Frequently Asked Questions: The Advance
What is The Advance?
The Advance is the official designated giving arm of the United Methodist Church that ensures 100% of each gift reaches its intended mission or ministry. Through The Advance, United Methodists can support a mission project or the missionary community.
Why Should I Give Through The Advance?
The Advance is unique. 100% of each gift reaches its intended ministry. Administrative costs are paid for by the apportionments of United Methodist churches. - You can choose what mission or ministry you want to support.
- All Advance ministries are related to annual conferences, central conferences, partner churches or interfaith organizations; screened by the General Board of Global Ministries; and authorized by The Advance Committee.
- The Advance tracks each gift with a large network of Global Ministries staff and ensures that gifts reach their intended recipients. This protects from corruption and misallocation of funds, which can occur when churches give overseas without these structures in place.
- Gifts make a difference! Gifts will print a Bible...vaccinate a child...buy a bicycle for a pastor...dig a well...or whatever specific ministry you choose to support. Since 1948, millions of lives have been transformed - one at a time - because of Advance gifts.
How Are Advance Projects Selected?
New Advance guidelines require that each project originates within its own country or region. Additionally each Advance project reflects the needs and priorities of the local area.- Mission projects submit applications to The Advance office. Program Areas of Global Ministries screen, evaluate and provide administration for Advance projects. These Program Areas include: Community and Institutional Ministries, Evangelization and Church Growth, Mission Contexts and Relationships, Mission Personnel, and United Methodist Committee on Relief.
- The Cabinet of Global Ministries reviews all applications approved by the program areas.
- The Advance Committee reviews applications to determine whether they meet Advance project approval criteria.
How do Projects get Funded?
Advance funding is not guaranteed. The Advance is a voluntary channel for financial giving. Therefore, the actual amount of gifts that a project receives is solely dependent upon donor gifts. - Donor gifts are administered to the projects by the Global Ministries program areas. These departments are responsible for communicating with projects, releasing gifts to projects, and monitoring expenditures of gifts.
- 100% of every gift through The Advance reaches its intended mission or ministry.
Why Would I Give Through The Advance Instead of Sending Money Directly to the Project or Missionary?
Giving through The Advance enables United Methodists to partner with one another in mission and ministry around the world, while - Churches and Annual Conferences receive Advance credit by having their gifts included in each year's total giving by the Annual Conference.
- Acknowledgement of Advance giving enables the church to tell the story of what United Methodists are doing to advance hope in Jesus' name.
- Using existing United Methodist channels of giving promotes stewardship and connection.
Click here to read more about The Advance Gift Accountability
Who gives through The Advance?
100% of each gift, small and large is thankfully received by our Advance projects and missionary community from people across the United Methodist connection. - Children's Sunday school classes send their pennies across the globe confident that each cent reaches the ministry of their choice.
- Youth groups collect money to join the millions each year that enable the work of our Advance projects.
- Church's Covenant Relationship gifts support the missionary community and develop a relationship with a missionary.
- Every week individuals and families around the world send gifts of 5, 20, 50 dollars that enable the ministries of our Advance projects and missionary community to advance hope in Christ's name.
- Who gives through The Advance...we hope you do!
Check the web site, contact The Advance staff or visit a project through UMVIM. Through visits, newsletters, email and other forms of correspondence, Global Ministries is constantly collecting information about our project partners. Projects are required to send yearly updates to The Advance. Content from these updates is used in Global Ministries' publications such as the web site, press releases, newsletters, email and New World Outlook magazine.
How do missionaries receive support?
Click here to read more about Missionary Support.
