BUDGETS AND FUND-RAISING
We trust that you are starting to feel a little excited about the summer and the prospect of spending time in Norway and Latvia with us!!. There are a few things that we just wanted to mention regarding fund-raising for the summer which you probably need to get underway soon.
We are sure that some of you are already doing a great job at letting people know what you are doing and talking to people about support for the summer. Now is the time to start thinking about fund-raising, especially while you are are at home with friends, family and home churches. We are well aware that not everyone is that comfortable about the concept of asking people to support you financially and so would prefer to just let people know what you are doing and pray that God would provide (some key passages would be Num 18:21-24, Deut 8, 1 Chr 29:12, 1 Cor 9: 1-18, Romans 15:23-26). If you have strong convictions about this, that's fine but if you are OK with asking people to support you, we would encourage you to do so. Either way it is important that your friends, family and churches know what you are going to be doing, are encouraged to pray and are made aware that you do have a financial need too. Perhaps your churches have newsletters or magazines that you could write something for or maybe you could even say a little something during a service or prayer meeting.
Alternatively, you could look at running some sort of fund raising event; things people have suggested or done before include a sponsored three legged walk up the Three Peaks, a cycle ride around the Isle of Wight or even a Fund Raising concert!! Feel free to be creative...
Support from friends / family / churches / Trust Funds
We also have a fund-raising letter (top right of page) that we have used and updated over the past few years explaining a little about the trip and asking people to pray for the trip. Please feel free to circulate this article to friends and churches as a means of explaining what you are going to be doing. The Norway & Latvia movie that we showed in the past at NAVS is available to and you are free to make use of it.
We will also be sending this article to a couple of trust funds who have supported the team in the past and asking them to consider doing so again. Money received from these sources in previous years has been used "where most needed"...i.e. where the gaps are!
Frequently Asked Questions...
Can I receive gift aid on donations made to The Navigators? Gifts to The Navigators must be designated for Navigator representatives / Connect workers (like us) or a specific Navigator fund (e.g. Southampton Student Ministry). Unfortunately, gifts for mission trips do not fall into either of those categories. All gifts should therefore be made to you personally.
How much do I need to raise for the trip? All of us have booked our tickets and so the only remaining costs before you go will be Travel Insurance (which is compulsory), the cost of getting to and from the airport in the UK and any equipment you might need (a link to the packing list is up on website). The costs while we are in Norway and Latvia are hugely dependent on GBP to LVL/NOK exchange rates. Flights are approx £300-400 (paid upfront) leaving a balance in the region of £700-£800 (for ALL accomodation, travel and food) for the full programme.
What if I cannot raise enough money? God has never failed to provide all that we and the team need for this trip so hopefully this is not a question that any of us will be asking. If you have concerns then please be assured that we will do all that we can to help you but you still need to fulfill your responsibility for any fund raising / sharing with others about what you are going to be doing!!
The balance will need to be paid into the Student Ministry Account before we leave for Norway and we will handle all necessary UK team expenses on behalf of the team whilst we are out in Norway and Latvia. We have found that it makes it so much easier, especially with accommodation, transport and food!!
Hopefully this all makes sense – we will talk more at Orientation but do ask us any questions or anything that need clarifying.
Steve & Debs (Mission Team Leaders)
