You know how I spent last week's email going on and on about Lenten devotionals and how there were so many of them this year and the marketing lessons we can learn from them?

Well...I'm excited to introduce to you...

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.

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...not another Lenten devotional. 😂

(Sorry, couldn't help it.)

I DO want to talk about Lent though and ask a favor.

You know how you just sometimes get a random idea and instead of just thinking "Huh, interesting thought" like a normal person, you go crazy and create a whole new ministry out of it?

No? Just me?

Well anyway, a few years ago, I started wondering how much money I was saving by skipping two meals and snacks on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Not because I was being frugal...but because I felt like I wanted my fasting to do something.

(Yes, I know there are tons of spiritual benefits to fasting.)

But I was thinking to myself, "I wish there was a way I could donate the food I'm not eating to someone in need."

Normal people would leave it at that.

But I'm not normal, and that's how Fast + Feed was born.​

Fast + Feed is a fasting food savings calculator for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

You simply check off what you would have eaten on a non-fasting day, and the calculator tells you how much money you've saved by fasting.

Then, you can choose to donate that amount to a Catholic charity that gives food to the poor.

Here's the favor: If you've received any sort of value from this newsletter or my free resources, would you please share Fast + Feed with your audience?​

It would truly mean the world to me, because the more people who know about this calculator, the more of our fasted foods we can share with those in need by serving like Jesus taught us.

People for whom "only" one meal would be a huge blessing, not a sacrifice.

And it not only helps to fund charities who feed the poor...

...it also allows people who participate to start off Lent holistically, with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving all connected.

(Plus, if you have a local food pantry, you can even use it to raise donations for your pantry! When you share, just tell people where they can donate locally for Step #3 of the calculator.)

And it's a super easy ask for people to participate in almsgiving even with tight finances.

If you're willing to share (and participate!), just send them to fastandfeed.org (And thank you! 🙏)

If you want more assets, I also have marketing text and graphics in this Google Drive folder to make sharing even easier.

Prayers for a blessed beginning to your Lenten season!

For His greater glory,

Emily

P.S. Lest I leave you without a marketing tip this week: When you can, stick with one call to action. Notice that aside from a reference to last week's newsletter for new people, there is nothing in this email besidesfastandfeed.org, not even my normal book a consult banner at the bottom.

That's because I don't want to clutter up your brain with multiple options. People don't actually want options. They want you to tell them what to do.

Jesus doesn't give people a lot of options in the Gospels. He doesn't say, "Do you want to follow me, or do you want to stay here and tell people here about me?" He tells them directly which one He wants them to do. So we should do the same in our marketing.