**This Matching Fund Drive Has Ended**
A spark is nothing on its own; a flame cannot grow in isolation.
It needs to be nurtured and protected until it grows strong enough to fuel itself.
Today I’m going to share a spark with you—a vision I hope will ignite a fire within your heart.
This dream I am about to share will never be more than a flash in the dark without your help kindling the flame.
On August 24, 2018, we held our very first Living by Design Local event—an Ice Cream Social & Fundraiser at our home in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
As you can see in the photos above, the weather was pristine and the setting was picturesque.
We truly could not have asked for a more beautiful evening to celebrate what God is doing through Living by Design Ministries and invite our friends and family to join us in the work.
Today I'm going to share a spark with you—a vision I hope will ignite a fire within your heart.But there is something you can’t see in these photos. In fact, no one who attended our event spotted it.
Not my husband. Not my mom. Not my friends.
No one noticed, except for my Heavenly Father. Because God is capable of seeing parts of us that no human eye could ever perceive.
As darkness rolled in and the final vehicle rolled out of our valley, God looked inside my heart and saw a tiny spark igniting.
This is just the beginning.
He gently confirmed that this small spark He placed in my soul was worth nurturing.
I am doing a great work in you.
He quietly assured that He would supply the necessary kindling to turn this spark into something bigger and brighter than I could ever imagine.
I will provide for all your needs.
God is capable of seeing parts of us that no human eye could ever perceive.
Small Sparks and Impossible Dreams
Sometimes God places dreams within our hearts that are impossible for us to achieve on our own.
He does this to teach us how to live in absolute dependence. On Him and on others.
Impossible dreams force us to abandon ourselves at the foot of the cross and humbly declare, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal. 2:20).”
God has given me such a dream.
I am filled with a kaleidoscope of emotions as I type these words to you:
Fear.
Joy.
Uncertainty.
Hope.
Anticipation.
You see, when I planned this little event, I expected it to end when the sun set on August 24th. I thought it would be a lot of work, a lot of fun, and then it would be over!
I would rest a while and then move on to the next thing.
Exactly the same thoughts that tumbled through my head when I released our first free online Bible study in the spring of 2017.
Ok, God, I did that, now I’m ready to move on to something else.
Turns out that the “something else” God had planned for me was releasing three more free online Bible studies in the next year and launching a non-profit ministry so I could continue writing and releasing free online Bible studies indefinitely.
Apparently, God doesn’t subscribe to my “one and done” approach to life.
Apparently, God doesn't subscribe to my 'one and done' approach to life.So here I am, choosing to share my new spark with you, believing this is the next “something else” God is calling me to.
In this brief 9-minute video from our event, you’ll hear our clear and concise vision for Living by Design Ministries.
If you listen closely, you’ll hear our turkeys gobbling in the background 🙂
A Fresh New Vision for 2019 and Beyond
Our ultimate vision for Living by Design Ministries is not just to deliver free online Bible studies to inboxes around the world.
We want to use our free online Bible studies to support local churches around the world.
Think about it. What would happen if your church offered online Bible studies alongside their other programs? What if those Bible studies were free, fun, and flexible?
Would you participate? Would you consider facilitating an online group of women from your church?
If we were able to establish a Church Partnership Program for Living by Design Ministries, local bodies of believers around the world would be able to:
- Reach a whole new demographic of women in their church through online Bible study.
- Have a big impact on their women’s ministry groups with a small investment of time and money.
- Help women establish positive relationships with other church members online.
- Disciple their current church members while also using the online studies as an outreach tool.
- Build a bridge between women “on the fringe” and other ministry events and opportunities.
We’ve been piloting this program with a handful of churches for the past six months, and friend, it works!
Here’s a short, three-minute testimonial video from the leaders of a church plant in Illinois who participated in our pilot program:
In order to launch our Church Partnership program on a larger scale in 2019, we need people like you to invest in the mission and vision of Living by Design.
We simply do not have the necessary funds to pull this off, and so we are humbly asking our readers to prayerfully consider partnering with us in our mission to “Feed God’s Sheep (Jn. 21:1)”.
Together we can turn this spark into a wildfire.
And the best part is, God provided a little extra fuel to help get this fire started.
In order to launch our Church Partnership program on a larger scale in 2019, we need people like you to invest in the mission and vision of Living by Design.Details about our $20,000 Matching Fund Drive
**This Matching Fund Drive Has Ended**
As a result of our Ice Cream Social on August 24, 2018, we received two matching donation offers from members of our Support Team.
These families have been with us from the very beginning and they recognize that we are doing all that we can with our existing budget.
In order to fuel our fundraising efforts, they have offered to give an additional $1 for every $2 we receive in one-time gifts or monthly pledges, up to a total matching gift of $20,000.
Notice, I said pledges AND donations.
So if you pledge to give Living by Design $40 per month (our average monthly gift) for the next 12 months, the ministry will receive an additional $240 in matching funds.
If you pledge to give $80 per month for the next 12 months, Living by Design will receive an additional $480 in matching funds.
And all these matching funds will be calculated and given to the ministry by the end of 2018—giving us a much-need influx of funds while also helping us establish financial stability by building our base of monthly donors.
Wow! Can you believe it? God is up to something!
**These limited-time thank you gifts are no longer available.**
Because we are a ministry that just LOVES to give things away, we’ve also created some incredible thank you gifts for everyone who participates in our matching fund drive.
When you pledge to give $10 per month for the next 12 months (increases to $15 with the match) we will send you a Living by Design tote bag as a thank you gift.
When you pledge to give $25 per month for the next 12 months (increases to $37.50 with the match) we will send you a Living by Design mug as a thank you gift.
When you pledge to give $50 per month for the next 12 months (increases to $75 with the match) we will send you a Living by Design t-shirt as a thank you gift.
When you pledge to give $100 per month for the next 12 months (increases to $150 with the match) we will send you a Living by Design t-shirt, mug, & tote bag as a thank you gift.
**If you are an existing donor, any increase in your monthly gift will be matched, and we will send you a thank you gift when you increase by the $10, 25, or $50 per month increments listed above. Please contact us directly at info(at)livingbydesign.org if you wish to increase your monthly donation or make an additional one-time gift.
In order to be able to bring on more staff and establish our Church Partnership program, we need to have consistent monthly income we can count on.
This is why our primary focus for this matching fund drive is to encourage families to make a monthly giving pledge to Living by Design Ministries.
One-time gifts and yearly gifts will also be matched so long as they are received by December 31, 2018.
So I guess it is time for me to ask the tough question, “Will you give to the mission of Living by Design Ministries?”
Give, Pray, & Grow with Living by Design Ministries
When you give a financial gift to Living by Design Ministries, you are helping us reach women with the spiritual nourishment they crave. Your donations provide the resources we need to shine the light of God’s Word into the darkness of our world.
Living by Design Ministries is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All donations beyond the value of the thank you gift are tax-deductible.
When you give a financial gift to Living by Design Ministries, you are helping us reach women with the spiritual nourishment they crave.We would be honored to schedule a time to meet with you in-person or by video-chat to answer your specific questions about our ministry. Click Here to request an appointment with a representative of Living by Design Ministries.
Thank you for helping us kindle the fire.
