Comments on: Top Five Myths in Support Raising

By: C. Holland

C. Holland — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:10:25 +0000

@Jason: You’re welcome.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:20:29 +0000

Thanks for that short and sweet post. I’m glad to see you writing again. I think I suffered from most of those myths, so it was nice to see them get aired out. My wife and I are hoping and planning on getting back to the field, but it looks like it’s going to be a few years, but that doesn’t stop me from gathering tools now. So again, thank you.

By: C. Holland

C. Holland — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 09:05:32 +0000

@Emily: Here’s the updated link: http://www.supportraisingsolutions.org/resources/newsletter-viewer/itemid/41/the-top-five-myths-in-support-raising

By: Emily Santiago

Emily Santiago — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:58:53 +0000

I can no longer see the article and I was wondering if you have a copy of this that could be sent through email or another venue.

By: C. Holland

C. Holland — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:56:06 +0000

@Kevin: Thanks for the addition. It’s something we definitely struggled with as well. We know some of our Christian friends still feel this way about us, but God really is our source no matter if we acquire it through “clocking in” to a secular job or being on mission. Re: MLM, sounds like it’s a bad idea.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:18:17 +0000

Myth #7
Living on support is second-class to people with “real” jobs. I carried a lot of guilt around during our first ministry work because I felt like I was taking a hand-out, working on the dole. It wasn’t until this year (after going through support raising training) that I learned that being supported for ministry work is a part of God’s plan for his church. I also learned that Jesus was on support and that because it wasn’t beneath him, it isn’t beneath me.

MLM ran rampant through our bible college and many, many people were suckered into paying into the pyramid with the promise of great wealth and no support raising. NOT ONE family made any money, EVERYONE lost their money. It was sad.

By: C. Holland

C. Holland — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:21:11 +0000

@Greg: Excellent addition. I have not encountered this specifically from missionaries but from non-missionary Christians with essentially the same agenda.

Anyone else have some myths to add?

By: Greg in Mexico

Greg in Mexico — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:22:42 +0000

I would like to add a sixth myth:

Multi-level marketing is not a substitute for support-raising.

I have been approached by several fellow missionaries about signing up with their MLM “businesses” – something they see as a way to eventually be self sufficient. If someone wants to use their MLM to supplement their support-raised or tentmaking income then so be it, but I’ve never seen it work to support any missionary completely. To me though, MLM’s are nothing more than wealth-focused pyramid schemes that can seriously damage your friendships and therefore should be avoided.