Across Church Street
Recency, Frequency, and Amount
Applying nonprofit donation metrics to our own lives.
For three years I worked as Development Director for a nonprofit organization. ‘Development’ is short for ‘donor development’, or fundraising. It happens that my wife works as a donor database administrator for an educational institution.
There’s a report development directors use (and that database administrators provide) to assess the general health of their work. The report shows Recency, Frequency, and Amount.
Recency: how recently did each donor give?
Frequency: how often does each donor give?
Amount: how much does each donor give?
This report maps the engagement of a nonprofit’s financial investors.
Might this also be a good way to assess our own involvements? Like with our community? Our family? Our church? And most importantly, our God?
Recency: how recently did we give?
Frequency: how often do we give?
Amount: how much do we give?
These metrics aren’t only—or aren’t even primarily—about our money. They’re about our time and attention. Our heart. Our desire.
No wiggle room
The law leaves gaps. The law of love plugs gaps.
The sign at the park reads "Dogs must be on a leash at all times."
Of course there are those who feel rules are made for everyone else. Nothing new about that.
Then there are others who know they should follow the rules. But maybe they won't get caught this time. Yes, that happens too.
But today I saw fresh evidence for why rules can never work. Two people with dogs walking past the sign. The dogs did wear leashes but no one was holding the other end. The dogs ran free.
Rules are incapable of governing behavior. Clever people can always find a way around.
That's the Old Testament way—lip service but no heart. By contrast, it's the Jesus way—the Law of Love—that hems us in. This Law of Love leaves no wiggle room.
A cheap copy
Too often, the Church presents itself as a cheap copy of the real thing. Where’s the grace? Where’s the life? Where’s the love?
All my years in Industry, I was fortunate to work for innovative companies. When other companies made knockoffs, they made knockoffs of our products. The cheaper copies mostly worked and solved an immediate problem. But buyers of copies missed out on relationship with people who knew why the products worked and how they worked—with people who could innovate the next solution too.
For centuries, the church has been pushing a cheap copy of the Kingdom on the surrounding culture. Those who 'buy in' may lead better lives—less drama, fewer train wrecks. But they miss out on relationship with the One who knows why and how things work. They miss out on relationship with the Source of life and love and forgiveness and hope.
When interacting with our culture, we choose: hard sell the cheap copy—rules, rituals, and good advice—or invite people into the real thing.
- love
- friendship
- beauty
- thankful
- attunement
- communion
- discipline
- video
- hope
- hania rani
- holiness
- serving
- seth godin
- dean sherman
- across
- covenant
- music
- eternal life
- justice
- embodiment
- wonder
- gracious
- hesed
- welcome
- poetry
- rest
- image
- brokenness
- disruption
- invitation
- companion mode
- resonance
- steadfast
- observer mode
- framework
- pastoral
- oneness
- caritas
- difference
- shalom
- john stott
- worship
- status
- care
I practice the spiritual discipline of rescuing earthworms on paved surfaces. It's a reminder to me that I can pause what I'm doing, get a little dirty, and help. Also, that I've been given the responsibility to care.