Support Raising 101

Support raising is perhaps the scariest part of joining a mission team. Who wants to ask other people for money? It can be uncomfortable. But, that’s one of the things you learn as you prepare for and participate in a mission ministry. It takes you out of your comfort zone in so many ways. The process of raising support serves to prepare you for what is to come!

The apostle Paul sets the precedent for asking for support. In many of his letters to the churches he thanks them for giving to him and lets his need for support be known. Paul believed (and taught) that the gift is not the issue. In the fourth chapter of Philippians, Paul is thanking the church at Philippi for their support. He acknowledges the gift they gave him and then says, “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit” (Philippians 4:17). He knew that the act of giving was a blessing to him and to those who gave. When we request support, we are doing that same thing. We are asking to be blessed and we are offering our supporters the opportunity to be blessed. The New Testament sanctions the process of raising support for the Lord’s work.

This is what I teach my teams as we begin the process of procuring funds for our trips.  Like so many lessons I teach, this is one that requires me to practice what I teach. I have learned that it doesn’t get any easier to approach others and ask for money. I have no problem asking for money for my team, but when it comes to me my pride kicks in. Is this why God makes sure I have to raise support to participate? Does He know my desire to go is stronger than my pride? Is this what it means for me to “lay down my life” for others? To challenge my own pride?

God continues to challenge my pride and my faith. Team funds are coming in slowly. We have tickets for the five of us who have passports but we still need to raise funds for our in-country and ministry expenses. We have five suitcases that will each cost $40.00 to take and we need funds for these as well. 

We continue to need your prayer support but if you had the intention of supporting our ministry financially, please know that it it not too late nor is any amount too small. If you are interested in supporting us, please contact me at huehue2go@gmail.com. 

Personally, I still need to raise funds for ministry in Costa Rica  with the Senior Service Practicum, but Guatemala is first and God knows the schedule.

 

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters”

1 John 3:16

Three Weeks and Some Tickets -- Progress and Provision!

With the certainty of some funds on the way, I was able to book my ticket and tickets for my three young ladies flying out of RDU. The fourth young lady lives in Atlanta -- a Delta hub -- so she booked her own. I like flying Delta because, for one thing, I avoid the Miami airport. Delta usually has the best prices for our needs anyway. If American had been cheaper, we would be flying through Miami. Gratefully, it wasn't.

Our sole guy is waiting on his passport renewal before we purchase a ticket for him. It will be tight but if it is God's will, He can even work through the red tape and speed a passport on its way back. We are committing this need to prayer.

I have also been able to take care of another critical issue: the tee shirts! The art work has been delivered and the order has been placed with my tee shirt guru, Larry Butterton of Shirt Tails. The only thing more excellent than his work is his service -- and his work is very excellent. 

With tickets secured, I can turn my attention toward other tasks. There are still many plans to make. Thank you for your prayer and financial support. Please keep praying -- we really need you on our home team!

Four Weeks and No Tickets

My 2013 team is scheduled to fly four weeks from today but our funds are coming in very slowly and we do not have tickets yet. I am watching the prices climb quickly and I am discouraged. My head keeps reminding me that God is in control, He knows where the money is and He controls even the price of airline tickets. My heart is troubled and fearful.

I have seen God work miracles in the past on our behalf. One year we were told that if all our funds were not in by a certain date, the trip would be canceled. The weekend before d-day, we had almost no money. It all came in that weekend. In fact, we were over-funded. Another year, we were four weeks from leaving and had $50.00 in our account. And, that money had not be solicited. A neighbor of our bookkeeper showed up at her door with a check for $50.00 and the explanation that God told her in the shower that morning to give us the money. I still do not know this lady however remembering God's provision and goodness in the past energizes me to persevere. I am sure this is the reason God instructs us to "tell to the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord." We must remember! Incidentally, this is why I believe the study of history is so important. It is the record of the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.

I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has ordained our 2013 team. I have seen too many "co-incidences" to doubt. Why, then, am I so afraid the money will not be available? As the disciples exclaimed, "Lord I believe; help my unbelief." Where God guides, He provides, right?? Lord I believe; help my unbelief.

I am copying my support letter here for any who might be interested. Please pray for our team. We have so much ahead to do. Please pray that I will not be mired in doubt and miss the joy of the journey.

June 4, 2013

 Dear friends,

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16).

What is love? What does it mean to “lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters?” Who are our brothers and sisters? These are all questions we grapple with as Christians. While we are content to know that Jesus loves us, we often hesitate to pursue what He might expect of us! In John 3:16, we learn what it meant for God to love the world: it meant His only Son would pay the price for our sin. 1 John 3:16 reminds us what love cost our Lord: He gave His life. But, what does He expect of us? He expects us to do likewise and “lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

The members of the 2013 Guatemala summer team believe that God is calling us to “lay down” 11 days of our summer to follow His call to Guatemala. We are a small team but God continues to confirm that our calling is from Him. We believe that He is equipping us and will provide all we need to answer His call but the fact remains that whatever God calls us to do, we cannot go unless we are sent. And, we cannot be sent unless those God has called to our home team support us both prayerfully and financially.

Our project for this summer will take us to Huehuetenango, Guatemala. We will visit the communities of Agua Dulce and Arenal as we have in years past. We will probably conduct Bible School for the children in these communities. We are exploring the possibility of opening an ongoing relationship with an orphanage and school in the city of Huehuetenango. This will be a new ministry for us but it is one that has been on our hearts for many years. As past teams have done, we will minister in Mayan and Latino churches singing and sharing testimonies..

Through the years and through your prayers and financial gifts, you have been very supportive of the mission work God has called me to do in Guatemala. Many of you ask me when I am going to the field full time. The truth is I am already on the field full time. Teaching, even at a Christian discipleship school, is a mission field. Coordinating groups and being part of summer teams is also full time. Forming and guiding summer teams is not just work done in the summer. It requires year round attention.

This year, in addition to my Guatemala ministry, I have been accepted as a chaperone for the Cary Christian School Class of 2014 Senior Service Practicum (SSP)!  I am thrilled to be joining this team but it significantly increases the amount of support I must raise. All in all, I need $2,100 for Costa Rica by mid-August in addition to $1,600 for Guatemala support by mid-June. Gratefully, my position in mission team leadership at Christ Our Redeemer PCA means that I can raise tax deductible support through the church’s oversight for both of these ministries. I welcome the accountability and my supporters receive tax assistance.

My most pressing need now is prayer support.  Where “God guides, He provides” but I must trust. Thank you in advance for praying for me. I believe participation in the CCS work is an extension of the mission ministry that God has graciously given me the past 18 years. The circumstances surrounding my acceptance to the SSP confirm to me that He has called me to be part of this work. Now I must trust Him to supply the funds but I must also let my need be known.

The Christ Our Redeemer Guatemala team travels July 13th  to 23rd. I will be going the last week of June. This gives me the opportunity to polish my Spanish skills a little and to help prepare for the team’s arrival. I hope to visit the orphanage and school in Huehuetenango before the team’s arrival and thus lay the foundation for potential ministry. Obviously education is close to my heart and adoption should be important to all Christians. It is the way God brings us into His family.

If God is leading you to contribute financial support, there are steps that must be followed for your contribution to be tax deductible. Here’s the “legal speak” I am required to include:

Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law and you will receive a report of all charitable contributions in January 2014, as long as you follow these steps:

·         Checks should be made to Christ Our Redeemer PCA.

·         On the memo line write, “Mission Ministry." Please do not write my name on the memo line. Checks with specific names on the memo line cannot be accepted. Your donation will be properly credited.

·         Mail donation directly to:

Mission Ministry – Angela Kennedy

c/o Cheryl VandenEnde

Christ Our Redeemer PCA

131 Castlefern Drive

Cary, NC  27513

Prayer support is the most important support I receive but the fact remains that I cannot go unless I am sent financially. Thank you for being part of my ministry team.

En manos de la gracia!

In the Hands of grace!

Angela Hudson Kennedy

1210 Lexington Farm Road

Apex, NC 27502

How do we know the love of Jesus Christ?

He laid down His life for us.