By Sarah Koontz
In December 2017, Living by Design Ministries was established to equip Christian women to explore God’s design, embrace godly lifestyles, and exude God’s love.
Before our first board meeting, I made three crucial decisions about how I would function as the leader of this ministry.
- Transparency. I will live my private life with the values I promote in my public life. I will tell the truth, even when it is difficult. I will be the person I claim to be, even when no one is watching. When I mess up, I will own my mistakes and do everything I can to remedy them.
- Consistency. I will establish a ministry that people can count on. I will take three weeks off at Christmas and six weeks off each summer, but otherwise, I will show up in the reader’s inboxes week in and week out. When I cannot keep up with this content schedule, I will invite guest contributors to fill in the gaps.
- Humility. I will never allow my pride to prevent me from changing course if God directs me to. I recognize that He holds the future of this ministry in His hands, and I am wholly devoted to following Him wherever He leads. This ministry is not about me, my agenda, or my gifts—it’s all about Him!
I have always viewed this ministry as God’s land (Lv 5:23). It is the space God has given me to cultivate, plant, and grow. As an overseer of this gift, it is my responsibility to protect the fertility and usefulness of this soil.
Our 2023 Impact Report contains an overview of how our free Bible study resources equip Christian women to explore the beauty of God’s design for their lives.
We pray the stories, statistics, and strategy you see in this article inspire you to invest in this vital kingdom work.
The heartbeat of this ministry is to give without cost from the spring of living waters. We believe that God’s Word is an overflowing spring of life-giving water.
The Bible illuminates the way to the Father, reveals the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and teaches us how to make the most of the life God has given us. It is a free gift to all who seek its peace, power, and provision.
We currently have seventeen free Bible studies available on-demand through our ministry website.
Core Values
We believe that God’s Word is the only source of absolute truth in a world that praises tolerance and ambiguity. Therefore, we exist to create biblical resources that help Christian women:
1. KNOW THE TRUTH: Our free Bible study resources equip and inspire Christian women to diligently study and faithfully apply biblical truth to their lives.
2. BE TRANSFORMED BY THE TRUTH: Our free Bible study resources build a bridge between professing Christians and the life-changing power of God’s Word.
3. SHARE THE TRUTH IN LOVE: Our free Bible study resources help Christian women grow in maturity and equip them to lovingly share their faith with others.
2023 Impact Report: By the Numbers
We deliver tens of thousands of Bible study e-mails to inboxes every single week and maintain a 48% open rate.
59% of our readers are women, 62% of our visitors use mobile devices, and 42% of our readers are ages 18-34.
65% of our readers are from the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia. 14% of our readers are from Africa and 8% are from Asia.
We reached more than 1 million people through our social media platforms in the past year.
Impact Stories
“I would like to thank everyone who gives anything to run this ministry. My community here in Tanzania and me have a lot to be thankful for because we have received a wonderful grace from this organization. We have received the Bible in three phases. I have personally benefited because I know more than before. I consider myself lucky to be served by this organization and a smart woman who is thirsty to share the news of Christ with others. Do not lose heart; we still need you. The harvest is many, but the laborers are few.” – Asifiwe
“We live in a region where Christian literature is banned through all sources except through the internet. For people like us in this region, Living by Design Ministries offers ‘pearls of great price.’” – Anonymous
“I love this ministry. Keep doing what you are doing. My life has been transformed because of you.” – Beldinah
“One fateful day, a topic was shared by e-mail, and I was touched by it. I happened to respond back and share how I was blessed. Later on, I got a reply from Sarah Koontz. I felt like this was a dream because no one would respond to a person like me. I had never met such a kind person in my whole life. She challenged me and helped me see things in a different way. She showed me that love exists and helped me see that God is mindful of me. This has changed my whole life. I now know that I am loved and cared for and not alone in this world.” – Charlotte
“I give monthly to Living by Design Ministries because I believe this is good soil.” – Francis
“So much appreciation for the donors who make this possible for the least of us to participate in these fantastic Bible studies.” – Gillian
2023 Impact Report: Financials
We view our donors as partners and ambassadors of Living by Design Ministries. Thank you for joining us in the fight for Bible literacy around the globe.
In 2023, we received financial donations from 253 families.
Your faithful financial gifts came from all 50 states and 16 different countries.
Thanks to your generosity, we raised 52% of our full operating budget this calendar year.
This year, we were able to pay 58% of staff salaries. Praise the Lord for His abundant provision!
We are so grateful for the 102 individuals who made a donation to our free Bible study ministry for the first time in 2023 and for the 25 families who set up recurring donations this past year.
Thank you for giving so we can continue to give.
2023 Impact Report: Giving by Design
Giving by Design is the mission arm of Living by Design Ministries. Our goal is to invest 10% of the donations we receive from our Discipleship Team in Bible literacy projects around the world. Here are some notes of gratitude that we received from our ministry partners in 2023:
- On behalf of the project children at the United Christian Center, I would like to express our deepest appreciation for your generous contributions. Your support in buying Bibles and Bible reading stories for the children has made a tremendous impact on their spiritual growth. The resources you have provided have allowed them to learn more about God and develop a deeper love for Him. – Pastor Ronald Sakira, Uganda
- We are most grateful to God for your ministry, which has made it possible for people to have the confidence to learn the Bible scriptures. May God bless your hands not to lack. We received 30 Bibles from the Bible Society of Kenya in the Ekegusii language. The church sent you many greetings. Praise the Lord for truly, for the lord Jesus is worthy to be praised. When I think about Living by Design ministry teaching and how it helps us, my soul cries out and sings. We read the message every time you post on your website. We are learning and understanding the love of the Lord through your teachings. We really thanked God for making us better by connecting us to you. – Pastor Cyrus Oyaro, Kenya
- The women of the local church have organized a conference for widows that was held in our church. The leader of the women’s union in the church wishes that each widow who participates in the seminar will be given a gift of the Bible because they will form thirty groups. Thank you for providing funds for thirty small Bibles for raising those groups. – Pastor Sondus Sigalah, Tanzania
If you would like to financially support this outreach of our non-profit ministry, we invite you to join our Discipleship Team by setting up a monthly recurring gift today.
We must never overlook the fact that nothing is truly free.
Every gift we’ve ever received required someone to sacrifice their time, talents, or treasures on our behalf.
I am continually amazed by the people God calls to support Living by Design Ministries.
Widows.
Retirees.
Missionaries.
These people give, not because they have money to spare, but because they believe God keeps His promises.
Everything we have comes from the Lord! Are we willing to open our hands and give it all back to Him?
When we do, we experience the true freedom and joy of trusting God!
Thank you for giving so we can continue to give, without cost, from the spring of life (Rv 21:6).
Sarah Koontz
President of Living by Design Ministries
