Church Fundraiser

Many missionaries are disappointed or surprised to find out that the church fundraiser is not their best option to raise support. Having burst your bubble, it doesn't mean that good communication and interaction with churches should be neglected. Although a small percentage of our support actually comes through churches, the other benefits make the interface well worth while. Let's break down the churches that support you into two different categories; your "home" church, and all the others that support you or you have relationship with. When your home church supports you, it also lends credibility when you go to other churches or groups and ask for support.

A. Your "Home" Church. You may have more than one that is "home," but think of this group of believers as the body that knows you the best, were part of your spiritual journey and growth before you went out as a missionary, and the ones that were part of your sending process. Hopefully this church already supports you on a regular basis. If not, next time you are "home," gather those who make those kind of decisions for this church (missions board, pastor, elders, etc.) and humbly, yet boldly, ask them to do so. Ask them also for the opportunity to speak to the congregation.

Your home will also be the most likely one to do a church fundraiser for a missions project for you. There are many ideas for fundraisers churches can do, but personally I like two kinds the best: #1. The Banquet. #2. Sales tied to residual income.

#1. The Banquet: The reason I like the banquet is that it involves people who want to be a part, AND it is personal from the viewpoint that YOU get to share your heart and vision and visit with the people. The food part can be as simple as dessert and coffee. The group can be small as a handful in a home, to a larger gathering in a church hall. There are many keys to doing an effective banquet: good promotion, lots of people involved, effective communication of vision, the right person asking for support in the right way, etc.

#2. Sales tied to residual income. Car washes, candy sales, etc. - are all ok, BUT it results in a one-time fundraising. For the same amount of effort, promoting an item that has the potential to continue to produce income for your work just makes a whole lot more sense. There are many such companies out there, but the one that is the perfect fit for a church fundraiser is for greeting cards through Send Out Cards. By focusing your efforts on getting people to sell these greeting cards, you have the possibility of on-going sales and future growth of residual income for your work. Further details are found in the tools area of this web site under post cards and greeting cards.

B. Other Churches: Most of your support for missions will come through relationships with individuals. Do not look at churches as your only or main source for support. Having said that though, it is wise to network with as many churches as you can because it will give you a new crowd of people to share your heart and vision with - which has the potential to connect you with individuals who will be stirred to join you on the journey. If you have family or friends who are willing to go to their pastor or church leaders and ask if you can come and speak to their congregation or do a church fundraiser, by all means do so! Take whatever time they will allow from two minutes to a whole service! Just know why you are there! Your primary goal isn't to get the church to support you, but to meet new people who will become friends and partners. When you go, be sure you do a professional presentation, and have material ready, and have a sign up sheet for your newsletter so that you can continue to build the individual relationships long after the church service is over.

Church Fundraiser for Missionaries