Almost every Christian likes the idea of doing missions. After all, Jesus did commission each one of us, before He left, to go out in the world and share the gospel. But no matter how enthusiastic one may be, Satan loves putting obstacles in the way of those who want to serve God. One of the biggest obstacles can be the financial commitment of doing missions in a foreign country. But with a little enthusiasm, prayer and creativity, you’ll be on your way to the field sooner than you think! Here are a few fundraising ideas that step outside the box.

1. Host an exclusive dinner party

Have your friends place bids to reserve a spot at your dinner party. The more they donate, the more likely they’ll be to get a seat. If your friends like you enough, good food and company may be enough for them to outbid each other! But, if you really want to up the ante, prepare a special presentation or snag a popular guest that they won’t want to miss out on.

2. Missions Today screening

Have some popcorn and snacks to go with a screening of one of Quiet Hour Ministries’ Missions Today episodes. Invite everyone you can, then after they’re all feeling inspired by what they learned about the mission work you’ll be doing, appeal to their sense of generosity to further God’s work. Screening Missions Today will give great context for why they’ll be blessed to support you.

3. Hold a talent competition

Gather a church or school group together for a fun time of displaying everyone’s talents! You can charge an entry fee for the competing acts or have the audience donate to vote for their favorite onesÑor both! If you want, you can make the event mission themed to remind everyone about the reason they’re there. But don’t forget to have fun too!

4. Collect items for a yard sale

If your church or school family are not able to donate monetarily to your mission, ask them if they are willing to give items they have at home for a yard sale. This is similar to the tried and true bake sale but, instead, you’ll gather up things thrifters might be looking for. Once you have a stash, hold a sale in the community. Make sure customers know it’s for a good causeÑpeople are generous.

5. Host a game night

Put together a list of board games or social games. Invite anyone who wants to come but let them know that for each game they don’t win, they have to donate some money. Everyone will be inspired to play hard but even if they lose, they’ll be supporting international missions so, really, everyone wins!