Ministry budget? No excuses. You can do it.

I know that money can be an obstacle.

But David Garibaldi illustrates beautifully – with dollar store supplies – that skill, experience, and God-given talent are what matter in the end.

Who is this guy? David was once an angsty kid without a dime in South Sacramento. These days, he’s gaining national attention on NBC’s America’s Got Talent variety contest. He’s well-known for his performance art style combining paint, music, and dance (check out his portrait of Christ). He’s now recruited fellow artists to create a dance/performing art act (David Garibaldi and His CMYKs) that’s earned even hard-to-please Howard Stern’s respect.

OK, well…I’m not a renowned artist, and I need money. I know! You need crayons for CCD class. TV for your classroom. FinalCut for your TV station. Domain name for your website. I know; I’ve been there.

ADVICE  FOR THE DOWNTRODDEN & DISHEARTENED:

Determination and grace can make things happen.

Your mustard-seed faith will probably not make iPads appear out of thin air today. But that same faith can find creative ways to raise money, apply for grants, ask for donated iPads, and make things happen. EX:

• When Catholic Rock Band X toured with Headlining Christian Band X several years ago, CRBX asked me to design their promotional flyer. They’d seen my previous work and ‘digged’ it. What they didn’t know? I’d been using nothing but Microsoft Paint, because I couldn’t afford anything better.
• For the first two years of my professional career, I used truly sub-standard equipment and software at the nonprofit where I work. But I refused to let that excuse even a typo on our newsletter. After recognizing that high-quality print and web materials made a difference for our Catholic ministry, my employers happily put in some extra sweat to earn the funds to purchase industry-standard design software and equipment for my office.

Listen: Your lack of money gives you no excuses to generate poor results. You’ve got to be creative. This is God’s work you’re doing. What will you tell Him in the end? “You should have given me more money…”?

God knows what you need. Christ assured us that God, the ultimate Father, gives his children what they need (cf. Lk 11:9-13).

But He doesn’t always drop gifts in your lap (cf. Lk 11:5-8).

The only defeat in life is to yield to difficulty, to abandon the struggle. For man, to die fighting is to win… Keep high standards!
- Blessed James Alberione

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