Please do not copy the letters word for word; make it fit your personality. It is just to help you start. Also, if sending via U.S. mail rather than email, make sure you sign each letter individually (Do not photocopy your signature.) and enclose a response form (first letter includes example) and a pre-addressed, stamped envelope. EXAMPLE 1 - Nicaragua Dear [Insert recipient s name here], This winter I have the wonderful opportunity to participate in a mission trip to Casa Bernabe orphanage. There will be a team of us from Eagle Brook Church going to partner with ORPHANetwork to serve the orphans in Managua, Nicaragua. This organization is run by nationals and is doing incredible humanitarian work through the local church. God is doing great things in Nicaragua. It is exciting to know that I can be a part of it. We will be flying from Minneapolis on [Departure date] and returning [Return date]. This will allow us one full week to serve directly with the orphans and in their community. During the week we anticipate serving in several ways, such as working with children at the orphanages, loving on and serving children who come to Feeding Centers for likely their only meal of the day, and assisting with various projects around the orphanage. I look forward to being a part of this and learning more. We will stay at a local site and get firsthand experience of the culture. Our team will be meeting in preparation for this trip. As part of the training I will undergo to prepare for this experience, I will learn how to share the news of God s love and will be trained in servant hood, teamwork, and effective ministry. I am excited to learn more about Nicaragua and how God will use my gifts to serve him. I believe that God has called me to be part of this mission trip and I am inviting you to be part of this adventure with me. My desire is to enlist as least 20 people who will pray with me faithfully through my training and my time in Nicaragua. There is also an opportunity to be a part of financially supporting our trip. Our team will need to raise [Insert team goal here], and my personal goal is to help raise [Insert your trip cost here]. I will pay this through contributing myself and through donations. I am trusting that God will provide me with the money I need to participate in this mission trip. If you would be interested in giving support through prayer or financial donation, I would love to hear from you. You can give online [Insert your personalized Fund-a-Trip webpage link here.], which is preferred, or you can send me money. If mailing money, please include the response form below with your donation. Thank you for taking the time to read about the opportunity I have coming soon and for prayerfully considering your involvement in my support team. Serving Him, [Sign your name here]
P.S. Any donations must be received before [Date we suggest 1 week before last training mtg.] in order to meet the team s financial deadlines. Checks should be made payable to Eagle Brook Church. For tax purposes, please do NOT include my name or mission anywhere on the check and leave the MEMO line blank. Mission Trip Supporter Response Form Dear [insert your name here], I/we want to support you in the following way(s) as you prepare to serve God on this mission trip: As prayer partners with you as you prepare and while you are learning to share your faith through the mission trip. Through a financial gift of $, which will help equip you and your team to touch many lives in [Insert location here] and when you return home. (Make checks Payable to: Eagle Brook Church. LEAVE THE MEMO LINE BLANK.) Name of Supporter(s): E-mail for receiving charitable tax donation receipt and me to send you updates: Address: Telephone: If making a non-electronic donation, please mail donation and this form to: [insert your address here]
EXAMPLE 1 Dominican Republic Dear [Insert recipient s name here], This fall I have the wonderful opportunity to participate in a mission trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. There will be a team of us from Eagle Brook Church going to partner with Bethany International and Harvest Ministries to serve the church s and communities in Santo Domingo. Bethany International sends teams around the world to serve, and Harvest Ministries teaches and develops the church s in the communities to be stronger and reach more people for Christ. God is doing great things in Dominican Republic. It is exciting to know that I can be a part of it. We will be flying from Minneapolis on [Departure date] and returning [Return date]. This will allow us one full week to serve directly with the orphans and in their community. During the week we anticipate serving in several ways, such as working with children at preschools and the church, working with men and women in the church and community through service projects, outreach in the community, construction and more. I look forward to being a part of this and learning more. We will stay with a local pastor and his family and get firsthand experience of the culture through these relationships. Our team will be meeting in preparation for this trip. As part of the training I will undergo to prepare for this experience, I will learn how to share the news of God s love and will be trained in servant hood, teamwork, and effective ministry. I am excited to learn more about Dominican Republic and how God will use my gifts to serve him. I believe that God has called me to be part of this mission trip and I am inviting you to be part of this adventure with me. My desire is to enlist as least 20 people who will pray with me faithfully through my training and my time in Dominican Republic. There is also an opportunity to be a part of financially supporting our trip. Our team will need to raise [Insert team goal here], and my personal goal is to help raise [Insert your trip cost here]. I will pay this through contributing myself and through donations. I am trusting that God will provide me with the money I need to participate in this mission trip. If you would be interested in giving support through prayer or financial donation, I would love to hear from you. You can give online [Insert your personalized Fund-a-Trip webpage link here.], which is preferred, or you can send me money. If mailing money, please include the response form below with your donation. Thank you for taking the time to read about the opportunity I have coming soon and for prayerfully considering your involvement in my support team. Serving Him, [Sign your name here] P.S. Any donations must be received before [Date we suggest 1 week before last training mtg.] in order to meet the team s financial deadlines. Checks should be made payable to Eagle Brook Church. For tax purposes, please do NOT include my name or mission anywhere on the check and leave the MEMO line blank.
Mission Trip Supporter Response Form Dear [insert your name here], I/we want to support you in the following way(s) as you prepare to serve God on this mission trip: As prayer partners with you as you prepare and while you are learning to share your faith through the mission trip. Through a financial gift of $, which will help equip you and your team to touch many lives in [Insert location here] and when you return home. (Make checks Payable to: Eagle Brook Church. LEAVE THE MEMO LINE BLANK.) Name of Supporter(s): E-mail for receiving charitable tax donation receipt and me to send you updates: Address: Telephone: If making a non-electronic donation, please mail donation and this form to: [insert your address here]
EXAMPLE 2 Norway Dear [Insert recipient s name here], This fall I have the wonderful opportunity to participate in my first mission trip to Norway. There will be a team of us from Eagle Brook church going to serve at the Global Leadership Summit in, Norway. This professional conference is a means to build leadership skills in Norway s business and ministry leaders and share Christ with general business leaders. God is doing great things in Norway. It is exciting to know that I can be a part of it. We will be flying from Minneapolis on and returning on. This will allow us at least a full week to serve and encourage our partners in Norway. During the week we anticipate serving in several ways, such as: Building relationships with those we meet Helping with conference set up Engaging in conversations with Norwegian leaders encouraging them in their ministries and collaborating with them on ways to be relevant Greeting people at the conference Serving and cleaning throughout the conference Resetting up the church for Sunday services after the conference. I look forward to being a part of this and learning more. We will stay at a local site and get firsthand experience of the culture. Our team will be meeting in preparation for this trip. As part of the training I will undergo to prepare for this experience, I will learn how to share the news of God s love and will be trained in servant hood, teamwork, and effective ministry. I am excited to learn more about Norway and how God will use my gifts to serve Him. I believe that God has called me to be part of this mission trip, and I am inviting you to be part of this adventure with me. My desire is to enlist as least 20 people who will pray with me faithfully through my training and my time there. There is also an opportunity to be a part of financially supporting our trip. Our team will need to raise [Insert team goal here], and my personal goal is to help raise [Insert your trip cost here]. I will pay this through contributing myself and through donations. I am trusting that God will provide the money needed to participate in this mission trip. If you would be interested in supporting me through prayer or financial donation, I would love to hear from you. You can give online [Insert your personalized Fund-a-Trip webpage link here.], which is preferred, or you can send me money. If mailing money, please make checks out to Eagle Brook Church and include the response form below with your donation. Thank you for taking the time to read about the opportunity I have coming soon and for prayerfully considering your involvement in my support team.
Serving Him, [Sign your name here] P.S. Any donations must be received before [Date (recommend 1-2 wks. before Mtg. 4] in order to meet the team s financial deadlines. For tax purposes, please do NOT include my name or mission anywhere on the check and leave the MEMO line blank. Mission Trip Supporter Response Form Dear [insert your name here], I/we want to support you in the following way(s) as you prepare to serve God on this mission trip: As prayer partners with you as you prepare and while you are learning to share your faith through the mission trip. Through a financial gift of $, which will help equip you and your team to touch many lives in [Insert location here] and when you return home. (Make checks Payable to: Eagle Brook Church. LEAVE THE MEMO LINE BLANK.) Name of Supporter(s): E-Mail for receiving charitable tax donation receipt and me to send you updates: Address: Telephone: If making a non-electronic donation, please mail donation and this form to: [insert your address here]
EXAMPLE 3 Asking for specific dollar amount from each person Dear Billy, I wanted to share about an awesome opportunity I have coming up this spring! On June 18-27, I am going on a trip with others from my church to Cebu, Philippines to assist our partnership church (Quest Community Fellowship) with their small group environments. If you are anything like me, small groups or community groups have significantly impacted your life. I can t begin to imagine where I would be if God hadn t strategically caused my life to intersect with other men who were pursuing a growing relationship with Christ. Each of the small groups I ve been a part of served as a catalyst to grow me both personally and spiritually. I m thrilled about this trip. Just think how a church, a city, and even a country could be changed if people began connecting with their Heavenly Father through small groups. The world would never be the same! Here is how you can help. I need 100 people to give $32 towards the cost of my trip. I m not asking for a penny more. In our current economy, I completely understand the financial strain each of us is facing, so I m asking you to invest a small amount that I m sure will reap HUGE eternal rewards. Please join me through prayer and giving by 1. Go to (insert your Fund-a-trip link). 2. Click on the Donate button. 3. Enter the info requested: name, email, and your credit or debit card donation info. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
EXAMPLE 4 Mentioning the specifics of what you will be doing if known Dear {Personal Name}, I will be going on a mission trip with my church to South Africa in November. I am extremely excited about it and feel very blessed to have been given this amazing opportunity to participate in God s work. I am at a place in my life where I know it is time for me to look outside of my comfort zone and spend time helping people who live in an area that has experienced years of suffering, hatred, and sadness. I will be traveling with 20 team members to a suburb of Cape Town, where we will spend 10 days working with our church partner, Southpoint Church. Here are a couple of goals for our trip I would like to share with you. First, we will be working with a school in the following ways: 1. Setting up a computer network (they have had loads of computers donated but they are locked up in a container because they don t have anyone to set them up) 2. Painting the school 3. Providing new desks and chairs for the school 4. Providing new black and white boards in all classrooms 5. Providing new floorboards 6. Doing general repair to walls 7. Taking students on a field trip Lastly we will be working with Metro Kids (this organization connects with 3000 kids every week in Guguletu). We will: 1. Do a SIDEWALK presentation for the kids (singing, acting, storytelling, connecting with the kids). 2. Meet with the hundreds of young leaders (teenagers and some university students) through whom Metro Kids works to connect with the 3,000 kids. We will shadow them on their visits to connect with the kids, as well as spend Saturday with them and give them a huge treat a trip to a nice place! I would like to give you the opportunity to be an integral part of our trip by asking for your financial donation and/or gifts of prayer for our team. Please prayerfully consider what you can do at this time. No gift, be in financial or act of prayer, is too small. To make a financial contribution (donations are tax-deductible), donate online at: (insert fundraising link). With your contribution, I promise to use the gifts God has given me to further his kingdom and share his love. Thank you in advance for your time and whatever you can give. Please let me know if you have any questions, or if you want to learn more about my church, mission trips, or South Africa. I truly believe our team can help bring healing and God s love to the people of South Africa. THANK YOU!
EXAMPLE 5 Fun, creative way Dear Family and Friends, Please take this quick and easy multiple choice quiz to learn what I will be doing this fall: 1. This fall I will: a. Quit my job and join the circus. b. Get married! c. Go on a mission trip to South Africa. d. Do nothing significant Answer: C (Why didn t any of you pick B?) 2. While in South Africa I will: a. Eat only rice. b. Help launch the UpStreet children s environment in another culture. c. Work with a church in South Africa that wants to impact their nation. d. Not have to use a squatty potty. Answer: B and C 3. The needed funds to raise for this trip by August 1, 2013 are: a. $4500.00 b. $49.99 c. Nothing, I won the lottery. d. $2900.00 Answer: D 4. Would you consider helping me: a. Pack and iron my clothes for me. b. Join me as a prayer partner. c. Join me as a financial partner (Contribute online at GOglobalX.org. Click Give, then select Country South Africa, and Trip UpStreet). Answer: B and/or C. THANK YOU!
EXAMPLE 6 Fun, creative way