Fundraising Partnerships

Your Home Church Can be your Best Resource
by Paul Borthwick

When our church began thinking of short-term mission projects, we knew finances would be a major issue. At first, we wrestled with our philosophy of short-term mission. Was it really a legitimate part of training people for cross-cultural ministry and encouraging them to support the work of evangelism? In time, we concluded it was. We came to see short-term mission – with proper training, leadership, and follow through – as the best available resource for mobilizing Christians for world mission.

With this philosophical base, our church decided on a “partnership” principle to guide our short-term funding. We would “grown our own missionaries” and make short-term mission available to everyone. IN turn, we set aside a  small portion of our total mission budget for short-term mission projects. And our members were encouraged to consider short-term service as a good option for themselves.

Practical Suggestions for Church Leaders
Church leaders would do well to consider the following five points when helping short-termers take care of their financial needs.

1.  Give plenty of lead time. Announce short-term projects well in advance. Begin budgeting for specific ventures six to nine months in advance. This way everyone can start saving and include regular gifts like birthdays and Christmas.
2. Keep the mission committee current. Encourage them to set aside part of the upcoming budget for short-term mission — even before someone applies for help.
3. Hold trainings – as part of the trip preparation – on how to write good support letters. Find creative ways to share the need with others. Forge partnerships between those who stay and those who go.
4. Consider special fundraisers to increase the short-term mission budget. Sponsor special events for specific projects.
5. Let the congregation know what’s going on. Church leaders can serve as bridges between those who have resources and those who need funding.

Practical Suggestions for Short Termers
Those who need funding for a short-term venture should consider these points.

1.  Plan ahead. Save your own money – even if it covers only a portion of the costs. Your church will be more willing to assist you if they know you are putting your own money into the project.
2. Communicate with others. If your church offers financial support for short-term mission, begin writing to the mission committee as soon as possible. They are more likely to favor your trip if you have included them in your plans from the beginning — rather than informing them only weeks before you depart.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask. If you know God has directed you on this short-term mission, it’s His job to provide the money. You can be confident in asking others for their support. Think of them as fellow coworkers – rather than thinking of yourself as a beggar.
4. Be creative. Initiate fundraisers. Find other creative ways to involve people in your support – perhaps a scholarship that funds cross-cultural education of some type of benevolent service.
5. Report back. Send a postcard to each of your supporters when you arrive at your destination. Follow this as soon as possible with a prayer letter. Include the people who support you. Let them know their role as partners extends beyond the financial giving to the services ahead.

A Good Place to Be
Our church has grown in faith as we’ve seen God provide the funding for our short term programs. Fundraising puts us in the place where we have no choice, but to trust the Lord who has called us. That’s not a bad place to be.

Fundraising Partnerships
Your home church can be your best resource 
Written by Paul Borthwick, Mission Pastor at Grace Chapel In Lexington, MA. 
Pg 54-55,  The Short-Term Missions Handbook,
First Edition © 1992 Berry Publishing Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

*** Teens4Jesus would like that thank the Short Term Mission Handbook for allowing permission to use this article. ***

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