How to Write an Awful Newsletter

By on December 4, 2018   /   Communication and Relationships, Preparation and Tools   /   Leave a comment

  Not again, I thought. I felt like banging my head against the wall. As Assistant Director of MPD, my job includes skimming staff prayer letters to hunt for good stories. Some staff write exceptionally powerful newsletters. But at that moment, I had stumbled onto the “What Not to Do Newsletter.” The author, “Joe Staff,” wrote with good intentions but had effectively written a newsletter most partners wouldn’t want to read. Here’s where Joe went wrong: Too Long “This is the newsletter that never ends…” sounds like the childhood ditty, “This is the song that never ends.” Some staff write […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Meaningful Gifts Create a Tradition of Thankfulness

By on November 6, 2018   /   Family and Finances   /   Leave a comment

Being a husband and a parent has made me realize you only get one shot to make life as special as you can. Days pass into years so quickly, you can easily miss opportunities to make life more meaningful. So we have made time to build traditions with our family that are fun, make people feel special, and most of all make our family feel a part of something bigger than ourselves. Several years back, my wife and I were encouraged to create a tradition to honor our supporters. Our support team is so faithful to give and pray, and […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

It’s Time to Get Personal

By on October 2, 2018   /   Special Asks   /   Leave a comment

If you are a new missionary raising support or a veteran missionary living on support, there is an important time of year quickly approaching I wanted to remind us of. There are more charitable donations given between November and December than any other two months in the year. Check out these statistics from www.neoncrm.com. Nearly one third (31%) of annual giving occurs in December. 53.8% of nonprofits start planning their year-end appeal in October. 28% of nonprofits raise 26–50% of their annual funds from their year-end ask. 59.9% of nonprofits make between 1-3 donor “touches” for their year-end campaign. We […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Saving Face: Asking in Shame-Based Cultures

By on September 4, 2018   /   Ethnic and Gender   /   Leave a comment

“The real decision we have to make when confronted with cultural shame in support raising is this: are people’s opinions more important than Christ’s?”   “Tonight, I want all of you to call 10 of your closest friends, share about your situation and invite them to pray about giving to your outreach.” I vividly remember thinking my leader must be joking. Except he wasn’t. And that’s when I started freaking out. Is he serious? Does he know how awkward that is? What are they going to think of me? And what if they say no? If you come from a high-context, […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Why a $10,000 Buffer Isn’t Enough

By on July 3, 2018   /   Leaders, Thriving for a Lifetime   /   Leave a comment

Being fully funded means more than just being at full monthly support. It also means having healthy and appropriate reserves. Why do we need a buffer, also known as reserves? Living paycheck to paycheck is stressful for families. Missionaries in cross-cultural and other settings face many stresses, and it’s best to avoid adding unnecessary financial stresses. Families need a buffer in their checking and savings accounts for their personal living expenses and to manage cash flow. They also need reserves with the organization in which they serve. How much does a missionary need as a buffer? $10,000? $20,000? It depends […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Finances on the Field: Choosing a Missionary Banking Partner

By on March 6, 2018   /   Expat Solutions, Family and Finances, Non-Westerners   /   Leave a comment

Originally published on eccu.org Missionaries are always on the move, so choosing a bank that understands and serves your unique international needs is an important step in preparing for your work abroad. “For missionaries, it’s vital to not only have support, but the right support,” according to Aaron Babyar, President of Exago. “And finding the right banking partner is part of helping Christian workers become spiritually healthy, vision-driven, and fully funded.” “The right financial partner can make a powerful difference in your fundraising efforts.” To help you spend more time on ministry and less on banking, here are some missionary […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Five Reasons “Poor Talk” is Killing Your Ministry

By on December 5, 2017   /   Fear and Perspective   /   3 Comments

I recently interacted with a ministry leader who is also a friend. He was sharing about a very real issue that can affect Great Commission work. It’s something he has been seeing a lot of first hand. With his permission, I took some of his thoughts to create this article. We’ve all had those times when we are networking with another ministry leader and poor talk rears its ugly head and finds its way into the conversation. This acts like a disease and has a far-reaching impact not only on you personally, but also on those around you. Consider these […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Does Jesus Contradict Himself on Fundraising?

By on September 5, 2017   /   Biblical Encouragement   /   Leave a comment

Have you noticed that Jesus gave two different sets of instructions for funding ministry? Early in His ministry Jesus sent both the twelve disciples and seventy others on mission trips. He instructed them to “take nothing for your journey” but to be supported by “worthy men” to whom they ministered (Matt 10, Mark 6, Luke 9, 10). By contrast, just before He was crucified Jesus asked His disciples a penetrating question: “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you? They said, ‘No, nothing.’ And He said to them, ‘But […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

Women in Ministry

By on August 21, 2017   /   Communication and Relationships, Family and Finances   /   Leave a comment

I recently read an article No One Wants to Bag Leaves Alone: The Vital Role Wives Play in Support Raising and absolutely loved it! The sacrificial and vital role of wives in the adventure of MPD (support raising) is part of the blessed teamwork of marriage. I cheer on the valiant hard work of those wives across the world! Listen ladies, the world is better because of you and wouldn’t be the same without you. The aforementioned article is a definite must-read for all wives whose husbands are the primary support raisers. I would, however, like to draw attention to […]

Keep Reading →
Back to Top

No One Wants to Bag Leaves Alone: The Vital Role Wives Play in Support Raising

By on August 1, 2017   /   Communication and Relationships, Family and Finances   /   1 Comment

Each year hundreds, if not thousands, of leaves fall from the many trees in our front yard until the leaves form a blanket so deep you can no longer see the grass. To rake and bag them all is a daunting and lengthy process. When my husband puts on his outdoor clothes and pulls out the rake, big trash can, and extra-large trash bags, I know he is going to dive into this leaf bagging chore. At that moment I have a choice to make. I can think, “Well, the inside of the house is kind of my domain (laundry, […]

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