EPISODE
How do digital missionaries get funded? Can full-time digital ministry be sustainable, or is it something on the side? Many digital missionaries are called to reach people in gaming, VR, Discord and s…
Jeff Reed sits down with John Crawford from Reliant to tackle one of digital ministry's most uncomfortable questions: how do you actually get funded? They trace missionary support-raising from the Levites through Paul's tent-making to today's Discord lobbies, unpack the real difference between bivocational and co-vocational ministry, and map out a practical storytelling framework for inviting partners. Whether you're serving in gaming, VR, or social platforms, this episode gives you a theological foundation and a concrete next step.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Cough drops, turning older than Jesus and funding digital missionaries ▶ 10:23 Exploring financial strategies to sustain and grow digital missions ▶ 11:32 Planting a church in Indianapolis, living on mission and tackling fundraising ▶ 18:25 The shift toward online ministry support ▶ 25:14 Using storytelling to share ministry needs ▶ 32:01 Understanding church decline trends and how co-vocational models ▶ 33:47 Balancing digital ministry work with family life ▶ 39:43 Rethinking church funding models ▶ 47:04 Sprinting through fundraising stress and pre-baby anxiety ▶ 52:05 Shifting from personal branding to open-handed ministry ▶ 55:49 Building a strong ministry team ▶ 1:00:18 Encouragement to digital missionaries ▶ 1:05:11 Wrapping up with gratitude and looking ahead ▶
FEATURED VOICE
Jon Crawford
IN THIS EPISODE
HostJeff Reed
SeriesThe Church Digital Podcast
Runtime1:05:35
Recorded liveMar 10, 2025
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Episode 329
EP 329 - Questions - How Can a Digital Missionary Get Funding?
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