Many Christians considering full-time mission work or even a short-term mission trip are more fearful of support raising than facing the hardships we have discussed in previous sections or of being martyred on the field. One of the fundamental root causes of this lack of confidence when starting out to fund their vision is a fundamentally wrong concept of finances. The real essence of funding your mission ministry is to raise support, not to raise money. If money is your primary aim, everything will be tainted with the love of money, which we know from I Timothy 6:10 is the root of all evil. On the other hand, if raising support through developing friendships is the primary aim, everything is blessed with the love of God. If your interaction with people who may eventually support your work is based on trying to get to their wallets, you will become a “living brochure,” advertising what you are doing rather than who you are as a friend and fellow member of the Body of Christ. If your motivation in relating to people is to bring in finances, you will see them as “walking dollar bills” rather than individuals who are important to you regardless of whether they contribute to your mission fund.
In regard to developing a truly Christian viewpoint on the topic, I’d like to share a few helpful hints on how to generate inside yourself a true sense of support raising rather than fund raising. The first key is to understand the principle of interdependence in the Body of Christ. Ephesians 4:16 tells us that the entire church is one “body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” I’ve often joked that the reason the Apostle Paul chose the word “joint” to describe our relationship is because the joints are where our limbs are hinged and he wants us to understand that everything “hinges” on us! Notice that everyone supplies something that the others are needing. That means that everyone else in the Body of Christ is needing something from you as much as you are needing their support. As a missionary, you are filling a need that others in the church have — the need to go to the ends of the earth. Dick Eastman, president of Every Home for Christ, once said, “Concerning the Great Commission, there are only three responses: to go, to send, or to be a rebel.” He went on to explain that the Great Commission was given to every believer, not just to a few missionaries; therefore, everyone is literally expected to go into the far reaches of the globe to minister the Word of God. The Apostle Paul gave us an “out” in Romans 10:15 when he penned the words, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” In other words, some may not be required to go as long as they are actively sending others. However — and this is a big “however” — if we are not actively going or sending, the only option left open to us is that we must be in rebellion concerning Jesus’ mandate. In terms of the need to raise support for our mission work, we must understand that we have been placed in the Body of Christ so that we can help fulfill the need of those who need to help send someone to the mission field. In other words, our asking for support is not a one-way street of simply receiving from others; it is a two-way street in that we are supplying their need as much as they are supplying our need. I have actually received notes accompanying support checks saying, “Thank you for going where we are not able to go” and had people whisper into my ear, “Thanks for going so I don’t have to.” With an understanding of interdependence, we gain a new perspective on not only support raising but also on our mission work as a whole. It is no longer just your project; it becomes the property of the entire Body.
A second key is to understand the concept of generosity versus gifts. Proverbs 11:25 teaches us, “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” Our generosity toward others will engender generosity toward us. As long as our focus is on collecting enough funds to fulfill our mission fund quota, our minds will be on the one-way street of thinking about what is coming toward us. However, the principle of generosity demands that we turn our mentality into a two-way street by first putting our attention on what we can give to others. Although much of the contemporary teaching on giving and receiving has been distorted and the emphasis has been perverted to the point of “give so you can get back,” there is still a fundamental biblical principle that you will reap what you sow and that what you give will return to you in abundance.
The first offering I received when I started doing missionary work in Nepal was from another missionary. You can imagine how shocked I was to get a check from someone who was believing God on a daily basis for his own livelihood, but it was obvious that he had learned the principle of generosity. As he gave to me, it set the stage for him to receive back into his own life and ministry. Paul told us that we must give according to what it is that we have; obviously, we cannot give something that we don’t even have. (II Corinthians 8:12) Sometimes what we have to give may be money; sometimes, it may not. What you are able to give to others may be a prayer or just a word of encouragement. In my personal case, the thing that I have is a teaching ministry; therefore, I love to give generously into people’s lives by sharing books and tapes or sharing with them one-on-one. Obviously, I didn’t sit down and write a check back to the missionary who gave me that first check, but I did pray for him and determine that one day I would visit him on the field to encourage and strengthen his work. Even though it took several years, I did eventually fulfill that pledge. It is important that our generosity not be selective — picking only the individuals we expect to be generous back to us. Be just as generous to those who will never support you as you are to those who support you and those whom you think might be willing to support you. This kind of indiscriminate generosity demonstrates the nature of the Father Himself who makes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust alike. (Matthew 5:45)
The surprising turn of events is that many times those people whom you never expected to help will surprise you with a gift. I remember at least two occasions when I started to cut individuals off from my mailing list because I had not heard from them for many years. When I decided to continue my generosity by sharing my teachings and newsletters, I received a very generous check from one individual and a surprise offering from another individual accompanied by a gift from his mother, whom I had never even met! In like manner, we often hear of foundations, scholarships, and endowments being left to schools and ministries by misers whom no one ever expected had anything to give. Apparently, these people had been impressed by the generosity of those schools and ministries and had spent their lives scrimping and saving to make it possible for them to demonstrate their own generosity. Remember that some people who may eventually become part of your support team will stand back and watch to see if you will succeed before they jump on board. You’ll also be surprised that the ones whom you think can afford to help, don’t; and the ones you think can’t afford to support you, do. In fact, the highest percentage of givers have incomes less than ten thousand dollars. Families with less than fifteen thousand dollars annual income give away twice as much as ones with one hundred thousand dollars or more.
Although I’m listing this next key as number three, it very likely should be considered as the first since it is actually the fountainhead from which all the rest will eventually flow. In the second chapter of Revelation, Jesus addressed seven churches, one was the church at Philadelphia — the mission-minded church before which He set an open door. In relationship to that door, Jesus said that He was holding the key of David with which He could open doors that would then remain uncloseable. As missionaries, it is important that we also have a grasp of that key which can open nations before us. The reference to the “key of David” is an apparent allusion to Isaiah 22:22, “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” In this verse, the prophet is making reference to Eliakim the son of Hilkiah as the one who will receive this supernatural key. This biblical character’s historic role is recounted twice: in II Kings chapters eighteen and nineteen and again in Isaiah chapters thirty-six and thirty-seven. His significant contribution was the stance he took against the Assyrian messenger who tried to intimidate the people of Jerusalem into surrendering to his army. Eliakim stood up to him with faith and confidence in God until the Lord caused the invading army to miraculously retreat. Though the scriptures do not specifically identify what this key was, it is easy for us to look back into the life of David and find one characteristic which seems to stand out in his life that could have made the difference between him and any others who lacked this quality. It is likely that we need not go any further than the criteria set for his selection for the throne of Israel. After Samuel had surveyed the seven older sons of Jesse without finding a worthy candidate, the Lord revealed to him that he was looking at the wrong score card when evaluating his options. God made His point that the heart of the matter is actually the matter of the heart.
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. (I Samuel 16:7)
David obviously understood that this was his key to success and determined to keep his heart in perfect relationship with his God. “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” (Psalms 101:2) Even after he sinned with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, the king’s prayer was that God would re-establish his heart before Him. (Psalms 51:10) Consequently, the New Testament characterizes David as being a man after God’s own heart. (Acts 13:22) He also desired to pass this spiritual key on to his son Solomon who was to succeed him on the throne. I Chronicles 28:9 records David’s instructions to Solomon that he serve the Lord with a perfect heart. In verse nineteen of the following chapter, we find David in prayer for his son, interceding that the Lord would give him a perfect heart. Unfortunately, the biblical summation of Solomon’s life is that “his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” (I Kings 11:4)
Second Chronicles 25:2 records that Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a perfect heart. Because of this he, like Asa before him, failed to obtain what is likely the greatest promise in the scripture, “The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” (II Chronicles 16:9) This is the universal blessing and promise of intervention by God which can only be unlocked with the key of David — a perfect heart before the Lord. This was the promise extended to the church at Philadelphia.
Sometimes our hearts are imperfect before the Lord because we harbor greed and self-centeredness in the form of neglecting our personal responsibilities. At this point, I’m thinking mostly in the financial arena. Other than the exceptional cases of the loss of a job or unexpected expenses such as medical bills, unpaid debt is almost certainly an outgrowth of greed and self-centeredness in which you have purchased things you couldn’t afford and did not resist due to greed and self-centeredness or you are simply neglecting to pay off those obligations while spending your money on other things because of greed and self-centeredness. When it comes to our financial obligations such as tithes and offerings to His kingdom, God pulls no punches by calling it robbery — an ultimate form of greed and self-centeredness. (Malachi 3:8)
Sometimes our hearts are imperfect before God because of a poverty mentality, which is actually a denial of the true character of God. Since God is Jehovah Jireh (Genesis 22:14) — the God who supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19) — we should actually recognize any lack of confidence that He will supply our needs as an affront to His very nature. Jesus reassured us in Matthew 7:11 that our heavenly Father is even more intent on giving us good gifts than our earthly fathers are. In Luke 12:32, He takes us beyond anxiety by saying, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” The bottom line is that when we have a mentality that focuses on needs and lack, we have failed to recognize the genuine nature of our God and have failed to trust Him. If we are looking to our donors rather than our benevolent Father as our source, we have an imperfect heart toward Him.
A spirit of personal promotion is also proof positive of an imperfect heart before the Lord. It is easy to slip into empire building rather than kingdom building as we focus on what we are doing in our mission work. Obviously, we have to be totally sold out to our individual calling and mission; however, we must be ultimately cautious not to be sucked into the trap of thinking or acting like ours is the only or most important thing happening at the moment. Such selfish ambition can be rooted in pride or insecurity and fear of failure — what we call “image driven motivation.” Interestingly enough, God labels such focus on self-image as “idolatry.” When He warned us about image worship, I’m sure that He was including our own image. When He forbade us to have any god before Him, I have no doubt that He included ourselves and our ministries in the list. Obviously, anyone who has resorted to idolatry could not have done so with a perfect heart before the Lord.
Disobedience, ingratitude, lack of integrity, and unforgiveness are all manifestations of a lack of the spirit of stewardship. In the parables that Jesus taught us, we see a number of examples of stewards; some good and some bad. From the less-than-perfect ones, we learn some lessons in what to avoid. One steward is referred to as beating the other workers, one group of stewards tried to rob their master by refusing to yield the profits to the him when it was time to do so, another steward squandered his master’s resources, yet another failed to do anything productive with what the master had left in his hand, and the on-looking stewards judged the master as unfair when he gave the unfaithful steward’s funds to another steward who had been proven faithful. A genuine steward will learn the heart of his master and live with a conscious and deliberate focus on fulfilling the master’s desires and manifesting the master’s nature in all that he does.
One other thing that can render the heart imperfect before God is hidden resentment toward God and those people who do not chose to support you. When it appears that God and your supporters have failed you, it is easy to become resentful and want to put the blame on them. However, this is exactly the time to remember that God always has a plan and He is an expert at making a way where there doesn’t seen to be any possible way. Just when the Israelites were certain that they would die on the shores of the Red Sea and began to point the accusing finger at Moses and God, the Lord opened the waters so they could walk across on dry ground. So it is with the Lord still today. He’s ready to open a door before us as long as we don’t let our hearts become imperfect before Him.
Many of us simply have a lack of faith in ourselves and in the God who has directed us to this mission. We often mask this lack of faith with the excuse, “I’m not prepared to go.” You’ll be surprised how much more ready you are than you think. Gideon learned that he didn’t need thousands of soldiers — just three hundred. The disciples learned that they didn’t need tons of food to feed the multitude — just five loaves and two fish. The demoniac of Gadara learned that he didn’t have to become a disciple to be a witness — he just went back home and shared his testimony and brought the whole region to an awareness of the Lord. I certainly believe in a good biblical education, but for most of the places we go around the world, just a simple knowledge of John 3:16 will qualify you to do missionary work. We need to decide to take what we have — even when it seems small — and begin to use it. Lester Sumrall left home to be a preacher with sixty-eight cents; he started out around the world with twelve dollars. A young couple from the Bible college where I taught in Indiana left for their honeymoon in Hawaii and first missionary trip to Australia and New Zealand with fifty cents; later, they left for another missionary trip to Europe with one hundred dollars and came home six months later still with their hundred dollars. You do have something to share and enough resources to go out and share it. The only other thing that you need beyond your faith in God is a passport from the United States government. One young man kept telling me each year for several years that he was going with me to Nepal, but each year he failed to make the trip. Finally I asked him about his passport. He replied that he didn’t have one. To this I replied that he would never go on the mission field. God can’t do His part until we do our part!
Now for some practical tips on communicating with those people whom God wants to use in supporting you. First of all, it is almost hard to believe that in our society so inundated with junk mail appealing for support for every imaginable cause, that seventy-eight percent of people say that they never give to worthy causes because they have never been asked. I’m sure that they have tossed as many third-class letters into file thirteen as I have, but they have never been made to feel that the request was a personal invitation to them to become involved in a specific purpose or cause. By personal, I’m not talking about using a computer program to insert their names into the body of the letters; rather, I’m saying that they had never been presented with an opportunity to support a person or a project with which they had a personal connection. Herein lies the key to raising support — first establish connections with people and then expect that the support will flow out of those friendships. When monetary support becomes the by-product rather than the core of the relationship, the most amazing things can happen. I had one individual — an unbeliever — tell me that she really didn’t believe in what I was doing on the mission field, but she was going to support me simply because of our relationship. Since we all have friends who are at different levels of closeness to us, we must realize that those circles will be reflected in our support raising. The obvious focus is to constantly work at drawing individuals into closer and closer circles of friendship — not because we need what they have, but because we realize that we need them and that they actually need us. As you begin to establish a list of potential supporters, be aware of the various circles of relationship that the various people might fall into and make some sort of category in your database that would indicate this. For example, you would obviously have an indicator of those people who are active donors; these people would be included in every mailing. Another category might be relatives; these people might not be included every time you send out a newsletter but should be included in the year-end summary letter.
Before I begin to focus on the newsletter aspect of support raising, let me first say that a face-to-face relationship is certainly the most effective way to establish personal contact. One analysis of support raising suggests that nearly half (forty-six percent) of missionary support comes this way. The next most effective level of personal contact is via telephone and letter, generating more than a quarter (twenty-seven percent) of the support base. Next comes personal letters which produce about fourteen percent of support, followed by group meetings which yielded nine percent.
Since missionaries are usually separated from their supporters by long distances — possibly even continents away — personal visits and telephone conversations are usually impossible, leaving the newsletter as the most common form of communication. Since these letters are your lifeline with your support base, they should be taken very seriously and should be of the utmost quality. Some great missionaries have even had their letters published because they were so well written. In some ways, it is possible that your letters back home may have almost as much impact as your ministry on the field. Of course, they have an impact upon your ability to continue your ministry in that a poor letter may generate poor support, thus hindering your ability to continue or expand your work. On the other hand, a good letter can expand your work by not only generating funds but also prayer support which makes the spiritual climate more conducive for your work, yielding more success. Additionally, your encouragement can motivate your readers to go to a higher level in their spiritual lives and commitment. Don’t be “evangelastic” by exaggerating; only tell what God has actually done, not what He could have done. Since the whole point of the newsletter is to develop a relationship, it is of ultimate importance that you aren’t impersonal in reporting facts about what you are doing. The easiest way to avoid this is to imagine a specific individual when writing the letter and write as if you were sending him a personal letter. If more than one person is involved in the mission work, such as a husband and wife, only one person at a time should be mentioned in the letter. In other words, don’t write the letter with the husband in mind and then sign it from both of you. Either write separate sections and sign the individual sections or write as a team, using “we” rather than “I” in the letter. Always include photographs that show people and action. Although the Himalayas are beautiful, a photo of Mount Everest will have no impact on your supporters. On the other hand, a shot of you handing a Bible to a Sherpa with the peak in the background will speak volumes concerning what you are doing in Nepal. Avoid cartoons and clip art since this sort of thing can be generated anywhere; instead, focus on photos which could only come from your actually being on the field. One little hint concerning photos is to always position them on the page so that the crease will not go through the faces when the letter is folded.
Even though newsletters are going to people who are in some sort of relationship with us, we must remember that unless these individuals are in an extremely close relationship, they are not going to wade through unattractive layouts, jumbled grammar, and pointless stories to try to find out what you are saying. It has been estimated that the average worker receives two hundred forty messages per day — either verbal, electronic, or in print. For yours to communicate to him, it must be clear, concise, and insightful. Generally, greeting paragraphs and Bible verses quoted at the opening of a letter defeat the purpose by causing the reader to force himself through unnecessary formalities. Some analysts say that you only have about four seconds to catch your reader’s attention; therefore, immediately throw him right into the action by opening the letter with an intriguing quote, an attention-grabbing news tidbit, a preview of what is going to appear later in the letter, or even a shocker to snag his focus. Effective newsletters are usually only one or two pages in length. If you have more to say, post it on a website. In addition to saving you from having your letter totally ignored because the reader simply doesn’t have time to read a several page epistle, you are also saving on paper, ink, and postage by keeping the letter short. Simply give the “Readers Digest version” of your report in the newsletter and direct the readers to your website for the full story. On the website, you may also include more photos plus any teaching, testimonies, and updates about your family you wish to share.
When writing the newsletter, take the time to use the thesaurus function on your computer to find action verbs and more descriptive terms so as to convey your message more powerfully. Be specific about what you are doing and what you need. Admit the problems and challenges you are facing and ask for specific prayer. Again, the purpose of the newsletter is to develop relationships with your supporters. If they know specifics about what you are experiencing and exactly how their support will help you, they are more connected — and you have accomplished your goal. Take time to proofread and then re-proofread until you are sure that the page is error-free. The actual printing should be with black ink on paper with a professional appearance (not brightly colored paper).
Many missionaries are turning to email as a means of keeping in contact with their supporters. This form of electronic message is a good, cost-effective way of communicating to your prayer partners; however, you really need to send out letters through the mail on a regular basis as well. People are not as likely to send you support if they just get the emailed letter as when they get a hardcopy letter with an enclosed reply envelope for their offering. They may intend to send a gift, but without the physical reminder they have a tendency to forget. Because there are so many viruses being sent out over the internet these days, a lot of people skip emails and delete them without reading them if they don’t immediately recognize the sender. About twenty percent of Americans move every year, and unless you send regular mailing so as to get frequent updates on address changes, you run the risk of losing your total mailing list in as short a period as five years.
Since my newsletters are my way of developing a relationship with my supporters, I like to be personally involved in the process of physically sending out the letters as well as in writing the draft of the letter. While stuffing the envelopes, I glance at the addresses and say a prayer for the individuals — not that they will send money, but that they will be blessed. On more than one occasion I have suspended the mailing process to take time to make a quick phone call when I was particularly impressed by one of the names. In such cases, I always find that the person is facing a specifically difficult test at the moment and is in need of a friend and a prayer.
Hudson Taylor, the “Father of Faith Missions,” once said that God’s work done God’s way will never lack God’s provision. It is true that He provides — especially through members of His Body who are properly connected. Sometimes that provision comes in the form of monetary support; sometimes it is in the form of prayer; sometimes it comes in little “care packages”; and other times it is in the form of personal notes of encouragement. Regardless of what the format, that support is God’s way of helping His Body fulfill its mandate. This is especially in the area of prayer where your supporters may hold the key to life and death for you personally and for your ministry. Many great missionaries have told stories of being on their deathbeds in foreign lands when someone, continents away, would be awakened in the middle of the night with an urgency to pray. Years later, the missionary and the supporter would compare journals to discover that the intercessor had prayed at the exact hour the healing came. In my own experience, I was in Nigeria preaching when I received an email from a lady I had met only one time. She said that she wanted to pray for me while I was away so I responded with a thank you and mentioned that I did need specific prayer for a back injury that I had sustained while traveling — certainly not life threatening, but very painful. Due to the time zone differences, my reply went out in what was the middle of the night in the USA. Later that afternoon, my back pain suddenly disappeared. When I calculated the time changes, I realized that it was about seven o’clock in the morning in Colorado, just about the time she would be checking her emails and having her morning prayer time. When I contacted her later, I was able to confirm that this is exactly what had happened! Even if I never receive a penny of financial support from this lady, I know that I need her on my team and will purposely cultivate a relationship with her.
Once a donor sends support, that gift should be immediately acknowledged with a thank you letter and a receipt. A personal follow-up through a note on the thank you letter, an email, or a phone call will reaffirm that you have a relationship with the individual, not just his money. If possible, a small token of appreciation should be sent every time you receive a donation and at Christmas. Something as small as a photo from the field, a bookmarker, or a memento from the country will serve as a permanent physical reminder of the relationship that the two of you share. At that point, the circle is complete — you have sown into a relationship and received back both in relationship and support!