Support-Raising as Ministry: Honoring Your Support Team

Support-raising goes beyond funding your ministry. The people who support you are more valuable than you can imagine, and honoring them is paramount to having mutual, life-giving ministry team relationships. In this article, you’ll learn practical ways to strengthen those connections and experience the impact of being intentional with those God has placed in your lives.

Support-Raising as Ministry: Honoring Your Support Team

Aaron Bradley | Jan 27, 2026, 13:17 PM

This past year, I experienced a ministry-changing moment in my kitchen. One summer afternoon, I remember pausing, looking up to the Lord, and feeling overwhelmed by His provision and the strong support from my ministry partners over several years of ministry.

Then, I was struck with guilt. Even after years of ministry partnership, I didn’t truly feel I knew about the lives of my supporters.

It hit me deeply. At that moment, I realized the profound value of a ministry support team and, in some ways, felt like I had missed it. Have you ever felt this way?

God was leading me to deeply honor the supporters in my life, and I gladly accepted His guidance. Through that moment, I’ve been on a journey to discover the God-given beauty of a ministry support team and the lives of each of my supporters.

This work has become part of my ministry, and it has opened my eyes to God’s goodness.

I would like to invite you to join the same fruitful journey. A journey that explores the impact of every person on our support team, how we can honor them beyond saying thank you, and ultimately, building a ministry mindset that admires and enjoys God's design for our ministry support teams.

The Life-Changing Impact of a Ministry Support Team

However close you may feel to your support team, there is a foundational truth: We can’t do this alone, and we weren’t meant to. Ministry depends on God’s provision through the people He calls to walk alongside us. God knew this and was preparing our partners to step into ministry with us before we even asked for their support.

To have people in our lives to sustain us, pray for us, and walk alongside us as we serve Him is a gift to our souls.

For many of us, we see the beauty and impact of a ministry partner, but, like me, you may not have realized how you can honor and grow your relationship with them. Maybe you feel the weight of honoring them, but you're overwhelmed by maintaining these relationships alongside your daily responsibilities.

Thankfully, Scripture gives us a model. Paul’s words offer wisdom and encouragement as we learn how to pour into and build up the team God has entrusted to us.

Honoring Your Ministry Support Team

Honoring your support team won’t look the same in every season or for every person, but it can be done in a sustainable, Spirit-led way.

Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:3–4 to reject selfish ambition and consider others more significant than ourselves. In Romans 12:9–10, he urges us to love sincerely, with brotherly affection, and to outdo one another in showing honor.

This kind of love can apply directly to our ministry teams. It may feel unfamiliar to treat a support team this way, but as we pursue God’s mission, it creates an opportunity to walk with others as we learn what it looks like to become more like Christ.

I’ve found that building real relationships with supporters unlocks the life-changing impact of a ministry team. God has designed each person on purpose, and we have the joy of exploring their unique value in our lives and ministry.

Here are a few creative, practical ways to build deeper relationships within our ministry support teams and show honor to them in our everyday lives:

Initiate Personal Connection: Try something simple like: “Hey [Name], I’d love to get to know you more. Would you be open to a quick call or coffee sometime soon?” Come prepared with questions about their story, interests, or passions.

Show Thoughtfulness: A quick message can help them feel seen and valued. Did you pray for them? Did something remind you of them? Share that with them.

Serve Intentionally: When you discover a need, meet it in a small but intentional way. Drop off a meal, offer childcare (if local), send a coffee gift card, or write a thoughtful note. Tell them why: “I just wanted to honor you today.”

Be Present Online: If appropriate, follow your supporters on social media to stay up to date on their lives and to spark meaningful conversations later.

As we implement ideas like these, or others God puts on our hearts, we step into the gift of genuine connection and shared mission. Each of these options can bring us one step closer to a fruitful, life-giving ministry support team and help strengthen a ministry mindset across all aspects of our lives.

A Ministry Mindset

The journey of experiencing the beauty of our ministry team is one worth taking. We are not alone in this, and that’s a gift to us in all seasons of ministry.

I challenge you to choose one of the four options above. Reach out to a supporter on your ministry team this week and see the impact in real time.

RELIANT partners with missional churches and Gospel-centered ministries to mobilize support-based workers for the Great Commission.

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