Raising and Maintaining Missionary Support (Part 2)

     It is very important to remember that raising support will be of little benefit if it is not maintained. Keeping your supporters informed is essential to keeping them interested and involved in your work. A monthly or bi-monthly written report should be sent to each supporter and perhaps other interested parties. Putting together a well-written report can be very time consuming, but the time is well spent if it enables you to remain supported on the field. Some supporters understand and appreciate the time constraints and are therefore content with a bi-monthly report. However, if a monthly report is expected, a monthly report should be sent. Unless reports are sent electronically, if your sponsoring congregation agrees to reproduce and mail your reports, this will save you an enormous amount of time and expense. 

     If at all possible, a personal visit¹ with your supporters should be planned for every two or three years. This will not only allow you to boost their enthusiasm and answer their questions, it will also give you a much needed break from the work. Although the “furlough” is meant to be restful, it seldom is because of the busy schedule of traveling, visiting, speaking, reporting, etc. However, the change of activities and environment offers a distraction from the normal routine and therefore provides a needed break.

The Fund-Raising Procedure²

·      Develop a strong case. What do you plan to do, why do you wish to do it, and why should anyone want to support you? Make your case biblical, informative, and motivational. Have updated statistics showing the urgent need. Prepare a résumélisting your qualifications for this work.

·      Carefully prepare a budget that explains precisely how much money is needed and exactly how the money will be used. Make sure these figures are carefully researched, up-to-date, accurate, and reasonable.

·      Assign a specific timetable to what you hope to accomplish. When do you intend to be there, what are you doing in the meantime, and what short-term and long-term goals do you have? Rather than waiting to get full support before you set your departure date, step out in faith, set the date, and then work toward that goal.

·      Prepare a list of potential supporters, including churches and individuals. Those who are acquainted with you or your family and those who may already be involved in the geographical area you are targeting will be your best prospects. Even if you know just one person in a congregation who can vouch for you, this is usually better than the “cold turkey” approach. Nevertheless, even if there is no preliminary association, the more names you have on your list, the better.

·      Seek appointments with individuals, elderships, missions committees, and/or congregations. Try to begin your support-raising at the time of year congregations are considering the preparation of their budgets. Write letters to as many prospective supporters as you can come up with, followed by emails, phone calls, and personal visits. Expect a lot of non-responses, a lot of “no” responses, and a lot of excuses. It can be very disheartening to learn how little money is made available for missions because pews are being padded and parking lots are being paved; but bear in mind that every “no” puts you closer to a potential “yes”! You will likely go through a number of refusals in order to get a few good appointments. Even when no support is offered, you can still ask to speak to the congregation anyway and possibly prick the hearts of some who are prepared to contribute individually.

·      Make a brief, well-organized, enthusiastic presentation. Be prepared to answer any number of questions: To whom are you accountable? What do you want to do, how do you intend to do it, and when? Why is this particular request so important? Where is this place and what are the needs? Who else is supporting this work and how much are they giving? Who all recommends this project? Who will be working with you? Leave an attractive printed piece of material that answers these questions and tells how you can be reached.

·      Do careful follow-up. Send thank you letters with additional information. If you haven’t heard anything in a couple of weeks, make phone calls to see if a decision has been made. Often your request is just one of many they are considering, and it may get postponed, misplaced, or forgotten unless you take the initiative to remind them. Maintaining contact is critical.

·      Be accountable for you use of time and money. If you are lax and unreliable on the fundraising trail, don’t expect to generate much confidence in prospective supporters. Paul was very sensitive about how others perceived his handling of funds and his use of time (2 Cor. 8:20-21; 1 Thess. 2:8-10). Remember that you are ultimately answerable to God.

·      Remain calm and collected. Seeking to raise support can be very stressful, but there is no excuse for getting impatient or losing your temper (cf. Gal. 5:22-23). Humility, patience, and kindness during these times of great disappointment can open other doors of opportunity in the future. If you truly believe that God will provide the support you need, the rejection won’t matter very much as you eagerly anticipate the positive responses to come. If a congregation cannot support you because their budget is already stretched to the limit supporting other mission efforts, be thankful!

·      Persevere. To be a successful missionary you can’t be one who easily gives up. You don’t necessarily have to be a good fund-raiser to be a good missionary, but you do have to possess a certain amount of tenacity, endurance, and perseverance. The challenges of raising support can develop and strengthen these qualities and thus make you a better missionary. “Praise God for young men and women who dream of lives dedicated to missions and then endure hardships as good soldiers in order to make their dreams come true” (Howard Norton).

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Acts 14:26-28; 15:3-4; 18:22; 21:19-20; cf. Mark 6:31.

     ² These points are adapted from Howard Norton’s, “How to be a successful fundraiser for missions programs,” in The Christian Chronicle (July 1993): 16.

Related Posts: Raising and Maintaining Missionary Support Part 1

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Raising and Maintaining Missionary Support (Part 1)

     For many missionaries, asking for financial support is one of the least favorite aspects of missionary work. Most missionaries probably wish they could just support themselves, without taking time away from the Lord’s work, and not have to rely on anyone else for assistance. But even if this idealistic scenario were possible, it would probably not be the best way to fund missionary work. If for no other reason, it would deny brethren an opportunity to be involved in worldwide evangelization (cf. Rom. 10:15; 12:8).¹

Secure a Sponsoring Church

     Before anything else is done to raise funds, it is highly recommended that the backing of a good sponsoring congregation is acquired. A missionary ought to be answerable to a faithful eldership, and a strong congregation that feels responsible for him will add more stability and security to his work. Although having all of one’s support provided by a single congregation would considerably cut down on the time and expense of traveling, fund-raising, and reporting, more often than not funds will have to be secured from a number of congregations and individuals. The positive side is that you are helping to get more brethren involved in foreign evangelism. 

     If you have a good sponsoring congregation to oversee your work, potential supporters will be much more inclined to contribute. To avoid any possible questions or problems, it is wise that the funds be directly handled by someone other than the missionary himself. No sensible eldership will agree to take oversight of a work unless they know and have confidence in the missionary. It is a good idea to spend about six months to a year working with your sponsoring church. Among other things, this valuable time will enable the members of the congregation to get to know you better, thus encouraging them to be more personally involved in your work and helping to ensure a long-term working relationship. 

Attitudes Necessary for Fund-Raising 

     The first thing to be convinced of is that you are not asking anyone to do you a favor; you are not begging for money! It is neither a burden nor a special privilege for evangelists to receive financial support for their labors; it is a God-given right (1 Cor. 9:4-14). Sometimes brethren need to be reminded of their obligation to be involved in this divine plan.²

     When you raise support, you are giving your fellow Christians a chance to fulfill their divinely-ordained responsibility. The money is not for you; it is for the Lord’s cause. If you do not make the effort to secure the funds, consider how much of the Lord’s work will be left undone! The Great Commission has been given to all of us. If some Christians are not willing to go, then the only way they can obey the Lord’s command is to send someone else (Rom. 10:14-15). Thank God for people like you who give them this opportunity!

     Raising support is actually a good way to prepare for missionary work. If you can’t deal with the disappointments and frustrations of fund-raising, how are you going to cope on the mission field? Every time you receive a negative response, including no response at all, consider it part of your “toughening up” process. A missionary’s faith is always stronger at the end of the fund-raising trail than at the beginning. You must firmly believe that if God wants you on the mission field, he will, in time, provide the necessary means. This is not to say that you can just write a few letters and then sit back expecting the money to flow in. But if you do your part, including a lot of prayer and hard work, God will providentially ensure that the right doors are opened.

     Be enthusiastic, confident, and persistent. No one wants to misappropriate the Lord’s money on someone who easily gives up or is hesitant and unsure about what he/she is doing. If you firmly believe in your proposed plan of action, it ought to show; enthusiasm is contagious. It will increase your effectiveness in selling yourself and your plans to prospective supporters, and you will not be easily discouraged along the way. If you have the necessary zeal, commitment, and determination to do missionary work, no obstacle can stand in your way.

Determining Financial Needs³

     How much support will you need to raise? Obviously financial extremes should be avoided. On one hand, if you don’t raise sufficient funds, you could end up disillusioned, ineffective in your work, and maybe even return home prematurely. On the other hand, if your support is excessive, it could lead to a misuse of funds and leave a bad impression on those with whom you are working. Both you and your supporters must realize that economies vary throughout the world and a reliable indicator is not the cost of living at home. You may need more or you may need less than is required to live in the United States, so a lot of prayer, wisdom, common sense, and homework will be needed.

     There are at least three things to calculate: salary, work fund, and one-time expenses. The salary should compensate for normal living expenses, like housing, electricity, food, clothing, insurance, medical care, weekly contribution, et al. A missionary, like anyone else in the work force, ought to have a savings scheme, including a plan for retirement. If you have outstanding debts (e.g. student loans, car payments, etc.), you should seek counsel in trying to determine what is legitimate to include in your support-raising and what is not. Always be up-front with your supporters. In some cases it may be necessary to postpone your departure until some of these debts are paid.

     The work fund is to be used for disbursements directly related to the work, such as office supplies and equipment, postage, printing or shipping of materials, advertising, travel expenses, and so forth. Keeping good records is very important, and a separate bank account for your work fund will help. You may want to include in your work-fund budget a periodic trip to the States for reporting, maintaining support, and raising additional funds as needed. Work-related expenses are tax deductible.

     One-time costs would include things such as airfare, travel documents, a vehicle, moving and setting-up expenses (e.g. shipping personal effects, purchasing furniture and appliances, etc.), and other one-time expenditures. As a general rule it is best to raise a little more than you think you might need, because there are always hidden costs that you have not planed for, such as fluctuating currency exchange rates, customs and immigration charges, bank fees, taxes, inflation, emergencies, and so on. 

     Having an emergency fund, or at least a supporting congregation that agrees to cover unexpected expenses, will remove a lot of potential worries. It is highly recommended that you make an appointment with a Christian accountant to figure out your income tax and Social Security obligations (both home and abroad). You most certainly want to pay taxes to whom taxes are due (Rom. 13:6-7), but you don’t want to be a poor steward of the Lord’s money and end up paying a lot more than is required.

     Missionaries who are already on the field are the best source for determining financial needs. They will know first-hand how much it costs to move, settle in, and live in that particular location. If you are able to make a survey trip, you can gather much of this information yourself. The U.S. Government Information Bureau can also provide helpful data on foreign living costs.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Adapted from K. L. Moore, The Single Missionary (Winona, MS: Choate, 2001): 30-40.

     ² See also Matt. 10:9-13; Luke 10:3-8; Gal. 6:6; Phil. 2:25-30; 4:10-20; 1 Tim. 5:18.

     ³ Some of these ideas were adapted from Glenn Owens’ chapter, “Fund-Raising” in Steps into the Mission Field: From First Concepts to First Converts by the Sâo Paulo Brazil mission team (1978), 103-13.

Related Posts: Raising and Maintaining Missionary Support Part 2

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