Raising Support for the Right Reasons

As an All-State quarterback at Magnet Cove High School in Malvern, Ark., and adding wide receiver to his college football role and graduating Magna-Cum Laude in Mechanical Engineering at Arkansas Tech University, Micah May knew well the importance of a team working together for a common goal.

But it took a few years for him to fully understand how that principle factored into supporting his work with FCA.

FCA helps lead coaches and athletes into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. That requires a team behind the scenes buying in to the vision to make that happen. That team consists of prayer partners and other volunteers, but also those willing to offer their financial support.

When May became a part-time Area Representative for the South Central Arkansas Multi-Area FCA, he struggled raising support. “I was responsible for 30 school districts and two colleges. So, I didn’t have much time for raising support,” he said.

May, his wife Lindsey, and their two children (they’ve since added a third) lived cheaply in a cabin on his family’s land. A banquet and golf tournament worked well for funding, but it didn’t bring the consistency he desired.

“I always knew the automated monthly partner plan was a great plan,” said May, now the South Central Arkansas Multi-Area Director. “But I just didn’t take the time to do that. I finally called someone I knew was fully funded for their advice, and they told me to go to a Support Raising Solutions (SRS) boot camp.”

SRS is an interdenominational organization dedicated to equipping “Great Commission workers” in raising ministry support. May attended one of the organization’s boot camps in 2010, and it not just changed the way he viewed fundraising but sparked a passion to equip his fellow FCA staff and change their perspective on fundraising as well. Since 2014, it has led him to apply the same principles in training thousands of FCA staff to do the same.

“In 2010 I was a little discouraged [about raising funds],” he admitted. But at the boot camp, he learned biblical concepts on support raising, such as when Jesus sent the disciples out in Luke 10.

“I ran into all of this Scripture about God’s divine plan and purpose for“Jesus had a support team, and we can too.”
-Micah May missionaries, Christian workers and FCA staff to partner with others for ministry,” May recognized. “Jesus had a support team, and we can too.”

In mid-April, May led one of the monthly fundraising Boot Camps to more than 50 staff who gathered at the FCA Support Center in Kansas City. The focus of those meetings, he shared, is to teach attendees to be spiritually healthy, vision-driven and fully funded.

Since embracing the biblical concept of support raising, May has facilitated approximately 140 boot camps and trained over 9,000 missionaries and FCA staff through Support Raising Solutions Boot Camp.

Through the concept of personal support raising, automated monthly partners (AMP) become more than a line item in a financial report. They are a consistent presence in FCA’s work for the sake of the Gospel.

“In big fundraising events, the relationship can get lost,” May said. “Jesus encouraged His disciples to build relationships with others. Through raising personal support, you have individuals who may have never given to FCA, but they now share the vision and are encouraged to be a part of it.”

May compared it with the boost a team gets when competing on its home field.

“It’s an advantage to play at home,” he pointed out. “You know your people have your back and are praying for you. It’s a joy to know you’re not doing this alone.

“We call our supporters our Home Team; if we aren’t asking people to support, we’re not allowing them to play their role in the Kingdom work,” May added.

In 2012, there was approximately 1,000 FCA staff. Boot Camp became more common as years passed and staff numbers grow, becoming required by 2015. Currently, there are close to 2,700 staff members globally.

“It took 60 years to get to 1,000 staff, and in ten years we’ve more than doubled it,” said May. “You can’t have 50 golf tournaments a year to raise support and you can’t go out to every person, though we have lots of volunteers. This a scalable and multipliable path that Jesus followed, sending His disciples out and seeing who would support or host them.”

Support ministry, May believes, is more than simply a step to get to field ministry. “We don’t just raise money so we can go minister to coaches and athletes, but this is our first ministry of inviting people to partner with us, so together we can be healthier ministry leaders, have more results in the Kingdom and allow everyone to play their part.”