What perspective should I take towards raising prayer and financial support?
Is there any way other than begging for support?
How do I raise prayer and financial support?
» more related questionsQ: How much money should a missionary raise and how long does that take?
A: It depends on many factors.
The biggest factor in how much money you have to raise is where you will be serving and whether you will be in individual or team housing. Serving in two-thirds world countries normally means you need less support than serving in London or Paris.
Support raising is based on relationships, so the timing is based on how much time you invest in building relationships before hand as well as how many appointments you make to speak to people about support raising. My wife and I met with 96 family units over four months before we were 100% supported. I know others who have done it in 90 days. On the other hand, another person spent a year and only reached 65%.
Either you or the agency can set a deadline but both of you should agree with the deadline. You should pray about what deadline to set.
Support raising is based on relationships, so the timing is based on how much time you invest in building relationships before hand as well as how many appointments you make to speak to people about support raising. My wife and I met with 96 family units over four months before we were 100% supported. I know others who have done it in 90 days. On the other hand, another person spent a year and only reached 65%.
Either you or the agency can set a deadline but both of you should agree with the deadline. You should pray about what deadline to set.
A: Costs vary widely.
Costs vary according to country, situation, family size, and mission agency requirements. A single missionary in some countries can get by on the equivalent of 500 U.S. dollars a month - without transportation and children's school fees, whereas a married couple with 5 children in a mission school, and a 4 wheel drive vehicle could use up 5,000 U.S.Dollars a month.
A: Not as much as we thought.
It depends on where you will live and whether you are working professionally (and thus receiving a salary in the host country) or serving solely in a ministry role. We set a support goal and then went overseas without meeting that goal. We've never had "enough money" (according to our budget reports), but we have never needed anything either!
Editor’s note: also see the article on "Missionary Affluence" by A. Scott Moreau in the Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions
For reasons to live with less on the mission field read Roger Greenway’s classic article “Eighteen Barrels and Two Big Crates” on how and why our ‘stuff’ gets in the way of our witness.
Editor’s note: also see the article on "Missionary Affluence" by A. Scott Moreau in the Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions
For reasons to live with less on the mission field read Roger Greenway’s classic article “Eighteen Barrels and Two Big Crates” on how and why our ‘stuff’ gets in the way of our witness.
A: I encourage you to set a deadline.
You should have a deadline. Deadlines create urgency and that motivates not only the donor to give and pray on your behalf but also motivates you to be proactive in your search for funds and dependent upon the Lord who has called you to accomplish His purposes.
Urgency calls for decisions. When you ask for critically needed funds with established deadlines, it takes your prospective donor or an existing donor out of the, "maybe we will think about helping you sometime" mode to the, "We need to make a decision now so we can help our brother or sister in Christ who has been called by the Lord to accomplish this particular vision."
Deadlines can be very powerful and I have watched some amazing things take place as people and ministries set deadlines. Maybe you need to review the vision the Lord has given you and keep in mind that it is really not your vision but the Lord's agenda you need to accomplish.
Urgency calls for decisions. When you ask for critically needed funds with established deadlines, it takes your prospective donor or an existing donor out of the, "maybe we will think about helping you sometime" mode to the, "We need to make a decision now so we can help our brother or sister in Christ who has been called by the Lord to accomplish this particular vision."
Deadlines can be very powerful and I have watched some amazing things take place as people and ministries set deadlines. Maybe you need to review the vision the Lord has given you and keep in mind that it is really not your vision but the Lord's agenda you need to accomplish.
