The second part of the above title applies to all missionaries. Raising support gives us a front-row seat to God’s lavish generosity and faithfulness. It can be a rich season that deepens and strengthens our trust as we see Him act powerfully on our behalf.
Support-raising can also be daunting, frustrating, overwhelming, and seemingly endless. Both are true. Both realities can sometimes be felt simultaneously . . . by every missionary, regardless of gender, marital status, age, or calling.
And yet, there is one for whom the challenges and discouragements are often compounded: the single-woman missionary.
In my personal experiences and those of the many women I’ve talked to, three recurring mindsets contribute to making support raising extra challenging for single women: the church planting movement, the allure of the family unit, and what I’ll call the “one-woman show” phenomenon.
The pastor and the church-planting movement
Whereas medical missions was once the popular all-star of missionary job descriptions, church planting seems to have become the new frontrunner. I do not intend to diminish this role. Church planting is vital, biblical, and of the utmost importance in spreading the Gospel.
However, since a single woman can be neither a pastor nor a lead church planter, she can often be made to feel that her calling is less important. Many single women have been told outright that they won’t even be considered for financial support because their focus isn’t one of these two highly regarded roles. Not only can this feel like a no-win situation, but it also communicates that her ministry isn’t taken seriously or is seen as less valuable. Not surprisingly, this can be incredibly discouraging.
Challenge: Consider making a list of the different needs and tasks involved in a church-planting project aside from preaching. How many of these can be done by a single woman, who potentially has more time and capacity than some of her married teammates? Whether her main ministry focus is nursing, teaching, Bible translation, or directing a crisis pregnancy center (to name a few), her active involvement and relationship-building efforts are significant and instrumental to church-planting efforts, even though she’ll never preach from the pulpit.
While your church has every right to determine the types of mission work and ministries it will support, please be aware of how you communicate this. Will you ask God to help you recognize and celebrate that single women are a powerful force for the Gospel?
The “allure” of the family unit
Sadly, in the church and mission field, there can be an “us vs. them” mentality between married and single people. This topic merits an article of its own, but I do want to address a few of the dynamics that relate specifically to support-raising.
I believe all single and married missionaries would agree that we are not in competition because our God is unlimited, and his generosity and resources are boundless. There’s more than enough to go around. However, there is often a feeling among single women that the missionary couple and family are more appealing prospects to a church.
While it may not be communicated directly, this tendency and its impact appear in various ways. A single woman will be given only a few minutes to share her ministry, while a couple or family may be given an entire service, mainly if the husband is also preaching. It is also common for a married woman to be given more opportunity and access than a single woman. Once again, these realities can be very discouraging and frustrating for a single woman who wants to share the call God has put on her heart and invite others into partnership.
Challenge: Is this phenomenon a surprise to you? Is this true of your church or missions committee? If so, please take a moment to consider why. Are you willing to intentionally consider practical ways to make space for and value the single women currently supported by your church and those who may ask to be?
The one-woman show
I’m just going to say it: support-raising can be all-consuming, especially when you’re first trying to get to the field. This is true even when two people are sharing the load. It takes courage, tenacity, patience, creativity, and resilience. You can see where I’m going with this. The single woman missionary is tackling this challenge alone.
Is she fearful of speaking in public? It doesn’t matter because she has no choice. Is she unfamiliar with or uncomfortable with technology? Too bad, she needs to learn. She has to do it all by herself: the initial calls and emails, the follow-up, the preparation, the presenting, the thank-you notes. You get the idea.
There is a tangible way to be sensitive to and aware of her needs in this process. Realize that the best response is . . . a response. While finding out that a church or individual cannot consider financial support can be discouraging, it is also appreciated. That may sound surprising, but it’s true. Clarity is kindness.
When a single missionary receives a clear “no” from someone she’s reached out to, it lightens her load because she no longer has to worry about follow-up. Believe it or not, follow-up can be more challenging than the initial ask. Your clear response frees her to focus her time and energy elsewhere.
Challenge: Realize that while financial support is unavoidable, it is not her only or even greatest need. I recently contacted a church and conversed with the mission’s pastor. Before the call, he told me upfront that the church couldn’t take on new missionaries at this time. But, he asked if I was willing, and he said he would still like to hear about my ministry.
Our conversation was so encouraging to me! Shortly after, he connected me with a single woman from their church interested in missions. He showed me that he saw value and significance in my work. That meant just as much, if not more, than a check. How can you have this kind of positive
impact on the life of a single woman missionary, even if you can’t support her financially? Can you be an advocate for her by telling other pastors or individuals about her ministry?
Just yesterday, a friend asked me about my goal in writing this article. One of my greatest desires in establishing the Flourish ministry is to be a voice and advocate for single women missionaries.
I pray that what you’ve read will help you become more aware of and sensitive to the realities facing your sisters in Christ who faithfully serve the Lord in missions. I pray that you will look for tangible ways to affirm and value the ministries of the single women who reach out to you, even if you don’t choose to support them financially. I ask God to help you see how to intentionally make room for and welcome single women who want to share their ministries and those whom you currently support.
Lastly, I hope you will grow in your desire to advocate for the single women missionaries you meet. May you recognize their obedience to God’s call and seek to accompany and encourage their faithfulness even if you can’t contribute financially to their ministry. Raising support as a single woman is a significant challenge, but God can use you to help her feel empowered, heard, and valued for His glory and her good.
