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Larry Short |
Here's How
We're Giving It All Away
by Larry Short
More than $8,800 was donated by members
and friends during Elim's recent "Give it All Away" weekend. (As far
as I am aware, this puts the weekend as the “top” of all other
weekends during 2009, at least in terms of the offering!) As we
promised, we are not going to keep a penny of it to use for regular
church expenses. I wanted to provide this report of how the Elders
have designated those funds to be
disbursed.
Our guiding principle (before the weekend occurred) was, "Half for
global, half for local." We are going to stand by that, and here is
how that will break down:
Global -- $4,400
Our Congo team has returned with renewed enthusiasm for the ministry
that God is doing among more than 900 Evangelical Free churches in
the Ubangi Province in the northwest part of that country. The Congo
has enormous potential and also enormous need. This weekend the team
will be presenting several ministry opportunities that they
encountered, including an opportunity to provide a consistent,
life-saving electrical power source for the pediatrics ward of the
denomination-supported Tandala Hospital which serves the entire
province in Jesus' name.
There are also wonderful, ongoing
projects like the "Elikya Center" for AIDS orphans and widows.
The elders have not yet finalized the designation of how this $4,400
will be used and how much will be used to resource these project
requests, but will do so soon after these presentations are
completed. (Our next Elder meeting is the first Thursday in June, so
if you have an opinion about how these funds should be designated
please contact me by e-mail at
LarryShort@gmail.com and share it before then.)
Local -- $4,400
A significant portion of the "local" designation, $1,500, is going
to be used to replenish the Benevolence Fund. Due to the needs
occurring within this Body and in the local community, in recent
days this Fund has been depleted. And given the current recession,
these needs will most likely increase. It is of great importance to
the Elders that these funds be available to meet emergency needs
within our family and in the community beyond. Fund disbursements
are managed by the action of our senior pastor, Martin Schlomer, and
the vice chairman of the elder board, Steve Kearns, working
together.
Next, $1,000 each is being contributed to two
vital local ministries which Elimites are involved in. The first is
the Youth Investment Center, where Carla
Kasper volunteers.
This Christian outreach to youth in Puyallup operates a summer camp
and is in need of $1,000 to provide transportation of Puyallup kids
to this camp.
The second ministry is "4US," which partners with Pierce County
crisis pregnancy centers and others to provide ultrasound machines
which are proven to save the lives of unborn children otherwise
threatened by the possibility of abortion. A number of Elimites,
including John and Peggy Reich, the Chase family, Kim Schlomer,
Steve Weller, myself, and others have participated in 4US cycling,
riding, walking and other fund-raising events on a regular basis.
Last fall the Elim family was the third largest church sponsor of
the 4US ride in Tacoma. As a result of these events, 4US has
provided four ultrasound machines in the county.
Finally, a special "ministry seed fund" is being established with
the remaining $900+ in resources designated to local ministry. The
goal is to double these resources and then put the decision about
how they are expended into the hands of those who have worked to see
them increase. The seed money will be divided between our church's
youth and young adults ministries and each will seek, along the
lines of Christ's "Parable of the Talents" in Matthew 25:14-30, to
invest it in such a way that brings an increase. Once these funds
have been doubled, those who have successfully invested them will
select a local ministry to further invest the results in. The
elders' only prequalification is that their investment must be
designed to support local Kingdom ministry in both word and deed.
Thank You!
Please be praying with us that the ministry which was begun in the
hearts of generous people, responding to God's leading to give
sacrificially of themselves, will continue to grow like a snowball
rolling downhill and will yield much fruit for the Kingdom -- not
only in our hearts but also in the hearts and lives of others here
in Puyallup -- and to the very ends of the earth!
- Larry Short
Elder board chairman
Elder board chairman
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