When Taylor University speaks about advancement or fundraising, we do not begin with strategy. We begin with theology.
In the University’s Theology of Advancement, fundraising is not transactional; it is pastoral. It is not about extracting resources but about inviting participation in God’s redemptive work through Christian higher education. Advancement, rightly understood, is discipleship. It is stewardship. It is worship.
That is why the Life to the Full campaign has been such a profound blessing.
The phrase itself echoes Jesus’ promise in Gospel of John 10:10 — that He came so that we “may have life, and have it to the full.” This campaign has never merely been about buildings or balance sheets. It has been about amplifying a mission where students flourish spiritually, intellectually, physically, and vocationally.
Consider some of what has emerged over the last four years, fully funded through philanthropy.
The new School of Nursing is not simply an academic expansion; it is a Kingdom investment in caregivers who will carry Christ’s compassion into hospitals, clinics, and underserved communities.
Endowed scholarships are not just a means to an end; they are testimonies — ensuring that students called to Taylor are not turned away because of financial barriers. Each of the 700+ endowed scholarships represents a donor saying, “We believe in you.”
The Horne Academic Center strengthens the ability to send storytellers into an industry devoid of the Christian faith. The Roth Center for Missions Computing harnesses the skills and abilities of our students and faculty to make a difference for under resourced Kingdom organizations.
The Cornwall School of Business and Leadership equips students as business professionals who will advance God’s Kingdom in the marketplace.
Yost Pavilion and Cunningham Plaza create spaces where community is cultivated. Stillman Fieldhouse and the Athletics Weight Room support the development of discipline, teamwork, and resilience — virtues that shape Christian leaders as surely as any classroom lecture. New tennis and pickleball courts foster fellowship, joy, and embodied community in a generation hungry for connection.
And the vision for a chapel that can gather the entire student body under one roof — that may be the most powerful symbol of all. At Taylor, worship is not an extracurricular activity. It is central to our identity. To bring every student together in a shared rhythm of praise, confession, and commissioning is to say clearly: Christ remains the center.
But if the Life to the Full campaign has been a blessing, it is because of something deeper than money and improvements.
Our donors give because they believe in our students. They give because they believe in the mission — to develop servant-leaders marked with a passion to minister Christ’s redemptive love, grace, and truth to a world in need. They give because they believe Taylor has a distinct and enduring role in the Kingdom of God.
And we must say this clearly: we are not entitled to any of it.
All the resources required to carry out God’s Kingdom work come from Him through those He has entrusted to manage His resources.
Christian philanthropy is an act of obedience and discernment. Every gift represents prayer, sacrifice, and trust. Some donors give from abundance; others give sacrificially. All give because they sense God’s leading, and they care deeply about specific projects. Our responsibility, then, is sacred. We have an obligation — spiritual and moral — to use every gift for the purposes for which it was given.
Restricted gifts must remain restricted. Endowments must be stewarded prudently. Capital gifts must fund the capital projects agreed upon at the time of the gift. Transparency is not optional; it is part of our witness. The credibility of Christian higher education depends not merely on outcomes, but on integrity.
Taylor’s Theology of Advancement reminds us that stewardship is not about ownership. “The earth is the Lord’s,” as the psalmist declares. We are caretakers, not proprietors. The campus improvements, the scholarships, the expanded programs — these are entrusted resources for the flourishing of students and the glory of God.
The Life to the Full campaign is therefore more than a successful fundraising initiative. It is a testimony. It is evidence that the broader Christian community believes deeply in what happens in Upland, Indiana. It is a vote of confidence in a generation of students who will become nurses, pastors, teachers, entrepreneurs, missionaries, scientists, and parents — ambassadors for Christ in countless arenas.
If we receive this blessing with humility, steward it with integrity, and deploy it with mission clarity, the fruit will extend far beyond improvements within our campus borders.
Fullness of life is not found in facilities. It is found in faithfulness.
May we be found as faithful stewards.
Mike Falder, EdD
Vice President for Advancement
