Can I Raise Support? Hear From Others Who Have Done It.

Summary

The video addresses common fears about missionary support-raising, such as whether asking for money is ethical, what others will think, and how to handle rejection. Host Bree shares three principles for reframing fundraising, then talks with recent GoCorps participants Evelyn and Sarah about their experiences.

Three principles for viewing support-raising

• Receiving financial support for ministry is biblical. Bree points to Luke 8:1–3, where women provided for Jesus and his disciples from their means. She argues that Jesus could have earned money through carpentry or provided miraculously, but accepted support as a legitimate part of ministry. Support-raising, therefore, need not be a source of shame.
• People need and want opportunities to give. Giving is presented as a normal practice in society and in churches. Bree cites 1 Timothy 6:17–19 as a call to be generous and willing to share, framing a support request as an opportunity for others to participate in generosity.
• Support-raisers can mobilize the church for global mission. Fundraising is not only about transferring money; it can also help supporters turn their attention from temporary concerns toward lasting, global purposes. Bree quotes The God Ask on seeing oneself as a mobilizer of people’s hearts as well as their finances.

Evelyn and Sarah’s journeys

Evelyn studied psychology. Mission work was not part of her original plan, but a university connection led her to GoCorps. Through prayer and an opportunity to join community-development work that also shares the gospel with an unreached people group, she came to see the work as a possible calling. Her team will support local communities through clean-water projects and other development efforts.

Sarah studied biology and had expected to pursue a medical career. During a season of prayer after attending the Urbana conference, she began asking what God wanted for her future and grew interested in cross-cultural ministry. She will join a team serving refugees through a variety of ministries.

Both described their callings as unexpected and said they moved forward as opportunities continued to open.

What the fundraising process was like

• The process brought up real fears. Sarah worried about doubts voiced by family members, others’ perceptions, and whether people would feel uncomfortable. Evelyn, who tends to be self-reliant, was intimidated by the fundraising goal and wondered whether she should use her savings instead, especially during the pandemic.
• Their confidence developed gradually. Both said the process did not make fear disappear instantly. They learned to entrust the outcome and other people’s responses to God, and to take the next step faithfully.
• Support-raising became ministry in itself. Meetings gave them a chance to share their stories, hear what God was doing in other people’s lives, pray with them, and encourage them. The process also gave supporters a role in the work before the missionaries reached the field.
• Generosity sometimes came from unexpected places. Evelyn described children giving from their savings, including a 13-year-old and a 5-year-old. Sarah shared that a friend facing cancer encouraged her through his testimony and gave her books that had helped him. Other examples included people giving from stimulus payments, a middle-school student’s gift, and a woman who organized a gathering that led to new supporters.
• Support can be more than money. The participants also received encouragement, prayer, personal stories, books, and ongoing relationships.

Advice for someone hesitant about fundraising

• Don’t dismiss or rationalize away the fear; acknowledge it and bring it to God.
• Remember that God can handle strong emotions and uncertainties.
• Seek preparation and guidance. Evelyn and Sarah credited GoCorps’ training and ongoing cohort support with helping them feel equipped.
• Invite family—especially parents—into the process, since they may be processing the risks and changes too.
• View meetings as opportunities to serve, encourage, pray with, and connect people to the mission—not merely as requests for money.
• Don’t assume that blessing means reaching a funding goal quickly. The process may take time, and its value can also lie in changed faith, relationships, and lessons about God’s provision.
• Make space for rest. Sarah described support-raising as tiring and advised learning to observe the Sabbath well.

Speakers and sources featured

Speakers

• Bree — Host; presents the fundraising principles and facilitates the discussion.
• Evelyn — GoCorps participant preparing for community-development and gospel-sharing work.
• Sarah — GoCorps participant preparing for ministry among refugees.

Sources cited

• The Bible: Luke 8:1–3; John 3:16; 1 Timothy 6:17–19.
• Scott Morton — quoted on the legitimacy and dignity of receiving support.
• Steve Shadrach, The God Ask — quoted on viewing support-raising as mobilizing people for an eternal purpose.
• GoCorps’ fundraising training and participant experiences.