‘Tis the (support raising) season!

Most of our new missionary candidates are currently in the process of raising financial support for their full-time work overseas. Our veteran missionaries who already have a strong support network are meeting with their donors, sharing updates, and asking for continued support. It’s quite the process every year.

You might think that raising financial support would be a burden for our missionaries. It’s true that it requires some time and work. But our missionaries will also tell you this: it is surprisingly rewarding.

Read this story from Emily and Jesse R. (Southeast Asia) to see what we mean:

“One big piece of our furlough time I'd like to highlight was our time in Michigan. Four schools from the Michigan Lutheran High School Federation have been supporting us this year with their offerings. Each week we have sent short videos to these schools, which has really involved the students in our mission work in such a cool way. We were able to visit all four of the schools, talk with the students, and provide updates on the ministry they've been supporting. I even got to have a Bible Study with 22 of my former [high school] students. We gathered around the fire on a Friday night, sang hymns, discussed John 15, and even saw the Northern Lights! The time spent in MI with over 400 students becoming excited about spreading the Gospel to all parts of the world was incredibly encouraging to us.”

Jesse and Emily’s visit to Grace Lutheran School in St Joseph, MI

Most full-time pastors and missionaries are supported by charitable donations. That's nothing new. But why do we choose to fund our missionaries through this specific method of personal support raising? Here’s a section from our FAQ page that helps to answer the question:

“It has always been our mission to maximize resources for the sake of our Gospel mission. This method of support raising allows us to train and send far more missionaries than we would be able to if we paid salaries.

This method has other important benefits, too. It engages the whole church in mission work. When friends and families come together to support our missionaries through their prayers, words of encouragement, and financial support, they are all taking part in God’s Great Commission work. This process connects brothers and sisters at home to all of the faithful believers around the world - a small foretaste of Revelation 7. God is truly glorified as each person plays their part.”

Thank you for all of your support!