I admit, SRS has mainly focused on the support training piece over the years, and not adequately addressed vital aspects of the ongoing coaching required to insure new and veteran staff thrive in their support raising over the long haul. But we see huge needs in this area, and we believe God has called us to do more.
Culture + Infrastructure + Training + Coaching
These are the four areas I believe every ministry must “prioritize and organize” in order to build a healthy long-term support raising DNA. By God’s grace and with the addition of many great people, SRS is now seeking to serve the body of Christ in all four categories. And we’re expanding the target audience of who the essential personnel are in each organization that need to fully embrace and pursue excellence in these four areas. Yes, the support trainers and coaches certainly need ongoing encouragement and sharpening, but so do the ministry executives and team leaders—i.e. anyone who oversees staff who raise support!
As a result, we have launched the Support Raising Leaders Conference “CLIMB” and shaped it around addressing these four crucial components. If you oversee staff that raise support, I invite you to join your peers at this CLIMB conference on Oct. 11-14, as we will have 28 workshops led by the some of the most experienced support raising leaders in the country digging into these four topics–check out the workshop lineup. We have also formed the SRS Network for support raising trainers, coaches, and leaders around the world to learn from each other, and share the latest and greatest tools and resources with one another. Anyone can join and we would be honored to have you!
Calling All Leaders!
Long ago, I realized I’m not good at everything. In fact, my greatest strength is that I know what my weaknesses are! If I know my gaps, I can identify the people and resources I need to fill those needs. Helping all our candidates, new staff, veterans, team leaders, and directors succeed in support raising is more than I can do alone. After taking a long look in the mirror to make sure I too “walk the talk,” I then must equip our executive leadership, team leaders, and veteran staff to also be support raising models. Any leader, whether they’re overseeing 4 or 400 cannot abdicate this responsibility solely to the MPD or HR department. That’s why we will definitely make room for you at the Support Raising Leaders Conference in Tulsa this October! We want to help organizations see support coaching become part of the job descriptions at every level of the ministry.
Together, by God’s grace, we will equip Great Commission workers worldwide to become spiritually healthy, vision-driven, and fully funded. When I started this ministry (originally called The BodyBuilders) in 2001, we never anticipated one of our initiatives (SRS) would become the largest support raising training ministry in the world. All along our ultimate goal has been to see every tribe, tongue and nation glorifying Christ, and mobilizing people to engage the Great Commission. As Jesus said in Matthew 9:37, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. If laborers are the greatest need, one of the biggest obstacles to getting them out to the field is definitely a fear of support raising. That is why SRS exists—to identify and crush this obstacle with Biblical truth, practical training, and ongoing coaching. Why are we so burdened about this?” Because we desire to flood the nations with Great Commission workers who are spiritually healthy and vision driven—but also FULLY FUNDED!
Thank you for your service to Christ. Please jump in the saddle with us, as we all seek to honor and lift up the person and purposes of Jesus Christ.
@Steve Shadrach
Founder of Support Raising Solutions Executive Director of the Center for Mission Mobilization
