Generational Legacy: How Support Raising Impacts the Future Missionaries in My Families

By on April 1, 2012   /   Biblical Encouragement   /   Leave a comment

I recently listened to a sermon on the life of David that referenced the generational impact of David’s sins on his family. Scripture has numerous references to the sins of the fathers carrying over to the next generation and beyond. My mind was drawn towards the implications of that idea – generational legacy and impact – as it relates to missionaries raising personal support. Although hardly a scholarly research project, I spent time exploring this issue with some of our cross-cultural workers who come from missionary families that raise support.  I came up with some pretty strong threads that, when […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Writing Prayer Letters That People Want to Read

By on February 1, 2012   /   Communication and Relationships, Preparation and Tools   /   3 Comments

On a visit with Herb and Sandy, one of my first ministry partners, Herb pulled out a neat stack of prayer letters and thank-you notes from the last ten years. Sandy said, “He has all of them.” Today that comes to over 38 years of letters and notes we wrote them! Herb stumped me when he referred to something I specifically wrote some time ago. After he prompted me, I finally remembered! Is the hard copy prayer letter dead? Brian Barela, Campus Crusade’s Director of Digital Media, is an advocate for the right use of social media when communicating with […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Three Comfortable Phrases Reveal Faulty Thinking About Fundraising

By on January 1, 2012   /   Fear and Perspective   /   Leave a comment

Over the years, I’ve heard these three mantras about fundraising. They sound logical, but faulty thinking lies below the surface. 1. “We’re comfortable at 80% aren’t we honey?” This statement is always made by husbands—never by wives! I met a missionary recently who said, “We simply minister to people and they eventually start giving. We don’t ask.” I replied, “So it is working well.” “Yes it is, God is taking care of us,” he said proudly. “You must be up to budget then.” “No, we are at 80%,” he said. I looked at him for a few seconds. His eyes […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

‘Tis the Season…For Giving!

By on December 1, 2011   /   Communication and Relationships   /   Leave a comment

Giving appropriate gifts is a wonderful, tangible expression of generosity, love, and the desire to bless others. Proverbs 18:16 says, “Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people!” (NLT) Any time is a right time to send a gift, especially when the Lord gives us a nudge. But it is especially timely at Christmas…’tis the season for giving! Each year, I ask the Lord for guidance about Christmas gifts for my friends who support my ministry. I watch for appropriate items that my mission organization sells and select different gifts each year. I often put together […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Shad-o-nomics 101: My Six-Step Homemade Plan to Get to Full Support

By on November 1, 2011   /   Strategy and Planning, Thriving for a Lifetime   /   Leave a comment

Growing up as the son of a businessman in Dallas, Texas, had its advantages and disadvantages. Because Dad had lived through the depression years, he instilled his “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” perspective into his three sons—of which I was the middle. Work hard, provide for your family, get to the top, and retire early were the values he spoke of and modeled to us. My two brothers majored in business with the goal of becoming millionaires by age 30. I was expected to follow suit into the work world to obtain the “American Dream” and the accompanying financial […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Major Donors: How to Win, Keep, and Lift Them

By on September 1, 2011   /   Communication and Relationships, Thriving for a Lifetime   /   Leave a comment

Ministry is all about relationships. Right? If so, I’m hoping you have been, are, and will be building loads of great relationships—with all kinds of people. Reach out to those in the various schools, neighborhoods, churches, and communities you’ve been a part of. Like Paul’s commitment to “become all things to all men,” learn how to build a relational bridge to people of different faiths, races, personalities, and socio-economic levels. One reason to do this is because you never know who is going to end up earning/possessing significant resources that could be invested in the Kingdom. In other words, live […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

How Your Giving and Debt Affects Your Support Raising

By on August 1, 2011   /   Family and Finances   /   Leave a comment

Sometimes raising more support will not solve a financial problem. Why? Because more funding cannot solve poor stewardship. Imagine sitting down with your support raising coach and after some pleasantries, your coach asks two penetrating questions. “How’s your giving, and how’s your debt?” Ouch! Are those questions too invasive for a coach to ask? Not at all. It may be uncomfortable asking these questions, but it doesn’t mean that they should not be asked! We’re training our support coaches that stewardship and support raising are connected at the hip. Not only are we to equip our staff with the skills […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Fundraising Pressure & Baseball Per Diem?

By on July 1, 2011   /   Fear and Perspective   /   Leave a comment

Lately, I’m hearing comments like these from mission staff of several organizations: “Fundraising appointments make me feel uncomfortable—especially phoning.” “If only I didn’t have to raise so much money…I didn’t sign up for this!” “I minister 60 hours per week and now the pressure of fundraising on top of it—can’t be done!” “Why can’t I be centrally funded from our main office? Then I could focus on the ministry.” So I decided to ponder the issue of fundraising pressure over lunch at a fine McDonalds restaurant. I sat in a corner booth with my “healthy fish sandwich special” and asked […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Do’s and Don’ts of Using Social Media in Support Raising

By on June 1, 2011   /   Communication and Relationships, Preparation and Tools   /   Leave a comment

Email, Websites, Cell Phones, My Space, Facebook, Texting, YouTube, Blogging, Skyping, Tweeting, Smart Phones, Linked In, Mail Chimp, etc, etc…Where does it end? Where are we going? How can I possibly keep up? It can seem like a runaway freight train overloaded with complex technology! If you are hanging on for dear life when it comes to understanding (much less using!) all the social media options available to us, you’re not alone. Yes, those of you under 25 might feel like the proverbial kid in the candy store, but the rest of us old timers may liken it more to […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Keeping Givers Giving

By on May 1, 2011   /   Communication and Relationships, Thriving for a Lifetime   /   Leave a comment

During my early years with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), I joined a team in Mexico City passing out Bibles door-to-door. I was also asked to teach support raising to a group of missionary trainees from Guatemala – a country with very limited financial resources. Yet I believed that if God’s principles were true, then they were true worldwide, in all societies, among all peoples, in all economic situations. But those convictions were about to be tested! So I asked God, “What is the key to support raising that applies to all people?” A word came immediately to my mind: […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top
GET CONNECTED
Blog
Podcast
Twitter
Facebook

Latest SRS Blog Post

CONTACT US
Support Raising Solutions
PO BOX 3556
Fayetteville, AR, 72702
1(800) 595-4881
info@supportraisingsolutions.org