Raising Support for Missionary Trips - Part 4

You believe this is God's calling for you. After studying the scriptures you are persuaded that support raising is Biblical, and you are trusting God to supply your financial needs. So, how do you begin? It's important that you develop a general strategy, a plan,  to discover the supporters you believe God has already chosen to support you.

William Dillon broke it down into two main principles. The first is: People give to people they know, trust, and care for.
The second principle is: The key to raising support successfully is to contact people you know in the most personal and practical way possible.  

When you are ready to begin raising support start with principle 1. Identify  the people you already know, trust, and care for you. Then use principle 2 and meet with as many of those people as practical and possible.

Lets look at a fund raising strategy.
1)  In your daily prayer time look to God for financial provision
2)  Begin a list of individuals and churches with which you can share your vision.
     Some ideas for contacts:

• Your church missions committee
• The church were you grew up
• Other churches in the area
• Friends & acquaintances
• People you work with
• Old school friends
• Friends and contacts of your parents
• Relatives
• Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Blogs, etc
• Christian parents of your friends

3)  Prioritize your list into the "Top 10", second ten and so on. The "Top 10" donors or sponsors will possibly provide two-thirds of your financial support.
4)  Prayerfully individualize your fund-raising appeal.
            a) Ask appropriately
                     Face to face presentation
                     Phone call followed by informational letter
                     Fund raising letter with enclosed response card and SASE
                     Church presentation
                     Other creative options such as car wash, etc

           
           b) Don't be afraid to ask for large gifts
           c) Pray and then set deadline to contact the persons on your list
           d) Follow up with them as planned
           e) Repeat steps 1-5 for your second 10 and continue until you have reached 100% of your fund
               raising goal

I hope this series of articles help you get on the road to full funding for your mission endeavor. Thank you for being willing to respond to God's call on your life, and may God bless you in the days ahead.

Prayer Requests:
Pray for those involved in carrying the gospel to unreached people groups
For continued financial support for AIM
For the completion of the new Children's Home