I Attended SRS Bootcamp, But Now I’m Stuck!

By on December 1, 2020   /   Follow-Through/Obstacles, Preparation and Tools   /   Leave a comment

“I loved the SRS Bootcamp and learned a lot. I read the book, studied the scripture, and invested financially into all of the expenses necessary for attendance. I did everything right. But I’ve plateaued on my support-raising journey, and I’m only at 40% of my fully-funded goal. Help!”.    We occasionally receive variations of that statement, and it often leads to questions like these: Should I attend Bootcamp again?  What else should I do to get unstuck from my support raising plateau?  Ouch. From personal experience, I can relate to the frustration and anxiety that comes with needing fresh support […]

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Millennials and MPD: What I Have Learned Coaching New Staff in Support Raising

By on November 17, 2020   /   Appointments and Asking, Communication and Relationships, Culture, Follow-Through/Obstacles, Leadership, Preparation and Tools, Special Asks, Strategy and Planning   /   Leave a comment

Lysa, a young capable woman who loves Jesus and wants to serve Him overseas, joined our staff several years ago after college. She had never raised support, but was trained well. She plodded along among her college friends and home church with 3-5 appointments per week for several months, but was still only at about 10% of her goal. We had a deadline coming up in less than two weeks that required her to be at 80% of her actual (not pledged) support goal. If she did not make this, none of the rest of the team would launch and […]

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Support Raising and the Art of Storytelling

By on November 2, 2020   /   Communication and Relationships, Contacts and Referrals   /   Leave a comment

We all have stories worth telling. Be it our testimony for Jesus, the gospel story, or the awesome time we had with our friends last weekend, our stories help people walk in the shoes of others. It’s fairly easy for us all to share about a fun time we had, or a current struggle we’re experiencing in daily conversations, but writing them well is a different story! To help guide your writing and to help you create compelling stories, there are three words to remember: Inspire, Educate, and Navigate. Let’s take a look at how these three work together to […]

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Ethnic Minority Support Raising is an Untapped Goldmine for Your MPD!

By on October 20, 2020   /   Communication and Relationships, Ethnic and Gender, Fear and Perspective, Non-Westerners, Training   /   Leave a comment

Support Raising for ethnic minorities usually conjures up words like shame and honor. But no longer are these terms relegated to ethnic minorities. Honor and shame categories are more relevant than ever and apply to all missionaries regardless of ethnic or cultural background. Consider the shame dynamics brought on by the onslaught of social media, articles like Christianity Today’s “The Return of Shame” and the popularity of best-selling author and shame researcher Brené Brown. Smartphones and Facebook have put honor-shame dynamics into everyone’s pocket, especially Gen Z, the first digitally native generation and the incoming missionary force. This current pandemic […]

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What Makes The Difference?

By on October 13, 2020   /   Helpful Tips, Preparation and Tools   /   Leave a comment

When first appointed as a missionary it can feel like everyone has an opinion about the best beliefs and practices for raising your support. There’s a plethora of opinions on methodology and some people can be quite dogmatic about which one you use. Often, their advice comes from their personal experience and observation. For the rookie fundraiser it can feel overwhelming and confusing.  What really matters? What truly makes a difference? Many of us have heard the anecdotal statements: “It’s so much easier to raise if you’re going to the 10-40 window”, “people only want to give to social justice […]

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Finding Your People—How Friendship Contributes to Sanctification

By on October 9, 2020   /   Biblical Encouragement, Communication and Relationships   /   Leave a comment

One afternoon, I was coaching a small group as we did a team-building ropes course, and everyone (including me!) was frustrated. “Keep going, everyone. I am sure you are almost there!” I cheered half-heartedly. I was sure there was a point to our current challenge and believed onestaff member when he said it was possible to solve, but my patience had worn out along with my bug spray, and my cheering was waning in the afternoon sun.  The goal was to have two people, connected by their hands, balancing on two separate thin wires about a foot off the ground. […]

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When to Say “No” to Raising Support

By on September 15, 2020   /   Infrastructure, Leaders, Leadership, Preparation and Tools   /   Leave a comment

When I met Jessie, everything indicated he would be a star in his ministry. The ministry he was aiming for was at the center of his passions.  It was in worship and his creativity came alive in the church context. His church body loved his contribution and his family was all for it.  It wasn’t long before Jessie was avoiding me and donor phone calls; paralysis had set in.  The situation surprised me. Each coaching call increased my own sense of anxiety as I perceived the situation was eroding his well-being rather than building him for the future. Ultimately, Jessie […]

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How to Get the Most Out of Your Coaching Experience

By on September 1, 2020   /   Coaching   /   Leave a comment

Since 2010 I have trained hundreds of missionaries in partnership development and during this time there has not been a week that I was not in a coaching relationship. Having personally coached over 200 missionaries, here are a few things that I have learned which can help you get the most out of your coaching relationship and partnership development (PD) season. Decide that you are going to work with a coach. Our records indicate that missionaries who use a coach raise approximately 33% more funding than those who do not in the same amount of time. This means that of […]

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Equipping Indigenous Workers

By on August 18, 2020   /   Coaching, Culture, Non-Westerners   /   Leave a comment

A note from SRS: Here is a story of a team that is making incredible strides in raising up international ministry workers. May their story inspire you to dream bigger for what is possible. The world is changing, but the gospel remains the same. And every day, God is at work in central and eastern Europe, as the message of Jesus Christ touches young people. Pockets of this reformation are being sparked by the dedication, sacrifice, and service of our missionary team, Josiah Venture.  Our goal in Josiah Venture is to walk young people through the process of disciple making […]

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How to Raise Financial Support for your Church Plant

By on August 15, 2020   /   Appointments and Asking, Basics, Preparation and Tools   /   Leave a comment

Make sure you look at the previous post first which gives the WHY of raising financial support for your church plant. Dr. Steve Shadrach returns as a guest on Danny Parmelee’s show “101 Questions Church Planters Ask” to look at the HOW of raising finical support for a church plant. It may be different than what you are thinking of. This is not about bake sales and car washes but how you raise ministry partners to join with what God is doing through you and your church plant. Dr. Steve Shadrach gives insight on the process of raising financial support […]

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Support Raising Solutions
PO BOX 3556
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