Episode 3: Raising Abundant Resources

In this episode of The Church Planting Podcast, planters Jeff Snodgrass, Clint Dupin, and Vince Antonucci discuss the value and practical how-tos for raising the resources your church needs to get off on the right foot.

Jeff Snodgrass

Jeff Snodgrass is the Lead Pastor at Unite Church in Pasadena, California. He has been in full time ministry for sixteen years and has an intense passion for making disciples, maximizing the ability of all around him, and mending racial divides. He and his wife have been married since 2007 and added four children to the family between January 2012 and December 2013. God has brought their children to them in a divine and purposeful way. The oldest two are twins at the age of twenty–four and the younger two are both boys only seven months apart at the age of six.

Clint Dupin

Clint and his wife are co–lead pastors at Eastown church. Eastown is a start–up church located in the SF Bay Area and is a year and half old. They have been in ministries for 20 years. Prior to Eastown, Clint and Michaell served on staff at Kensington church in Metro Detroit. They have been a part of starting multiple initiatives that include Hope Water project, NTS camp, RYF family camp, and Man Up. Clint is passionate about reaching people who are far from God in hard to reach places. Clint and Michaell have 4 children and love to spend time together.

Vince Antonucci

Vince Antonucci became a Christian out of a completely non-Christian background. Vince is the founding pastor of Verve Church (vivalaverve.org), in the heart of Sin City, just off the Vegas Strip. The first person led to Christ at Verve was a pimp, and 70% of the people who come were unchurched non-Christians when they first showed up. You can follow Vince at www.vinceantonucci.com and @vinceantonucci. Vince is the author of I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt (2008), Guerrilla Lovers (2010), Renegade (2013), God For The Rest Of Us (2015) and Restore (2018). He loves spending time with his best friends – his wife, Jennifer, and kids, Dawson and Marissa.

Raising Resources as a Success Factor

Raising resources is one of the most strategic and spiritual parts of planting.

Your job is to inspire others to give generously to see the vision for a new church realized.

Every effective church planter knows asking for funding is a God-given privilege – it flows out of your conviction of God’s calling and faith in his provision.

The Experts

Clint Dupin – $1.7 million
Vince Antonucci – $2 million total, $1M before launch
Jeff Snodgrass – $1.7 million

Part 1: How Vision Marries Fundraising

V – You are competing for dollars . Make the best case you can by casting vision – why your endeavor is important, unique, and deserves the dollar.

C – You can’t start the church without raising the resources! It’s connected to your calling – if you can’t make the pitch and connect it to your calling, it will be a challenge to push forward.

J – We can’t have a bigger vision than God does. If we cast the vision that we want to reach EVERY person in our area, in order to do that in our context, it requires money. We need to captivate budgets AND hearts. Society always wants MORE – we want people to see that investing in church planting is literally the best ROI in the kingdom. Eternity is on the line, we need to reach as many people as we can.

Part 2: Nuts & Bolts

V: Ask everyone (individuals, churches). Make the biggest list you can. Make the ask as hard to say no to as possible. FOLLOW UP on the ask. Don’t take no for an answer.

C: Make them say NO. Tailor the pitch. “Clarity is kindness” (Brene Brown) — make clear, consistent asks. Know donor potential before meeting. Ask if there are other like-minded people you should be asking.

J: Time & effort goes a long way. People have put time & effort into the resources they’re making, so respect their time & effort with our own time & effort. Think outside the box.

Part 3: Follow -Up

V – I put my donors on email group list of financial supporters – 5 to 6 times a year, I send a 1-2 minute video update/thank you. The video gives big numbers and tells a story. Then I always ends with a version of, “We have hundreds of stories and you’re a part of every single one through your support and prayers.”

C – We make 2 or 3 calls each week off of our list of donors, and try to tell a story on those calls. Then, we send videos 2-3 times a year as follow-up.

J – I try to captivate the heart with a stat, a story, and Scripture. I meet face-to-face with or have phone conversations with donors, and I always ask, “How can we help make your giving a win for you?”

Part 4: Weathering the Nos

J – We focus on the 1 yes for 10 asks… but that means there were 9 nos! But, don’t take no for an answer – show them you care about THEM and keep asking. Consistency of care goes a long way. We have to value the person as we continue to keep in mind why we’re fundraising.

G – Our job isn’t to get money, but to make disciples and disciple the giver in the area of generosity.

C – Most no’s just don’t share your vision – it’s okay to connect them to a vision they are passionate about.

V – God has a plan and He cares more about your plant and your city than you do. You will have some bad days, but remember God’s got you.

Part 5: Encouragement and Advice

V – Church planters get paid in stories. Focus your church on reaching lost people – the stories will sustain you through the tough days.

J – Slow down. Surround yourself with the right people. Expect life change.

C – I know we are called here for the lost – if it wasn’t hard, more people would do it! fi you’re going to reach un-and de-churched people, the idea of tithing takes a long time to develop, so the challenge of fundraising is a reminder that you’re on the right path.