What's the Hardest Thing About Raising Support?

This past summer, as part of our desire to continue the personal and professional development of our staff, we held a support raising seminar. Raising support is extremely difficult.  There are so many reason why but I think for me the biggest is that I don't feel comfortable asking people for their hard-earned money. I know that they need it for their own bills and expenses.  We asked several of our staff {read full-time missionary} at our San Antonio del Mar, Mexico campus of YWAM San Diego/Baja what the hardest thing about raising support is for them personally.  Here is what they had to say: 

As a full time missionary with YWAM, I live a lifestyle of financial faith.  I am responsible for raising support for my role within this ministry - from paying the electric bill to purchasing airline tickets to the other side of the world.  I trust in God and depend on the generosity of others to partner with me on this journey of faith.  While not receiving a traditional 'income' can seem challenging at times, I have seen God's faithfulness over and again during my past decade of this lifestyle.

Here is the official statement on WHY we raise funds from YWAM’s website Staff and Finances:​​

Every YWAM worker, including the founder, Loren Cunningham, raises enough funds to meet his or her own financial needs. For most people in YWAM, these funds come from friends, family and churches who contribute financially. Other YWAMers rely on their own savings, part-time jobs, foreign employment, and small businesses or even--in the case of some of our older staff--pension income.

YWAM has purposely chosen to emphasize personal support raising as the primary means of funding for our staff. Although we recognize there are many other valid ways of financing ministry, the way we have chosen is based on Biblical principles and has enabled us to include tens of thousands of people each year from over 180 countries in the task of fulfilling the Great Commission.

It's also a financial model that enables many important ministries to exist in our world today. Just as the staff of a church or a community service organization relies on donations to pay their salary, so our staff also rely on financial partners to meet their financial needs.

We believe, and have experienced over and over, that personal support raising provides many benefits to our staff. It often creates a close bond between the financial partner and the worker on the field, it helps our workers experience God's faithfulness in tangible ways, and when combined with a commitment to pray as well as to give, it provides powerful teamwork that results in encouragement for our workers and supernatural blessing on our ministries.

Many of us support organizations like The Salvation Army, Goodwill, Red Cross, March of Dimes, United Way, UNICEF, etc and while those are excellent places to give I wonder how many of you know exactly where your dollars are going. Can you communicate with the specific person that receives your funds?  Can you visit them in person? Are their "employees" paid? 

If you answer NO to any of those questions, consider giving your hard-earned money to an organization to which you can answer YES. YES, you know exactly where your dollars are going. YES you an communicate directly with the specific person who receives your funds. YES, you can visit them in person & many times they hope, want and encourage you to do so. 

Not many places fall into this category.  The two that come to mind are Compassion International (which many of you already sponsor) and full-time missionaries with organizations like YWAM. 

I would like to ask you to pray about supporting me or a missionary for the upcoming year. We rely on the generous support of friends and family.  I have been so very blessed the past year with support from Metro Church in Birmingham, AL and The WORD Church in Tuscaloosa, AL as well as a handful of friends from various areas of my life. The money that is given towards my ministry in Mexico helps me to pay my monthly room & board, phone bill, insurance, groceries, utilities, toiletries, as well as supporting local ministries likeZone Kids, Little Builders Preschool, Circulo Andante, Discipleship Training School Outreaches, etc.  

If you'd like to financially support me for the upcoming year, I have a few areas that you can partner with me: 

Missionary Medical Insurance & general healthcare- approx $300/month
General Monthly Expenses (toiletries, Internet, etc) - $50/month 
Transportation fund (I'm hoping to purchase a car in the next year) 
Phone Bill - currently $30/month
Staff Fees (basically room & board) - $225/month 
Additional food & supplies - $50/month 

You can give towards something specific, give monthly or a one time gift! Use the DONATE NOW button below for tax-deductible donations through YWAM San Diego/Baja.  

Please email me if you'd like it to be designated for something specific or if you'd like to know how to set up automatic monthly support so you don't have to remember. 

Thank you all for your continued support throughout the past (almost) 9 years (more with my DTS).

My desire is to live with integrity and generosity with all God gives me.  If you have questions about this lifestyle of financial faith, I would love to share my story and hear what you have to say.  Visit me at sherilbrasher @ mac (DOT) com to get in touch.

DONATE NOW

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and hear about my life as a full-time missionary. It's not an easy life but it is very rewarding.  If you liked this blog post, perhaps you would like to read more like them.  Below are a few I think you might like:  

• Praise Reports & God's Blessings​
• God Gave Me a FitBig
• Missionary Life:  The Dreaded ASK
  
• ​Birthday Surprises & God's Faithfulness

Make sure you sign up for my mailing list so you never miss out on another blog or update.