Talking to Erick and Elvie of Couples for Christ – United Arab Emirates (CFC–UAE), you’re struck by their unassuming demeanor. They are the antithesis of the stereotype of arrogant Filipino expats who earn in dollars and make sure you know it.
A former head of CFC-UAE, Erick has been in the community for the past 28 years, after responding to a friend’s Yahoo group invitation to join the Christian Life Program (CLP) back in April 1996.
Erick and Elvie met and fell in love in college, and it’s interesting to note that — like many CFC members — their CFC covenant cards are nearly as old as their marriage.
Together, they once led one of the most active donor bases of CFC ANCOP with 10,000 members strong. Whether they like it or not, the image of a Filipino working in the Middle East often conjures up visions of gold bars, sky-high exchange rates, and oil wealth.
Transform the heart, transform generosity
This may give the impression that the UAE’s support for CFC ANCOP is boundless simply because members have money to spare.
The truth, however, is more nuanced and edifying. It is ultimately a matter of transforming the heart.
“The way we encourage [our members], [we say that] it’s not the amount that really matters, but the heart that we put into the offering,” Erick explained.
This strong sense of unity makes it possible for CFC members — some of whom do not even own their own homes — to share their hard-earned money so that displaced families can have places to live.
Erick reveals that many community members in the UAE face their own financial struggles, but it is precisely the privilege of giving to those who can never repay them that sustains their generosity.
“When you support scholars you don’t even know [by sending them to school], people become happy… It becomes an answer to their prayers, and that really gives inspiration to our members,” he added.
Understanding the ‘why’
When a group of people achieves great things, it is usually because they understand the “why.”
Erick, a procurement specialist in Dubai, explained that understanding the deeper reason behind the community’s Heart for the Poor program is essential to members’ steady support.
Through the years — even after Erick’s term — formation has fostered a growing sense of stewardship in CFC-UAE.
“We are merely instruments of God… And we strengthen and empower our members through stewardship. It is very important that they will truly understand why we give and where all that giving goes,” he said.
To date, CFC-UAE has funded the construction of 103 houses across five communities and continues to be one of CFC ANCOP’s most responsive donor areas.
It was also one of the few countries that was quick to sponsor a mobile clinic, the Build My Church campaign, and the funding for the construction of a school dormitory in East Timor — not to mention the multiple donation drives for natural calamities that devastate the Philippines each year like clockwork.
The secret of the two envelopes
Concretely speaking, what is CFC-UAE’s secret?
The winning strategy boils down to two questions that — if left unaddressed over time – can ultimately derail long-running fundraising efforts: the why and the how.
CFC-UAE’s “why” is inescapably linked to gratitude and a clear understanding that everything they have comes from the Lord.
The “how” is a fascinating combination of foresight and a keen understanding of human habits.
CFC-UAE’s strong culture of giving was nurtured by what can only be described as “tithing twice.”
Every month, members receive two envelopes: one brown, for evangelization work in the UAE and in the 23 other countries where it carries out mission work; and one white, for CFC ANCOP.
By doing this, Erick explained, donating to CFC ANCOP becomes almost automatic for the members.
“[Giving to ANCOP is] regular… You know, when you start putting something in, it becomes your norm, it becomes your lifestyle,” he said.
God’s economics
In a purely secular setting, people will tend to lose the drive to keep supporting a cause.
Like any muscle, the heart can grow tired. But CFC-UAE seems to make the words of Ehud Barak ring true: “The Middle East is a region where predictions go to die.”
The providential “prediction” is that as long as CFC-UAE loves God, it will remain generous.
Now that’s something to bank on.
