Fresh out of high school I went on a 9 month mission trip called the World Race Gap Year. For this trip, I spent half of my senior year of high school fundraising almost $13,000. I didn’t give it much thought- even though this was a large amount. In my mind I knew God had called me to the nations on that trip, and I would do what was needed to get there!
After Gap Year, I was a completely new person. God opened my eyes to the nations and redefined my identity in Him. He called me to a season of college and living at home, and then shortly after He called me here to CGA to receive training to be well equipped as a long term missionary.
Sidenote: A familiar pattern in my life seems to be God calling me in different directions, me saying yes, and really awesome things happening.
Anyways, when I learned I had to support raise another $4,000 for my training at CGA, I was less than thrilled. People had already been so generous in donating to me… how could I ask them for more? As I stubbornly resisted support raising and tried to work and pay the whole sum myself, I started to wonder why we even had to fundraise. I was actually very frustrated with the whole system. I could not deny that the lord had called me to a life of full-time ministry and overseas missions, but I hated having to continuously ask for people to donate to me more and more and more.
Thankfully, my mindset has greatly shifted during my time here at CGA. We are required to take a course on support raising (as it is an essential part of being a successful long term missionary) where we walk through an awesome book called “The God Ask” by Steve Shadrach. Within the first chapter of this book I made a groundbreaking discovery. Support raising is biblical! Seriously, this was huge for me! And maybe it’s just me, but I had no idea that the act of someone in full-time ministry relying on the support and generosity of others is straight out of the bible. Still need some convincing? Check out these stellar verses from the bible.
1 Corinthians 9:13-14
13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
Matthew 7:7-12
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Luke 8:1-3 (Here we see how Jesus chooses to rely on the support of others)
“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.”
And many many more! Support raising is a partnership where people work together for the kingdom of God to advance. I believe we are all called to either “go” or to “send”. I have been called to “go” and like all other things the Lord has called me to, I continue to say “YES!” And through that process, I am trusting in the lord to partner me with supporters that will support the call to missions on my life both prayerfully and financially.
That being said! I am still in need of just $537 to be fully funded for CGA! The Lord has been faithful through every season of my life to provide, so I am confident he will continue to do so in every season I am called to! I have a fast approaching deadline of April 26th to be fully funded, and I am asking that you would consider joining my support team! If you would like to give, simply click on the “Donate” tab found on the home page of this blog. Thank you all so much! God bless!
