Support Raising 101: Danger! Warning!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Danger! Warning!

If you are "on support," in the process of raising initial support, or contemplating same, you are in some type of leadership role. This, from Pastor David Murray, should be read carefully...and often. After over 30-decades of public ministry, I am still capable of falling into this hole; and I've seen too many friends/associates fall in and not get out; and, yeah, there's a couple that I pray for now even as I try to guard my heart. If you think you are somehow "above this," frankly, I pity you:

The Pastor's Worst Enemy

The pastor's worst enemy is pride, and it is a special danger for young pastors (1 Tim. 3:6).
The Particular Causes of Pride

Public gifts. As your gifts are exercised in public (unlike those with more private and unseen gifts and ministries), they are more likely to be recognized, admired, and praised.
Official status. As many of God's people respect and honor the "office" of pastor (sometimes regardless of who fills it), you may be inclined to think it is you they respect and honor.
Man-centeredness. When people are blessed under your ministry, they will often attribute it to you rather than to God.
Worldly ideas of leadership. You see yourself as "in charge of all these people," rather than their servant.
Inexperience. The Church is quite unique in how it places untested and inexperienced young men into positions of the highest responsibility without going through the "humbling school of hard knocks." Having never been led, they sometimes do not know how to lead.
Misunderstanding of call to the ministry. Paul did not see the pastoral ministry as a prize he had earned. For Paul, it was as much a grace, an unearned gift, as salvation (Eph. 3:8).

The Pastoral Consequences of Pride
If you fall into pride there will be serious consequences in your ministry.

You will start depending on your gifts rather than on God.
You will become impatient with your less gifted brethren in the ministry or eldership.
You will become thoughtlessly insensitive to the traditions and customs of the past.
You will resist personal criticism and mature counsel.
You will become discouraged and discontented because "I deserve better than this crowd!"
You will regard yourself as above the small/dirty jobs in the congregation.
You will stop learning because you know more than everyone else anyway.
You may fall into the "condemnation of the devil" (1 Tim.3:6).

The Personal Cure of Pride
Let these two phrases be the double heartbeat of our ministries.
1. I am a sinner

Remember what I was (think on the sins you've been delivered from)
Remember what I could be now (if God had not stopped you)
Remember what I still am (research your own heart )
Remember what I could yet be (if God removed His restraining grace)

2. I am a servant

A servant of God (not independent but dependent on God for commission, authority, blessing)
A servant of God's people (not their lord or sovereign)
A servant of sinners (do not look down on the unsaved but get down on your knees for them)
A servant of servants (don't compete with other pastors but serve them)
A servant of the Servant (who said, "I am among you as one who serves," and, "the servant is not greater than his Master.")

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My Support Journey

My formal schooling was crawling to a halt. I was chomping at the proverbial bit to get into ministry. Though scared spitless in some ways, I was confident the Lord had called me to vocational ministry, and I was weeks away from finishing the schooling that, at the time, I thought prepared me for the transition from student to “minister of the Gospel.”
Several “parachurch” (how I hate that term!) ministries had expressed an interest in me serving with them. Yet all had one minor quirk…they wanted me to raise my own salary…to subsist on deputation…to raise support.
Yuck! I had only been a follower of Christ for a few years, and all but one of those years had been spent incarcerated. I was, prior to Jesus invading my life, a thief! I had stolen from friends, enemies, companies, stores…I could not now go out are mooch money from other people!
But, gladly, the Spirit of God kept me from being hasty; I prayed, I sought counsel from the Word, I asked advice from others; and got to the point where I recognized, realized, and resolved that support raising was Biblical and was for me.
That was early summer, 1978. I have subsisted on deputation/support since that time. The early years were, well, not exactly overwhelming successes as far as support went. But I was single…for a couple years I preached three or four times a week all over the Kansas City area…without a car. I lived in a succession of small apartments and houses with lots of roommates. I ate a lot of macaroni and cheese.
As time evolved I connected with more and more people that seemed genuinely interested in my ministry and my life; and more and more became financial partners.
In 1982 I married Jane, and the Lord has blessed us with four children. We’ve not had to worry too much about what to do with extra income, but neither have we starved. Any financial struggles have been self-induced rather than consequences of being “on support.”
I am confident the Lord called me to Himself. I am equally certain the Lord called me into vocational ministry (though I’ve no idea why…but if He can use a donkey I shouldn’t marvel that He can use me!). And I am absolutely convinced the “Giver of all good gifts” has called others alongside us to “support us in the work” to which the Lord has called us.
Even after all these years I am still amazed with every gift given to our support account. I marvel at how many of these folks have been with me since those early days, and how the Lord uses a relatively small number of people, and portions of their resources, to allow me to serve full-time and thus impact thousands upon thousands of lives over the years.
I am also amazed at the confusion, attitude, and general misconception of support held by most Christians…both those that are trying to “raise” support and those who are current or potential supporters.
Thus I set off to put my thoughts, experiences, and ideas on paper, with a fervent prayer the Lord would be pleased to use these efforts to, in part, provide more workers for the ever-whitening fields.