Questions about Funding and Raising Support

So it turns out to go overseas you still need money. And money, we know, gets…sticky. Wondering about how to raise support, how much, what mindset, debt, and even weird issues like bribes? Missionaries give the skinny on your most pressing questions.
Support Raising Attitudes
- What perspective should I take towards raising prayer and financial support?
- How should we think about money?
- Is there any way other than begging for support?
- What Scriptures, prayers, and spiritual disciplines have best helped you deal with anxiety during the fundraising process?
Support Raising Approaches
- What can I do to successfully raise prayer and financial support?
- Can I raise funds for missionary service by doing it mostly online, e.g., through crowdsourcing, GoFundMe, or Facebook?
- Can teams going overseas together raise support collectively with each family drawing from the main pot?
- Our mission agency told us to expect support raising to take 9-12 months. What should my husband and I do for income during this time?
- What’s next if you dedicate yourself to the Lord and try to raise support for long-term missions but end up not being able to raise the funds?
- How can we pay the bills here while we are working the full-time job of support raising to go? Or, how can we raise our support if we’re still working full-time?
- On average, how many people does it take to support a long-term missionary? Is it 30-60 people? 100 people?
How Much Is Enough?
- How much money should a missionary raise, and how long should it take?
- What costs are included in a missionary’s budget?
- Can I go overseas before I have all my funds raised?
- How much of a service fee do agencies charge? What is that used for?
- Should missionaries have life insurance? We are trusting God to care for us, but is it also wise to have an insurance policy to provide for our kids if something happened to us?
- What type of insurance coverage do missionaries need?
- In many countries, the cost of living is less than at home. How do I justify a seemingly large support figure to supporters?
- Do missionaries continue to tithe? If so, do they take that out of the money given by others to support their ministry?
Paid Off and Debt Free
- How can I minimize financial debt while in school or training?
- How do I handle my debts and still go into missions?
- Can someone become a missionary if they have credit card debt? What about student loans or other financial obligations?
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When Missionaries Come Home