“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Over the past few months, we’ve been crunching numbers right and left. Changing mission orgs has caused us to comb through budgets and all that fun stuff. No one likes to do this, especially those of us who depend on “others” to support the work we do. I say it like that because, even as I started to write it, I know full well who owns it all? It’s all God’s money and I’m so glad it is. How about you? Nevertheless, we are called to be good stewards, so by God’s grace we do that detailed work.
Over the past 4+ years of uncertainty in our lives, we have seen God provide in some truly amazing ways and we know He will 100% continue to do so, but He is going to do that through some of you. As the above verse speaks, God has taken it all, pressed it down, shaken it together, and in many ways it ran over, many times!
One of the changes to the way we are needing to account for finances is that we now have a specific ministry budget. This is good, because it gives a clearer picture of what funds are being funneled into the lives of those we are ministering to and let me tell you, we are bursting at the seams with opportunities to pour into lives. Wisdom is needed to know how God would have us do this.
What we have realized is that the needs here in SA are broader than what we saw in Asia. Due to this expansion, we are presenting these to you who are so faithful to pray and support us already. We simply want to give the information to you, and allow you to pray about what God might call you to do. We also want to say that prayers are essential and every $1 adds up. We are thankful for however He might lead you.
Below I’m listing the basic categories of the ministry budget where there is a need for increased support. I’ve tried to list some explanation as to what the category involves and the breakdown of the need, weekly, monthly, annually. Would you prayerfully read through the areas of need and respond as the Lord leads you. Financial gifts could be in any increment, once and done, monthly, quarterly, or annually. A link to our giving page is given below each category. Questions are always welcome!
Benevolence Fund - $1,000 - Annually
Coming alongside of faithful church attenders who find themselves in unexpected need of finances. Some situations have included: Needing to travel due to death or sickness in their family. Help with utilities between paychecks. Children needing school uniforms (requirements here). Home furnishings needed due to vandalism. Give through GoSendMe Global
Ministry Food - $100/$400/$5,000 – weekly/monthly/annually
Providing groceries for church members in need. Providing meals before Young Adults meetings to those who join early due to transport needs. Church fellowship meals and snacks. In home ministry to those we are building relationships with both inside and outside of our regular church body. I just did a rough count of the number of meals I have or anticipate providing here in our home this month for various reasons. I came up with about 60 mouths to feed this month, outside of meals where it’s just the four of us at home. Give through GoSendMe Global
Travel - $20/$80/$1,000 – weekly/monthly/annually
Weekly there are needs to transport folks home after church and studies due to inconsistent bus and taxi schedules or poor weather conditions making it difficult for those without transport to get around. Give through GoSendMe Global
Ministry Resources - $2,000 - annually
Bibles and other study resources for those to whom we are ministering. This will also be used to help build a theological library for the new Foundations Program. Give through GoSendMe Global
Thank you for your prayerful consideration of these needs. We are excited to see how the Lord is going supply these needs. Feel free to share this information with others who might be interested and don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions. Even before I sent this email out, a friend inquired about our current ministry needs. God is good and always working!
Bethany, for all us Tandons!
Click here to read the Recent Prayer team email from Feb 8
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