By Dionna Linn, Serving in Spain
I never thought I would be thankful for support raising, nor did I ever imagine enjoying the process. I remember my initial thoughts – feeling like the task was too great to accomplish, wondering if people would actually give, and questioning whether God would confirm my calling by providing full support.
On this side of it all, I can say that I am grateful for the privilege to have raised funds in preparation for the field. In fact, I’m not sure that I would want to go to the field without this experience because of the tremendous preparation and training it provided. Throughout this journey, I learned a lot – practical lessons, emotional lessons, and a whole slew of spiritual lessons.
A Few Practical Tips on Support Raising
The first thing that comes to mind is how grateful I am for the training and advice I received prior to support raising. Steve Shadrack’s book, The God Ask, gave all sorts of insight into what the process would look like and how to best be prepared for it. Simple phrases from his book consistently ran through my head as I met with people. His reminder to lift up every appointment in prayer consistently brought me in humility before the Lord before making any presentations.
I also took to heart his practical advice: namestorming through people I have come in to contact with throughout my life, prioritizing my contacts and reaching them in accordance with priority levels, and treating support raising like a full-time job. Each of those resources and tips made the process much more smooth and structured.
Team Expansion’s Launch Training and Ongoing Support
I am also extremely grateful for the advice I was given both through Launch and through continued coaching with Al and Donna. It’s difficult to recount the number of times something would happen and I would immediately remember… “hmmm, they told me at Launch this would happen so I shouldn’t be surprised.”
For example, simple things like knowing that many times the people you most expect to join your financial team are the ones who won’t for one reason or another, and the ones you least expect to join are the ones who surprise you and end up joining! Simple things like this helped me keep my head up, as it could be really discouraging when people didn’t join my monthly team and I was really expecting them to.
Face-to-Face Meetings Matter
Another big takeaway from my support raising journey was the importance of face-to-face presentations. God provided my support through 28 individuals and 2 churches. Interestingly, 12 individuals joined on their own, simply through following my journey in the past year and listening to God’s prompting to be part of my team. Almost all the rest of my supporters (15 individuals and 2 churches) joined because of face-to-face presentations. As of right now, I have one monthly partner who is the direct result of the 20+ partnership packets I sent out in the mail.
While I think sending general information is valid and a great way to raise awareness, it’s probably not the most effective method for raising monthly support.
The Unexpected Lessons Support Raising Taught Me
Beyond the many practical lessons, this journey has taught me so much about who God is, how He works, and how He desires for me to work alongside Him.
It seems like the most prominent lesson through it all has been God’s desire for me to trust Him, because HE IS ABLE.
Just when I thought I had done everything perfectly and was expecting results, results wouldn’t come. God used these moments to remind me that the results were never up to me, they have always been up to Him. I’ve learned that my role is to give all my efforts to the best of my ability and leave the outcome up to God.
A Story of God’s Providence in Support Raising
A story comes to mind, reminding me that God’s sovereignty does not hinge at all on who I know or what I’m able to accomplish through my “strengths.” July 15th of this past summer my family was gathered in Indianapolis to celebrate my cousin’s wedding. As we finished up brunch and waited for the afternoon ceremony, I accompanied my grandparents to a house nearby the church where they were going to freshen up briefly before heading to the church.
We stopped at the house of a lady who had housed some of my family during the wedding. At the time, I did not know Carol Ann, but while I waited for my grandparents to get ready, I sat on the couch in Carol Ann’s living room and we exchanged stories for about 20 minutes. We enjoyed our conversation, making connections we didn’t realize we shared and telling her briefly about my apprenticeship in Spain.
A few months later, as I pondered the names of people in Indianapolis with whom I wanted to share my presentation, Carol Ann’s name came to mind. We planned dinner, enjoyed a wonderful time together, and I was able to share my ministry vision with her. Just a few days later Carol Ann informed me that after praying, she had decided to be one of my monthly financial partners.
I never knew at the time that God had ordained our quick “pit stop” at her house, introducing me to someone who would later come on board as one of my monthly financial supporters.
Praise God for His sovereignty!
Support Raising is a Picture of Community
I love the clear depiction of the body of Christ that fundraising affords. Rarely have I truly understood how deeply God desires that we function in community. This journey has brought me so much closer to people I hadn’t had the opportunity to live close to for years – a principal from high school, friends and roommates from college, members of my small group throughout my time in college, colleagues from different stages of life, longstanding friends from my parent’s supporting churches, and people I’ve only met in the last year.
God has pulled together a team of people that only He in his sovereignty could unite. I am grateful!
The Contagious Generosity of God
Finally, this process has given me firsthand experience in the economy of God. Interestingly, I have been on the receiving end of many gifts, but I believe this process has grown in me a desire to give more sacrificially.
During my months of raising support, I was faced with numerous opportunities to give generously to several friends in need. Whereas before I would have struggled to give above and beyond a tithe, I have seen so clearly that “my money” has never been “my money.” It’s all His, and if I the finances He has blessed me with can be a vessel of encouragement and blessing to others, sign me up!
My dad wisely advised me from the beginning… “when God calls, He provides…” and He sure has.
Thank you for your insights. As one who has raised millions of dollars to fund a worldwide ministry, New Fire for Christ, I appreciate the insight you are giving to what is a daunting prospect for many…. fundraising. One thing that surprised me is how, following Cru’s excellent guidelines for fundraising (together with my wife Mallory, when I was a National Speaker with Cru, before we founded New Fire for Christ), I was able to raise and receive a good, solid (but not exorbitant) salary. And we always felt that if we were to ask others to give, we needed to be the first to give, at bare minimum a tithe, to God and his work. Bottom line? You are right, “our” money is not our money… but His to do with as He directs us to do.