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Financial Support issues From LW, 2004 From book Stepping Out:chapter entitled “God’s Pattern of Provision. Understanding the biblical precedent for support raising.” Many go into support raising for missions with feelings of fear, guilt, trepidation, and even shame. However, the first step in the process is understanding that support raising is biblical (71). Some examples:
Definition of a tentmaker: “a cross-cultural witness who works at a paying, usually secular, job overseas. Often they are able to gain entry into “closed” countries which restrict traditional mission efforts. Tentmakers rarely make tents for a living, like the apostle paul did, but they all should have the intention to further God’s work” (57).
Some quotes: “We must remember that the Bible strongly states that accepting support gifts is part of God’s economy” (73). “The bottom line is that you need to be willing to do whatever the Lord asks you to do, or you won’t be qualified for any missionary career”(73). “A laborer in God’s Kingdom is truly worthy of being paid for His service” (72). Chapter 6: “Make the Right Connections. How to involve others in the venture from the very start.” “You may hear protests like, ‘Is this why I paid for you to get a computer science degree?’ or ‘No daughter of mine is going to be begging for money!” (49). Chapter 12: “Have Fun Getting Funded. How to face the pitfalls and practices of raising support.” Pitfalls of poor thinking when it comes to financing a short-term trip and then at some practical ways to get the job done. “Pitfall One: The Beggar Bugaboo” Raising support can seem like a sure way to turn off friends and offend your family. But, raising support is actually team ministry and most often it draws people closer rather than apart. It also prevents putting missionary plans on hold in order to independently raise the funds.
“Pitfall Two: Checkbook Guidance” This reasoning comes from looking at one’s checkbook and if the present money situation is good then one will go, and if not than one won’t go. However, if this is how most mission enterprises operated, then little would be accomplished in missions. In trusting God to provide beyond your means, the process of support raising becomes exciting and one’s dependence on God is deepened.
Pitfall Three: Rich Uncle Syndrome While a select few are actually supported by just one individual or organization, it can be a dangerous approach to God’s work. A person must make sure to go to God for His strategy and His strategy may call for going beyond a lone individual for support. “More people on your support team means more people influenced, involved in, and affected by your mission” (76).
Pitfall Four: Ignoring the Supernatural God often works in “wonderful and unusual ways” to provide money. We must get it fresh in our minds that God is the Provider.
Key quote: “Be sure that you never look at this wonderful opportunity to raise support and involve yourself with others as something negative or as a burden.”
Some positive steps: 1. Pray “Pray that money in.” 2. Make a budget Type out a budget so you can be prepared to share it with those who may ask you how much it your trip will cost. The budget will speak of your seriousness about the trip. 3. Develop a financial strategy Create a list of all your resources—people and other. Consider selling some of your stuff. Pick up another job. Ask God to clear a strategy. Make sure you follow the guidelines of your mission agency. 4. Be prepared to make a presentation One of the best ways to make people aware is through face to face interaction or public presentation.
Interview with EB and PB: Interview with WF and FF: “Money is never the issue in missions. It’s the ability to tell the story and excite people.” WMPL Lady who spoke at OHSCO luncheon: WMPL missionaries do not ask for financial support from people, but rather they place the utmost importance on prayer and building of a prayer support team. They do not wait until a person has all the funds needed but rather trusts God along the way to provide and He does.
Interview with Dr. B: Dr. B. received support from the LCMS and was paid monthly. This sum of money was more than ten times what the people he was living among made. At first he gave out money when asked but this built dependency and as he said, “it can skew a culture.” He began saving the money and then used it to educate children. He would tell families that if they raised the first half of what is needed he’d match the other half. In this way he was allowing the parents to feel ownership of their child’s education. One of the biggest times he was asked for money was in times of a burial. The custom was that the extended family helped in the time of burial. It took Dr. B. six years to become part of the extended family so until then he was outside of the system “standing alone.” This system did not work in the way that westerners are familiar with: “I borrowed you $10 so you owe me $10.” Rather, they say, “I helped you when you buried your father so now you will help me in my time of need.” It took Dr. B. years to figure out this system, and until he did he kept records of people who owed him money. Once he gained an understanding of the system he figured out how he could get help from people. He calls this system: reciprocity. He learned not to think of himself as Mr. Moneybags that people wanted to know; rather, he learned the faults of his western culture judging value of things by money. This culture was more focused on relationships.
Notes by JH, 2003 When looking at finances this plays a huge role in missions. The need for support allows for outreach to those who need to here the saving message of Jesus. Without finances the ability to reach out becomes very limited. When looking at the church I see that they should play a major role in financing for missions. Some questions from this area are: What is the best way to ask a church for money? How much should you expect when looking for finances? Can the message of Jesus be spread without money? When thinking about the idea of stewardship my understanding has always giving back to the Lord out what he has blessed me with. A common term would be tithing in which one gives a certain percentage to the churches ministry. Some questions from this area are: To what end does someone give when upon the mission field and to whom? How can stewardship originate out of gospel and not law? In what ways do finances and stewardship work together? Stepping Out pg 73. We must recognize that the bible strongly states that accepting gifts is part of God’s economy. In a sense accepting support is a matter of obedience to God’s work and calling, not of following your feelings. If God calls you to a supported ministry position, then He will provide everything you need to fulfill your ministry position, including emotion strength and perseverance. (Phil 4:19, I Thess. 5:24).
Excerpts from interview with Professor JF: – The leaving behind of all the things we have possessions, connections, and family can be a huge struggle - The call is a sacrifice and there is loss – Our secular world tells us that we should base our decisions on monetary reasoning but we should not be basing it on such concerns. God will direct us and in our seeking out his will in which we will be provided. Excerpts
from TR and KR interview. Was
there anything difficult in making the decision to go? Finances? The
mission work was taken care of by the LCMS who provide their training and
travel to Japan. Once in
Japan there was a stipend from the school that Tim and Kathy taught at
which provided the means to live week to week.
The English teaching was the key to getting support for the workers
as well as a church, which was funded through the students learning
English. Students had to pay
quite a bit of money to attend and it would have seemed that the stipend
would be a good amount but through administration it seemed very little
money made it to Tim and Kathy. It
was not anything that kept them from living but it made it difficult but
the reality of an unbalanced difference of value between the Yen and the
Dollar. Tim and Kathy where
in Japan during the trade problems between the U.S. and Japan which was a
key to the money concerns. Dependency
was also a big issue, which was talked about in the interview and now
seems like a good time to bring it up. There was a problem with Japanese
pastors who wanted to become self-dependant and it was a premature move
leaving many churches under funded. This
continues to be a big deal. Excerpts from interview with Jack Carlos. Was there anything difficult in making the decision to go? Finances? What Jack told me simply amazed me in that upon leaving to go to West Africa they sold everything. All their possessions such as home, car, and furniture they got rid of. Jack mentioned that they had never been big into materials so it was an easy decision. Jack said that living on the mission field was very reasonable in that the cost of living was so low that no issues of hunger or stress occurred. It was pretty easy to live on the money they made. God abundantly supplied them filling their needs.
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