Click to open Piktochart in new window.

Pretty straightforward.  Being called to serve with InterVarsity means you step into two worlds at the same time.  You have a job.  Mine is to supervise and build a staff team for Graduate Faculty Ministries in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.  You also have a budget.  A budget that you are responsible to find by building a team of supporters.

Why I’m so grateful for my support team.

Eight days from now IVCF will close out it’s 2017/18 fiscal year – my first full financial year in terms of budget building.  As of today, since starting this adventure in Spring  2017, supporters have contributed $97,414.  That’s the work of 66 giving partnerships joining my team steadily over the past 15 months.  Most reading this are on that team.  I can’t tell you how thankful I am for you.  You’ve paved the way under my feet on a path I thought would be bumpier and more hazardous than it’s turned out to be.

It’s been a joy to talk to so many people this year.  It seems like I’ve drank a water-tower of coffee.  Traveled over thousands of miles of highway.  And pitched my ministry case  into extra innings again and again.  The people-time has been so rich.  I’ve been listened to, prayed for, fed, and cried with by friend after friend after friend.  I feel full.  Ready to do my job.

Point of no return – July 1st

Remember that first time you took the family car out by yourself with your freshly laminated driver’s license?  I do.  It was our 1968 Chrysler Newport (we called it The Sled – because of it’s tired rear leaf springs).  My maiden voyage was to youth group on a Sunday night at Faith Baptist Church in Decatur, IL.  I was about 10 blocks from the church when I got stopped by an officer.  “42 in an 30, young man.”  Crap!  What was I going to tell my Dad?  I reached for my wallet.  Double Crap!  No wallet.  “I’m probably going straight to jail for this.”

My hope is that my first year with my new team won’t turn out like my first solo drive.  Starting July 1st I’ll be the Central Team Area Director.  The training wheels are off.  We’ll see how the job takes shape after that.  In terms of funding, I do still need to keep finding resources.  If you clicked on the PiktoChart above, you noticed I do have more work cut out for me.  I need to keep finding donors.  Some of my initial gifts last spring were jump-start donations that probably won’t repeat.  Those gifts were monstrous!  I now need to replace some of those monsters with annual and monthly giving that will repeat into the future.

Click here to be taken to Tim’s donation page at InterVarsity.

I’m doing “Summer of MPD” currently (feels a little like summer school – just a little).  MPD is Ministry Partner Development.  The summers are a great time for staff to make calls, schedule appointments, etc.  My goal this summer is to find 15-20 more ministry partners who’ll each be able to give $100-200 monthly or $1,000 to 2,000 annually.  Please pray for my success in finding these last few support team members.

Thanks!  Hope you are having a terrific summer.  Our summer fun just arrived from Illinois for a visit – Poppy Nora!  Oh, she did bring her parents with her!

Be blessed and stay well!