Turn your Faith into Action

I'm sitting in my office, the 1st week of 2009, with a huge 24 X 36 whiteboard that I just purchased, and a marker. My objective is to map out a strategy or business plan for getting my "pipeline" churches engaged in orphan care.


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DEFINITION
Pipeline: a line of pipes for conveying water, gas, oil, etc.

OR

Pipeline Finance Definition:
A ubiquitous term that often is used to refer to the amount of business that a company expects to receive in the coming months or year. Typically it is used when companies have a long time between the placement of orders and when the goods or services actually are delivered. Companies talk about the pipeline being full to indicate that they have a solid backlog of orders.

It is the 2nd definition that I am applying here. I currently have over 30 churches that have indicated firm interest in helping VisionTrust care for needy children.

Back to the whiteboard. Why the ginormous whiteboard you ask? I am not prejudice against Microsoft Word, nor do I detest the good 'ole-fashioned pencil and paper. The whiteboard is so I can identify month to month for the entire year, which churches I will be focusing on with which type of involvement.... and actually look at it each week. This brings me to the title of this blog entry.

Although many of my pipeline churches have expressed interest in child sponsorship and/or short-term mission trips, most of them do not currently have a strong missions involvement in their congregation. They have not yet committed to a mission trip or child-sponsorship night because they are pessimistic towards what they believe the response will be from the congregation, or because the struggling economy has taken its toll on their church budget.

So, God helped a co-worker and I to create the "Turn your Faith into Action" brochure pictured below. It communicates 3 simple ways for churches to start their feet a-moving in a low-budget, low-commitment way. A vitamin drive, Change collection or school supply campaign is a GREAT way to create awareness amongst the congregation about the needs of orphans. It is also a short-term commitment, and allows all ages to participate.

Again with the whiteboard.... Hopefully this all makes sense to you now why I purchased the whiteboard. I'm mapping out month-by-month, which churches to target for the Faith in Action campaign, short-term mission trips, and child sponsorship.

Please pray for me, and for my “pipeline” churches as they receive this brochure from me in February. Pray that churches who’ve been wanting to care for orphans would step forward in faith-filled action.

Please also pray about turning your church's faith into action with one of these awesome projects.

God's blessings upon you all, Casey