If you have a monthly, quarterly, or yearly pledge, and you are waiting til I have received 100% in commitments before allowing the pledge to debit your account, here’s why you should be fulfilling your commitment now:
- Raising a Year’s Budget: I am working to raise a year’s budget. The reason they have us raise a year’s worth of support is to prevent future problems of shortages. Your financial situation can change in a year. When I begin receiving disbursements, I receive a set amount. If I am in the negative at the end of the year, I have to pay WorldVenture back the shortage. Waiting to fulfill your pledge can cause issues later.
- Fulfilling Your Commitment is a Vote of Faith: The story of the man and his prayer for rain is my favorite tale. The man asked his congregation to pray for rain during a drought. They were to show up later that day on the top of a hill to pray. When the man arrived, he noted how none of his congregation carried with them an umbrella. So, he turned around and left. Fulfilling your commitment is bringing an umbrella to a prayer meeting that is praying for rain. You are a part of the story. I will write later on why this portion of today’s FAQs is important.
- Yes, I Have a Day Job While Raising Support. For the past couple of years, I have footed the bill for over $1,000 worth of annual expenses to running online websites. There are many needs to improve the websites and to develop them to encourage engagement, including background checks on the volunteers, chat groups, and a possible partnership with an imprint to encourage writers to develop their talent for the mission field (even if they write for the secular crowd). Plus, expenses are making keeping up with house repairs difficult.