Support Raising

One of these uncomfortable situations happened when God prompted me to leave my job at a Fortune 100 company to serve Him overseas where people had never heard about Jesus. You see, in all my excitement of moving overseas to do this great work, the reality of my calling eventually met the realization of one of my biggest fears … SUPPORT RAISING.

If we’re being honest, what is more uncomfortable than talking about money? How am I going to raise the money I need to have an effective ministry and provide for myself? Could this really be what God is asking me to do?

Let me assure you that YES, this was exactly what God was asking me to do. Actually He wasn’t worried about it at all. Despite my fears of what others would think and my doubt in the ability to raise the funds, I was forced to recognize where God was leading and be obedient to Him. I eventually learned that my distorted view of independence was causing some problems. I had placed a higher value on being able to take care for myself than following what the Bible says.

If you are considering an opportunity that requires you to raise support, this is where you need to put in some hours followed by prayer. The Bible speaks to the topic of money and support very often and it’s your job to know what it says. Don’t worry, there are some great resources out there that have done some work to help you personally discern what you think God is saying about support.
Here are three examples that speak the most clearly to me:

1. Luke 8:1-3 – Jesus and His disciples were supported from the means of women and many others.
2. 1 Corinthians 9 – Paul justifies His lifestyle of living on support rather than “tentmaking” based on his call from the LORD.
3. Deuteronomy 18 – The Priests and Levites were supported through the sacrifices from the other Jews.

God Provides – Do you believe that God is in control of all things? Well He absolutely is and He has all the money you might need. Support Raising challenges us to trust the LORD to even greater depths as our provider. Support raisers can tell you story after story about amazing ways that God has provided.

You’re Never Alone – Between your prayer team, financial supporters and support coach you can set yourself up to be encouraged and motivated throughout the entire endeavor. You will experience community in a brighter new way than ever before.

Incredible Accountability – Can you imagine having a group of 50 people personally invested in your current job? Encouraging you and praying for you as you strive to do great work that honors HIM? This is a snapshot into the daily life of someone living on support. It might sound scary but I’m thankful for the accountability every day.

You’re Worth It – Support raising allows us to address some specific lies that the enemy wants us to believe. You have to wrestle with whether or not you think you are a worthy investment. Let me remind you that God thought you were worth sending His son to die for.

A Blessing Not a Hindrance – Acts 20:35 reminds us that it is more blessed to give than to receive. You are inviting people to make an eternal investment in the Kingdom of God that will never be lost. You are doing THEM a favor. Seriously, you are.

All participants and staff of Forefront Experience raise personal financial support to cover their salaries and benefits. We embrace this model instead of exclusive central fundraising because it allows us to put more people on the field so that more people can hear about Jesus.

For all of our people we are invested in seeing you become fully funded. We provide training on HOW to raise support. We provide resources to assist and guide the process. We provide coaching along the way to make sure you meet your goals and make it to your assignment as quickly as possible.

Please don’t let support be a reason you don’t follow God’s direction in your life. This might be an opportunity to trust Him more. Contact us with any questions about this topic at all.

Here are some questions for you to consider. There is no one checking the answers and it would only be beneficial for you to honestly ask yourself these questions. Don’t just give the answer that you think is the best or most “Christian” but actually wrestle through these questions and their implications.

Do you really believe that what you do in this life affects what will happen for eternity? (Does investing in the Kingdom while on earth affect your eternal life?)

Do you think that you are a worthy investment of someone’s money?

Do you truly believe that God can provide for you?

Is money stopping you from pursuing your God-given purpose?

What would stop you from raising support? Is your reasoning Biblical?

Resources

“The God Ask” by Steve Shadrach, CMM Press Inc.
“People Raising” by William P. Dillon, Moody Press
“Funding Your Ministry” by Scott Morton, Dawson Media