IBAM EP55: Beyond Bake Sales: How Churches Can Fund Missions That Last

“You’re not just fundraising for a budget—you’re fueling discipleship.” — IBAM

Beyond Bake Sales: How Churches Can Fund Missions That Last

Your church is preaching the Gospel faithfully.
Your people are tithing sacrificially.
Your budget is tight, but you’re making it work…

And yet—you still feel like your fundraising strategy is... stuck.

Why?

Because most churches are operating on a fundraising model designed for maintenance—not multiplication. And that’s a problem when Jesus called us to make disciples of nations, not just keep the lights on.

Today’s Kingdom-minded believers are asking deeper questions:

“Where is my gift going?”
“What impact am I making?”
“Is this really changing lives—or just sustaining systems?”

If you've ever asked the same—or sensed your donors quietly checking out—this blog is for you.

Let’s unpack why your fundraising strategy might be broken...
and how a biblical, impact-driven model can breathe life back into your mission.

🚨 Problem #1: You’re Raising Money for Needs, Not for Vision

Most church fundraising efforts are designed around urgency:

“Help us fix the roof.”
“We need to close the budget gap.”
“Support this mission trip.”

These are legitimate needs—but they rarely stir hearts for long.

Needs maintain. Vision multiplies.

Donors want to give to something bigger than a repair job. They want to fund movements.

💡 Fix: Cast vision, not just needs.
When people see how their gift creates discipleship and long-term transformation, they give differently.

🧨 Problem #2: High-Capacity Givers Are Quietly Leaving

If your most generous donors are no longer writing checks—or giving somewhere else—it’s not because they’ve stopped caring.

It’s because they’ve stopped believing their giving makes a difference.

Many high-capacity donors today are:

Disillusioned by vague “support the church” asks
Looking for measurable ROI on their generosity
Skeptical of handout-based missions models
Searching for organizations with transparency + Kingdom results

🔥 One IBAM donor told us:

“I didn’t stop giving. I just started giving where it actually changes lives.”

💡 Fix: Build trust through tangible, trackable impact.
Let your givers see the fruit—real lives changed, jobs created, disciples made.

😓 Problem #3: Your Missions Budget Is Generous—But Not Sustainable

Let’s be honest: traditional missions giving often looks like this…

Raise support for a short-term trip
Send a team overseas
Take photos. Share testimonies.
Repeat next year.

But what happens between those trips?

Dependency.

Donor fatigue.

Minimal long-term impact.

Meanwhile, many churches feel stuck between wanting to help... and lacking the tools to do so sustainably.

💡 Fix: Shift from relief to empowerment.
What if your church funded entrepreneurs, not just missionaries?
What if you discipled through business, not just outreach?

That’s where Business as Mission comes in.

💼 The Better Way: Business as Mission

Imagine this…

Instead of fundraising for people, your church funds business by people—faith-driven entrepreneurs trained to create jobs, lift communities, and share the Gospel in the marketplace.

This is Business as Mission (BAM)—and it’s changing everything.

The 3-Fish Model (IBAM’s Core Framework):

🐟 Give a Fish: Provide startup capital to launch small businesses
🎣 Teach to Fish: Offer faith-based training in biblical entrepreneurship
🙏 Equip for Discipleship: Help business owners integrate evangelism + Kingdom leadership

From Zambia to Indonesia to Central Asia, this model is fueling real transformation.

✅ Jobs created
✅ Families lifted from poverty
✅ Churches planted
✅ Disciples multiplied

All through sustainable, Spirit-led business.

🌍 Real Stories. Real Impact.

🔥 Claire – Central Asia

From a small flower-and-coffee side hustle to five thriving business branches across Central Asia, Claire is now funding young missionaries through her enterprise.

She says:

“IBAM helped me see my business as a ministry—where every sale supports the Gospel.”

🔥 Suryan – Indonesia

After joining IBAM’s training, Suryan launched a business that now employs and disciples struggling college students. His staff? Most are part of the local Christian student ministry.

He shares:

“This is more than a business. It’s how we build the Kingdom.”

🔥 Elijah – Zambia

What started as a chicken business became a financial engine for Awana discipleship programs across Zambia.

“Our business doesn’t just support our family. It supports the Gospel.”

🤔 But Can $10 Really Make a Difference?

Yes.

Just $10/month helps fund the biblical training and startup loans needed to launch a faith-driven entrepreneur in a developing nation.

That small monthly gift can lead to:

1 new business
4+ jobs created
A discipleship ripple effect in a whole community

💥 In fact, one IBAM entrepreneur averaged 500 sales per day after training—fueling more branches, more missions, and more lives changed.

This is the power of multiplying generosity.

💔 What Happens If We Don’t Shift?

If churches keep using outdated giving models:

Donor engagement will continue to decline
Missions will remain underfunded
Pastors will burn out
Kingdom impact will stay small

But when churches shift from simply raising funds to releasing people, everything changes.

📈 How to Fix Your Church’s Fundraising Strategy Today

Here's your 5-step action plan:

✅ 1. Rethink the Why

Move beyond “meeting budget” to “fueling mission.”
Ask: What kind of impact do we want to create with our generosity?

✅ 2. Empower Entrepreneurs, Not Just Evangelists

Equip business leaders in your church (and around the world) to see their work as worship—and mission.

✅ 3. Show the Results

Share monthly updates. Spotlight real stories. Celebrate donor impact in tangible, visible ways.

✅ 4. Partner With a Proven Model

Stop reinventing the wheel. IBAM’s BAM system is ready-made for churches to plug into and scale discipleship globally.

✅ 5. Start Small—But Start Now

Even a $10/month commitment can launch a business and change a family tree forever.

✝️ The Theology Behind It

This isn’t just practical—it’s biblical.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden to work it and take care of it.” – Genesis 2:15

“Go and make disciples of all nations.” – Matthew 28:19

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” – Colossians 3:23

From Eden to the Great Commission, God has always used work—not just worship—as a means of discipleship and dominion.

When we fund businesses, we fund mission.
When we empower entrepreneurs, we empower evangelists.
When we multiply income, we multiply impact.

🚀 Ready to Redesign Your Church’s Giving Strategy?

Whether you’re a church leader, a missions director, or a passionate giver—we want to help you make your next gift your most impactful one yet.

👉 Here’s how you can take action now:

✅ Join the $10 Movement:

Empower entrepreneurs around the world with a monthly gift that multiplies.
🔗 Become an Impact Member »

✅ Fund a Business for $1,000:

Launch a life-changing business with a single gift—and receive real-time updates on your impact.
🔗 Sponsor a Business »

💬 What If Fundraising Could Fuel Discipleship?

It can.
It already is.
And it starts with people like you.

Let’s stop fundraising just to survive—and start giving to multiply.

➡️Join the movement at www.ibam.org