2022 Ministry Update
PRUNING: Without a doubt, this year began with a LOT of change! Earlier this year, we had a few board members transition off the board and we hired a new Clearinghouse/Connection Center Coordinator. We also began to plan for all the changes that would come as we prepared to leave the Love INC National Movement before the end of the year. Thankfully, we are able to simply change our ministry name and keep the same EIN/Tax ID number. Even so, we still had to submit our formal paperwork along with our rewritten Articles of Incorporation. We are writing new Bylaws, and we’re gradually recreating all of our educational materials, our website, our email systems, policies and procedures, and more. We were being pruned, but we are working to establish new growth. Thank you, God!
PERSEVERANCE: Throughout the spring, summer, and fall, we took a lot of hits as we learned we would need to move our headquarters and our furniture warehouse. We then tried to locate these spaces that would fit within our very minimal budget. These would be “big pills to swallow” any given year, but knowing all the work we were already having to tackle, it sometimes felt insurmountable. God was with us through it all. It always felt like he was saying, “Look, what you had was good. I’m preparing you for something great.” Our perseverance paid off. In both cases, God provided even more than we could have imagined. Thank you, God!
PEOPLE: There’s a saying about “building the airplane as we fly.” This is definitely what it feels like this year. Our Connec>on Center has remained open. We have four phone volunteers supporting our callers. Our call volume has increased dramatically since earlier this year. Our team is excited to share the love of Christ with our callers as they provide hope, prayer, and connections to churches and other resources. We are so thankful for the work God is doing through our Connection Center volunteers and coordinator! We invite you to serve in this role in our ministry. We are blessed to be the hands and feet of Christ in our community. Thank you, God!
PRAISE: Recently, our coordinator answered a call from a woman looking for furniture. The caller explained she had a history of alcoholism but has been sober for a few years. We congratulated her and shared some local churches that host addiction support groups, but she expressed no interest in God or church. She politely declined prayer on the phone. We added her to our office prayer basket. A month later, we followed up and asked about church again. She was much more receptive and mentioned she wanted to grow closer to God. It was awesome to see God answering prayers and moving in her life!
It’s such a blessing to see God working in our ministry every day! Thank you, God!