Many good-hearted Christians dream of taking a missions trip. Whether this is your first one or third you’ll find that you’ll need more than a willing heart–you need good support. To focus on your “mission” without worrying about money, you should gather resources before you grab your backpack. You need to know how to raise support for your mission trip and the sooner you start the better!
Why not plan a strip to visit a sponsored child.
These practical steps will help you build funding and prayer support during your time abroad. Start immediately and with a clear plan. Make a punch list of what costs you need to cover and include any deadlines that you must meet. Costs you should expect to cover: Plane fare, food, housing, passport fees, immunizations, clothing, an offering for the mission, thank you gift to the sponsor.
Sample Mission Trip Support Letter
Dear loved one,
Can you imagine being a small child and losing your parents and entire village to a ravenous disease? This heartbreaking event has really occurred and God has led me to go to this place and bring comfort to those left behind. I’m writing my dearest friends and family and asking for support on this endeavor. I will be leaving on July 17 and will return on August 2nd. I will be joining the Morning Light Baptist Church on a trip to the Sudan.
During our time, we have a few goals we want to meet.
- Build an orphanage for the children
- Make clinic rotations through the camp
- Comfort and feed the remaining villagers
- Teach the Sudanese about Christ
- Build relationships with nearby Christians asking them to continue our work
I need your help to make this happen. The cost of my trip to the Sudan is $3,000. Can you give any amount to help me reach my destination? Even if you can’t, I ask for your prayers before and during my trip. If you can give, please send your check to: Morning Light Baptist Church. I’ve included my picture and an enevelope in this letter. The envelope is pre addressed with the church’s address. The picture is me! I ask you to place my picture on your refrigerator so you will remember to pray for me every day.
Thank you in advance for all you are doing!
God bless you!
Steps for Individuals
- Start your journey with a blog. Visit websites like Weebly, Blogger, or Thoughts. Build your blog, adding pictures of yourself, your destination and your church. Include a countdown to departure and leave information on how friends can support you. Blog as often as possible sharing your excitement with those that can’t go. Include your blog address on all correspondence you send.
- Make a list of family and friends who may support you. Include everyone you can think of.
- Write a letter (see the sample below) and send one to each family member.
- Visit your pastor and tell him or her about your trip. Tell why you want to go and how important this trip is to you. Ask the pastor’s permission to share your mission news with the church. Arrange with the pastor a method for church members to give specifically to support your trip.
- Host a “missions party” in your home. Invite neighbors and friends who want to know more about your trip. Serve cookies and coffee then show photos of your destination. Tell guests how they can support your missionary work.
- Send thank you notes to everyone who gives.
- Use creative methods to make up the difference. Sell t-shirts you design yourself using CafePress. Bake cakes, hold yard sales, offer to work for funding.
Fundraising Steps for Churches
- Ask the missionaries to share briefly with the church what the goals of the mission trip are.
- Introduce the missionaries to the church and allow each missionary to share their name and why they want to go.
- Set aside a few offerings a month to go towards missions.
- Arrange church-wide events to raise funds like car washes or spaghetti dinners
- Give status reports regularly to report the progress of the mission support.
- Send letters on church letterhead to family members of the missionaries to get the support they need.
Read more from Mimi by visiting her blog: Encouragement for Christians.