How to Help Underfunded Staff

By on April 30, 2022   /   Basics, Helpful Tips, Preparation and Tools   /   Leave a comment

For whatever reason, support-raising brings so many emotional extremes to our lives. From the highs of seeing God provide in seemingly impossible ways to the lows of underfunded ministers with few options left, a life of support-raising is susceptible to big mood swings. Why is this? Why is ministry partner development the one area that can cripple an otherwise effective missionary? There are a few good reasons; however, the one I see most often isn’t because of how bad a support-raiser is. Rather it is the good intentions of the minister that are often the beginning of issues. After all, why did we […]

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Building a Solid Foundation in MPD

By on February 1, 2022   /   Appointments and Asking, Preparation and Tools, Strategy and Planning   /   Leave a comment

Look, I get it. You have finally wrapped your mind around the idea that you will be raising monthly support in order to get your ongoing paychecks. You are compelled by the ministry, and are taking a step of faith because God is great, able, and good. But then they tell you that you also need to raise a giant lump sum to pay for the training! The same training where they teach you to raise the support! Like, before they tell you how! This moment, right here, puts that new resolve to trust God with your finances in ministry […]

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Coaching—Perseverance and Permission

By on January 28, 2021   /   Follow-Through/Obstacles, Preparation and Tools, Strategy and Planning   /   Leave a comment

“Coaching makes all the difference.” “Accountability is the secret sauce to success.” “You definitely need a coach.” I knew those words. I TAUGHT those words. But when was the last time I put them into practice and had my own coach for partnership development? 7 years. Yup. In my defense there had been at least twice that I had sought out people and invited them to fill that role…but they weren’t a good fit or I didn’t properly set up expectations. I could tell myself “Callie, you TEACH people how to raise support, you probably are the exception to the […]

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How Getting to Full Support Changed Me as a Coach

By on January 19, 2021   /   Coaching, Leaders, Preparation and Tools, Training   /   Leave a comment

Ready for a challenge? It is stated in three simple words – get fully funded. You are a leader, a coach, a trainer, and, as such, you are an example for the supported staff in your organization. Yes, you’ve been at your role for many years, and you are good at what you do. Once upon a time, you were fully funded. You know what it’s like to raise support; you just haven’t done it for a while. Let me share how taking time out to make this a priority not only helped us reach full support but changed me […]

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Is There a Roadmap for Making Support Raising Sustainable?

By on December 14, 2020   /   Preparation and Tools, Strategy and Planning   /   Leave a comment

Three years ago our organization started with this question: How can personal support raising be sustainable for everyone? Several of our staff were severely underfunded, others barely made a full paycheck, and most recruits dropped out during on-boarding. However, we had a handful of staff members thriving, fully supported, and a generous rainy-day fund in the bank. Was it possible to provide a roadmap that worked for our entire staff? After ten years of personal support raising, I attended my first SRS Bootcamp eager to learn and answer this question. I walked away with this conviction about support raising that […]

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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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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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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 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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