Long Term Laborers

Understand the vision, content, and expectations of the long-term laborer course.

Use the following diagrams to evaluate how you are entering the support-raising process.

I have faithfully completed and followed all the prerequisite work.

We must view support raising as such a reward that to withhold it from potential partners is doing them a great disservice.

These are the paradigm shifts that will come up repeatedly in our training. We are getting them out front so you can identify them throughout the training as they come up!

Which type of bricklayer characterizes your building project.

A self-funded minister must know the lies and untruths that assault them daily. They are often the same lies that will assault them on the mission field. The support-raising process offers an invaluable training ground for taking thoughts captive and replacing them with truth.

I am trusting God to send me to _____________ (where) by ______________ (date) to _______________________________ (your why).

This lesson will offer reflection to further grasp and ground the chapter’s contents in practical ways.

We must view support raising as such a reward that to withhold it from potential partners is doing them a great disservice.

How can you anticipate the supporter-raising process mimicking the evangelistic process with an unbeliever?

How accurately do you know the present state of world missions?

We are not just financing a support need, but funding a kingdom vision. We are calling the body of Christ to invest and involve themselves with the mission of God. We are calling them to God, not ourselves.

Jump into this lesson by studying Philippians 4:10-20 to develop your own support-raising theology.

Philippians 4:10-20 is the most precise, most concise, and condensed theology of support relationships in all of Paul’s epistles.

Why do we use the “invite and ask” method of support raising?

This lesson is a summary of the paradigm shifts needed for successful seaons of supporter-raising.

The Bible speaks of support from book to book, cover to cover. The Bible needs no help with fundraising. It speaks for itself.

God’s OT ministerial structures already provide a precedent and category for God’s people to be supported to perform God’s work. 

The people of God love to give generously to the work of God.

God is a rich and able Provider even when his vessel may not appear rich or able.

God uses His people’s network of relationships to provide provision for the completion of His mission. 

Jesus validates fully-funded ministers of the gospel. Ministers of the gospel can earn their living by the gospel. 

Gospel-advancing movements thrive on generous giving.

Never count a potential supporter out.

God gives so that all may give!  God gives so that others may get!

The expectation of support should accompany ministry.

Support raising is an invitation to partnership, in all senses of the word.

The support process is not all that complicated. It is collecting names, contacting those people, connecting with them face-to-face, and confirming their decision in follow-up.

Remember, if we want laborers in the world, we must build them for the world first. And how we build them for the world, will affect and set a pattern for how we build them in the world. There is a direct correlation between how we multiply supporters and how we multiply disciples. The former prepares and sets precedents for how we do the latter.

Collecting is the proces of gathering names and contact info for those you know—or networking for those you don’t.

Contacting is the pursuit of getting in touch with your potential supporters to set up a support appointment.

Contact, pt. 2 focuses on calling potential supporters and how one can initiate a meeting over the phone.

Use the workshop below to write out your text, email, and phone scripts.

Connecting is the actual supporter meeting where the support ask and networking ask takes place.

Your ask is the reason you are there. Do not leave without inviting them into partnership with God and with you.

Connecting is the face-to-face appointment where you communicate the vision and ask the potential partner to join with you in God’s mission.

This lesson offers you an example of a support presentation and includes a walk-through of each of the five presentation stages.

Often, a supporter’s question do not arise from a questioning or distrustful spirit but out of interest and intrigue.

Confirming is the act of following up and clarifying what role your contact will play on your team.

Cultivation is the response to a “No.” It may mean “no” now, but it may not mean “no” later.

Thank you notes rarely take a lot of time, but the time you take will say a lot.

New missionaries generally underestimate the number of potential donors they will need to contact to reach full funding.

Tracking is shepherding your potential supporters through a discerning and decision-making process.

Once you have raised your team, you are ready to care, inform, and retain your team. Supporters should be shepherded, not neglected.

What is a self-funded minister’s or missionary’s support vision for their support teams? What is our goal for our initial, current, future, and anchor support teams?

Jump into this lesson by studying Romans 15:22-33 to realize and imitate the support raising expectations Paul had for himself and his supporting Roman church.

Pay attention to all the roles and responsibilities Paul fulfills as a supported gospel minister. But what roles does he also expect the Romans to fulfill for him as his supporters?

Weekly on-the-job time should be designated for shepherding and stewarding your supporters. This lesson explains six principles to guide you along the way.

If we really believe that prayer and finances are crucial to kingdom work, then we will update our supporters often. Furthermore, if we really think of supporters as friends, partners, and a target of intentional focus for ministry, then we will keep them informed since their own missional vision/health depends upon it.

The key to communicating with your ministry support team is keep the communication coming and keep it concise.

The following lessons provide you with helps, prompts, examples, and templates to utilize for your upcoming support season. It is important to have thought for all these areas before your first support meeting.

What are the foreseeable realities that plague and drag out a self-funded minister’s support-raising season?

The Support Forecast equation sets realistic expectations for your support funding season. it will aid you in determining if you have enough initial support contact, how many supporter appointments your funding season will include to reach your goal, and how long you should plan to raise support based on your support pace.

What will be your Support Commitments during your funding season? With God’s help, will you commit to…?

This lesson contains a send-off video with some key reminders to apply and promises to claim during your upcoming funding season.

The last lesson contains templates, drafts, and examples of support resources to aid your support meetings and funding season.