Q: Is there any way other than begging for support?

At first I also hated the idea of raising support and viewed such as "begging" for money. But now I am so glad for the experience. It forced me to clearly share my vision. It forced me to talk to people I didn't know. It forced me to deal with people, even pastors, who questioned different aspects of who I am and what I would do -- such as differences in doctrinal emphasis, mission strategies, church priorities, etc. Now when I see each month the dozens of people listed that give to my support (and the dozen more that don’t give financially but who pray), I am confident that God has put me where he wants me. Many of the people who support financially and pray were strangers to us before we began raising support. Now they are vital partners in what we're doing in youth evangelism in Japan.

Many people are supported after going from person to person or from church to church because it is a Biblical model. You are not "begging.” Children of Jehova Jireh never ever have to beg. A missionary is in every sense also a missions mobilizer and you will be mobilizing partners for God’s vision. This means that you give them an opportunity to go and work in a far off country. If they cannot go, then you also give them the offer for you to do it in their stead. You do the work for them, you keep them informed and you pray for them. On the other hand, they pay for your joint ministry, they pray for you and your joint ministry, and they help you recruit for your joint ministry. The word "support" should be replaced in our vocabulary and also in our attitudes with the word "partnering.”

It sure looks like begging before you begin, especially if you are coming from the business world as I did. As you consider God, His purposes and His church, the scenario changes. I really don’t see it as begging anymore. God, who is sending you, will provide for you, through His church. It is just a matter of being led to the people to whom God has already indicated His desire to support you. If you want success, you need to begin your service in humility.

The second great opportunity is to stop depending on my own capacities, knowledge, abilities, relations, etc. and depending fully on The Provider.

Third is the opportunity to see specific prayers answered in a very clear way. You can ask where you want your support coming from -- I prayed for churches rather than individuals and for a near-by area to avoid much traveling during furloughs. God graciously granted both.

The framing of this question causes me to wonder if those asking are certain that God desires them in missions. If so, sharing the ministry is part of involving other believers in kingdom advancement. "Going from church to church" is not about begging for money. It’s relating how you are answering God’s invitation to proclaim Christ to those who need to hear. Making known the need for financial support allows others to participate and affirm your future work, and you gain a deeper trust in God. (You’ll need that deeper trust, I’m sure.) If "faith missions" is still too uncomfortable, consider your denomination’s mission board, which may subsidize missionaries, or tentmaking, in which you may receive a stipend or salary. But first ask God what he intends for you, both in your overseas work and how to fund it.

answer from Jack Voelkel, missionary-in-residence with the Urbana Student Mission Convention. Read hundreds of answers online from Ask Jack.

There are a lot of jobs that allow you to earn your living while you're serving. In missions this is sometimes called tentmaking since the Apostle Paul sometimes earned a salary as a tentmaker during his missionary journeys. Beware: earning your living will likely consume way more of your time than you imagine. For more about tentmaking look into Global Opportunities.

One of the most important components of fund-raising for missions is getting people to pray for you, and even if you're not asking your friends and family for money, don't even think about taking on a missions project without having people pray for you.

One approach is to be a tentmaker. There are many needy fields where any number of tentmaking skills could be applied to make an adequate living at the local standard of living (not necessarily at your home standard of living, however!).

A real option is to humble yourself and do what is required to obey God, even if it is something you don’t want to do. I hated the thought of asking people for money, traveling around, etc. But I knew God was calling me, so I bit the bullet and did it. God blesses obedience and humility. He has a hard time working with pride and those of us who set limits on what we will or won’t do for him.

Because my secular job offered me a transfer to Italy, I started out as a tentmaker. During those first three years I built up a prayer supporter mailing list and got people involved. Then I switched to "traditional" supported missionary status quicker that if I had started out that way, since many of my prayer supporters were glad to give money once I had that need.