The days are approaching when God will finally get our family onsite to start The Pursuit in Shorewood. It is truly an exciting time – I know I am looking forward to God bringing this vision to life – taking ideas and making them reality.
As always, I ask that you would continue to lift up the sale of our house. That is a big hurdle keeping us from getting on site.
I wanted to let you all know that one of our biggest hurdles in all this is Funding. Shorewood is an expensive place to live and do ministry.
Our funding will be coming from 3 primary sources:
1. Strategic Bi-vocational Job –
I am hoping to find a job that will let me interact with people on a daily basis – from coworkers to frequent customers. Some possible positions include a restaurant waiter to a front desk worker at the local fitness club. Currently, I am working the night shift at Wal-Mart and there is a good possibility that I may be able to transfer that position to a local store in the area. However, it is not ideal in that while the night shift pays a little more than days there are fewer people to meet and talk with. Secondly, it just doesn’t pay that much. Currently I take home a little more than $1100/month working about 38 hours/week – this doesn’t leave much time for family and ministry, especially once you add on sleeping during the day.
2. State and Local Support –
Southern Baptists have a great funding system called the Cooperative Program. Almost all Southern Baptist churches (35,000+) give money into this program to support missionaries at home and abroad, as well as seminaries and other entities. As North American Mission Board Church Planters in the Illinois Baptist State Association and Three Rivers Association we will start out as of now receiving $750/month. This will increase as milestones are met over the next year to $1400/month and then finally $1700/month the third year.
Vicky and I estimate that we will need at least $3600/month (after taxes) in order to live and do basic ministry. Of course, more funding will help us to minister more effectively. So at the start, that puts us about $1750/month behind what we need. That’s what makes the third primary source so important.
3. Financial Partners –
We are asking friends, family & some churches to prayerfully consider overcoming this difference. That’s why we are starting the 40x40 concept of giving, in which we are asking 40 people or churches to give $40/month. This will provide the necessary funding we need to be viable. That’s essentially $1.33 a day – I know some of you who are addicted to coffee contribute more than that to Starbucks every day! Please prayerfully consider if you can be one of our 40x40 partners. If that’s too much, but you can do less – by all means – we will be grateful. God may tell you that $40 is not enough – We won’t turn you down! In any event – you may be a needed part of God’s plan for The Pursuit and we would consider it an honor and a blessing to partner with you in God’s work.
Of course, as we are meeting and discipling people and developing participants in The Pursuit, we will be adding a fourth source.
4. Tithes and Offerings –
At first, this will be just our family’s offering. In fact we are already giving our tithes and offerings to The Pursuit, but these won’t amount to much, especially at first. As we grow and God blesses, The Pursuit will rely more and more on these tithes and offerings. Again, this source will be small at first, but we trust that after a few years, this source will be the only source we need.
Please ask God how He would have you participate in The Pursuit.
If you do decide to help fund The Pursuit, please let us know what you are going to send and when it will start. You can send it to:
Three Rivers Baptist Association
1106 Curtis Ave
Joliet, IL 60435
I know some of you live a great distance from where we’re going, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be an important part. Here’s some other ways:
Sending Partners
Are you looking for a place to take a group for short-term missions, for Spring Break, outreach, worship or other ministry opportunities? Perhaps The Pursuit is the answer you have been praying for.
Equipment Donation Partners
Churches looking to update equipment and want to donate their old—from video, music and sound equipment to children’s play places
Relocating Partners
Feel like going on an adventure with God? Perhaps in praying about your part in The Pursuit, God is convicting you to share in the effort by moving up to Shorewood and participating in what God is doing here to reach those in need of Him.
Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement. Check out The Pursuit's group on Facebook for updates and events or see:
www.thepursuitlife.org
Pursuing Answers to Questions of Faith & Life,
Kelly
A Love Worth Pursuing,
A Life Worth Living
A Faith Worth Dying For
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