Since we launched this non-profit ministry in 2017, we’ve received financial contributions from more than 650 people.
Most people who choose to invest in Living by Design are unfamiliar to us.
We may have exchanged an e-mail or two with them, but we don’t know their stories or what prompted them to support our ministry.
So, we sincerely appreciated a recent statistic we read from the Barna Research Group.
When asked why they choose to give, 69% of practicing Christians answered, “I give because of who I am.”
We love this answer because it is why we are so committed to this ministry.
We give because of who God has made us to be!
And it’s comforting to know that many of our donors likely understand and share our motivation.
As Christians, we practice generosity because we are called to love God and love others (Mk 12:30-31).
But, no matter how deeply we desire to live generous lives, we must prayerfully and carefully choose where to invest our time, talents, and treasures.
That is why we appreciate the expressed motivation for the remaining 31% of givers:
- I give because of why I am asked (11%)
- I give because of how I am asked (8%)
- I give because of the person asking (7%)
- I give because of the ministry asking (6%)
We recognize the importance of asking others to partner with us in this work.
We need your support as we seek to continue curating Bible-rich content to bless and encourage our community.
Our annual 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 inspire you to invest in this vital kingdom work.
Thank you for journeying alongside us as we seek to glorify God through Living by Design Ministries.
We don’t take your friendship, support, and encouragement for granted!
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 sixteen 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.
Impact Report: 2022 By the Numbers
We deliver tens of thousands of Bible study e-mails to inboxes every single week and maintain a 66% engagement 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
“Living By Design has been transformative in my life. It is refreshing, like a cool drink of water in a parched land. The Bible studies and all content are provided free of charge and are created with genuine diligence and heartwarming care.” – Melse
“I choose to support Living by Design Ministries because I want to help more people have access to these Bible studies. I love that the studies can be done in about 15 minutes, or I can spend more time since there are always lots of links to relevant Bible verses. Sarah writes in a down-to-earth, easy-to-understand style that helps me understand.” – Patti
“I love Living by Design Ministries. The free Bible Studies are on-point, Scripture-based studies that truly hit the heart with a biblical message. Each study has just enough paperwork, and I print them for studying over and over. I especially appreciate that these studies are written by a woman who is led by God. I choose to support this ministry because it takes funds to put out the otherwise free studies. I am glad to help in my small way. My favorite thing about being a donor is how painless it is to be a monthly contributor. And if a problem develops, the ministry is good to help via email in a very timely fashion.” – Charles
“As a mom of five kids, I don’t always have the resources available to be able to purchase expensive materials required in most studies. When I first saw that Sarah’s studies were free, I thought, ‘How good can the study really be if it’s totally free?’ Was I ever in for a shock! I have been totally humbled and grateful for how God uses Sarah’s ministry to speak truth and depth into my Bible time.” – Kate
“I love Living by Design Ministries and I am amazed at the variety and quality of the resources they offer. For example, I enjoy very much their SOULfood e-mails which I received every Saturday in my inbox. They are deeply encouraging and there is always a fresh insight in them.” – Hadassah
Impact Report: 2022 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 2022, we received financial donations from 213 families.
Your faithful financial gifts came from 41 states and seven different countries.
Thanks to your generosity, we raised 52% of our full operating budget this calendar year.
This year, we were able to pay 50% of staff salaries for the third year in a row. Praise the Lord for His abundant provision!
We are so grateful for the 76 individuals who made a donation to our free Bible study ministry for the first time in 2022 and for the 41 families who set up recurring donations this past year.
Thank you for giving so we can continue to give.
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.
- First Quarter – Our team partnered with the Billy Graham Association by donating in support of their Rapid Response Team chaplains serving in Ukraine. Our hearts hurt for the people of Ukraine, and we wanted to direct this quarter’s Giving by Design funds toward an organization that is actively sharing the gospel message with them.
- Second Quarter – We partnered with our friends in Tanzania to supply nine local churches with Bibles for their congregations. Our financial investment provided six pastors with high-quality pulpit Bibles in their own language. We also supplied three pastors with five study Bibles each for their congregations to utilize during small group Bible studies.
- Third Quarter – We partnered with an organization called Faith Comes by Hearing during their annual matching fund drive. We love that this organization freely provides Bible recordings to communities worldwide and equips local believers to host audio Bible listening programs.
- Fourth Quarter – We had an exciting opportunity to bless a family serving Christ in Ukraine. Yaroslav (Slavik) Pyzh is the president of the Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary, and he took a brief holiday in the USA with his family. One of our supporters ensured they received a copy of our Advent Study and a donation for Bibles to be distributed in the war-torn country.
If you would like to support this outreach of our non-profit ministry financially, we invite you to join our Discipleship Team by setting up a monthly recurring gift today.
An Invitation from Sarah Koontz
During the past seven years, I’ve published 175 blogs, 158 SOULfood Saturday e-mails, and 15 free Bible studies.
I love to study God’s Word and write about His intricate design for our lives.
I enjoy creating beautiful Bible studies that honor God and equip the church to shine His light into the darkness of this age.
I believe in the transformative power of Bible study and am passionate about providing resources that strengthen your faith in God.
There is no moving on from this—it is my now thing, my next thing, and my forever thing.
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.
Thank you for “Paying it Forward” so we can continue to give, without cost, from the spring of life (Rv 21:6).
Sarah Koontz
President of Living by Design Ministries
