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Short term mission trips
1 + 2 + 1
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Commissioning litany
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Elephants and mice
Fund raising
Characters
Church policy
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Friend-raising
Getting support
Fund raisers
Samples
Post card
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Getting a passport
Health tips
Reentry: Coming home
Safe travel tips
Ten commandments
Testimonial
Training
exercise
Travel checklist
Trip phases
Ruining mission trips
Internet links
Want more out of life?
10/40 Window
Searching for God's will?
An African martyr's statement on commitment
Youth in Mission
Nazarene Missions International resource pages
Linking to me
Prudence Procrastinator
- Prudence is going to get around sending out prayer letters tomorrow . . . or at least no later than next week. She's concerned about where she's going to get funding for her mission trip, but Prudence hasn't asked anyone to pray for her nor has she shared her vision with anyone.
Solution: Set a series of deadlines for all the steps you'll need to take. Stick to those deadlines.Fraidy Freddy
- Freddy is afraid he'll upset people if he talks about his need for financial support for the mission trip. He has no idea how he'll come up with funds for the trip, but he's frightened that people will think he just wants them to pay for a great vacation for him.
Solution: Work at getting people committed to praying for you rather than raising money. Let them know how much money you need and when. Ask them to commit to help you pray that money in.Disconnected Dan
- Right now Dan's got lots of things going on his life. Payment deadlines come and go, but Dan's not worried because the mission trip seems a long way off. "Count me in. I'm going," he tells the group leader who worries about how he's going to pay for airline tickets when people like Dan miss payment deadlines.
Solution: Sit down with a calendar and write in specific payment deadlines. Set your own deadlines for communicating your need and vision to friends, family and home church.Frenzied Frieda
- Frieda's got all kinds of fund raisers planned. She dreams of all the money that's going to come in but she doesn't realize ahead of time how much work each of those events will be. Sadly, Frieda winds up being so busy working on her fund raisers that she doesn't spend much time talking about her vision for the mission trip or recruiting people to be her prayer partners.
Solution: Throttle back on the fund raisers. They heighten awareness, but often do not raise as much money as envisioned. Give top priority to creating a network of prayer partners.They-Owe-Me Naomi
- Naomi's approach to fund raising is: "I grew up in that church. They owe me." She takes the same approach with relatives she thinks have money: "I'm his granddaughter. He owes this to me." Thelma is looking to people (rather than to the Lord) to provide funds. Her fund raising song is "My hope is built on nothing less than your checkbook."
Solution: Realize that God is the provider of resources. Look to Him. You may be surprised at the people through whom He chooses to provide your needs.Worried Wilbur
- Wilbur didn't listen to the exhortation to create a mailing list of 75 people. He made a single mailing to a few people he thought would give him money. He didn't get much response. As payment deadlines loom, Wilbur begins to panic. It didn't sink in that he might have to cultivate relationships with people and that imparting his vision for the mission trip might take more than a one-shot deal. Wilbur's not sure what went wrong, but he's about to decide he'll have to back out from going on the trip.
Solution: Create a plan for doing multiple mailings and speaking engagements in which you update people on your progress. Include lots of information about the ministry to which you feel God is calling you.Cover-up Kyle
- How's Kyle doing on his fund raising? "Fine," he says. Truth is, not much has come in. Inwardly Kyle is worried, but he doesn't want to let it show. He's afraid people will think he doesn't have the faith that God will provide. Because he's making other people think the money has already come in, none of his friends are lifting his financial needs up in prayer.
Solution: Keep your network of prayer supporters informed as to the size of your need and the deadlines you're facing.
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Howard Culbertson, Southern Nazarene University, 6729 NW 39th, Bethany, OK 73008 | Phone: 405-491-6693 - Fax: 405-491-6658
Copyright © 2002 - Last Updated: May 2, 2008 | URL: http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/raising.htm
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Article by Howard Culbertson. For more original content like this, visit: http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert