My wife and I have developed two support teams since 1975. Our ?rst team, as a part of a para-church ministry was composed of 100% individuals. Our second team, developed several years later for mission service in Belgium, included 23 supporting churches and 44 individual team members. While I heartily endorse seeking individual team members, our experience may somewhat temper focusing totally on individuals.

   During our ?rst term in Belgium our annual giving increased by over $20,000. These dramatic increases came from the churches rather than the individuals. My experience shows that churches, though taking longer to join our team, have continued over many years and have increased their support. This was despite changes in staff and mission committee members.

   Since 1996 we have helped train hundreds of missionaries through our agency and we encourage them to seek team members from both churches and individuals. In a recent study we did of 12 workers ranging from one-year interns to long term career workers we found:

   1. 9.8 months of active support team development
   2. 4.8 supporting churches
   3. 64.8 individual supporters
   4. $51,568.00 annual support given

   Some trends are obvious today:

   1. Churches are supporting fewer workers but at larger amounts.

   2. Churches are focusing on supporting workers raised up from within their body.

   3. Churches are focusing on unreached people groups (least reached areas and/or speci?c countries) or types of ministry.

   4. Individuals want to support someone they know rather than send funds to an organization’s headquarters to be disbursed by the organization.

   5. Many individuals, and churches, also want to be personally involved in helping their workers (short term ministries, visits to the ?eld, member care, etc.).

   I af?rm that a support team should be anchored by a signi?cant commitment from a home church. Alongside this, a team of partnering churches which share in your vision and ministry and scores of individuals who will pray for you, support you ?nancially and be personally involved will allow for an effective and fruitful ministry.

   So, the question remains, “Churches or individuals. Which will you focus on?” Choose wisely, and so, I choose both!