Face the fact. You have an enemy who does not want you to get to—or stay at—full support. If he can’t destroy and devour you, at least he can beat you into submission through inserting tapes into the back of your mind, causing you to believe all kinds of lies about God, yourself, and others. If you’re truly going to free yourself from this mental prison, you’ll need to understand—and lock in—this combination of five keys to “crack the code”:

1. Everyone has strong opinions about support raising
Your father, sister, spouse, uncle, pastor, best friend, worst friend, employer, work-out buddy, Christian, non-Christian, mission-agency leader, current support raiser, former support raiser…the list goes on. EVERY person you talk with will have strongly-held thoughts (and feelings!) about this hot topic. The problem is: virtually NO ONE has ever done the hard work of objectively, inductively, and thoroughly studying the Word of God on the subject! Instead, these self-proclaimed experts rely exclusively upon their own fears and perceptions as they offer up their carefully-crafted “wisdom” to you. Never exchange truth for opinion.

2. Don’t devise your support raising philosophy around not offending someone
I am totally mystified how a person can arrange their entire fundraising attitude and approach around the remote possibility that some un-named person out there might get upset about being asked for money. As a result, these “fear-based” support raisers construct their defense mechanisms by misinterpreting or misapplying Scripture, exalting George Muller as their fundraising model, or concoct all kinds of group events, email-blasts, anything(!) to sidestep a simple face to face ask with a human being.

3. You will lose a friend during your support raising
Write it down. Count on it. It is absolutely inescapable that you will run into a person or two in your support raising travels who is offended by what you’re doing. Similar to how the gospel divides people…so does support raising. As kind and sensitive as you are, there still will be someone who doesn’t want to be your friend any more after you’ve called or met with them. But let’s be honest: if they reject you for that, were they really your friend in the first place? Whadyathink? Can you proceed knowing one of your “friends” is going to avoid (and maybe badmouth) you the rest of your life because of their shallow and unbiblical view of ministry, support raising… and friendship?!

You will lose a friend in support raising. Write it down.
Count on it.

4. Boldly tap into the “Lost Touch” file of contacts
I estimate the average number of people you’ve known/met during your lifetime is about 1,000, yet you stay in touch with only about 60. So, what if you do go back and try to contact with some (or all!) of the 940 you’ve lost contact with and someone hangs up on you, claiming you’re only calling ‘cuz you want money? Come on, what have you really lost? Absolutely nothing! They simply go back into the “lost touch” file where they have been for 20 years already. No need to get depressed and hide under the covers for three days!

5.  Never allow the “No’s” to block you from the “Yes’s”
Check them off: a) You now are choosing to cling to the truth (vs. opinions). b) You have accepted into your psyche you will offend someone/lose a “friend” during your support raising. c) You’re willing to go back and seek to re-connect with anyone or everyone from your past. d) Finally, you have resolved in your heart it is “ok” if someone says no to your support request. Friend, I don’t know how many “no’s” you will experience to get  you to each “yes”, but keep this mind every day/call/appointment: