# How should a missionary seek out support?



## Pergamum (Jan 11, 2009)

I have a baptistic and calvinistic friend trying to come out and join me. He visits in Feb and will go back home and raise support and return. In 2 years he will return full-time and might even live beside me.


How should a missionary seek out support? What are some good and bad practices? How does your church do it? How forward should a missionary be? What are some examples of good and bad practices you have personally witnessed?


I had a network of support halfway in place when I was ready and did not have to go on deputation for a long time...but this brother has no larger network as of yet and I would love to help him. What do I advise?


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## Notthemama1984 (Jan 11, 2009)

I apologize for being vague and not giving the exact reference, but didn't Paul state somewhere that he had the right to demand the church give him an offering?


Just off the top of my head I would think that being as forward as possible is best. People are dying and going to Hell. We need to do all we can to spread the Gospel. As Spurgeon said, "We need to hold on to the lost's feet begging them to accept the Gospel as they are walking to Hell."


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## Pergamum (Jan 11, 2009)

GIMME YOUR MONEY NOW!!!


Paul was an Apostle and was fulfilling prophecy by gathering funds for the distressed saints in Jerusalem, right? He did not gather funds for himself. He is perhaps not real normative for us.


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## Notthemama1984 (Jan 11, 2009)

distressed saints in Jerusalem vs. the lost in middle of nowhere? Why would one group be a bigger priority? I would personally rather be in distress and saved vs. easy going and lost.


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## Pergamum (Jan 11, 2009)

I'm just saying that I am not sure how much precedent we can pull from the Pauline example.


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## Notthemama1984 (Jan 11, 2009)

Why?

I am not saying we should say GIMME MONEY NOW, but I do not see a problem coming before a church and being straight with them. Tell them that you are a missionary to XYZ location and need financial backing to continue your ministry.


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## Pergamum (Jan 11, 2009)

Yes, I agree.


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## steadfast7 (Feb 16, 2009)

In my context in Asia, mostly in Singapore. The churches tend to only want to give money to people they know well. The ideal is to give to those who are "home grown" missionaries who have been church members for a long time. 

As a Canadian coming to Singapore for seminary with hopes of being sent to the field from here, I found it extremely hard to raise support. Most churches wanted me to stick around and serve as their youth pastor for 3-6 years, "proving" myself before being sent fully supported. There are pros and cons to this of course, and I can see their rationale. However, it doesn't say much about their urgency to get people to the unreached.

In the end, I got connected with a Korean group who's a little more zealous and quicker to get people out. Again, it's not all dandy to be in a huge rush either, I'm finding.

In the west, churches tend to give a small amount, but give without knowing the missionary well. In Asia, they will give everything to the person who has proved himself over a long course of time as a member.


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## Jon 316 (Feb 17, 2009)

> How should a missionary seek out support? What are some good and bad practices? How does your church do it? How forward should a missionary be? What are some examples of good and bad practices you have personally witnessed?



1) You remind the people to bring the whole tithe into the store house and a) if the do God will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing and b) if they dont they will be under a curse (Mal)

2) You tell them it more blessed to give than recieve

3) You tell them you have a hundred fold annointing on your life and whatever they give will be returned hundredfold 'pressed down shaken together and running over' 

4) Remind them if they want to prosper that they have to 'sow'. If they are poor its probably because they are not sowing. Encourage them to sow the seed TODAY.

5) Tell them to sow their best seed NOW. Tell them to visualise their return. In other words name their harvest. As they sow believe for the return.

6) Encourage the people that the way to be as annointed as you is to sow into your ministry. 

Have little slips of paper in service which allows people to pay by cheque, debit card or even credit card. Increase your offering by having set boxes with figures starting with £20 then £50 then £100 and finally the inconspicuous 'Other' amont. 

7) Use emotional black mail. Remind them of all the souls who they will be reponsible for if they do not give... 

hmmmm 

yep, sadly all these abuses happen very reguarly and naive Christians are caught in the trap.


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## Pergamum (Feb 17, 2009)

steadfast7 said:


> In my context in Asia, mostly in Singapore. The churches tend to only want to give money to people they know well. The ideal is to give to those who are "home grown" missionaries who have been church members for a long time.
> 
> As a Canadian coming to Singapore for seminary with hopes of being sent to the field from here, I found it extremely hard to raise support. Most churches wanted me to stick around and serve as their youth pastor for 3-6 years, "proving" myself before being sent fully supported. There are pros and cons to this of course, and I can see their rationale. However, it doesn't say much about their urgency to get people to the unreached.
> 
> ...



I have found that calvinistic churches, once they know you and can vouch for you, will give very sacrificially.

-----Added 2/17/2009 at 06:01:46 EST-----



Jon 316 said:


> > How should a missionary seek out support? What are some good and bad practices? How does your church do it? How forward should a missionary be? What are some examples of good and bad practices you have personally witnessed?
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Now,

What is the correct way to do it?


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## jambo (Feb 17, 2009)

When I visited churches to raise support I never once mentioned finances or our own personal needs. I held the view to seek first the kingdom so I just preached and if anyone wanted to give or to support the work then good, and if they didn't then OK. I always found it quite staggering how the Lord met whatever needs we had. 

At the onset I was quite concerned about stepping out in faith and then one day as I read Ps 78 I was struck by v17-20 and felt particularly challenged by it. Then on stepping out we experienced the Lord's provision through all the years we served and learnt many lessons I have never forgotten.

It may sound a bit naive and simplistic but I just preached faithfully and trusted God for the rest.

I don't think there is any better practice than praying and trusting in our great Provider. I recall meeting a chap in Belfast who had heard me preach in his church several months previously and recognised me. He was telling me that he was involved in misions working into Eastern Europe (this was the mid-80s when communism still held a firm grip) As he was talking to me I wondered how he financed this and almost as if he read my mind said that finances were not a problem as he had a very rich father. I found myself envying him for a moment before I realised he was talking about our heavenly Father. It was another lesson I learned and have never forgotten.


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## Pergamum (Feb 17, 2009)

Stuart,

I would not let your personal conviction become a normative practice for all. Paul spoke about his needs, and I think missionaries should be clear and direct in all their communications - including communication about what their needs are and how much is already covered and how much more needs covered. 

There is nothing holier about with-holding information. George Mueller never pushed his own private practices onto others as normative. 

By your words you seem to indicate that those missionaries who are very direct and open are somehow less trusting in their Heavenly Father to provide for their needs. I just believe in using all the means.


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## PresbyDane (Feb 17, 2009)

You could have a slogan like the one salvation army had a couple of years ago 
"Give us your money or we sing!"

Of course you will have to come up with your own


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## Pergamum (Feb 17, 2009)

"The sooner you give, the sooner I go!"

"The longer you wait, the more I'll visit!"


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## PresbyDane (Feb 17, 2009)

Great I love it, now all you need to do is hand out flyers with those slogans and pictures of a very "ogre like" looking you, and you should be set for funds for the next couple of years 

sorry


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## Kevin (Feb 17, 2009)

Perhaps he should attend a denominational assessment centre. Then after he has passed they will fund him.


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## jambo (Feb 18, 2009)

Pergamum said:


> Stuart,
> 
> I would not let your personal conviction become a normative practice for all. Paul spoke about his needs, and I think missionaries should be clear and direct in all their communications - including communication about what their needs are and how much is already covered and how much more needs covered.
> 
> ...



I was not intending to suggest that everyone should be like me! 

I was just outlining my own experiences in this area. I have met some really spiritual missionaries who have struggled financially whilst I have met others who appeared to me not quite so spiritual yet were financially supported very well.

There may be a cultural element too. Churches in Northern Ireland are traditionally very generous to mission in terms of financial support, providing resources and sending personnel. Within the UK setting, the church here is far more missionary minded in terms of local and international missions than they would be in Scotland, Wales or England.

The tendency here is that is that people here don't like to hear about finances and mission agencies that write begging letters find their correspondance binned. I would be the mission co-ordinator for our church and any letters which come saying we need money for this and money for that I just bin.

If on the other hand missionaries who the church knows or members of the congregation know, bring needs in private correspondance then the church would respond in some way.

In raising support here, a missionary candidate would visit a number of churches. It is very hard to raise support _before_ going onto the field but once he is there support increases noticably. As people meet missionaries, hear about their situations and hear something of their families they are moved to give. The more the church can identify with the missionary and his situation, the more support flows.


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## Leslie (Feb 18, 2009)

In the past I was on the supporter--big supporter--end of the missionary equation. Now I'm on the receiving end.

In the past I stopped supporting an organization to which I had given large amounts. The reasons were two:
1. I became aware that a common complaint of missonaries with this group was they they were always being called away by the organization to do work other than the work they were called to. One woman was only able to spend 2 weeks out of a year in the village where she was supposed to be living and ministering and she had to struggle with the powers that were to achieve that. Otherwise she was running all over the country (and other countries) doing this and that. This would be understandable if her job description were administration. It wasn't. It was meeting after meeting in place after place, requiring money for transport, lodging and meals, ad-infinitum.

2. A former supportee in the organization was switched to administration. Keeping track of his whereabouts, it was obvious that huge amounts of money were wasted (in my estimation) on airfares and resorts for conferences and meetings.

The bottom line: for organizations, wastefulness turns off donors, big-time.

Regarding individuals, I stopped supporting a family totally. After a one-time-need donation of several thousand, my thanks was one line, six weeks later, scribbled on the bottom of a letter asking for another donation. This past year the same family was holding a meeting with their supporting churches in order to inform them of their need for more funds. I didnt' attend. 

In contrast, one missionary I know writes a hand-written letter to each of his supporters once a year, to give a personal touch. He also sends frequent newsletters with pictures. He has never lacked for funds after almost 20 years on the field.

I've discussed this with other missionaries. The general consensus is that missionaries who are frugal, who communicate, and who are diligent about thank-you notes never lack for support. If I were on a missions committee, I would never approve a non-communicator or a spend-thrift for overseas work. They will always be short on funds and will simply not last. All the golden oldies in Ethiopia are frugal people who have communicated with their supporters. It's as simple as that, In my humble opinion.


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## py3ak (Feb 18, 2009)

Those are good thoughts, Leslie. I think an "entitlement" mentality is also very off-putting to donors. 

In the NT you see notes of recommendation. Obviously not _every_ church can get to thoroughly know every missionary who is setting out for the first time (or they would never arrive on the mission field). That means that any church that supports missionaries not from their local congregation will have to be willing to accept the word of other churches. But that means that the pastor/session should write a letter of recommendation, explaining why he believes this missionary family is worthy to be supported. Once that relationship has been established, the missionary needs to communicate and express gratitude, and the churches need to follow up and show an interest.


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