101. 4 Biblical Paradigm Shifts That Will Transform Your Fundraising [Development 101]

Summary

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The Fundraising Masterminds Podcast

Episode 101: 4 Biblical Paradigm Shifts That Will Transform Your Fundraising [Development 101]

Hosts: Jim Dempsey, Jason Galasinski
Date: September 10, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this foundational episode of the “Development 101” series, Jim Dempsey and Jason Galasinski break down the four biblical paradigm shifts from the book Development 101 that can radically transform the way nonprofit leaders approach fundraising. Drawing from decades of personal experience and scriptural wisdom, they challenge traditional views and encourage listeners to see fundraising as a ministry grounded in faith, relationships, and stewardship.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mindset Shift: From Fundraising to Development as Ministry

• Common Pitfall: Many nonprofit leaders run out of money, then look for short-term fundraising tactics that often feel transactional or manipulative.
• The Real Mindset: Fundraising is frequently thought of as a “necessary evil,” but development should be seen as an extension of ministry itself, rooted in relationships, not transactions.
• Quote:

  “Development is about relationships and it's about not fundraising, but friend raising... development really is an offshoot. It's an extension of the ministry that you already do with individuals.”
  — Jim Dempsey [04:00]

2. Development Defined

• Core Definition:

  “Development is creating opportunities to connect God's people with God's work.”
  — Jason Galasinski [04:54]

• Key Distinction: Shift from presenting needs to creating opportunities for others to join in God’s work.

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The Four Biblical Paradigm Shifts

I. Abundance Mentality (06:00–15:27)

• Core Principle: God owns all resources; we are merely stewards.

• Scriptural Support:

  • Psalm 31:19
  • 2 Corinthians 9:8
  • Philippians 4:19
  • Psalm 24:1-2

• Contrast: Scarcity mentality assumes limited resources (“the pie is only so big”), but abundance trusts God to provide and even supernaturally expand resources.

• Notable Quote:

  “The problem is not a shortage of funds. It's a shortage of faithful stewards.”
  — Reading from Development 101 [11:08]

• Action Point: Start every development effort with a clear, God-sized vision and trust that God will abundantly provide for it.

II. Absolute Trust (15:28–25:46)

• Core Principle: Only the Holy Spirit can prompt someone to give. Our role is to provide the opportunity and trust God for the outcome.

• Key Reflection: Do we honor the spiritual nature of giving, or do we try to control results through our own effort?

• Analogy: The “Christian camp” experience—leaders set the stage, but only the Holy Spirit can do the real work in hearts.

• Notable Quote:

  “In every encounter, with every giving partner, there will come a moment when you will step back and entrust the giving decision solely into the hands of God. This must be done with both faith and confidence…”
  — Reading from Development 101 [21:55]

• Action Point: Create an environment for the Spirit to work, avoid manipulation or pressure, and let prayer infuse your development process.

III. Being a Blessing (26:02–32:04)

• Core Principle: Development is about “blessing brokerage”—offering people the chance to be blessed as they join in God’s mission.

• Scriptural Support:

  • Philippians 4:15–17
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6–7

• Quote:

  “By providing [donors] an opportunity to be blessed by God... we're not beggars, we are providing them an opportunity to be blessed. That changes our whole perspective.”
  — Jim Dempsey [30:04]

• Action Point: Change your language from presenting “needs” to “opportunities” for others to participate in God’s work and receive His blessing.

IV. One Kingdom Living (32:05–39:42)

• Core Principle: All of life—including our finances—belongs to God’s kingdom, not our own. Generosity flows from recognizing God’s ownership.

• Scriptural Support:

  • Matthew 6:19–21 (Treasure in Heaven)
  • Matthew 6:24 (Can’t serve both God and money)

• Common Struggle: Many live as if they own 90% and “tip” God 10%; the biblical perspective calls for full surrender.

• Quote:

  “When we submit to the temptation to believe that we are in control of our own kingdom, we treat money as something that we ultimately own. And when we do this, you cannot be faithful, generous stewards.”
  — Jason Galasinski [33:32]

• Action Point: Move your organization and personal life from a “two kingdom” (God’s and mine) to a “one kingdom” worldview, recognizing God’s ultimate ownership.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Jim Dempsey on the Power of Vision:

  “Scripture says without vision, people perish. And it is so important that we put a vision before people... they give to your plans for the future. That's what inflames the hearts of men and women.” [15:28]

• On Letting God Work:

  “You can follow all the methods, but ultimately God has to move.”
  — Jim Dempsey [23:56]

• On the Value of Development:

  “If we embrace these things as a ministry, then suddenly development seems to be kind of an exciting mission.”
  — Jason Galasinski [39:42]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:24] Purpose of the episode and importance of mindset
• [04:54] Key definition of development: Connecting God’s people with His work
• [06:03] Paradigm 1 – Abundance Mentality
• [15:28] Paradigm 2 – Absolute Trust
• [26:02] Paradigm 3 – Being a Blessing
• [32:05] Paradigm 4 – One Kingdom Living
• [39:42] Recap of the four paradigms and invitation to embrace development as ministry

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Resources & Call to Action

• Development Programs Mentioned:
  • Perfect Vision Inner Mentorship Program
  • Winner’s Circle (advanced development)
• Invitation: “If you’ve tried fundraising but never development like this, take a step of faith… it’s going to put you on a much stronger path for sustainability.”
  — Jason Galasinski [41:26]

Connect: Find more episodes, resources, and their mentorship programs at Fundraising Masterminds’ platforms (YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts).

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The 4 Paradigm Shifts (Summary Table)

| Paradigm | Core Idea | Key Texts | Strategic Application | |------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------| | Abundance Mentality | God owns it all; resources are not scarce | Psalm 31, Phil. 4, 2 Cor. 9 | Start with vision; don’t operate from fear of lack | | Absolute Trust | Only God moves hearts; trust Him in the process | “Let the Spirit work” | Don’t manipulate, pray for God’s provision | | Being a Blessing | Invite others to be blessed through giving | Phil. 4, 2 Cor. 9 | Offer opportunities, not just highlight needs | | One Kingdom Living | All is God’s; reject “my” vs. “God’s” mentality| Matt. 6:19–21, 6:24 | Surrender fully, steward with eternity in mind |

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This episode calls nonprofit leaders to reframe fundraising as a spiritual, relational, and visionary ministry—grounded in trust, abundance, blessing, and whole-life stewardship. For anyone seeking transformative, faith-driven development strategies, this is essential listening.

Transcript

[Jason Galasinski]

You're listening to the number one podcast for nonprofit leaders getting your nonprofit fully funded. This is the Fundraising Masterminds Podcast.

[Jim Dempsey]

And if God wanted to in his power, he could have us just sit on our couch. He'd line people up and say, I don't know why I'm supposed to give to your organization, but God told me I'm supposed to give. But God wants us to step out in faith and trust him that by going to meet with a major donor, by putting out a letter, by having a phone call, that God is going to speak to those people's hearts when we first initiate.

[Jason Galasinski]

Welcome to another episode here at the Fundraising Masterminds Podcast. My name is Jason Galasinski, and with me, my co host, Jim Dempsey.

[Jim Dempsey]

Hi, Jason.

[Jason Galasinski]

Well, it's middle of September already.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah, it's hard to believe.

[Jason Galasinski]

I can't believe the summer's winding down and school's getting started and all that stuff.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yep.

[Jason Galasinski]

Well, our last episode, we started a series called Development 101. And, you know, today is our 101st episode episode. So, you know, we have to talk about.

[Jim Dempsey]

In honor of that development, we have.

[Jason Galasinski]

To talk about Development 101. So there's last episode, we talked about five key books.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

For our development mindset. And One of the five key books is actually called Development 101.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

So there's actually one chapter I wanted to highlight in this book, and the chapter it comes from chapter one. And it's the theological foundation for a faithful development program.

[Jim Dempsey]

I like that.

[Jason Galasinski]

So we're going to be discussing the four biblical paradigms that John and Scott talk about in this book.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yes.

[Jason Galasinski]

But before we do that, I would love for you to subscribe to this podcast. If you're new to the show, just know that we are all things development on this podcast. Jim has over 40 years of development experience working with crew, and I have over 20 years of experience working with thousands of nonprofits through businesses and entrepreneurship. So Jim and I combined have over 60 years of development, fundraising, nonprofit work, and we've put our heads together to put this podcast together for you so that you can benefit from all the years of experience and not have to make all the same mistakes we did.

[Jim Dempsey]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

So the title of this episode is called four biblical paradigm shifts that will transform your fundraising as part of our Development 101 series. And so, Jim, I would love to get into this now. We often talk about mindset and how important mindset is.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

And that's because so often nonprofit leaders just run out of money and they think, oh, well, how do you get money? Well, you do a fundraiser. And how do you do a fundraiser? Well, you go on Google and you type in how to do a fundraiser.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

And Google gives you 502 suggestions of creative ways to raise, raise money.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

Most of which are awful, you know, because they're more focused on extracting funds from people than actually giving people opportunities to invest in your organization.

[Jim Dempsey]

Well, they're short term, they're immediate, and don't build into a long term foundation of development.

[Jason Galasinski]

So the mindset that people tend to have about fundraising is kind of dirty, right?

[Jim Dempsey]

Big, easy, fast. That's all it is.

[Jason Galasinski]

And it's a necessary evil.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

In reality, development. And you believe this, and I believe this development is actually ministry in itself. So some people look at, well, I have ministry and then I have to raise funds and they're separate.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

But how is development ministry, Jim?

[Jim Dempsey]

Well, as we talked about, development is about relationships and it's about not fundraising, but friend raising. And so we know that just about every aspect of ministry has something to do with people and relationships. And nothing could be more important in development than people in relationships. That's why even though our podcast and even though what we do, we refer to it as fundraising, because people understand that concept, it's really about development, which is about developing long term relationships with people and building long term partnerships so that people can be immersed in our efforts and become owners, co owners with us in ministry to see the results about that of that. And so it's so important that we understand that development really is an offshoot. It's an extension of the ministry that you already do with individuals. And you'll find that as you grow, especially with your major donors, that you can really minister in the lives of men and women.

[Jason Galasinski]

Yeah, well, Jim, we can't have a development series without a proper definition. So I'm going to read the definition that Frank and Roden came up with in this book. And that is development is creating opportunities to connect God's people with God's work. So we're gonna unpack the four biblical paradigms that get us to that point. Let me just read that one more time. Cause it's a little deep. Development is creating an opportunity. So many organizations, we talk about this a lot. So many organizations have needs, right? I need this, I need that. You know, we're presenting needs, but really development is creating an opportunity to connect God's people with God's work.

[Jim Dempsey]

I love that, Jason, I really do. That's one of my favorite Definitions.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

So the four paradigms are really going to unpack that definition. So let's get into the first paradigm. So the first paradigm is the abundance mentality. Now, we've talked about the abundance mentality a lot on this show, but the whole idea is that God is not limited. He owns it all. How does this affect development in your mind?

[Jim Dempsey]

Well, it. First of all, I think it's so important that we understand that all possessions are God's. And so we are only stewards. We really don't own anything. God has given them to us for us to manage, us to oversee, us to steward. We know that God owns a cattle on a thousand hills and he is not on his last dime. So it's important that we understand that we have to not hold tight of those possessions. And unfortunately, by man standards, the world, our sin nature causes us to hold on tightly to things. And of course, what is the number one thing that we hold the tightest to? And that is our dollars. That's our money. And we in oftentimes it feels like that people need to pry our money out of our hands. And that is not what God intended. God intended for us to hold on to all of our possessions, especially our money, very loosely, to understand that it's his, and we're just simply giving back to God what is his in the first place. So when we go to ask people for a gift to our organization, we are doing God's work in God's ways, and. And it requires God's finances and God's resources. So all we're doing is transferring the ownership from one, from a person, over to our organization. And so you're transferring those resources from one entity to the another. But ultimately it's all owned by God just in our stewardship.

[Jason Galasinski]

So a couple scriptures that kind of highlight this. Psalm 31:19 says, how abundant are good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all those who take refuge in you.

[Jim Dempsey]

2Nd Corinthians 9:8 says, and God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will bound in every Good work.

[Jason Galasinski]

Philippians 4:19 says, and my God will meet all your needs according to his riches in the glory of Christ Jesus.

[Jim Dempsey]

And Psalm 24:1 2 says, the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. For he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Those are tremendous verses, Jason, that get us down to the Bottom line, which is that God owns it all and it's abundant. As I said, God is not on his last dime. And the principle that you and I teach, which is the, the counter, is the scarcity mentality. And we won't get into the scarcity mentality. But unfortunately, too many ministries and too many leaders live with the scarcity mentality that God's on His last dime and that he can barely afford to. To be able to provide. And we know if God started your ministry, he gave you the vision for your ministry, that he's going to provide for that, and his resources are abundant and limitless.

[Jason Galasinski]

Yeah, well, and if you're thinking, well, I don't believe that God's on His last dime, but some people do actually believe that there is a pie in your community, and that pie is only so big, they might be thinking, well, there's only a hundred people that can write checks of this. They've kind of done the math. They kind of figured that, like, well, the pie is about, you know, $200,000. And so, you know, well, if they give this much here and that much there and that much there, then the pieces of the pie go down. So they kind of. It's all like man's wisdom. Right. They're just, they're just thinking logically, but they're not allowing, they're not allowing God to supernaturally grow that pie. Yeah. And so the abundance mindset is really that God able to. To make something out of nothing.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

He is able to supernaturally grow that pie.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah, that's exactly right. And, you know, my wife and I always had the principle early on was that if God wanted us to do something, that even if we had to take out a loan to be able to afford it, if God said, I want you in this effort, in this project, do this particular thing, that he was going to provide the resources somehow. As missionaries, Jason, Diane and I have lived on trusting God for every paycheck, every bill, everything we've done. And that has grown our faith enormously because we have seen, we believe that God will provide abundantly, and he has never once failed us in anything that has been part of his plan and his strategy.

[Jason Galasinski]

Let me read a quote directly from Development 101. And this is under the impeachment, the abundance mentality. So this is right out of the book. It says this abundance flows through God's people as they live as faithful stewards. Statistics show that funding the work of the kingdom does not lack for resources. There are enough financial resources in the pockets and portfolios of God's people to fund every church, every ministry, every parachurch organization pressed down, shaken together and overflowing. The problem is not a shortage of funds. It's a shortage of faithful stewards who use those funds obediently, joyfully, and generously as God directs.

[Jim Dempsey]

I love that. Yep. It's so important because we need to make sure that we are faithful stewards of those resources. God has given us this organization that you have. God has put us in a place of authority and a place of leadership. And we have got to make sure that we, with every breath that we have, we've got to make sure that we use that. We go to God in prayer, find out what his direction is, and move in the way that he would have us go and know by faith as God's going to provide for those resources. I've used the example countless times that if God wanted to in his power, he could have us just sit on our couch and people would knock on the door. He'd line people up and say, I don't know why I'm supposed to give to your organization, but God told me I'm supposed to give. But that in most cases is not what God chooses to do. God wants us to step out in faith and trust him that by going to meet with a major donor, by putting out a letter, by having a phone call and asking people to be part of this, sharing those opportunities, asking people to join us, that God is going to speak to those people's hearts when we first initiate.

[Unidentified Guest]

Yeah.

[Jason Galasinski]

So I think one of the important questions that Frank and Roden make in this book is especially under this heading, is what attitude prevails at your church or organization? Do you have the attitude of abundance or do you have the attitude of scarcity?

[Jim Dempsey]

Absolutely.

[Jason Galasinski]

And it really does boil down to trusting God.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

Trusting God for big things, you know. And so one of the things we do in our perfect vision, in our mentorship program is we start with the big vision of why did God call you to this ministry? What is God calling you to in the next five years?

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

And you'd be surprised at how many people don't have an answer to the five year thing. Right, Right. They know that they're doing God's work. They know that they're called to the ministry, but they don't have a plan. They don't know. It's like, what do you want to be in the next five years? Like, well, I just want to survive.

[Jim Dempsey]

They're just managing momentum. All they're doing is just managing the next step. They're, they don't know what, what plan is out ahead, right?

[Jason Galasinski]

And so we believe that if God has called you to a work that you should have a strategic vision to be able to accomplish that work.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right?

[Jason Galasinski]

And so we always start with what's an exciting vision? What? Why, why did you start this school? Why did you start this camp? Why? Or maybe you didn't start it, but like why are you, what is the point of this camp?

[Unidentified Guest]

Right?

[Jason Galasinski]

You know, what is the point of this school? You know, it's not just to, you know, provide jobs for teachers so that you can, you know, feed your family. Although that does happen, you know, but the, the ultimate goal is to raise up the next generation. Well, how are you going to raise up the next generation? What makes you unique?

[Unidentified Guest]

Right?

[Jason Galasinski]

You know, how, how are you going to get people excited about what you're doing?

[Unidentified Guest]

Right?

[Jason Galasinski]

Because when you take a step back and you look at your ministry, it can be very exciting, you know, when you explain it to a stranger of, you know, what you get to do. But so often we get caught up in the day to day and we just don't look at what we do as very exc. All we see is, you know, our emails or all the mail we got to get through or you know, stuff like that. So I think it's really important to have the attitude of abundance, right? And just knowing that God has called you to bigger things and so you got to keep that attitude of abundance in your mindset, knowing that if God has called you to this, he's going to provide for you in a big way.

[Jim Dempsey]

Well, scripture says without vision, people perish. And it is so important that we put a vision before people. Because your history, your long term, your strategy in the past is not what people give to, they give to your plans for the future. That's what inflames the hearts of men and women. And it's so important that people will give because you've got a vision and a plan, right?

[Jason Galasinski]

Well, the second paradigm is called absolute trust. In the book they say the commitment of absolute trust. So let me ask you a few questions. Do you believe that God's people should ultimately give at the prompting of the Holy Spirit? When we give in a God pleasing biblical way, is it because we have sought the Lord in prayer and he has placed on our hearts a desire to steward what he has entrusted to us in our care? Do we believe, really believe, that all Christian giving is done biblically and is spirit led? If so, then we must be committed to the development process that honors the work of God in the process of asking for giving. Giving. The full impact of this process is summed up in one simple idea. Only God convinces people to give through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, giving is ultimately a spiritual, spirit led decision. I love that. So what are your thoughts on that, Jim?

[Jim Dempsey]

Well, we know that there's a spiritual battle out there. We, we know the spiritual battle, battle between good and evil and that God gives us and he equips us with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus left, Jesus said to his disciples, I must go so that he may come. And we know that indwelled in every believer is the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit can move not only in our hearts, but in the hearts of the individuals that we're talking with. And we have to believe by faith that the Holy Spirit is there before we arrive and after we leave. And that if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, that that will be our entryway and our pathway through making a difference in the hearts of men and women that we come in contact with. So it's so important that we are right with the Lord before we go in and that we are trusting God to guide our way. Give us the words, give us the wisdom, and give us the way.

[Jason Galasinski]

Well, Jim, one of the things that we highlight in our Perfect Vision inner mentorship program is that we want to give people exciting opportunities to give.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right, right.

[Jason Galasinski]

And I've got a new analogy that I've been using when I explain this to people.

[Unidentified Guest]

Okay.

[Jason Galasinski]

It's. The analogy is like the Christian camp. Okay. If you think about Christian camp, I'm sure you've been to some as a young adult and I have too. You know, you think about getting on a going to camp. You know, you get out of camp and you're just like, whoa, look at this place. It's really cool. They have like rope courses, they've got games, they have a lake, canoeing, everything. Yeah, yeah, they've got all this stuff and there's, there's a little bit of a shock and awe kind of thing, you know, and then you, you have dinner the first time and it's like, there's lots of food. The people are really nice. You get checked into your quarters. It's like, find yourself a bed. And it's just, you know, and they usually start, you know, camp with some exciting games and get to know you kind of stuff with. Ultimately the whole goal of, you know, camp is to get people to the point where they start to loosen up a bit. And, you know, we want ultimately to get people to think about the relationship with the Lord.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right, Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

So I know there's a lot of young lifes that we work with. And, you know, the whole goal of a young life camp is to give the youth the best experience of their lives so that they. They just walk away going, wow, God is good. But during that time, during that experience, you know, where they're having worship, they're having prayer, they're hearing challenging messages, and ultimately, you know, the. The ultimate desire is that they will either make a commitment for Christ or be renewed in their commitment for Christ.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

But it ultimately gets to the point where the Holy Spirit starts working.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

And that's really the magic of camp. Like, if you. If camp. If we did all the motions of camp, but it didn't actually get to that point where the Holy Spirit did something, then we might even say that was a complete waste of time. It was fun, it was enjoyable, but God didn't show up. And, wow, we might need to reevaluate how things happen here. But ultimately, a good camp experience is where God shows up and God works in the hearts of his children and something happens. And that's the same with giving.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

That's what we're doing with the perfect vision. Enter. So a lot of people, you might be thinking, wow, this perfect vision, inner thing, they're manipulating or they're doing all this. And no, it's ultimately, we're trying to build that camp experience, in a sense, where we're setting the stage, where we're allowing. We're getting to the point where after the presentation, the Holy Spirit has the freedom now to start working on people's hearts. And so we kind of work towards what we refer to as this whole holy moment where the opportunities have been presented, the vision is clear, people know what they gotta do. And ultimately, we want people to pray and seek the Lord and what he would have them respond and give to the opportunity. So that's called absolute trust. As development directors, we're giving the Holy Spirit the freedom to work in people's hearts.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

We're not trying to control everything, because I think practically speaking, it's easier to try to control things yourself.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right, right.

[Jason Galasinski]

To say, well, I'm going to sell tickets, I'm going to get sponsors, I'm going to do everything myself so that I know that I'm not going to.

[Jim Dempsey]

Lose money or even buy underwriting and sponsorship as well.

[Jason Galasinski]

Yeah. And what we're trying to do is we're trying to get People to a point where God can work on their hearts, and then he prompts their heart to give a certain amount.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

And we find that when that happens, the amounts tend to be more.

[Jim Dempsey]

That's when great things happen because the Holy Spirit tends to work in abundance.

[Jason Galasinski]

Yeah.

[Jim Dempsey]

Well, one of the key quotes that Roden and Frank bring up is this. This is the battle you must win within your organization. In every encounter, with every giving partner, there will come a moment when you will step back and entrust the giving decision solely into the hands of God. This must be done with both faith and confidence that our God of abundance will lead his people to be good stewards in an amount that's adequate for you to do the work of which he called you. It's that moment, Jason, where you have to muster up that faith, that confidence, to be able to say, Mr. And Mrs. Kalasinski, will you help our ministry with a generous gift of $25,000? And then be quiet and let the processing happen. Let the Holy Spirit work. Because when you start to add in your own. Now, did I mention about the added benefit? And we give you a free T shirt and a mug for every gift of $5,000 or more. And did I mention that if you give now, there's extra, you know, you want to add more. And like you said, we want to control a situation. And there's a point where we need to drop all of our guard and just leave it in the Lord's hands and let the Holy Spirit work in their heart. It's exactly what we do with our perfect Vision Dinner. Jason. There is a point where we just put that out there. We put the opportunities out there for people to be involved, and we trust God to do big things. That's what we're talking about.

[Jason Galasinski]

So ask yourself, is your organization one that is built on absolute trust, or are you putting all your eggs in your basket?

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah.

[Jason Galasinski]

Tough question to ask.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah. I think that's Rodin and Frank's question. And I think it's such a good one because that, you know, is it my power? Is it my ability that's getting this gift? And that's why, Jason, we will say with our perfect Vision Dinner strategy, that you can follow all the methods, but ultimately God has to move.

[Jason Galasinski]

Yep.

[Unidentified Guest]

Yeah.

[Jason Galasinski]

And we're really, I mean, after 3,000 vision dinners, you know, we know, you know, the environment that needs to be in place in order for the Holy Spirit to be at work.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right. If.

[Jason Galasinski]

If the kids came off the bus and there was a. A preacher standing right there. Saying, repent now and turn from your sin and follow God. Right now, you know, probably 80, 90% of them would be like, put me back on that bus.

[Jim Dempsey]

Right, exactly.

[Jason Galasinski]

Don't want to.

[Jim Dempsey]

Right, right.

[Jason Galasinski]

So, you know, as a camp director that, you know, there's certain things that need to happen, and then over time, we'll get to this point where the Holy Spirit will be able to work.

[Jim Dempsey]

You need to put them in an environment that's going to allow the Holy Spirit to work.

[Jason Galasinski]

And so that's exactly what the perfect vision then is. You know, we're not manipulating. We're not doing some strong sales arm kind of thing.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

But we are creating the environment that we know the Holy Spirit tends to use to get people to this holy moment where we, you know, we can do our part. We say this a lot in the course. We do our part. We do the 300 steps needed to get to the point where this moment can happen. But then it's a partnership.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

You know, we need God to work and show up, too. So we encourage our students to have an attitude of prayer as they're going through the perfect vision in our mentorship program. And a lot of them, like, if you listen to a lot of the testimonies on our website, a lot of them have said, you know, after going through the program, like, wow, this was a crisis of faith for me. This program really caused me to get on my knees a lot more.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

And that's kind of the whole point, right. Is that you're starting to depend on God more and. And you're starting to ask others to depend on God more. So. Well, that leads us to our third point, which is being a blessing.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yes.

[Jason Galasinski]

Why don't you talk a little bit about how is development being a blessing to this?

[Jim Dempsey]

Well, it's so important. I mean, number one, we know that development is about relationships, and we provide people with an opportunity to be blessed by God. We bless them through our relationship. We bless them with a connection between us and God. And we bless them through the ability to be part of a program and a strategy that's making a difference for the kingdom. So we are providing. Providing them with an amazing opportunity to be blessed by God. And that, to me, is. Is tremendous. Some of the supporting scripture behind that, Philippians 4:15 through to 17 says, Moreover, as you, Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except. Except you only. For even when I was In Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts. What I desire is that more be credited to your account. So essentially, Paul is saying that the Macedonian people were those people who were unique in their giving. And it isn't that Paul sought to be blessed by God himself, which he was by their gift, but he sought the blessing that God would give them because of their generosity. And so by providing them an opportunity to be blessed by God, that's what his ministry was doing, was providing an opportunity for them to be blessed by God. And. And that was uniquely powerful. And the second verse behind that, 2 Corinthians 9, 6, 9, remember this. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.

[Jason Galasinski]

I think that's the key word that each one should give according to what you have decided in your heart.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yes.

[Jason Galasinski]

And that's really of what we were getting at with what we're doing at the vision dinner is we're getting them to the point where they. They start praying and they start seeking. Well, what. What is the opportunity? Yes, that is on my heart.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah. What's God placed?

[Jason Galasinski]

What is God on their heart?

[Jim Dempsey]

Not by human standards, that. Well, I know in my wallet I've got $5, but instead saying, God, what are you wanting me to give? And that could be significantly more. That could be adding 1, 2, 3 zeros to that $5 they have in their wallet, for sure.

[Jason Galasinski]

Worked not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.

[Jim Dempsey]

Absolutely. Yep. And God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written, they have freely scattered their gifts to the poor. Their righteousness endures forever. So the output, the outcome, the result, the bottom line is that they will make a difference and there will be abundance.

[Jason Galasinski]

So what they say in the book here is biblical development is all about bringing opportunities for blessing into the lives of God's people as they are challenged to be faithful stewards. So really, and I think maybe you coined this term, but that biblical development is really, we need to look at ourselves as blessing brokers.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yes. Well, I'd love to be able to just. Just call that my quote, but that really came from one of my mentors, Larry Onan, who. Who talked about Being a blessings broker, just as a financial broker for Merrill lynch or A.G. edwards, is selling stock in a particular company so that we can be blessed by that. We know that when we give to God's work, He's going to bless. That scripture just tells us over and over again. So what my role is, is to provide people with opportunities to be blessed by God. And if we look at it that way, we're not beggars, we're not someone who pleads with people to give money. We are providing them an opportunity to be blessed by God. That changes our whole perspective on what we do, how we do ministry, and how we do development.

[Jason Galasinski]

So the key word there's, I think is opportunity. Yes, right. So changing from need to opportunity. And, you know, if you just think like, well, I need to pay my rent, I need to provide. I need to pay for payroll for my staff, I need books, I need resources. Well, flip that around to say, what are the opportunities that we can present? So what does paying rent do? What does paying payroll do? Well, it enables you to have ministry. How does that ministry affect people?

[Jim Dempsey]

Yes.

[Jason Galasinski]

You know, so starting to think about the impact that you're having and then flipping the need into an opportunity for people to make an impact in their community.

[Jim Dempsey]

Needs come across so desperate and can border on guilt. And that's the last thing we want to do. We don't want to manipulate people. We want to motivate people. And people are motivated by opportunities and outcomes, Jason. And it's so important that we continue to put those opportunities before people.

[Jason Galasinski]

So the question that they ask in this book is, will you allow God to cultivate in your spirit the heart of a sower, the one who seeks to be a blessing in the lives of your giving partners?

[Jim Dempsey]

I love that.

[Jason Galasinski]

So really, these mindsets are all about ministry when you think about development as a ministry. So the premise here, I'm going to read it directly. It says we are created. Now, this is believers in Christ. It says, we are created to be one kingdom people. Okay. That is that God created and redeemed his children in his kingdom where he and he alone is Lord. Makes sense, right? As one kingdom people, we know that everything belongs to God, and we respond by living as faithful stewards. The problem, however, is sin. And that it tempts us to build a second kingdom where we play the role of Lord over things, or we believe that we own or have control over things. It could be said that the entire cosmic battle between good and evil is played out in the arena of the two Kingdom living. When we submit to the temptation to believe that we are in control of our own kingdom, which is exactly what. What Satan wants us to believe. That's like the message of every single movie out there, right?

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

It's like, this is your life. You live the way you want to live.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jim Dempsey]

Well, that goes back to Adam and Eve, you know, where you can be a God yourself.

[Jason Galasinski]

Yeah. So when we submit to the temptation to believe that we are in control of our own kingdom, we treat money as something that we ultimately own. And when we do this, you cannot be faithful, generous stewards.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right?

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah. We're not just tipping God. I mean, it's his money. And we don't want to get into this alternate world where we are just working through our kingdom. We've got to make sure we understand that we don't own anything, that God is the steward.

[Jason Galasinski]

Well, you kind of mentioned this at the beginning of this episode where you said a lot of people live like, where we own 90% and we tip God the 10%. So they treat the tithe as almost a tip or a tax in a sense of like, well, God. God requires me of. To give, you know, 10%, but it's like, it's my duty to do that because God loves me so much. And I, you know, I dutifully tithe, you know, but you're not doing it of joy, you're not doing it of abundance, you know, so can God use that? Sure.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah.

[Jason Galasinski]

But ultimately, you know, what we're trying to get at here with these four paradigms is it's more of an area of surrender of the heart. Right. Like, we want. Want people to get to the point where they're fully surrendered to God.

[Jim Dempsey]

A couple scripture verses that I want to read that I think are so important to understand. The first One is Matthew 6, 1921. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rodents destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rodents do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there, where your heart will be also. And we talked about that so often. It's so important that Jesus is showing us, as you've mentioned before, that your treasure leads out and that shows your heart.

[Jason Galasinski]

Matthew 6:24 says, no one can serve two masters. Either you hate one and love the other, or you'll be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yes.

[Jason Galasinski]

That is really the struggle of the human nature.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

We have to earn money to live. At the same time, we need to be careful that we don't become a slave to that money. And it's so easy to become that, especially if we listen to the world's wisdom which says, you've got to save, you've got to plan for retirement, you got to do all these things. It can feel like we're being wise, but at the same time, you know, you can just get on this treadmill of just never ending making money positions.

[Jim Dempsey]

Absolutely. And, and it's so important for us to remember it's not money itself, it's the love of money. So God gives a lot of people the ability to raise an abundance of money, and that's not the bad thing. But if that money becomes your God, that's when you've got the problem. And that's what we've got to help our partners to understand.

[Jason Galasinski]

And really, when we talk about idols and idols of the heart, it really does boil down to a heart issue.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

How do I know that money is an idol of my heart? Well, one of the pastors I listened to says anything that you put before God in terms of priority is an idol of the heart. And so if, if God isn't your number one priority, your 401k plan is, or, you know, whatever of possessions are or investments are, then you know that you have a heart problem with that. You know, they become an idol of the heart. And so that is. That is an area that a lot of people struggle with, but they don't realize they struggle with it. So that's where the ministry opportunity comes in, as development directors is to be able to present this in a way where they see that, wow, this is an investment into the kingdom.

[Jim Dempsey]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

You know, this isn't about just giving Jim Dempsey money. You know, it's more about making an eternal impact. So our job as development directors is really to, you know, help them see that from a different way. And that's why we call this the four paradigms.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

You know, of development. So this is really what we refer to as a 101 principle.

[Unidentified Guest]

Yes.

[Jason Galasinski]

You know, and this isn't called fundraising 101. It's called development 101.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

The difference between fundraising and development is that fundraising is all about extracting money out of people in clever ways.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

Treating people like an atm.

[Jim Dempsey]

It's very transactional, immediate returns.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

And development is about the things that we just talked about right now, the.

[Jim Dempsey]

Long term, eternal perspective on things.

[Unidentified Guest]

Right.

[Jason Galasinski]

So the final question to Think about that. Frank and Roden said in this section is, does your organization operate from the two kingdom or the one kingdom worldview? Now, how does an organization operate from a two kingdom view?

[Jim Dempsey]

Well, once again, it's as you mentioned earlier, where you set up your kingdom and God has his kingdom and the two are separate, they're not together. And so you're giving out of your kingdom resources that you've developed. This is my company, this is my business, this is my.

[Jason Galasinski]

That happen in ministry though?

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah.

[Jason Galasinski]

I mean you're running a Christian ministry. Can, can you be in ministry and running a nonprofit and still have the two kingdom mindset?

[Jim Dempsey]

Well, the organization, it's understanding that there the question here wants us, how does, does our organization look at our donors as if they've got one kingdom or two kingdom from that standpoint. And so we've got to trust God that his resources are going to provide. Remember, who owns your organization? Does God own your organization or you own it? So when you've got financial problems and you've got bills to pay, you got payroll to make, are you going to own that or are you going to allow God to own that situation? God wants to own it and you need to let him own it.

[Jason Galasinski]

So the four biblical paradigms of development are number one, abundance mentality. Yes. Number two, absolute trust, number three, being a blessing, and number four, one kingdom living.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yes.

[Jason Galasinski]

Now if we embrace these things as a ministry, then suddenly development seems to be kind of an exciting mission.

[Jim Dempsey]

It is an exciting opportunity.

[Jason Galasinski]

I think you know about that mission field for the last 40 years over at Cruise, so. Well, Jim, thanks for bringing this to our attention. And hopefully this gives you just a little bit more of a context for where we're coming from. So when we talk about our three programs, we, we have the perfect vision inner mentorship program which leads to the winner's circle. The Winner's circle is really where we dive deeply into development. The, the perfect vision dinner is more about that initial vision dinner. It's more practical and, and getting you to plan and execute that vision dinner to raise six figures for your nonprofit, but then also getting, you know, 40, 50% new people in the room that ultimately leads to the success of getting into the winner circle and into the winner's circle. This is a three year program where Jim and I really unpack all these development principles in depth and then practically kind of lay out like, how does this actually play out day to day? You know, it's, it's one thing to, to understand the concept, but like what do I do on Monday? What do I do next month? What do I do at year end? How does this all, like, play out? So that's what we all cover in the winner's circle. So all the programs that we've developed here at Fundraising Masterminds all have this development 101 foundation. It's something that we have seen God bless time and time again. And we've raised millions and millions and millions of dollars for the kingdom through this model, through the system. And if you're listening to this and you're thinking, wow, you know, I've tried fundraising before. I've tried all these things. I've never tried this. I would encourage you to take a step of faith and give it a try. It's going to bring you to your knees, it's going to get you closer to the Lord, and it's going to put you on a much stronger path for sustainability. Ultimately, we have seen God provide countless times through this method and we believe that, that he can bless your organization as well. So definitely check us out. There's a link in the description that will hook you up with the our programs and get you started with the perfect Vision Dinner. Remember, if you enjoyed this podcast episode to subscribe, we'd love to hear your comments on what you thought of this episode. So definitely drop something in the comments just so that we can keep in touch with with you. And be sure to check out other episodes of the Fundraising Masterminds podcast. There's over a hundred now, so if you like this, chances are there's other things. So you can check that out on our YouTube channel or on our Spotify channel or Apple Podcasts. Wherever podcasts are found, we're in there. So check it out, subscribe and hopefully we will see you next time.

[Jim Dempsey]

Take care.