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titleRenew Your Mind

Let’s face it: It’s been a while since you’ve really turned all your focus toward full-time MTD, and many of us, when we think of picking up that phone, have a few buried (or maybe not-so-buried) fears. They are, in some ways, the same fears we faced when we raised our initial support. Yet they also have the potential to be more insidious, because now they might be compounded by the memories of our past experience.

If you’re here, you’re not alone. We’ve spoken to full-time missionaries who have lived on financial support for twenty years who still find themselves with unfounded fears floating in their hearts that have been unconfronted while their focus was on full-time ministry elsewhere.

Even if that’s not you, and you’re feeling full of confidence, it behooves us to return to some of the basics and re-assess our foundation. Consider some of these questions:

  • There are many godly vocations. Can I reaffirm that God has called me to this ministry, at this time, and in this place?
  • There are many biblical models of obtaining financial resources. Do I believe that God has called me to Ministry Team Development — living in dependence on the greater body of Christ?

Resources

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titleEstablish Clear Goals

There are two key questions you must answer before embarking on this season of MTD: 1) How much do I need to raise?, and 2) When do I need it?” We are talking about specific, concrete goals. “As much support as we can get,” is true for nearly any missionary, but infinity makes for poor communication and vision as you lead your partners into the next season of ministry.


Let's look at an example. Jeff has a current support goal of $6,514 but is showing only about $4,950 in active recurring giving each month. He’s getting by, but there is not room for ministry expenses. And because of the lower funding, Jeff hasn’t taken his last offered raise, which would increase his support goal even more. The shortfall is $1,564. After prayer, Jeff decides to set his intermediate goal at $1,500 of new financial support and celebrate if it goes even above and beyond that.

Jeff writes, “We have an immediate need for an additional $1,500 in monthly giving in order to sustain our ministry with Reliant and our new church plant.”


Setting a specific date is just as crucial as a specific amount. When do you need it? “Right away! Any time!” These answers may be true, but are just as unhelpful as not communicating a clear dollar amount. A ministry partner needs to know “when?”, if they are to respond with any sort of urgency. 

Back to Jeff. He’s found that he’ll be able to cut away from full-time ministry responsibilities in mid-April and has most of the summer set aside for MTD. He’s hoping he can meet his goals by the end of June, but isn’t sure. In order to communicate a clear deadline for donors, however, he chooses July 15 as his deadline. This gives an urgent window of time, but leaves enough space so that potential partners don’t delete an old email because they think the date has passed.

Jeff writes further, “In order to return to full-time ministry, we need to meet this goal by July 15.”

Resources

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titleGame Plan: Who to Contact & When

There are several categories of contacts to consider as you step back in MTD and, depending on the time you plan to give to MTD, prioritizing whom to give priority will be crucial. Here are some categories to consider:

  • Current Partners = current recurring gift financial partners
  • Special Gift Partners = have given/periodically give special gifts
  • Prayer Partners = the wider mailing list; receive regular prayer updates; may give periodic special gifts
  • Former Partners = previously gave on a committed basis but don’t any longer
  • Other Potential Partners = new connections received, new names brainstormed, etc.

Depending on your experience in ministry and your freedom to travel, we recommend the following orders of priority:

More than Four Years since Initial MTD

  1. Current Partners
  2. Local networking / Connections from Current Partners
  3. Special Gift Partners
  4. Prayer Partners
  5. Former Partners


Less than Four Years since Initial MTD

  1. All Pending Names from Initial MTD
  2. Revisit Sending Church(es) / New Connections from Sending Church(es)
  3. Current Partners 
  4. Local networking / connections from current partners
  5. Prayer Partners
  6. Connections from Prayer Partners
  7. Any other names from brainstorming session(s)

Resource


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titleCommunicate Early, Concretely and Often

We use the term “partner” frequently around here, but the reality is that partners don’t happen automatically but through relationships of trust. And one of the most significant ways to build trust is through consistent communication. Donors passively sit on the sidelines, and we fear that they will withdraw funding if they see ineffectiveness or something they do not like in the ministry. Partners, on the other hand, have a sense of ownership or stake in the ministry. Even though they are not on the frontlines, they see challenges as problems of their own — ones they want to help solve.

A missionary who thinks of their ministry team as “donors” may think of them as the opposing team, to be played with good strategy and a fear of loss. However, thinking of them as “partners” puts them on the same team, and each partner becomes a possible ambassador for our funding. To engage and activate our partners’ participation with the full-time MTD push, we need to communicate early, concretely, and regularly through the process:

  • Write a brief prayer update that stands out, explains the funding shortfall, your plan to return to full-time support raising, and an invitation to pray with you. Keep it very short and noticeable in order to maximize the chances of getting read. Don't feel obligated to give a ministry update at the same time — you’ve done this in other letters.

  • Send in “multiple dimensions.” If you typically email your prayer letter, recruit some stateside help (like an Advocacy Team or missions team at your Sending Church) to send a postal mail copy to everyone as a follow up. If you typically use postal mail, send an email with the identical letter attached. (“I just recently sent this in the mail, but wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it, so I’ve attached it to this email.”) Handwrite intros or p.s. on the postal letter.

  • Promise to call every letter recipient, then do it. This will take a lot of time, but it’s worth it to build a true partner team to sustain you for years. Depending on the circumstances, set up a time to meet in person, via Zoom, or a phone call at minimum.

  • Consider sending funding updates every few weeks and continue to invite partners to follow along and pray with you as you pursue your goal! Create a visual graph; a concrete date and dollar number make this possible.

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titleNames Re-Ask

When asking for connections with those you have previously asked this, be sure to:

  • Acknowledge your previous invitation. “A couple of years ago you helped us meet a few other people to tell about our ministry. Thank you! Now that we’re back to full-time support raising, this might be a key way you could help again.”

  • Report back on the results of a previous request. If you were able to share with someone, or especially if someone became a partner, lead with this story! “Your connection to Mike last year was such a blessing to our ministry! Not only was he thrilled about what God was doing in London, but he joined as a monthly financial partner!”

  • Remember the basics of getting connected: cast vision for why; brainstorm through potential categories; collect contact info; clarify how to get in touch

  • Invite them to feel ownership of adding people to the partner team. “You and others on our current financial team will be able to cover some of the increased need for Reliant, but if we work together we can add others to the team who care about this ministry as well…”

  • Ask about previous referrals that never seemed to pan out. “Does it make sense for me to try them again?”

Resource

“Getting Connected to Others” course in LEARNLEARN (email us to request access to this course)


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titleIn-person or Virtual?

For many of you returning to full-time MTD, especially if you have other priorities for your home assignment, you will have to decide how many in-person partners appointments you can do.

Scott Morton, support-raising guru for the Navigators, holds a “every five years” minimum rule for seeing partners face to face. If it’s been that long since you’ve been able to visit with partners, it’s recommended you take advantage of the full-time break to do so. (Of course an inefficient visit to a faraway state may not always be possible, but consider if a better time will ever appear.)

For most of us, a full-time return to MTD that lasts longer than 4-6 weeks should likely involve seeing many partners face-to-face and related travel. This investment in the relationship will pay dividends in the responsiveness and long-term stability of your team.

Note: In the current pandemic age, Zoom appointments are not only culturally appropriate, but for many of your partners may be the preferred method. Regardless of the form it takes, commit to connecting “face to face” with as many people as you can.

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