Prayer and study

Preparing to raise financial support

Raising financial support for yourself or someone else often stirs up fears and questions:

  • How can we possibly raise that much money?

  • I don’t want to bother people.

  • What if we ask and they say no?

  • Why can’t we just have faith that the money will come in?

  • I hate feeling like I’m begging.

  • This goes against how I was raised; I was taught to be self-sufficient.

  • (fill in the blank) _________________________________________________

Before you start

Take time to:

  • Talk with God (pray) about your fears and questions

  • Study what the Bible has to say about financing ministry (see Biblical Foundations of Raising Financial Support in this manual for starters)

  • Read 1 or 2 of the good books about raising financial support listed below

Persist in these activities until you can freely and confidently engage in inviting people to financially partner with you. You will not regret taking the time to build a solid spiritual, mental and emotional foundation for raising financial support.

Recommended resources

The following books can be borrowed from the EMM MST Coach or purchased online. One or two of them may have been provided to the missionary by EMM during the appointment process.

  • People Raising by William P. Dillon (Moody Publishers, 2012)

If you are eager to do the Lord’s work but less than eager about fundraising, this book is for you. Veteran ministry leader and fundraiser Bill Dillon helps you cultivate a positive attitude and provides step-by-step instructions that streamline the fundraising process.

  • A Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Upper Room Books, 2011)

A short book full of profound thoughts that will change the way you think about raising financial support.

  • More Than Money More Than Faith Successfully Raising Missionary Support in the Twenty-First Century by Paul I. Johnson, Ph.D. (Pleasant Words, a division of WinePress Publishing, 2007)

Would you leave all and go to the mission field by faith alone? Is this really what the Bible teaches about how missionaries should be financially and spiritually supported? Should churches, friends, and family send missionaries off to the field without being sure they have adequate support? Should mission agencies encourage new recruits who do not have established financial and spiritual backing? Does the Bible teach missionaries to live on the promises of God and not be concerned for physical and financial needs? Or, does God have a plan for those He calls and sends out to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth? If so, what is the plan? Dr. Johnson’s book contains answers to these questions, along with plenty of practical advice.

  • Funding Your Ministry Whether You’re Gifted or Not! An In-depth, Biblical Guide for Successfully Raising Personal Support by Scott Morton (Dawson Media, a ministry of The Navigators, 1999)

On staff with Navigators since 1970, Scott Morton’s fundraising journey began in his second year of ministry. Frustrated by living at 60 percent of their budget, his wife gently challenged him: “Are you going to support this family or not?” Since discovering for himself the biblical attitudes and skills needed to raise personal support, Morton has helped hundreds of other missionaries and ministry leaders reach full financial support.

  • Friend Raising by Betty Barnett (YWAM Publishing; Revised edition, 2002)

Strong, godly relationships are the pillars of lasting spiritual and financial support. Discover the friend-raising principles that are uniting thousands of missionaries and their senders in their work for God’s kingdom.