Several weeks ago the post I’m Tired of Asking You for Money resonated with many. On Facebook it reached more than 7,000 people, was liked/loved/laughed at 130 times, shared 64 times, and received 24 comments. Needless to say, author Erin Duplechin isn’t the only one tired of asking for money!
Unbeknownst to Erin, I had a rough draft of a finial survey to help me understand the needs and pressures related to finances. Seeing the reactions to Erin’s post, I’ve been thinking about finances and my own reactions to raising support. I thought this post was going to go in one direction—I’ve researched proverbs in the Bible related to mind, heart, and hands of support raising and what Lady Wisdom has to say about the subject—maybe another month that post will see the light of day.
Today, I was reminded of what I wrote in Getting Started: Making the Most of Your First Year on the Field.
“Moving from a ‘real’ job before I went tot he field to a ‘ministry’ one meant that my finances went from being (mostly) my business to the whole wide world’s business. Not quite, but that is how it felt. I needed to add my parents to my bank accounts so they could handle financial stuff in the States; I needed to discuss specific dollar needs and funds raised with anyone who would listen, and I needed to decide whether or not I wanted to raise more money to cover ‘nonessentials.’ (I did not, a decision I would come to regret when I did not have medical evacuation insurance.)
As a teacher I knew I earned my salary through my hard work. As a cross-cultural worker I did not make money; I raised support and lived off the generosity and faithfulness of many dear people. To this day, decades later, I still find myself thinking in terms of earning a ‘real’ salary versus being on full-time support.”
You can read more in Chapter 7. As I worked on Getting Started, it struck me that we only use the word “real” with “salary.” When was the last time you heard the phrase “my real body” as opposed to a “my ministry body”? You don’t. You have a body, I have a body. Or “real weather” versus “ministry weather”? No such distinction. The enemy may have also warped the idea of “real” when it comes to your livelihood.
I need to think more theologically accurately about finances and need your help. Would you take a few minutes to fill out the survey? The intro says:
“We understand that finances in full-time ministry can be complex. On the one hand, we live by faith, trusting God. On the other hand, He has entrusted us with a certain degree of personal responsibility. In addition, we all come from different passport countries with different health care, educational, and retirement systems. This survey is completely anonymous so that you are able to share freely. Thank you for taking the time to help us understand your world better so that we can serve you more effectively. Our hope is to foster financial contentment and the ability to rest in the Lord’s provision.”
Here are a few of the results thus far:
What are your current three most pressing financial stresses?
| —PhD tuition. Possibility of monthly salary cut. Savings being depleted (yet, grateful I had minimal savings). |
| —Needing to raise support for our children’s educational needs — high school |
| —Retirement, retirement, retirement. |
| —big repair for our vehicle, saving money |
| —Churches dropping us because we were forced to change fields, the rising cost of living abroad, the dropping value of our sending country currency |
What financial issues and areas would you like to discuss or provide training?
| How to feel confident in direct asking for support. |
| Retirement // How to send your kids to college // Balancing saving and wise living. |
| Communicating with donors. |
| Finding new partners when you feel your resources are tapped out. |
| I think at this point churches receiving training on why they can’t just drop support out of the blue is most urgent. |
Thanks for taking the survey!
Do you find waiting hard? As my niece said, “I just want to know what will happen, then I can wait.” Advent is a season of waiting for the birth of Christ and the beginning of the Church Year. In this workshop, you will be introduced to the role of the Church Year, the role of waiting in spiritual formation, and how to wait.
Photo by Alain Pham on Unsplash
