200 on our Alumni Mailing List. We said that, if each of us gives $25, that will be $30,000. That would help!
If you don’t want to do an alumni mailing, just use social media. Put on your Facebook page a challenge to give. If you Tweet, issue a challenge to give…again…challenge people to give $25 to whatever ministry blessed them…BCM, BSU, CRU, MBSF, CO, CC, Wesley, etc.
All in all, don’t forget to give $25 to the ministry that blessed you as well. You can say, “I’ve given my $25, what about you?” Can we get #GiveTwentyFive trending? Can we bless college ministries all over the country?
#Givetwentyfive
Arliss Dickerson served as Baptist Campus Minister at Arkansas State University for 32 years. He now serves as Leadership Development Consultant for Collegiate Ministry at Lifeway Christian Resources. Arliss and his wife Sue have two daughters and two granddaughters. You can contact him at [email protected]. You can follow Arliss on Twitter: @arlissdickerson.
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