12 Ways to be "Missions-Minded" in College

As a college student, it's often hard to see the value in education if you merely see it as the next step to fulfilling God's calling on your life. But college doesn't have to be an "obstacle" in the way of your Christian ministry. College is a unique experience and a short period of life where you will encounter opportunities you will never have again. And if you keep Christ as the focus of your education and college experience, college itself can be a ministry.

While God is preparing you for a lifetime of ministry in college, you can still be actively involved in missions. Here are twelve ways you can be a "missions-minded" college student:

1. Pray.
Pray for workers. Pray for people. Pray for missionaries. Prayer is so essential to any effective ministry, and as Oswald Chambers wrote, "Prayer does not equip us for greater works—prayer is the greater work." Not only is prayer the entire foundation for missions, but prayer also fuels a passion for the Gospel and a heart for the unreached. This year I have been praying for one country every day through the Operation World book, and never have I felt such a burden for the peoples unreached for the Gospel. As well as partnering in the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world through prayer, my passion for God's glory among the nations is being ignited.

Lifting up missionaries in prayer is vital, too. They can't assimilate to another culture, learn a language, build relationships, plant churches, or make disciples without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit or God's strength in their lives. Sometimes it's hard to know where to start, but here are some printable prayer guides to help you know how to pray for your missionaries and the spread of the Gospel: Seven Ways to Pray for Your Missionary, How to Pray for Missionaries, Praying for Missions, Warfare Prayer, and A 6-Week Personal Prayer Guide.

2. Connect with International Students on Campus.
According to Intervarsity, over 800,000 international students come to the United States to study—many from countries that are closed to the Gospel. This may be the only chance they have to be exposed to the Gospel, and you have the opportunity to welcome them, befriend them, and serve them. Because full-time missions in another country should only be an extension of your ministry here and now, connecting with internationals is an opportunity begin a cross-cultural ministry... and to be involved in God's global work—without ever leaving your campus!

3. Sponsor a Child
You can actively influence a child's life for Christ across the world simply by sponsoring them on a monthly basis. Just browse some of the children waiting to be sponsored with Compassion or World Vision—your heart will break for them. Even as "poor" college students, God has blessed us immeasurably wealth and a comfortable lifestyle, as compared with the rest of the world. It IS possible to sponsor a child while paying for college, though it might require you getting a job or giving up your daily Starbucks drink (horror of horrors!).

There's definitely a lot to consider before sponsoring a child, and I believe that for certain people college isn't the right timing for donating $40 every month… But I would suggest carefully weighing your motives before you push the opportunity aside: If God has given you the resources to provide education, food, water, healthcare, and the hope of the Gospel to a child in need, what's holding you back?

4. Start a Prayer Group on Campus
During my freshman year, I happened to discover a group of students who met together once a week to pray for missionaries. They printed out the newsletter updates the missionaries would email out and then prayed specifically for their prayer requests. It has been so cool to be a part of such a likeminded group of students and know that we are actually impacting the work of those missionaries. It's also sparked a lot of good discussions about mission work and current global events, and it's given us plenty of opportunities to encourage and connect with real missionaries.

5. Go Short-Term
There's countless opportunities to serve on short-term missions over fall break or spring break. (Personally, I think summer break is best because I more time in my country of service for the amount of money it costs.) Go with a Christian college group, go with your church… If you desire to be more missions-minded, take the chance to spend some time actually serving on a cross-cultural mission field.

6. Encourage Missionaries You Know
What better way to familiarize yourself with the joys and struggles of day-to-day mission life than to be in direct contact with a mission team or family? You can usually get in contact with your church's missionaries through your church secretary or directory; or, if you know them personally, you can contact them through Facebook or email. Most missionaries today have some form of an e-newsletter, so don't be afraid to ask if you can join their mailing list. This provides a perfect opportunity to reply to emails and let them know you're praying for them.

7. Read
Immerse yourself in different cultures, experience the challenges of living in a foreign country, see firsthand the transformative power of the gospel—through books about missions or missionaries. Just a few of my favorites include, Bruchko by Bruce Olsen, Reckless Abandon by David Sitton, And the Word Came with Power by Joanne Shetler, Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis, and biographies about David Brainerd, C.T. Studd, Adoniram Judson, and Amy Carmichael. Other good books about missions include Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper and The Missionary Call by David M. Sills. What other books would you add? Leave a comment and let me know!

8. Raise Money to Give to Missions Organizations
For a couple years in college I was involved in a group that organized events and put on activities in order to raise money for a ministry that supported orphans in Sudan. It was a fun job—talent shows, bake sales, movie nights, even rubber duck races around the pond!—we organized and promoted events on campus that would generate some funds we could give to missions. Consider getting a small group of students together to do something similar: focus the mission of your group toward supporting one particular missions organization or cause, and then brainstorm ways you can raise money.

9. Give
Investing your own savings in missions is a sure way to be missions minded in college. When you give of your own money to support a missionary, you become a personal partner and team member with that missionary. Again, college students aren't known for having much surplus when it comes to finances. But don't discredit the impact a small commitment of $5 a month or a simple missions offering at church. While our current calling to be college students often limits what our financial contributions can be, what God really desires is our willingness and faithfulness in being disciple-makers, whether we send or go. Even in college, there are opportunities for us to give.

10. Educate Yourself
Do you stay up-to-date what is happening around the world, what believers are experiencing in other countries? In order to be missions-minded, it's important to familiarize yourself with world events and how they are affecting the state of the church and the spread of the gospel. One way you can become aware of world events is through Christian news publications such as World or Christian Post (you can sign up for e-updates as well). You can also to sign up to pray for persecuted believers around the world through Voice of the Martyrs. Lastly, one way that I educate myself about missions and world events is through Twitter—I follow feeds such as Gospel for Asia, Persecution.org, World Watch Monitor, Morning Star News, Mission News Network, and more. Educating yourself about believers and missionaries around the world helps to inform your prayers and to make you more united with your suffering brothers and sisters (Hebrews 13:3).

11. Attend a Missions Conference
Many local churches host missions conferences, which offer great opportunities for meeting missionaries your church supports. On a larger scale, there are student mission conferences such as Urbana or Cross where you can hear many well-known speakers, authors, pastors, and missionaries along with thousands of other missions-minded students. Sometimes large Christian universities will hold missions conferences as well, like Biola or Moody Bible Institute.

12. Start Preparing Now
There is no better time to get involved in missions than now. Are you called to go? Start reading books and articles, start researching sending agencies, making connections, talking to missionaries, grounding yourself in the gospel, and sharing the good news with those around you...now. Are you called to stay? Start supporting and encouraging those who are going, start sharing your faith, getting involved with a local church, praying intentionally, and giving generously. Whether you stay or go, use your money and resources wisely so you can use what God's given you to have the maximum impact they can on the kingdom.


College is not an excuse to put your responsibilities as a Christian on hold. It's important to view these 4+ years with an eternal perspective in mind: we are the body of Christ, we are his ambassadors, we are called to make disciples. While college is a time of preparation, it is also a time of unique ministry opportunity. So how will you be faithful to the Great Commission in college?


What others ideas do you have for being missions-minded as a college student? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

25 Ways to Fundraise for Your Mission Trip

How do I fundraise? One of the biggest struggles of mission trips is often raising the funds needed to travel. Don't let the cost of mission trips prevent you from serving internationally! Here are 25 ideas you can use to raise money for your mission trip:

1. Send Support Letters
You can thoughtfully explain the purpose of your trip and your passion to serve through a friendly, concise support letter. Inform your friends and family about your financial needs and budget for the mission trip, and maybe even provide a suggested donation. If you're willing, list some ways you are willing to work in order to earn the money (see the rest of the suggestions below for ideas). One page is an optimal length (add a photo or two to grab attention!), and try to target around 75-100 people. It's most efficient to print out the letters, but add a personal touch by addressing each recipient by name and signing your name by hand. Be sure to keep track of everyone you give a letter to and who gives you money—you'll want to send thank you letters after the trip! :)

2. Partner with Your Local Church
A home body of believers is foundational for any successful mission endeavor. The Great Commission is not meant to be carried out alone—and this includes short term missions as well as long term missions. Talk to your pastor and see if you can personally share about your opportunity to your fellow church members. If you have a Missions Board at your church, talk to them as well; sometimes churches have specific funds set aside for supporting and contributing to their students' mission trips. Also consider talking to Bible study and small groups about financial and prayer support. Prayer should be of highest importance in any ministry, so whether or not your church gives, you'll want the blessing, encouragement, support and prayers of your church family.

3. Host a Dinner or Banquet
Raise money by preparing a delicious meal. Make it simple and fun: breakfast for dinner, baked potato bars, chili or spaghetti… An ice cream social would work as well! You could either raise the money by selling tickets in advance, or you could place a donation basket on the table and allow people to give as much as they feel led to. This is an event that could easily be combined with another (e.g. talent show, silent auction, game night) to make it more exciting and to draw more people to participate. Take the opportunity to share with people about what you'll be doing on your mission trip while they eat.

4. Organize an Auction 
A silent auction could have a single theme (such as a dessert auction), or you could include anything and everything from baked goods to pizza, from handmade items to gift baskets… maybe even your services! Start off each item with a suggested price, and then let people bid as much as they want until the event is over.

5. Plan a Bake Sale
You could sell homemade baked items at a local farmer's market, or even at your church (everyone is hungry and willing to buy food when church gets out!). Wrap individual items with charming ribbon or paper—make it appealing to the eye! And if you sell out of a particular item, you could have a piece of paper "take orders" for those who may have wanted some and get it to them later.

6. Organize a Talent Show
Enlist some of the talented people you know to display their abilities for a good cause. Even those who may not have a particular "skill" to show off can participate in funny skits or be the "host" of the show. Make it a fun night, and be sure that you contribute with your own talents as well. :)

7. Sell Handmade Items
If there's some craft that you can make, sell it! For one of my mission trips, I sold some of my handmade jewelry and sewing projects by sending out emails with pictures and information. I also listed some of the items on Etsy (although there's small fee for each listing) and set up a table at church one Sunday to display and sell my items. You could also make flyers to hand up or give away and possibly put an announcement in the church bulletin.

8. Babysitting, Weekend Daycare, or Parents' Night Out
Get the word out that you are looking for some babysitting opportunities. Also consider watching children for multiple people for a weekend daycare, or advertise for a "parents' night out" (feel free to enlist the help of friends or family).

9. Host a Yard Sale
Clean out the house and make some money at the same time! But get ready for an early weekend morning… sales typically start as early as 7am. :)

10. Have People Donate Gently Used and Unwanted Items
This is a great way for people to support you, especially if they don't have a lot of cash to spare. Not only will it increase the value of your yard sale, but it will make it bigger and hopefully attract more people. One of my relatives donated a whole stack of brand new clothes that she had never worn… I was able to sell a lot of them on eBay, as I'll describe below

11. Sell Stuff on eBay
Several months before one of my mission trips, I began listing my family's old, gently used clothing and shoes items on eBay. I made somewhere around $500 by the time my trip came around, and it's a little "side business" I continue to this day! The job requires a lot of listing, packaging, and shipping; but if you're willing to put in the time and effort, it can really pay off. My personal tips: As far as clothing goes, name brand items sell the best. However, any clothing in great condition can sell as well–especially if they have unique characteristics that people will be searching for (chambray shirt, chiffon dress, chino shorts, etc.).

12. Offer Yard Work Services 
In the spring and summer, when things are growing and the weather is getting hot, many people will be willing to hire young people for yard work—and especially if it's going toward missions. If you're going to ask people for money, you should be willing to work for it too.

13. "Rent-A-Servant"
Send out emails and fliers, post it in the church bulletin—you're available for hire to do those tasks around the house people don't get to. Painting, dusting, washing, mopping, or whatever other job someone might want help with. This is your opportunity to be a blessing to others while raising money for your mission trip at the same time. If you want to serve other people in a cross-cultural context, you'd better be more than willing to serve them in your own community.

14. Organize an Ultimate (or Softball) Tournament
I don't know about you, but I love playing Ultimate frisbee. Another idea to raise funds is to organize an Ultimate tournament, or any other sport such as softball, and charge a small fee to join a team. This would also be a good chance to sell some concessions, as well.

15. Sell T-Shirts
There are several T-shirt companies that exist to help students raise money for mission trips. Check out Fund the Nations and Bonfire Funds to see how they work. Everyone loves T-shirts! So, get some awesome t-shirts made for a low price, and sell them to people you know to raise money.

16. Tutor
You know there's a subject you're good at. :) Advertise to parents of younger students the subject you're willing to tutor in. And, who knows, this might be a job that you can keep even after you come back from you mission trip!

17. Offer a Course of Something You're Good At
Maybe it's knitting, tennis, drawing, piano, cooking, writing, making Excel spreadsheets, or photoshop. Whatever it is, use it to your benefit and offer classes as a fundraiser.

18. Partner with a Restaurant that Will Donate a Percentage of a Meal
Some restaurants are willing to set aside a day or two where a certain percentage of all their meals can go toward a non-profit. Check around with your local restaurants. Then, if you find one that will partner with you, get the word out to all your friends and church community so they can all eat there that day and support you in the process.

19. Corporate Sponsorship
There are many companies and businesses that incorporate philanthropic giving into their budget, including your mission trip! Inquire with friends and family to see if they have any business contacts or associates that you can write a letter to. Also look for Christian business owners or business that advertise in your church bulletin or Christian magazines.

20. Use Your Photography Skills
If you've got the skills, try to find some families or individuals that want some portraits. In addition, if you're willing to give up the copyright to any of your photos, you can sell them at http://photodune.net. Go take a walk, snap some good photos, and sell them on a public domain photography website. It will take quite a few photos to make a substantial amount of money, but every little bit helps.

21. Organize a Car Wash
Of course, there's the good ol' fashioned car wash to raise some money. If you decide to do a car wash, my suggestion is to make it clear that sponges and wash cloths will be kept off the ground. My mom says this is the reason she never does them… the little rocks that the sponges pick up can scratch the car, and she never wanted to take that chance.

22. Have a Fundraiser Party
Do something fun for everyone and raise some money while you're at it. Have a family game night, plan a "Trivia night" with competing teams, skit night, "famous duos" night with costumes… or any other event you can think of!

23. Pet Sitting/ Dog Walking
Advertise to take care of those furry creatures to help you reach your financial goals.

24. Use a Fundraising Website
There's plenty of free websites dedicated to promoting the cause you're fundraising for, such as Razoo or Team316. They're easy to share on social media, and it tells you exactly where you're at with funds.

25. Frequent Flyer Miles
Many airlines allow people to donate their frequent flyer miles to non-profit groups. If you know someone who travels often, ask if they'd be willing to donate some of the mileage they've earned through flying so frequently to your trip (if your trip is eligible with the airlines).

What ideas would you add?

Sources:
http://www.everynation.org/blog/youth-mission-trips-18-ideas-for-helping-your-teen-raise-money/
http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/funds.htm
http://servantlife.com/resources
http://www.fundraising.com/mission-fundraising.aspx