Philippians 1:3-5
“I thank my God every time I remember you.
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy
because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…”
For nearly 12 years, I was a part of the Advancement Department at Gardner-Webb University. From the Christian Service Organization to the Mission Endowment Fund, to the Bulldog Club and grant writing to GWU’s foundation partners, I was an integral part of a fundraising team and experienced different types of fundraising for many causes at the university.
When you ask a foundation to support your organization, they are quite literally set up to give funds away to worthy projects that align with their mission. However, when you sit down with an individual to ask them to support you with a gift, fundraising can be difficult. Make no mistake, it is hard to ask people for money. They have their own families to support, bills to pay, etc. But there is one major thing that always made asking for a gift a LOT easier—believing in the mission.
If you believe in what you are asking someone to support, you trust that God is going to provide for the need. The PSBC mission statement says that we “exist as a group of Christian believers, bound by the common call to share God’s love and the plan of salvation in this community and around the world. In response to this call, our church will disciple all believers and provide learning and worship experiences in the warm spirit of Christian fellowship.” I believe in our mission and absolutely think the Cornerstone Building plays a vital role in that mission.
In 2015, our church began a serious conversation about needing a new building. We needed better ministry spaces for children, music, and church staff. We unanimously said, “We need this building.” We opened the doors in 2019 and for the last six years, there has been tremendous ministry work that has happened within its walls.
Now, we come to a crossroads. As announced two weeks ago, in March 2026, the church will have to refinance the loan or pay it off. We believe the best ministry path forward is to pay off the loan and be free of debt. To pay off our building and set ourselves up to pay for needed upcoming maintenance to various places on our campus, we have set a goal of raising $250,000 between now and next March.
PSBC did not get to where we are in six years by just dreaming about giving. This church has been extremely faithful to fund the need that we saw in 2015. Without consistent, dedicated giving over the last six years, we would not be able to think about paying off the loan by next year. It is now time for one final push. We push because we believe in what we are doing. It is not about paying off our own clubhouse. We push because we know the value of the Kingdom work being done in this place.
It is impossible to fully gauge the effect that our ministries could have—no device can measure the eternal implications of the work of the church to share the Gospel of Jesus.
Let’s be radically generous in all that we do and be amazed at how God uses us for His Kingdom.
How is He calling you to join us in reaching our goal?
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the opportunity we have to invest in the ministry of Poplar Springs. Help us to be good stewards of all that you have given us. In Jesus’ holy name we pray, amen.