Holding the Rope: Giving

How Can I ‘hold the rope’?

Or, in other words, how can I support a missionary? A little background for some who might not be familiar with the process and concept...support raising is the way that missionaries go overseas, sometimes the denomination does it and sometimes the missionary does it. Like a pastor in the US, most missionaries must rely on the financial support of fellow believers to take the Gospel to the unreached.

Here are some practical ways that you (and yes...I mean you) can ‘hold the rope’:

• Students: personally, when I was a college student, one of the most meaningful things that I did was to commit to support a missionary. I decided that I could shave $35 per month from my personal budget and give to missions...and it taught me that no one, if they are careful and intentional, is unable to partner financially with a missionary. $35 may not be doable for every student, but consider putting aside $5 per week to give to missions...which could translate into one less trip to the coffee shop.

• Singles and Couples: Consider foregoing one nice dinner out per month and doing something at home instead to be able to give $50-$75 (or more) to send us to Bangkok. Some great cheap dates are picnics, pizza and a movie at home, board games and puzzles, reading your favorite books aloud to one another or taking a long walk together.

• Everyone: if you are connected to a church, consider being an advocate for us as we seek for partner churches. One friend of ours simply talked to his pastor and gave him our information. After sending a letter to this pastor, we are most likely going to attend and share at that church’s missions conference. This is a great way to find financial and prayer partners.

Just as we need people who will pray for us while we take the Gospel to Bangkok, we also need people who are willing to give financially to send us...people who are willing to 'hold the rope' by investing in the Kingdom with their money.