We’ve been writing all week this week about ethnic fundraising as a crucial question facing Transformational Giving (TG), since, unlike traditional transactional fundraising (ttf) which views ethnic fundraising as simply one potential vehicle among many to raise funds to cover the budget, TG takes as its purpose the coaching of champions into the fullness of Christ in relation to the cause God has given us to advance.

But since TG stresses that the champion is responsible for advancing the cause in his or her sphere of influence, and since more and more of us are a part of more and more homogeneous spheres of influence, we have to ask:

Who is going to reach the people who are not like us?

Do we need to add some kind of artificial corrective to TG that says, ‘Reach the people in your sphere of influence, but then also try to reach a few folks who aren’t like you so that your cause can fully spread’?

I never like to start making addendums to TG that way. It reminds me of the astronomer, Tyco Brahe, who preceded Copernicus. Despite the mounting evidence that the sun and stars didn’t revolve around the earth, Brahe insisted that not only did stars follow cycles around the earth, but that the unusual movements that made it seem like they didn’t were due to something called ‘epicycles’ and ‘epicycles upon epicycles’.

If your system requires epicycles, that ain’t good.

So, since TG is nothing other than an exposition of what the scripture teaches about being fully formed in the image of Christ, before we add any ethnic fundraising epicycles, let’s ask:

Does the Bible have anything to say about how and why causes spread beyond the immediate, homogeneous sphere of influence of champions?

The answer is clearly, emphatically:

Oh my. Yes.

Turns out the whole New Testament can be understand in light of this phenomenon. It is, in a very real way, a textbook and a description of exactly how and why Kingdom causes spread to people who are not like us.

• Halfway through Matthew’s gospel, Jesus says, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel‘. By the end of the book he’s saying, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations‘. Is this a strategy change–an epicycle?
• The Apostle Paul portrays it as an intentional development. Writes three chapters about this, in fact: Romans 9-11. Even says things like Romans 1:16–‘I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of salvation for everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile‘.
• Note the consistent approach Paul takes as he spreads the gospel. First he visits the synagogue and shares the message for as long as he can (see, among many examples, Acts 14:1, Acts 17:2, Acts 18:4). As he is rejected, he then turns to take the gospel to the Gentiles.

So what’s the lesson here as relates to reaching beyond our homogeneous sphere of influence?

It’s what we do next if and when own sphere of influence rejects us, which, as Paul points out in Romans 9-11, typically has God’s purpose beyond it in spreading the cause.

Permit me a personal example:

You’ll recall that my wife and I founded Seoul USA going on a decade ago. One division of Seoul USA is Voice of The Martyrs-Korea, tasked with spreading the message of the persecuted church to South Koreans the way that Voice of The Martyrs-US is tasked with spreading the message to Americans and Voice of The Martyrs-Canada is tasked with reaching Canadians.

But here’s the problem:

South Korean churches are cool to VOM-Korea because it is non-denominational, and its leader is a layperson, not a pastor. For South Koreans, there’s another term for a non-denominational ministry led by a layperson:

A cult.

So when the Seoul USA board met last week, we discussed a variety of alternatives:

• We could appoint a ‘pastor representative’ for each denomination
• We could declare a denomination for VOM-Korea
• We chould approach major pastors in an effort to win them over and have them pronounce us credible

This is a major issue, since 10 of the 11 largest churches in the world are located in Seoul, South Korea. That’s a lot of potential champions and partners!

Now, all of these ideas the board suggested are possible and in fact quite feasible. But Seoul USA’s stated purpose is to equip outcasts to reach other outcasts like themselves.

And that’s what VOM-US President Jim Dau, who is one of the Seoul USA board of directors, exhorted the board to remember. He then got all scriptural and pointed out how every open door that VOM/Korea has had has been to North Koreans.

Conclusion?

God is holding closed the door to South Korea at present while laying the welcome mat out in front of the North Korean door. Or, stated more directly: VOM/Korea can and should begin by reaching North Koreans in South Korea, not South Koreans.

This raised the question:

‘But South Koreans have all the money. North Koreans are broke! How will we raise money?’

I knew at that moment we were in the rarified air of TG.

To the Seoul USA board’s credit, they decided to approve Jim’s recommendation, trusting that if we follow God’s will for our organization, the Transformational Giving of North Koreans will do abundantly and exceedingly more than the quantifably juicier gifts from South Korean churches could ever do.

We’ll keep you updated and let you know how it all goes.

In the mean time, take a closer look at the New Testament for coaching related to ethnic champion development. By following New Testament principles (and Pauline coaching principles) to their logical conclusion, you may end up with your very own Seoul USA experience, as God reorients your champion coaching program around an ethnicity so far out of your sphere of influence that it could only be God!