Cause Champion: Kate Gardner Supports Global Missions

Kate: And so, what I did, it was a little unconventional, but I literally came up with this thesis in a sense of encouraging missionaries. This was spot on my vision of the impact I want to make with my giving. And so, what I did was actually identify about to missions organizations. And I cold called them. And I had so much fun with this because I think this is the opposite dynamic of most missions, organizations and people raising money is that they’re generally the ones reaching out.

Kate Gardner uses her donor advised fund at The Signatry to simplify giving to over 60 missionaries. 

Now 10 years into the journey, she continues to deepen those relationships.

Kate: Through the legacy of my great grandfather, and inheritance was passed down through the generations and then eventually to me. And that began this question, really, of God, why? And what is this for? So, what drove me to want to support individual missionaries was the opportunity to really have a relationship with people, and to seek to see them and speak life into them directly, who could, in a sense, become spiritual family for me as well?

Kate: And I didn’t only want to support them financially, but I actually came up with three ways that I wanted to holistically support these missionaries. Of course, financially, with a small financial monthly gift, but also specifically with prayer, choosing to proactively be in their lives, and even have these regular video calls where I would ask them every two weeks what’s going on? How can I pray for you? And then doing the work of prayer together?

Kate: In 2019, I took a trip all the way around the world. I stayed with many of them so that I could be present with people that I was already supporting financially and with prayer, and really be in community with them.

Candace: It’s a really humbling thing, actually, because it can feel a little bit nerve wracking to approach someone or ask them to invest in the cause that you’re putting your life to. And so, to have someone believe in the cause that you’re doing and believe in you and what you’re trying to do for the Lord and what you’re giving your life to and actually put financial resources to that is it’s monumental.

Kate: As I’ve sought to build relationships with individual missionaries around the world. I have also found myself encouraged and built up and feeling like these people love me.

Candace: Oh, I love Kate. So, I met Kate, a young adult gathering that we actually had at her house. Being a missionary, it’s a sacrifice. And it really is a vocation. It’s a job. It’s full time. And being able to partner with someone and receiving support to get that work done, you’re able to give your full yes time, resources, capabilities to being able to see the Kingdom of God advance in whatever area he’s called you to.

Kate: I’ve built relationships with about teams all over the world, in I think in about 20 to 30 nations. Many of them are church planters, so I really do love to see how they are seeking to, of course, share the gospel and see people come to know the Lord for the first time, then be discipled, then be raised up to even be leaders in their communities.

Kate: So, along the journey of supporting missionaries, of getting more involved as a financial donor, not only with the resources, but also with my time, I started to have this feeling that I also wanted to provide the ministry of hospitality. So, the ministry of my house has become one of my favorite avenues of, in a sense, creative generosity that I’ve been able to offer. People joke that I call this either my Jesus Airbnb or my philanthropy hotel. There’s a local church that does a ministry school every summer, and so I actually got to host the women for that weeklong intensive program.

Candace: Because of the safe space that we were in. And just even the comfort of the home where you can really let down your guard, the girls were opening up about incredibly deep subjects.

Kate: There’s another locally based ministry called Jesus Mission, which puts on worship events for young people. And I believe for that night we had about people here. And for the last four years, we’ve also had a prayer group for our neighborhood. And then even these days, we’re actually doing house church together. So, the journey of hospitality has truly blown me away.

Kate: We obviously often know the names of the big missionaries, and pastors and theologians of centuries past, but who are the people who funded them? Right? Who were those who were really sacrificially allowing them to pursue their calling? But I was listening to these stories, and all of a sudden, I had a moment where I felt like God said, you could do this. This could be your life. And it gave me this whole category that this is a real calling.

Candace: Those who are supporting financially are sending people to the mission field, and that is walking out. The Great Commission because you’re empowering missionaries to go to the ends of the earth to see Jesus get his full reward, and that everybody would hear the gospel, and nobody would have to go without hearing the name of Jesus.

Kate: I think for me as a giver, getting to feel like I have this vantage point, this unique window into the body of Christ all over the world has really built my faith and given me a sense that the gospel is the same whether you’re in Thailand, whether you’re in Japan and Iceland. Jesus is real and is making an impact all over the world.