Here's a review by Nigel & Helen Spencer, done especially for OSCAR:

"Give us this day our daily bread!" 

After 30 years of missionary service, this is probably the thorniest topic raised when missionaries first face the challenge of preparing for the field and it gets thornier! Missionary support development strategies, like church budgets are theological statements. So many apparently conflicting perspectives present themselves that new missionaries are often left confused. 

At any rate, this was our experience and we are not alone! Lacking a firm basis for developing convictions about the right way to prepare, we always felt uneasy when thinking about furlough assignment and the right way to approach potential new supporters.

After 27 years serving with a large inter-denominational society, 25 of them overseas, we had never experienced what it was to have full support.

In early 1998, a sympathetic friend handed me an unopened copy of Bill Dillon's book "People Raising". My initial reaction was sceptical; another American author with a "let me solve your problem in 16 easy steps" approach was not about to get me excited. But with a £13,000 deficit in our support account and with £861 per month in new support to raise, I was willing to read anything! I plunged in and have never regretted the time invested for one minute.

I had never seen anything come close to this book for both spiritual and practical content on the topic of missionary support development. An even-handed review of the 3 major theological viewpoints and their practical expression helps to give perspective and build conviction.

Practical suggestions and tips culled from years of Dillon's personal experience are balanced by material from many other organisations, making the book a kind of compendium. Having refreshed our perspectives and having nothing to lose, we used what we thought we could and developed a strategy. 

Within 4 months, we had seen over £1,100 per month in new and increased support raised and as I write, we have a surplus in our support account of over £7,500. We never had one complaint from a supporter and we thoroughly enjoyed the process!! 

We realise that we cannot attribute this dramatic transformation to any other source than the Lord Jehovah Jireh. One of the finest tools He has ever provided for us was "People Raising", and I would urge you to give it a try.

People Raising by William P. Dillon (£10.15, ISBN: 0802464475)