Our Ultimate Source for Resources By Kim Triller

 The Importance of the Knowing the Source for all Resources

The founders of the Christian non-profit organization, in which I serve, realized 40 years ago three key truths about resources:

1. The work of a Gospel sharing non-profit had to have God as the first and premiere resource for all that it would need.
2. It should be bathed in prayer by all involved and its mission could only be completed with God’s protection, provision, and providence.
3. The ministry must be His ministry and should be accomplished with His people for His glory.

Thus, from the start, the founding ministry Committee realized that their church could be the launching pad; however, our Lord’s churches throughout the area would be its mainstay. Thus began the process of introducing the ministry to local churches, establishing relationships with their leadership, providing the services we offered for their congregants and referring our clients to the church for follow up care and discipleship.

As a volunteer led organization, it has been this cultivation of our ministry’s relationship with the Body of Christ that has strengthened its core programs, increased our resources, continued our promise to our constituents and fulfilled our mission.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ( I Corinthians 12:4-7)

The Source for All Growth

In 2009 our organization merged with another “like” Christian non-profit that shared the mission that our founders had for our operation.  However, their vision was a bit different.  Instead of cultivating relationships with churches, they started off with banquets, special events, and radio ads on local Christian radio stations.  They quickly grew their funding this way.  Relationships with various businesses and churches formed, and that proved very helpful in supporting the existing ministry for a while. However, the ministry did not grow.  The vision once vibrant became unclear. And funding became a big issue.  What the ministry offered was stellar, but the programs did not have the vision or resources to meet the needs of the target audiences and the ministry was no longer sustainable.

Our organization formed a similar committee with the task to look at the prospect and discern potential strengths and weaknesses while doing so. Throughout this time, our board, staff, and prayer partners were on their knees daily praying for His wisdom and discernment in this regard.  Many wise advisors cautioned us not to go forward with the merge.  They were concerned about the sustainability of the whole organization if we went through with the merge.

This organization was in the largest county in the state.  It also had the fewest Christians per capita in the state.  However, only 43 of the more than 400 churches in that county knew of or had partnered with this organization.  We considered this low-lying fruit.  After much prayer and consideration, we heard our Lord say “Go” and our board’s vote was unanimous.

We started with the existing 43 churches and renewed our relationships with them.  Then we began introducing ourselves to several other churches each week.  We did not ask them for anything, just explained who we were and shared ways we could support their congregations with our programs.

Some churches were not interested.  Others were.  Over time we grew our relationships with the various churches through our services for youth groups, women’s groups, and came up with lists of appropriate Churches in the area to send various clients for discipleship.

As relationships grew, we always began by asking for prayer, for opportunities to share about volunteering and for presentations to the congregations to the youth groups.  Individuals from the churches got on our prayer chains, took our training, began bringing items to help with the ministry and gave us funds.  Our Lord grew the number of churches supporting us in this new venture as a combined ministry from 43 churches to 169 supporting churches in that county alone.  Through Him working with His people, the ministry is now very stable.  New locations, more patients, and clients to be served, and 450 staff and volunteers serving.

The Source of all Resources is our Lord, the Head of His Church.  Through Him, His people (His Church) serve Him for His glory.

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Kim Triller is the Executive Director for Care Net Pregnancy & Family Services of Puget Sound. She has served in non-profits organizations for 43 years.  Kim is also a faculty member of the Murdock Charitable Trust’s Board Leadership – Faith Based program and has served in the past for Care Net National as a Consultant and National Trainer.

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