You have a great appreciation for all of the remarkable electronic equipment and software that is available. You understand, however, that the computer does not take the place of calling on someone personally for a gift – not anymore than a pencil substitutes for literacy.

Milton Murray sums it up best of all, ‘One of the most significant changes in our field is the new development in high technology. High-tech, low-touch is what many of our people are about these days. We have to work against that.

‘We need the personal touch. If we lose that, it becomes just a business, not a ministry.’

I love the comment of Si Seymour, the great doyen of fundraising. He wrote, ‘You don’t get milk from a cow by sending a letter. You don’t get milk by calling on the phone. You get milk from a cow by sitting next to it and milking her.’

You understand that the techniques of the business are not important. That is not what will make you successful.

The technicians know ‘how’. But that’s not the heart and soul of our work. You must know the effectiveness and power of the personal touch.