Support Raising 101: A Case in Point

Monday, April 19, 2010

A Case in Point

You know I'm a huge believer in Thank You notes.

You know I'm a huge hater of excuses, "I don't have time," "I'm too busy," etc. Get it done. Excuses are like elbows, every body has a couple...just like your newsletter..you may have to plan ahead, you may have to get help, but if you are "on support" your newsletter is, horizontally, your life line and thank yous are just polite.

I also use email, facebook, twitter, blogs and more to stay connected. i sent out a request to my "Prayer Update" email list earlier, and got this response from a long time supporter. He was my high school journalism teacher while we were both children-of-the-devil. He is one of my biggest supporters financially, and stays in touch with me frequently.

He also is a man of few words. I share this with you to let you know your people probably are much more willing to hear from you than you are willing to put the effort into connecting with them:

"Happily responding ........no one makes better updates than you.... helps us to feel engaged..."

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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.