When we start out on the mission field and begin the process of raising our support, the one thing we need to do and be faithful with is building our contact list. When I first started out 20 years ago, I began with a contact list, but I did not realize how important it was. Throughout the years, I have discovered how vital it is. In most cases, it is the foundation God gives to you on which you build your mission. 

Building a healthy contact list is more than a list of people who could give you money. It is a list of different types of relationships in which you are in. This is your circle of influence. Having a contact list will help you be faithful in your relationships and your communication with individuals. These are people who could be intercessors, supporters, and people who care about you.
If you haven’t already, please read my article, “How Many Supporters should a Missionary Have?”  It will communicate the value of those relationships you have.
Before you start, I want to make one thing clear. The bigger your contact list is, the better. I have talked to so many missionaries who are struggling with their finances. When I ask them the question, “What do you think is a good number of people have on your contact list?” I have had people say that 10 or 25 people are really good. But, honestly, those numbers are way too low.
When starting out, I tell people to target at least 200 people and then build from there. Of course, if you come up with more than 200 people, that is even better. I know for some of you, it may seem overwhelming. Well, it is not as hard as it looks. Here are some steps to build your contact list.

1. Start with your Wedding list. Pretend you will get married and assume that money is not a consideration on your wedding list. Who would you invite? Your family and friends! Write them down on the list.
2. Social Media list. How many Facebook friends do you have? How about your contacts in LinkedIn? Who is in your circles your, Google Plus? Add them to your list.
3. Anyone else. Maybe you have some people in your college, high school, church, or work that, for some reason, is not in the first two. Then this is where you had their names in the mix.
4. Vet your list. It is time to go back and look through your entire list. Is there someone on the list that would get upset to get your newsletter? Go through your whole list and look at each name one at a time. Ask yourself the question, “Would our relationship be damaged if they received my newsletter?” Now, if you spend more than five seconds on a name, you are overthinking it. Keep that person on a list before you start making excuses why they shouldn’t be on the list. In most cases, the people I am talking about are family members who don’t quite understand your calling into missions. In some cases, it may be others. But if you know it would damage your relationship, then go ahead and take them off the list.
5. Collect contact info. Now that you have your list, you want to collect everyone’s contact info. And when I mean contact info, I mean everything.

• Mailing address
• Email addresses (Work and personal)
• Home number
• Cell number
• Skype name
• Name of spouse and children
• Connected through Social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Etc)
• Website

The more information you have for your contacts, the better. You will find that people will move or change their email addresses. When that happens, you have other ways to contact them to update your information.
Also, know that different people prefer to communicate in different ways. Some reply quickly to text. Others may respond better to email. And others like to get phone calls. The more ways to communicate to your contact list, the more effective your communication will become.
I know some of you may be thinking this is a lot of work. I want to say yes, it is. Depending on your situation, this will take you about 30 to 40 hours of work. But if you are looking at financing your future in missions, it is a minimal price to pay.

Now that you have a list what do you do?

1. Learn how to write effective newsletters!. CLICK HERE.
2. Announcing Changes & Transitions. CLICK HERE 
3. The Power of Automatic Monthly Gifts! Click here for tips. 
4. Visit my blog page on support raising! CLICK HERE
5. ​God has a call on your life. May God continue to help you as you walk in your calling.

There are very few missionaries that I know that couldn't use more funds, myself included. And I know many who are struggling by with very little support. 

Now I know it is God who calls us. And I have plenty of stories where myself or my family was in need and something that only God could orchestrate what happened to meet an immediate need. But I can't help to think of why so many missionaries are struggling and not thriving in their finances if they are called by God? Yes, I know that God uses our funds (or lack of) to teach us. But I do believe there is more to it than just teaching from God on trusting him.

I want to look at the Parable of the Talents and learn from it and apply it to our mission calling.
In Matthew 24:11-30, we read about a master leaving for a journey, and he gives one servant five talents, another two talents, and the last one talent. When he got back, the first servant invested the five talents and made 10, the second invested the two talents and made 4, the last dug a hole and buried it. When the master came back, he told the first two, "'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much." He was upset with the last servant, to say the least, and ended up taking the one talent he had left and giving it to the servant who had ten talents.

Let us take the principle of this passage and apply it in our context.

God has given us missionaries relationships. Some of us have more relationships than others. And it is in some of these relationships God provides supporters through certain individuals. So are we faithful in our relationships?

Like what I shared in my last article, How Many Supporters should a Missionary Have? I shared how I knew many missionaries who only had 1 to 3 supporters. That was the case with me when I first started out. In my first year, I only had one regular supporter. The following year I only had 3. But what I believe is in those first two years, I was faithful in my relationships (not with just my supporters, but those in my circle of relationships) through communication. So if we lack support, we need to ask ourselves a question:

Am I faithful?

We need to be faithful in 3 areas.

1- Faithful to Our Calling
Are we doing what God called us to do? Are we still sharing Jesus Christ with those who don't know Him? We can't expect God to provide if we are not doing what He called us to do.

2- Faithful with the Money we do have
Even if we don't have much money, we need to be faithful to what God has already provided. If we are not faithful in what little we have, then don't expect to get more. 

3- Faithful in our Circles of Relationships
We need to be faithful in our communication to our supporters and others as well. That communication should be through newsletters (email and snail mail), Social media, phone calls. Etc. We should also express gratefulness to funds already given. And we should also be faithful in building new relationships.

The third point is where I find that most missionaries are weak. Why? In most cases, it is a lack of skill. They just don't know how to do it. But the good news is we can learn new skills. If you need help developing your skillset, go to Unmuzzled Ox, Sign up for their blog, and look at tips to help you.
So to answer my question, Who supports a missionary- God or man? God usually provides through people we have a relationship with. That truth brings us to the question, "Are we faithful in those relationships?"
For those who are asking, yes, I do believe God can use a "Tent Making" job to provide for your needs. But that shouldn't be an excuse not to keep a relationship with others.

I had lived in Asia for 20 years. And in that time, I met many Asian missionaries who have 1 to 3 supporters. Surprisingly these 1 to 3 supporters cover their basic needs. But we should ask the question, "How many supporters should a missionary have?" One of our supporters came to the Philippines, and I asked him to share with our staff. He is a businessman, and he gave us a unique perspective.

He told us that if you are running a business and you reached a point where you need to expand and require a loan. One of the first questions the bank will ask is your customer base. He said that if 25% of your business is from one customer, the bank will not give you a loan because you are "high risk."

We can also apply this to our support base. For example, if 25% of our support base is from one supporter, our ministry is at high risk. 

For example, let's say you have four supporters giving 25% equally. Then you lose one supporter for whatever reason; you take a significant hit. So it is better to have ten supporters giving 10% each than two giving 50% each (I understand it never works out that way).

Personally, I have talked to missionaries who only had one supporter and lost their supporter. Then, they started talking about leaving the mission field because of a lack of funds.

So what does this mean?

Even if three or four supporters fully support you, you need to expand your support base. Praise God if you are one of those who are fully supported by only a few. But see that as God's grace and a time where you can expand your support base circle. Keep building your contact list and communicate with potential supporters. I know that after 25 years as a missionary, your support base will change. It always does. Some people will stop supporting, and then others will join in. But if you are not working on your support base, you cannot make it to the long hall.

Most of us, when reading the book of Philippians, don't think about what it was. It is Paul writing a letter to his supporters. He was discipling and thanking them for their support. As missionaries, let us keep lines of communication with those who support us.

If you want to learn how to build your contact list click here to read my article on how to do that.
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Do you want some more support raising teaching? If so, CLICK HERE

If you need some help raising your support, please go to https://www.unmuzzledox.com/​ , sign up for their blog, and read more tips on increasing your support.