FAQ'S About Supporting Missionaries

• Aren't Missionaries Supported By Churches? Yes they are, but there is a common misunderstanding about how missionaries receive the money needed for living and ministry expenses.  It is true that churches are part of the missionary support team, but statistics show that only about 40% of the necessary money is donated by churches.  The rest of the money comes from Christians who give to the vision.

• Why Can't Missionaries 'Work' For A Living In The Country They Serve In? In countries such as Bolivia, it is the goal of the missionary to be fully devoted to the work of the ministry. Bolivia is the poorest country in the Americas, and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere. The unemployment rate is 9%, but the under employment rate drives that figure up to as much as 30%. This means that people do not have money to give to the missionary, and there are no real careers available for the missionary. Even when the national church consists of generous Christians, their generosity is in proportion to their ability to give. We take our infrastructure here in North America for granted, therefore we do not know the tremendous amount of work it takes just to survive in other countries. By supporting our missionaries financially, we free them up to serve Christ and reach people for the Kingdom, rather than forcing them to seek to sustenance farming or eking out an existence that barely feeds their family.What Type Of Support Do Missionaries Need?

• What Type Of Giving Is Needed? There are two types of support needed that can be summed up as Larger Sporadic Gifts and Monthly Support. The Larger Sporadic Gift, or Special Gift, is used to meet specific needs at specific times or sometimes it is just a large sum of money that someone feels led to give to the missionary for whatever the mission or missionary deems to be the greatest area of need.  Monthly Support is the heartbeat of missions. This is money that is given by people with a vision for world evangelism who desire to pour their heart into the mission on a regular basis. When a missionary moves to another country, he/she is placing their faith in Christ, and their confidence in world minded Christians who have promised Monthly Support. This monthly gift is used for both the missionary and the mission. The missionary uses it for meeting the basic needs of his family, including planning on retirement, housing on home assignment, education for children, travel, etc. The Mission uses this support because everything that the missionary uses to accomplish the vision must be paid for by someone. (see FAQ #1). Ministry Expenses cover everything from computers to staples, gasoline to rubber bands, office rental to new Bibles. This covers equipment and supplies. In essence, each month the missionary must meet all of the expenses of the home and the office. The more successful his ministry, the more expenses it incurs. Monthly Support is usually the result of a large group of people giving a small amount of money. We are praying for 60 families to give $100/month. This would meet the needs of our mission and family, provide for the necessities, give us health insurance, travel funds, housing, food, retirement, school for our kids (public school isn't available in other countries), as well as fund the office expenses of the ministry.
  
• How Is Support Determined? The mission office, establishes both the monthly needs of the missionary. These are derived by a formula based upon family size, mission focus, and the country of service. The missionary meets with the sending office, and interviews with them. The office is in contact with the field of service, has updated expense reports from missionaries already there, and then inputs all the information into a spreadsheet which generates the support figures. This is a pretty accurate method, since SIM has been sending people to the mission field for over 100 years, and currently has over 1,400 active missionaries serving in over 40 countries throughout Africa, Asia and South America. What About Administration Costs?

• Can I Deduct My Gift? All Special Gifts and Monthly Support can be deducted off of your income tax. SIM will send you a gift receipt with each gift. The only money given that cannot be deducted would be gifts to the missionary for specifically personal reasons. For example, if you give me $100 for my birthday, this is not a tax deductible gift. If you give me $100 for my ministry or mission, even if is to be used as I determine, then it is a deductible gift.

• How Do I Give? Gifts are given directly to SIM for Joe and Denise Holman, Missionary # 77027. You can give through check or credit card, but I believe that the best way to give is through either automatic withdrawl from your account, or through your bank's on-line bill pay system. Go to Giving for more information.

• What Type Of Accountability Does SIM Have? SIM is accountable. All gifts received by SIM are handled as a sacred trust, given to advance the Lord's work. SIM is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and the Interdenominational Foreign Missions Association (IFMA). Audited financial statements are available upon request.