A Missionary Budget: What Costs Does it Include?

Reading Time: 4 minutes

missionary budget

Wondering what goes into a missionary budget (which, when you’re raising support, can feel overwhelming)? We let you peek behind the curtain with some opinions of other global workers.

“A missionary Budget may cover all the costs of sending the missionary, not just what YOU need to live.”

A missionary budget may include all the expenses of fielding the missionary. Besides a salary, budget categories might include read more

“What should I do about my debt?”

Reading Time: 5 minutes
debt
You want to go overseas–but GAH. Debt. From college. Medical stuff. Whatever–it’s money, and you’re not headed overseas for the cash.

What should you do?

Missionaries and other voices weigh in.

“Follow a loan repayment plan or include loan payments in your mission budget.”

Debt, in my opinion, is one of the biggest hindrances for college grads and families wanting to serve in missions. read more

10 Realities a Missionary Probably Won’t Tell You

Reading Time: 11 minutes
missionary realities overseas global work hard truth Go. Serve. Love is psyched about featuring this post from missionary Joe Holman; it originally posted on his blog and is gratefully used with permission. Fun fact about Joe: He and his wife totally pull off the missionary thing amidst a family of 13. They’ve served in Bolivia since 2007. 

First, the Disclaimers.

I’m going out on a limb here, so I’ll put some disclaimers up in advance.

1. I love being a missionary.

This post points out bad aspects you’ll not hear us normally say.  It doesn’t mean I’m unhappy or unfulfilled.

2. I’m speaking of feelings and perceptions.

I know what the Bible says and can give a counterpoint to each of these.  For example, when I share how we feel about shortchanging my children, I know that there are 100 positive things that people can point out to me. read more

Bonus! 6 Side Benefits to Fundraising

Reading Time: 4 minutes

benefits money fundraising

1. Continued maintenance of relationships.

Let’s be honest. Support-raising propels you to still cultivate relationships with that friend from high school; that relative you usually only see once a year; that couple you’ve talked with only a few times at church, but you know they love the country you’re going to.

At times, this may feel false to you: I wouldn’t be pursuing this if there wasn’t money involved.

But you realize this is about more than money–and that the mission is greater than your discomfort. You also realize you’ve gotta persist in asking until the goal is reached. read more

#BestoftheBestFriday: I Wish I’d Known; Africa’s Evangelism Challenges

Reading Time: 2 minutes

bestofthebestfriday

We’re back with current need-to-know missions thoughts from around the web.

What I Wish Missions Had Told Me

Remember our posts, What do you wish you’d known before you went? Parts I and II? Some great minds over at A Life Overseas have collaborated for Dear Missions, I Wish You Had Told Me…as well as 7 Questions to Ask during Your First 7 Days on the Field. read more

He Said/She Said…You Say? “Is there any way other than begging for financial support?”

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Back in the day when my husband and I were first considering a financially-supported ministry, I was so stinkin’ geared up to raise my own salary pretty much against it from the get-go. And I’d even seen my parents do it (and do it well). In fact, since I knew what it involved, I was like, reasons not to go: 1) We have to raise financial support. (It may have also been reasons #5 and #8.)

But it’s been 14 years now. Just as God used to sell a certain number of books to keep me employed or bring a certain number of tithing Christians to church to pay my salary, he continues to sustain my family through people who catch the vision for what we’re doing around the world.

And there are a lot of reasons I’d call my old self up on the phone and say, Do this.