MissionFundraising.com/JimWaltersOnline.com

“Instead of helping poor people with charity that will eventually run out, it is more effective to lift people out of poverty through microfinance, says a Christian poverty expert.”

Most of us already realize the truth in the adage, “Teach a person to fish and you feed him/her for a lifetime.”  The first sentence of this post is quoted from Christianity Today, in an article entitled, “Poverty expert: Give the poor a hand up, not hand out“.

It goes on to say, “The most compassionate way of helping someone isn’t to give them a handout long-term,” Greer contended. “The most compassionate thing you can do is to help them use their God-given abilities to work and to take care of their own needs.”

We always need balance in our mission work and giving. We want to help spiritually, and physically; yet, we do not want to “cripple” anybody. When possible, teaching people to use their skills responsibly can be much more effective than giving them a meal. Again, we need balance.

This may look like providing training AND feeding for a short time; then, tapering off the “feeding” and helping a person apply the training for growing their own crop, or earning their own income.

Don’t always think “overseas”, either. This concept can definitely be applied in your own western culture.

Give what is “needed”, only while it is needed.

-Gary Skrobot

Technorati Tags: 501(c)3 ministry, mission fundraising, missionary fundraising, missionary support, missions support, nonprofit ministry, short term missions, support fundraising

Part One

As a missionary you need the local church pastor’s support, in order to get church budget support. Here are three big pitfalls to avoid, if you want his heart inclined toward your need. Do NOT do these:

#1 Attend a service without advising him, then grab him at the end while he’s trying to field people coming to the altar for more heartfelt reasons. The moments just before and after the end of a church service are sacred to the pastor; trying to grab his attention for your agenda is a sure turn-off.

#2 Call the pastor and say, “Hey, we’ll be in town Sunday, can we share at your church?” Do what? You’ve had those airline tickets for months, yet you wait to the last minute to notify me? Maybe out in the mission field you plan things on short notice, but back home we’re planning services three to six weeks out minimum. To hit me up at the last minutes, makes me feel disrespected and misunderstood — you are showing that you are not aware about how things are at home.

#3 Just drop by the office and ask if the pastor has a few minutes. This assumes two things: (a) the pastor is in, like he’s going to be in the office and available anytime Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm, and (b) the pastor has nothing to do right now and can gladly give you an hour. Again, it’s disrespectful and just not smart — you wouldn’t do that to your dentist, your hair stylist, or your accountant — why do it to a pastor you’ve never met?

Do I sound like Mr Gripey and Whiny Pastor? If so, it’s only because all three of these thing have happened to me in the last month. I really do love all missionaries, if I had access to money I would increase all their support, but honestly, sometimes I think a lot of their financial problem is that they work like uninformed neophytes when it comes to building relationships and raising support.

You can find helpful tips on raising short term mission trip, or church planting support, on this website. Just go to our product page.

Jim Walters
Jim@JimWaltersOnline.com

Technorati Tags: church fundraising, missionary, missionary furlough, missions, short term mission

My family and I used to work with Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT) in Papua New Guinea (PNG, just north of Australia). We lived in-country for a total of six years. My role was as a missionary pilot. The role of WBT is to translate the New Testament (or more, if able) into the viable languages that have no written scriptures in their own langauge.

Whenever a Bible Translation Project reaches its “completion”, there is a large celebration by the people-group receiving the published scriptures. One item that many people in “sending nations” find peculiar is that the receiving people are asked to buy the scriptures that have just been translated into their language. “We’re talking about the scriptures here, and salvation…and, you’re a ‘missionary’. Why are you charging for the work of the ministry?”

Meanwhile, there is an interesting website called “Business as Mission Network“, and it promotes exactly what its title implies, “Using businesses as an opportunity for spreading the Gospel.” Some of their tenets are:

• Committed to The Local Church: The business supports partnership with the indigenous church in the community.
• Glorifying to God: The name of God is the ultimate object of praise, not the name of the business.

One of these opportunities is providing business loans to people in developing countries. To the chagrin of some, the lenders charge interest for their loans. But, there is an interesting dynamic when it comes to money and certain types of product, including “christian product”. This same dynamic also appears in PNG regarding translated New Testaments: “If it’s free, it must not have much value. It isn’t worth much, otherwise you wouldn’t be “giving” it to me.”

Hope International is a non-profit Christian-based organization which has the goal of alleviating poverty via holistic means, including providing the business loans mentioned above…and again, they charge interest. But listen to a question they sometimes receive: “Why do you charge interest to the poor? Why not just offer interest-free loans or grants?” In reply, a woman who has her own counseling business directed at the poor stated:

• “It actually makes a lot of sense why they charge interest.” She shared that when her practice first opened, decades ago, she provided free counsel to underprivileged women—single mothers, former inmates, etc. “They rarely showed up for our scheduled sessions. If they did show up, they kind of blew it off.” She went on to discuss why she now charges these at-risk clients. While she discounts her service significantly, she still charges a fee. The change, as she described it, has been remarkable. “Now these women value my services. They come on time, they are invested, and they soak up every minute of their sessions. It’s been a dramatic shift since I’ve started charging a fee.”

Just as “freedom isn’t ‘cheap’ just because it’s ‘free”, neither is the gospel, nor any other commodity of value. Providing “free” money is counter-intuitive; providing free Bibles sometimes “devalues” God’s message; providing free counseling requires no commitment to change…thus, we charge a fee!

Somebody once “tweeted” in Twitter and asked why this website, MissionFundraising.com, charges $12.77 for its eBooks that supposedly help missionaries and church planters spread the Word. The author of these books, Jim Walters, replies:

Technorati Tags: Business As Mission Network, church planting, gospel, Hope International, papua new guinea, wycliffe bible translators

Take a look at this short, 3-minute video. In the beginning you will see an airstrip, and an airplane landing on the airstrip. This is taken in Papua New Guinea, where I used to be a missionary pilot with Wycliffe Bible Translators. While this video may not necessarily be of me, I have literally and personally flown the plane shown, landed on the airstrip shown, and flown this gentleman and his family in and out of the village shown.

Bible Translation is a lengthy and very worth-while task. Many translators work on a language project for 15-20 years, just to provide the New Testament to a people group, so that they could read with their own eyes, and understand with their own heart, what God has to say to them.

Whatever your role in missions, whether evangelism, church planting, technical support, accounting, carpentry or plumbing, furthering the Gospel is the greatest and most significant task you could undertake here on earth.

There are many roles you could play in your short term mission trip, not all of which are directly linked to “sharing the message.” My family served in a support role for over 7 years while we worked in Haiti and Papua New Guinea. We supported and assisted those who were more directly involved in Bible Translation.

Take whatever skill you have, and use it. You can either directly or indirectly impact the Work. God “needs” and uses both.

Gary Skrobot

Technorati Tags: bible translation, jaars, maf, mission aviation, wycliffe bible translators

Thanks to MissionsLaunch.com, we have the opportunity to see the reaction of the Gamo People Group in Ethiopia as they watch the “Jesus Film” in their own language. I was humbled as I realized how jaded I have become to the death and resurrection of Jesus, because the story is so familiar to me.

In a recent previous post I quoted an article that stated a local pastor, preaching in the people’s own language had a much larger response than showing the Jesus Film had. This story below is quite the opposite.

I urge you to watch this short video, and see how powerful hearing the word of God in one’s own mother tongue can be.

We have tools on this site to help you raise financial support for your mission trip, and church planting ministries. May your ministry be as effective as seen here.

Here’s an interesting item: HJCB is running a contest where the prize is cash toward a mission project, a video camera, and a promotional video. Check out the HJCB Contest.

gvs

Technorati Tags: contest

You’ve probably heard plenty about Facebook, Twitter, and other Social Media websites. You may not have any idea why these sites should mean something to you, and your quest.

In short, if you plan to achieve your goal of planting a church or going on a mission trip, you normally have no choice but to raise a team of prayer and financial support. As this website and its products try to instill, people give to “vision”, not necessarily to “need.” Sites like Facebook and Twitter facilitate you in sharing that vision.

Facebook allows you to connect with friends, family, and others who may be interested in your ministry. It allows you to give quick updates on your life and work. Those with whom you are “friends” read what you write, learn more about your work, and have a good glimpse of where you are in the process. You can also join “groups” specific to your interests. You can learn, and inform, via Facebook.

Twitter allows you to do some things similar to Facebook, except all of your updates (called “tweets”) can only be up to 140 characters, maximum. You may say, “What good will that do?” Well, it really helps in being succinct, and stating only what needs to be said. You can follow others with similar interests, or you can follow “topics.” “Hashtags” allow you to send and view messages of a certain subject, e.g., “#missions”, “#missionary”, “#churchplanter”. By searching on these hashtags you are able to view what others are saying about those topics. You, in turn, can post your thoughts on those same topics by including those hashtags in your tweets.

Yes, we are in ministry; but also “yes”, “networking” and “marketing” are required. Use the tools!

You can follow me on Twitter. My username is @GoVictorSales. I often tweet to #missions, #missionary, and #churchplanter. I also tweet about other interests, including internet marketing.

In Facebook, search for “Gary Skrobot” and let me know you want to be my “friend”.

Hope to see you around.

Gary

Technorati Tags: facebook, twitter

As you start off in your pursuit of missionary or church planting work, you may feel “uncomfortable” asking people for financial support. Or, to put it more colloquially, asking people for their “money.” This is understandable for someone who is “new” to this method of receiving compensation; however, it is a perspective you must subdue and conquer. Why? Because God has shown us, through history, that His preferred method of supporting work to His created people (both believers and unbelievers) is with funds from His people, and even from his non-human creation.

How did God build the Tabernacle in the desert?: with money and wealth that came from Egypt, those who once held Israel in captivity.

How did God help meet the needs of suffering believers in the New Testament?: with the gifts given by others.

How did Jesus and Peter pay their taxes to Caesar?: with money “donated” by a fish!

How did God feed Elijah and the widow?: with flour provided by the widow.

How did God feed Elijah?: with food “given” by His created raven.

All good things come from God. He tells us He doesn’t need our sacrifices because He owns all the cattle on a thousand hills; but, he still accepts our sacrifices when we give (what He already owns) with gratitude and humility.

You must understand: It is every believer’s responsibility to support the work of God, and it is your responsibility to convey the vision and the need, and to provide the opportunity for believers to give. I am not saying it is every believer’s responsibility to support the work He has called you to do. Not everyone will help you, and it is not necessarily a bad thing if they don’t help you, specifically. Your job is to find those who will sense God wanting them to support you.

But, don’t think what you need will only come from believers, or even from “good people.” God uses everything…even “ill-gotten gains” for His purposes. Micah 4:13

Pursuing financial support for short term mission trips, or church planting ventures, is a mixture of humility and boldness. You’re humbled that God is using you; you’re humbled to ask others for help; you’re also bold because God is using you; you’re bold because you know God has a plan, and He has chosen to use gifts from others to accomplish that plan, and it’s your responsibility to “mine” those gifts.

Don’t apologize for His calling, or His methods!

Gary Skrobot

Technorati Tags: asking for donations, church fundraising, church planting, short term missions