ViewPoints

Scott Morton, International Director of Personal Support Development for The Navigators
"This series of practical answers to on-the-ground questions about fundraising ought to be in every Christian worker's library. Besides answering my questions, the articles inspire me not only in fundraising, but also in leadership."

Betty Barnett, YWAM Missionary & Author of Friend Raising
"Steve Shadrach's ViewPoints is brimming with practical helps for support raising, as well as great encouragement. His experiences from many years of living on missionary support gives rich wisdom and perspective on a vast array of topics and concerns. Whatever you're struggling with regarding support raising, you'll find help in this book!"

Claude Hickman, National Director of The Traveling Team
"Many people see support raising as a wall with a moat on the other side. It represents the barrier to get over in order to get to "real ministry." Some can scale the wall or help others scale the wall, but I truly believe God has raised up Steve Shadrach in our day to be a part of bringing the wall down - thus unleashing myriads of laborers into the world. ViewPoints will help you and your staff tear down the various walls in your own mind - like fear, lack of training, and small vision. My staff and I personally are indebted to Steve for these biblical and relevant insights. The greatest discovery you will make is that the very wall that has fallen is actually the bridge that God has placed there to carry you to where you need to be."

Dave Flynn, Former National Director of the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement Study Program
"Steve Shadrach's insights and challenges run against the quick-fix, mass-mailing, email-appeal, shallow-relationship approaches that characterize much of the support raising that takes place today. Such methods often leave people disappointed and frustrated and produce little or no support. But if you are eager to work hard to develop a solid, faithful support team to under-gird your ministry, then this book is for you. Be warned in advance, ViewPoints challenges you with a very high bar. It is filled with encouraging case studies and anecdotes that will leave you with the sense that "I CAN DO THIS!" Plowing, cultivating, planting, and weeding are all arduous tasks, but the Lord does not bring forth a harvest without them."

Sharon Epps, Executive Vice President of Content and Media at Crown Financial Ministries
"Fully-funded is a declaration of God's abundant provision for the Christian worker. In ViewPoints, Steve Shadrach captures simple yet profound support raising principles leading to that declaration of "fully funded." The staff at Crown benefit tremendously from learning and employing these principles. Whether you are a support raiser or a supporter, these short chapters contain nuggets of wisdom that will allow the declaration of "fully funded" to ring loudly throughout teams of Christian ministry workers around the world."

Foreword
Introduction

SECTION I: FIVE PARADIGMS TO EMBRACE
1 Followership: Jesus really did live on support!
2 Fulfillment: It’s more blessed to give than receive
3 Stability: The most “secure” job you’ll ever have
4 Urgency: 100 percent in 100 days? You must be kidding!
5 Risk: Support raising might just “ruin” your life

SECTION II: SEVEN CONVICTIONS TO ABSORB
6 Vision: The engine that pulls the train
7 Prayer: Only God can turn hearts
8 Sacrifice: Support raisers set the pace in giving
9 Full Funding: The 100% imperative
10 Asking: A Biblical approach to support raising
11 Training: Get the best, be the best
12 Validity: Support raising is just as Biblical as tent making

SECTION III: EIGHT ATTITUDES TO RADIATE
13 Teachability: Getting “buy-in” from your supporters
14 Patience: Why shortcuts only short-circuit!
15 Courage: Walk toward your fears
16 Affirmation: Asking big esteems supporters
17 Confidence: Big visions require big dollars
18 Restoration: Old friends can become new supporters
19 Honor: Face-to-face asking is the most personal
20 Self Respect: “Poor talk” poisons you and your ministry

SECTION IV: EIGHT QUESTIONS TO ASK
21 God or Others: Which should we ask for support?
22 Full Time or Part-Time: Which support raising approach is best?
23 Churches or Individuals: Which should you focus on?
24 A Working Spouse: Does it affect support raising?
25 Standard of Living: What should it be for Christian workers?
26 Asking Non-believers for Support: Is it wrong?
27 Underfunded Staff: What to do now?
28 Subsidizing Staff Salaries: Does it help or hurt?

SECTION V: SIX RELATIONSHIPS TO NURTURE
29 Support Raising Relationships: The ones that matter most
30 God: Your motivation in all things
31 Parents: A source of blessing
32 Spouses: Teammates for life
33 Pastors: Giving endorsement
34 Friends: Providing partnership

SECTION VI: FIVE STRATEGIES TO FOLLOW
35 Recruit Teammates: The power of building a steering committee
36 Utilize Technology: Why Facebook is a support raiser’s new best friend
37 Multiply Contacts: Asking for referrals is key to expanding your list
38 Communicate with Excellence: Newsletters can make you — or break you!
39 Think Long Term: How to recession-proof your finances

SECTION VII: NINE ISSUES FOR LEADERS TO EXAMINE
40 Building Morale: The value of modeling
41 Setting the Bar High: For ourselves — and others
42 Front Door-Back Door: Why people leave your organization
43 Crossing the River of DeNial: Why it’s so hard to change
44 Placing Priority on Support Training: It shows you care
45 People in Your Ministry Who Should NOT Raise Their Support: Three to consider
46 Administrative Staff: Getting them fully funded
47 Connecting You to Major Donors: How staff members can be the bridge
48 The Support Raising DNA of Your Organization: How to re-create it

SECTION VIII: NINE ‘SECOND OPINIONS’ TO ASSESS
49 With Many Counselors There is Victory
50 Preparing to Ask Big
51 Purging “Poor Talk” from Your Heart and Mouth
52 How to Go Back to Long-lost Friends
53 From Businessman to Support Raiser
54 The Heart Transformation of a Support Raiser’s Wife
55 Spiritual Warfare and Support Raising
56 Give Before You Ask
57 Forty Years of Support Raising

SECTION IX: EIGHT BONUS FEATURES TO PERUSE
58 The Top Four Books on Support Raising
59 Five Current Trends in Personal Support Raising
60 Five Ironclad Policies Every Ministry Should Have
61 A Support Raising Survey of 100 Sending Agencies
62 Three Secrets to Save Your CEO from a Heart Attack!
63 Successful Support Raising in a Suffering Economy
64 Four Steps to Becoming the Tim Tebow of Your Organization
65 Helps to Cultivate Your Relationship with God

SECTION X: NINE RESOURCES TO EXPLORE
How to Receive the Free SRS Newsletter
Get Information on the SRS Ministry Audit for Your Organization
Order SRS Brochures/Resource DVDs
Get Information about Personal Support Raising Boot Camps
Order the new Personal Support Raising Boot Camp Book
Become an SRS Certified Trainer for Your Organization
Order More Copies of this Book
The Fuel and The Flame by Steve Shadrach
Brown Like Coffee by Steve Shadrach

About the Author

Dr. Steve Shadrach has a passion for developing laborers for Christ to reach the world. He has been involved with many different collegiate ministries, and has served as Pastor of Students and Missions at University Baptist Church in Fayetteville, AR. He is also the founder of Student Mobilization, which focuses on evangelizing and discipling college students in the U.S. and abroad, The Traveling Team, and The Bodybuilders ministry, seeking to “build up the body of Christ”. He also served as the Director of Mobilization for the U.S. Center for World Mission, overseeing the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement program. Dr. Shadrach has a Masters in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry in Church and Parachurch Executive Leadership from Denver Seminary. He has written three books, The Fuel and the Flame: Ten Keys to Ignite Your Campus for Jesus Christ, Brown Like Coffee: For Students Who Think Outside the Box, and ViewPoints: Fresh Perspectives on Personal Support Raising. Steve and his family reside in Fayetteville, AR, where he serves as the Executive Director of The Center for Mission Mobilization. (www.mobilization.org)