Ministry Partner Development (MPD) Resources
Most positions with IFI require the development of a ministry partner team that supplies the necessary prayer and financial support to cover salary, benefits, and work expenses. If God is calling you to work with IFI and after your acceptance to become a staff member, we will provide you with the training you will need to develop a team of ministry partners who will support your work.
Learn more about raising support (MPD) from our IFI staff in the video below.
Staff Testimonials
“MPD has stretched me in ways I never imagined and helped me grow my trust in God. It’s a constant reminder of who the Sustainer of my life is, as well as an eye-opener to the amazing community God has provided in my midst, partners who want to join me in caring for God’s kingdom.” – Carol
“God used MPD to stretch me beyond the limits of my personality. MPD showed me how wonderful and surprising God is and how attentive He is to my needs. Above anything else, MPD showed me how much I need Him each day, and how reliable He is to answer me when I call.” – Karlos
“You have to combine humility, willingness to learn, tenacity, and graciousness. God provides all of this when we ask. I have been burdened with this task, and I have been incredibly amazed. Staying in touch with supporters is much like ‘pastoring’ them. What an outstanding partnership!” – Jim
“I don’t think I could’ve done it without an MPD coach! I felt pretty stuck but having guidance, support, and accountability along the way helped me reach 100%, and I feel really good about being able to get back to serving students knowing my funding is in a healthy place.” – Sarah
FAQ
MPD stands for Ministry Partnership Development. We are building more than a base of donors; we are building a team of ministry partners to support us in this work God has given us to do. Prayer and relationship goes both ways with our teams of ministry partners!
We have staff do personal support raising for many reasons. Below are a few of them:
A Biblical Precedent: the Bible is replete with examples of God’s ministry workers being supported by others to do the work He has called them to. Even Jesus had a support team that enabled him to be fully focused on his ministry (Luke 8:1-3).
Multiplied Workers: the number of people we can send into the mission field is increased through MPD. Additionally, our team partners will often become involved beyond finances by donating their time, and skills, and sometimes even deciding to join as a missionary themselves.
Personalized Vision: people are far more likely to care about what’s happening with an individual that they know and pray for than for an organization asking them to give to a large campaign fund.
Increased Prayer: how many people do you pray for in a typical week? What are some of their names? Now think about how many organizations you have prayed for this week. Which one were you more invested in? Which one did you care about the most? MPD often has teams of people engaged in significant prayer for each missionaries ministry.
With proper training (we use the bootcamp from Via Generosity) and a strong commitment to support raising, most staff will be able to raise their full budgets in 4-10 months. It may take more or less time than that depending on time constraints of the staff person.
We do require all of our staff to reach full funding before starting their full-time staff position. However, IFI does offer many opportunities for involvement. If a paid staff position doesn’t seem to be an option for you, there are still ways to participate in the vision and mission of IFI.
It’s rare to find someone who will vocally tell you that they don’t agree with support-raising for ministry work (since there are so many Biblical and modern-day examples to point to for the validity and value of this approach). However, if you do, be patient and hear what they have to say. Be ready to kindly share with them some of the benefits you have learned about the MPD process.
This varies depending on each person’s situation. Typically, MPD staff begin to get paid after hitting specific percentage (of their monthly support goal) milestones. This is a great question to explore more with the person who is helping you with the hiring process.
Discerning the will of God for your life is a process that takes time, prayer, and intentional conversations. Begin with prayer about the opportunity that God is putting in front of you. Confide in a mentor or other spiritual leader in your life about what you are sensing. Listen carefully to how they respond. Start having conversations with trusted friends (fellow believers) about what you are considering. Ask God for wisdom (James 1) as you process all of this.
Nope! You will be given a support-raising coach and will typically be placed in an MPD Group (small group of people doing the same thing).
Many of you starting this support-raising journey are probably wondering what a budget looks like. Don’t worry, your MPD coach and supervisor will help you figure it out!
Here is a set of tables to help you explain how the budget looks: Sample Budget
Do you still have questions? Watch this video about what it looks like in action to raise support!
Does your spouse have questions about the MPD process? Watch this video to hear the stories of three IFI staff spouses on how involved they were in the process, their initial perceptions, and how they overcame their fears.
The God Ask by Steve Shadrach
The process of raising support may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Steve Shadrach writes about relying on God to provide and inviting others to join in the vision, rather than focusing solely on money. He teaches readers how crucial it is to turn to God in prayer when making appeals, just like Nehemiah who sought support from King Artaxerxes. Shadrach helps us recognize that God is orchestrating the process; He is the one who can instill confidence and transform it into a “God Ask” rather than a “Man Ask.”
Consider also reading this short book based on The God Ask: 5 Keys to Personal Support Raising
