Coronavirus and Fundraising?

By on March 19, 2020   /   Communication and Relationships, COVID-19, Fear and Perspective   /   Leave a comment

Question: With the Coronavirus pandemic shutting down much of the world, what can you do now in fundraising? Nothing? Wait until things improve? Answer: Now is the time to be active in your giving partners’ lives. Now is not the time to withdraw! Your giving partners need your encouragement, but it will take time. Donor Ministry Ideas: Phone a giving partner who might be struggling. Listen to her. Pray with her over the phone. Send a physical note, text or email to a partner just to let him know you are thinking of him. Tell him you are concerned. Share a scripture. Send money […]

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Rest, Relationships, Relating to Partners: Balancing the “Three Rs” of Furlough

By on February 3, 2020   /   Communication and Relationships, Expat Solutions   /   Leave a comment

Setting the Stage The foundation of honoring God in the stewardship of our lives as servants on His behalf is love: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39). In order to love God and others, you need to take care of, yes love, yourself. Furlough is a time for those serving cross-culturally to take care of themselves and their families, including their partners, in order to have the capacity to take care of others.  The ministry I serve with asks our members […]

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Beyond the Newsletter: Communicating Value to Ministry Partners

By on November 5, 2019   /   Communication and Relationships, Helpful Tips   /   Leave a comment

Keeping in touch with people who we don’t see regularly takes initiative. I remember during college, when I wasn’t doing a good job of calling home, my dad would say to me, “You make time to do the things you want to do.” My parents knew I had a full schedule with work, school and ministry, but that didn’t make them feel any better about my lack of communication. Really, all they wanted to know was that in my busy schedule, they were a priority. Similarly, keeping in touch with our supporters is a way we show that we value […]

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The Strategic Friendship of Financial Supporters

By on September 3, 2019   /   Communication and Relationships   /   Leave a comment

The first overseas missionary I remember meeting was a single woman who lived in Africa. She stayed in our home for a week and gave me a lovely necklace of polished gray seeds that came from her beloved Angola. In the evenings, she told stories that danced in my young imagination—images of African animals, villages, dusty hospitals, and exuberant worship services. She was the first of many missionaries who became our friends as my parents demonstrated the joy of giving generously, praying consistently, and joining the work of the gospel from afar. So when I raised support to work with […]

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How to Write an Awful Newsletter

By on December 4, 2018   /   Communication and Relationships, Preparation and Tools   /   Leave a comment

  Not again, I thought. I felt like banging my head against the wall. As Assistant Director of MPD, my job includes skimming staff prayer letters to hunt for good stories. Some staff write exceptionally powerful newsletters. But at that moment, I had stumbled onto the “What Not to Do Newsletter.” The author, “Joe Staff,” wrote with good intentions but had effectively written a newsletter most partners wouldn’t want to read. Here’s where Joe went wrong: Too Long “This is the newsletter that never ends…” sounds like the childhood ditty, “This is the song that never ends.” Some staff write […]

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Women in Ministry

By on August 21, 2017   /   Communication and Relationships, Family and Finances   /   Leave a comment

I recently read an article No One Wants to Bag Leaves Alone: The Vital Role Wives Play in Support Raising and absolutely loved it! The sacrificial and vital role of wives in the adventure of MPD (support raising) is part of the blessed teamwork of marriage. I cheer on the valiant hard work of those wives across the world! Listen ladies, the world is better because of you and wouldn’t be the same without you. The aforementioned article is a definite must-read for all wives whose husbands are the primary support raisers. I would, however, like to draw attention to […]

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No One Wants to Bag Leaves Alone: The Vital Role Wives Play in Support Raising

By on August 1, 2017   /   Communication and Relationships, Family and Finances   /   1 Comment

Each year hundreds, if not thousands, of leaves fall from the many trees in our front yard until the leaves form a blanket so deep you can no longer see the grass. To rake and bag them all is a daunting and lengthy process. When my husband puts on his outdoor clothes and pulls out the rake, big trash can, and extra-large trash bags, I know he is going to dive into this leaf bagging chore. At that moment I have a choice to make. I can think, “Well, the inside of the house is kind of my domain (laundry, […]

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Ministry Partner ‘Family’ Reunions

By on July 5, 2017   /   Communication and Relationships, Thriving for a Lifetime   /   Leave a comment

In ministry, our supporters are like a family. We have a common Father, we interact and communicate with them, share a common vision, pray for each other, and have obligations to each other. Family reunions are a way to gather distant relatives together who are willing to come together because of a family bond and often a central person like a grandparent who is the glue to bring everyone together. Similarly, ministry partner reunions are a great way to engage with your supporter family who may not have much in common but you, and their belief and support of your […]

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Social Media Bonanza! Five Ways I Use Facebook in Support Raising

By on January 4, 2017   /   Communication and Relationships   /   12 Comments

The phrase “social media” was virtually unknown just ten years ago, and yet today, it seems our lives revolve around it. I admit we are a society of “technology addicts”, barely able to go five minutes without checking our phone—and all the many-faceted functions it now serves. There are definitely some drawbacks to staying glued to that little screen day and night, but there a few pluses—especially in the realm of ministry and support raising. Facebook, for instance, has ended up being an incredible blessing as I seek to minister to people who are near and far. On top of […]

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SIX PILLARS TO AN EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

By on January 7, 2016   /   Communication and Relationships, Preparation and Tools   /   11 Comments

First, securing personal time with each person or couple you want to invite onto your support team is critical. After securing the time and place, the priority becomes preparing for that appointment. Here are six pillars that will serve as the basis for making the most effective presentation possible. Read, enjoy, apply! Prayer Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.” Prayer is a powerful weapon that we must use when entering support raising. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we are not […]

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