Casey Cease

I have been involved in fundraising in various capacities for over thirteen years, and I have learned a lot along the way.  As I visit with new church planters, and people trying to start non-profits, I am surprised at how many people really are clueless about fundraising.  I assumed that since it made sense to me, that everyone knew how to do it.  My pride was blinding.  People need help and I’m determined to give it.

This first post is going to provide 3 No-No’s for fundraising.  These are the things that you need to avoid at all cost.  Please note: I am writing this from a Christian perspective in view of those trying to raise money for ministry/church plants. Continue reading →

A little over a year ago I decided to stop taking medication for my Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). When I was taking meds, man could I focus, and this made my quiet times very fruitful. I would sit and journal, read my Bible, and pray consistently, but when I stopped the meds, things began to change.

While I still was fairly consistent in reading the Scriptures and praying, the quality of the time I was putting in was far less than I was used to (thank God for grace!). It was such a struggle to focus and to be able to sit still long enough to accomplish very much. I was used to reading multiple chapters in the Bible when I had my quiet time, but this was becoming almost impossible to do on a daily basis. Continue reading →

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. – Matthew 20:26-28 (ESV)

I have a friend named Neil who was very helpful early on in my travelling ministry. He is about 15 years older than I am and had been travelling for quite some time when we first met in 2002. After I had been on the road for a while, we would meet at our normal meeting spot, IHOP, and have breakfast. He looked at me briefly while he ate his breakfast and asked, “Have you been messed over by a church hosting you for an event yet?”

Not sure how to answer at first, I decided that honesty would be the best way forward so I said, “Yes. Several times.”

Neil looked at me and said, “Good.” He then continued to eat his self-made breakfast burrito. Continue reading →