A GIFT FOR YOU, YOUR SUPPORTERS & YOUR COMMUNITY: RCE
We have all become accustomed to Taking Donors Seriously (TDS) and for 30 years it has served Young Life well. Under the guidelines of innovation and wanting to give our ministries the best opportunity to reach more kids, we have a new YL DNA approach to adult development called Relationship Centered Engagement. Relationship Centered Engagement is a transformational approach on how to develop adult relationships as compared to just raising money. Biblical truths transcend Relationship Centered Engagement and they apply to developing a new ministry, recruiting a prayer team or raising your area budget.
WHY RELATIONSHIP CENTERED ENGAGEMENT (RCE)?
To help you reach kids in your area through engaging adults to more effectively engage the Lord, the Scriptures, and current/future generations of financial supporters.
To develop a biblical philosophy and practice of fundraising to enhance field staff and committee engagement with local Young Life supporters.
To develop a field-based fundraising philosophy and practice that moves toward a more practical, sustainable, and year-round fundraising method that fits within the context of the local Young Life area.
To develop executable year-round adult engagement plans for field staff and committee to consistently engage local adults in the Young Life area.
RCE VALUES
That we would grow in our relationship with Jesus and possess scriptural insight about how mission work is funded in the Bible.
That we are more inclusive in the way we fundraise, meaning it makes fundraising more accessible for all staff and committee members.
That field staff and local committee members would practice incarnational relationship development with financial supporters in the local area.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO:
Consistent Prayer — speaking and listening to the Lord. Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
Walking in Faith — as we fundraise.
Valuing and stewarding relationships — that the Lord has provided (even more than money). Building one another up — and facing our fears in fundraising.
Anchoring — our fundraising theology in the Scriptures; allowing the experience of Jesus’ mission work in the world to impact how we think about fundraising.
Aligning — our adult engagement work more closely to our incarnational work with kids.
ENGAGEMENT LEVELS
The goal is to invite adults in our communities into deeper relationship and involvement with Young Life. We have had practical levels of involvement in our ministry with kids for years, but now we have a way to think about these levels for adults.
AWARE – adults who have no local experience, but we know “of” them in some way. We are not sure what they think of Young Life or if they have had any experience with the mission.
INTERESTED – adults who have some experience locally with Young Life but are not currently participating in a meaningful way.
INVOLVED - adults who are participating in the ministry, but there is opportunity and potential for deeper involvement in the local Young Life work.
INVESTED - adults who are significantly and consistently generous and contributing to the local Young Life work.
ADVOCATES - adults who invest and invite others in their sphere of influence to be involved in Young Life.
ENGAGEMENT CYCLE:
The Donor Engagement Cycle is a process that happens with adults in our community many times over to invite them into a deeper level of engagement. You can also think of it as an inviting or asking cycle.
Relationship Centered Engagement is intentionally reaching out to adults in our area to invite them in more deeply to a relationship with Young Life through another caring adult. Let’s reach out!
Resources:
https://staff.younglife.org/Mission-Services/Field-Development/Pages/DonorCare/default.aspx