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
In the blood of Jesus thank your. Such blessing to us. Thank to the Lord your corporation in India setuavetion we have lot of work setuavetion to establish India in unreached people groups of tribal slum arias .and part up other location arias in India. To promise of the Lord. Yes praises the Lord we will interest in partner with our vision work to Link PSALM 133; 1-3 with our ministries.
E-mail: isaraelbanoth@yahoo.com
We are in Hyderabad in this Address
Thanking you.
Yours in Christ
Bro: B.Isarael,
Redeemer Gospel Ministries,
Plot No: 23, Kamalabai NagarColony,
Nagaram (Village & Post),
Keesara Mandal, R.R district,
Hyderabad-500 083,
India.
Bonjour Jim!
Greetings from France! I stumbled upon your site through a search that had nothing to do with fundraising, but since I had already been through the process without finding much online help, I thought I’d give your site a look!
Something that struck in the above article was #3 on your list of things not to do when raising the support of a pastor and, eventually I presume, his church. While I certainly respect your pastoral experience with missionaries stopping by out of the blue to talk with you a few minutes (and while I completely agree with the other two things on this list), I have to disagree entirely with your intent to dissuade missionaries from doing #3. I have a few reasons for this:
#1 - I did this. Why? Because missionaries don’t have the guts to do this anymore, nor are they willing to do much more than write letters and change the addresses and greetings on them and send them out. The pastors I met and spoke with, in person and in several southwestern cities, were mostly astounded that I was willing to drive hours to a town just to meet pastors face to face.
#2 - They knew I was serious. They knew I was real and that getting to the mission field was heavy business for me. You can write the best letter in the world, packed with a full color portfolio and the works, and not convey that message one bit.
#3 - 99.99999% of the time, calling doesn’t do a lick of good. Secretaries do a lot of things, but they learn in about 24 hours on the job how say in the sweetest tone (and, if they’ve been at it awhile, a not so sweet tone), “I’m sorry, but the pastor is [in a meeting/studying/praying/on visitation/eating/not available] right now, can I direct you to his voice mail?” 99.99995% of the time, that voice mail isn’t going to get answered. But, 99.99995% of the time, a secretary is delighted to meet a friendly new face who hasn’t harassed her with the routine “3 attempts and let it rest” on the phone.
Brother Jim, I admit, I’m not a conventional guy. But, it seems the only church offices that had a problem with me stopping by were huge, overstaffed churches with 30 different ministries going at once, sometimes none of which had anything to do with real missions.
On the flip side, I know a pastor has to set his limits. He can only do so much and, if he’s diligent, he’s got a plan and a schedule for each day. That’s how it should be. But, if I was a pastor (and I’m not), I’d be “turned off” by the letters and portfolios from people who were not willing to stop by my office before I’d be turned off by the ones who were.
With sincere respect,
James
Dear Brother and Sister In Christ
Glory to God
. My name is Rev. Ramesh, doing village and church Ministry in a small rural village a part of , Tamil Nadu, South India. By the grace of God and His blessings, He is helping us to run and maintain the church and family.
Brother, I have started “Bible School”, the school name is “Emmanuel Bible School”. Please pray that God helps us to meet with the needs of the students and teachers teaching in the school.
A small prayer request - kindly pray that we shall have our own church building and many many lost souls to come under the Kingdom of God. So please include our prayer request with your daily prayers.
We too shall pray for you and your ministry. May God use you more richly in His Service and ministry. God Bless You.
Thank you once again for your prayers. With lots of prayers, wishes and love.
Pastor. Ramesh
Emmanuel Bible School of India
Kramesh1974@gmail.com
+91- 9345243560
Dear Pastor,Praise The Lord
I am Pastor.Darpen Masih came to the Lord 1995, I was drummer with a Hindu devotional singers troop.while in a programme I heard about Jesus and I left that troop and stopped playing for any such Hindu devotional programme.And when my community came to know about my faith in Jesus I was athrown out of my home and worked with differrent churches and organisations for last 15 years.I am married and have a daughter named Angel (3yrs )and my wife is a sikh convert.I am the only believer from my family and all my family members still hate me for my faith.I am Looking for some supportes who willingly support our cause to carry on our vision among North Indians. I am working among Punjabi Hindus. I have a vision to start a new ministry registered with Government rules. I am looking for someone to help me to carry it in and help me. I do want start a new church in the Non-christan People for worship of God,but I have no money. I want to rent a house.I have many believers,but no place for fellowship.Can you support me for 50$ dollar per monthh this work,Pls remember me yours prayer.I’ll continue prayer your ministry. Kindly keep this in mind and send us your reply as guided by the Holy spirit,Bible says (2corinthians-9:9)I’ll highly obliged,if you get this work done……
With much love and best wishes
Yours sincerely in Christ
Pastor Darpen Masih
MY E-MAIL: pastordarpen333@yahoo.com
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