You know that moment. The one where you know there is something you want but you don't know what it costs, and then you see the price and suddenly everything gets a lot more serious. Yeah, that moment. Personal Support Grid was one of those moments. The Personal Support Grid is where the missions organization in collaboration with field leadership in the country that you are going to be working takes a stab at how much you will need to raise to be on the mission field in ministry. And the numbers get surprisingly large. We are going to break down those numbers in at least a general way so that we can be transparent about our financial support needs, and share with you our sticker shock.
The totals that started our sticker shock are this:
Monthly Financial Support Needs: $7,377
One-time Financial Support Needs: $77,821
[double-take] Wha…? Seriously… We are talking ministry here, right? That career you don't do for the money… that is what it takes?
Well, it turns out there are a few things that it is easy to not consider.
This is not just or even primarily take-home income. In a job with a corporation they provide you with benefits (health insurance, etc.) and retirement programs because it turns out that people need these to be able to stay productive. Those things cost a fair amount of money. Also ministry work involves some cost (materials, transportation, etc.) so what is raised is also money specifically for the operation of ministry. In addition this ministry is in a different country and you need to be able to handle immigration (visas, etc.) as well as travel back and forth every few years. These are the sort of things that most of us are aware that our employers are doing for us, but in the missionary world, the burden is on the individual, or more specifically the body of Christ sending the individual or family, to finance all of these expenses.
So to be more specific I have broken down dollar amounts into some categories so that it can be more clear.
Monthly: $7,377
Income and related expenses: $4,852
Which include...
Standard income (goes to things like housing, children's schooling, groceries, gas, clothes, etc.): $2,960 per month
Retirement savings (and the ever relevant taxes): $624 per month
Ministry Expenses: $1,455
This covers things like equipment, travel and hospitality in-country, travel back to America at the end of the several year term, if you think about ministry like a small business these are the business expenses.
World Team Administrative Fee: $1,070
This is a gentle, almost euphemistic way of referring to the issue that managing HR, Accounting, IT, and all the other details actually costs money. And actually more than what is seen here because the administrative staff actually raise their own support. The formula here is 14% of monthly support will be the monthly administrative expenses (you will see this again in 1-time expenses).
One-Time: $77,821
Pre-field Expenses: $8,960
Which includes...
A two month intercultural training that missionary appointees go to right before leaving to go to the field: $5,310
Travel to the Pennsylvania office and Partnership Development expenses: $3,650
Vehicle Purchase: $13,000
Trying to ship a vehicle over to the Philippines and then paying for customs is likely to be as much as purchasing a new car, and we would have to do it in reverse several years later when we come home for home assignment. So the only reasonable alternative is to purchase a car in the Philippines.
Equipment/Outfitting: $20,000
This includes things like appliances and light remodeling in the place we will live (renting or purchasing a home in the Philippines will likely have significant gaps from our perspective and need basic things like a working air-conditioner or a paint-job within the last 10 years, or basic appliances like a washer and dryer. We will also likely have to get all new furniture (again shipping would be more than the cost of new furniture).
Travel to the Field: $4,800
Four plane tickets to the Philippines… not cheap.
In-field training: $9,200
This includes the year or more of language training I will need, as well as regional conferences, etc.
Shipping, Immigration: $5,200
This involves shipping the essentials for a family across the Pacific ocean, paying for visas, immigration for four people for four years
Support account buffer: $5,177
What is this? This is the essentials for one month as a buffer in case something happens. Sudden expenses, emergency evacuation in case of a political coup, natural disaster, or a political embargo that prevents bank transfers from happening into the country (this sounds crazy and wild but this is real and possible and happens in missionary living).
Administrative Fee: $11,284
14% of One-Time fees, just like it is with monthly.
So there you have it, sticker shock… still shocking but hopefully more understandable.
