Why Support Raising Does NOT Suck, Part III

Continued from a friend's blog:

5 It brings you to people of all different types, but especially those who have known you since you were young. For me this ranges from people who knew me before i came out of the womb to people who saw me play basketball and football in high school. Everywhere i turn there is a wonder at how i have changed. And it is another opportunity to praise God, because if Jesus did not save me and give me the Holy Spirit, i would be far worse. We’ve been talking about mentioning evidences of God’s grace at work in people lives at Mars Hill; people point out God’s transforming grace in my life and it makes me praise Jesus. Sweet.

6 You’re like a salesman, but you break all the paradigms. By all means you need to be confident, articulate, and straightforward…but you’re not looking for a sale that you’ll never see again. Instead, you are planting seeds and cultivating relationships. Money is a part of it, but you’re seeking so much more.

And I would add:

Support raising is about building relationships, it’s about people. What matters most at the end of the day is the connections you made and the things you shared and learned from each other in that conversation. Those are the things that carry you through this process. The way that God loves you through other people. People you know and complete strangers. Through them welcoming you into their home, allowing you to play with their kids. A transaction takes place that far transcends anything financial. In this process, your constantly vulnerable before God, as you trust Him with your heart as you go and share your deepest dreams and hopes with people who can accept it and understand or think you're crazy. But when someone looks you in the eye and sees your passion and says I believe in what you're doing, or what you're doing is important, or I want to be a part of this mission, everything else falls to the ground. This process is about simply sharing what the Gospel has done in your life, sharing what Jesus means to you and what He's done and how your life will never be the same. It's about uniting people who otherwise wouldn't have met and partnering to advance the kingdom so we can reach the nations.