Support raising

This blog post is NOT an appeal for funds. That won’t appear on this website. This is simply the meandering thoughts of a Christian worker about support-raising.

 

“I’m a beggar. A charity case. A drain on the resources of God’s people.” That’s what some of us think but never say when it comes to asking for financial support.

I know the theory. It’s partnership development – not charity work.  Support raising involves giving others the privilege of giving. ‘Friend-raising’ rather than ‘fund-raising’ is the focus. I can wax eloquent about giving generally so that kingdom workers can focus on kingdom work. But my pride takes a whack when it comes to asking for financial support for my own work.

 

Gratitude

I’ve been living on the kindness of God’s people for about 23 of the last 25 years now. I am very grateful to those individuals and churches who support me. Back in 1995, many people rose to the challenge of giving $1 a day … $365 a year … amounting to $8395 up to this point in time, and it will be over $10,000 in a few more years … incredible. I could explain how that money has been used, showing that it was a good investment in kingdom-building, but that is a topic for another time. Suffice to say I’m very grateful.

Many of those who started out giving regularly to my work in 1995 were early retirees. Now, one by one, those kind souls are moving on to heaven. On top of that, inflation means that what $100 could buy in Australia in 1995 now costs $171.34. And finally, my costs have increased, as I have moved from Asia back to Australia.  All these factors make for a perfectly reasonable argument for raising more support. But I am still reticent to ask for more money.

 

A sense of shame

I want to be the great provider, a source of strength and support for those I serve. I want to have all the answers. But the kingdom of God has ‘upside-down values’. The weak become strong in God’s kingdom, the least important are honoured as the most important and we enter God’s kingdom like a child. I suppose I should be grateful for the frequent lessons in humility that come with having to raise support.

Is what I do worth the investment? There are others who have a far more effective role in building up God’s kingdom. Supporting national workers is an excellent use of resources and one in which I actively invest myself. Aid and development work puts kingdom principles into action, resulting in the transformation of lives and even communities.

My contribution to building up God’s kingdom is often a step back from these front line roles. Last week’s blog touched on God’s gentle affirmation of the part I play, though I long for more hands-on action and do what I can to experience it. I am somewhat ashamed to ask people to support my work when there are so many other projects that their money could go to.

Yet the fact remains that I can’t be devoted to the work I do without an income. It’s not that I can’t earn money, but that I’m unwilling to spend the time to do so. I could go back to teaching and/or secular translation work. That has value, but isn’t what I feel God would have me focus during this current chapter of life.

 

Tentmaking vs relying on the kindness of others

Paul was a tentmaker, and so we refer to those who do ministry through or in addition to their paid work as ‘tentmakers’. This is a valuable model for many types of ministry. Non-local Christians are only able to live in some communities by working in a secular role. Some Christian workers come from communities which are unable to support them financially, and so are forced to be bi-vocational. I admire these people.

Paul was a tentmaker, but only some of the time. His costs were also supplemented by gifts from God’s people, and at times that was all he lived on. It was as part of a ‘thank you letter’ for such support that we get such oft-quoted verses as “I have learned to be content in all circumstances” (Philippians 4:12), “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) and “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

There are other Biblical characters, too, who lived on the kindness of God’s people. Jesus himself did, as did his disciples both during Jesus’ time on earth and, at least for some of them, later. Many of the prophets and all the priests were supported by the community, though their focus was usually on God’s people rather than beyond their own community. The same is true for church workers under Pastor Timothy (see 1 Timothy 5:17-18) who were encouraged to draw a salary from the early church.

Tentmaking is an important concept in Christian work. But living on the support of others has Biblical precedents too.

God’s economy

Over and over, I am reminded that God’s concept of ‘economy’ isn’t the same as ours. From our limited perspective, we look for value for money, and for returns for investments. From God’s perspective, what is money? As the children’s song goes, “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth in every mine; He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills, the stars and sun that shine….” (The song, written by John Peterson, is based on Psalm 50.)

And so the time has come to swallow my pride and ask for more money so that I can focus fully on the tasks I believe God has given me at this point in time. I have some ideas – challenging people to consider giving a regular gym-membership-equivalent contribution, for example. I am intrigued by the way the Biblical character David ‘raised support’ for himself and his band of followers before he became king of Israel and after he had abruptly finished his time of employment by King Saul. Sometimes, supplies were freely given, while at other times they were gained by means akin to banditry. 1 Samuel 25 would make an interesting text for teaching about support-raising. In that story, David gained both provisions and a wife!

 

As I approach this humbling task of asking for more support, I am reassured by a line of poetry from King David. It is as relevant for us today as it was for him 3000 years ago, because we serve an unchanging eternal God.

I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” (Psalm 16:2)

Through writing down these meandering thoughts, I am encouraged … given courage … to put together my own updated support card, write up a page of facts and figures, and send them out to current and potential supporters. God provides, and very often that provision comes through the people of God. I still don’t like asking for money, but I will. Stay tuned……