August 2021 Ministry Development Update
It's been a little bit since I posted my last update, so I thought I'd let you know what's been going on.
In my last update I shared that I was working on a statement of beliefs and that I was getting together a group of friends to share more details about my ministry plans and to aid in my selection of board members. Well, I finished the draft of my statement of beliefs several days before the meeting to give those attending the opportunity to read through it. Now, with some help from my mother, I am working on putting scripture references in that statement and making several edits and improvements to that statement based on the comments of several friends.
The meeting was also very successful. It started out with a delicious dinner from a local Italian restaurant and then I shared my ministry plans and ideas. I also received a lot of helpful input from the friends I invited to the meeting. It was a great evening, and I am grateful to all who attended!
As a result of this meeting, I was able to determine several possible candidates for my board of directors. After the meeting, I had a few slower weeks while I contacted these candidates and gave them the appropriate time to determine if being a board member was a commitment they could make at the present time. Even though it kind of put everything else on hold, I did not want to rush this process to give people time to pray about it, talk it over with family members, and make the decision. Now that I have mostly figured out who is able or unable to serve, my board selection process is almost complete. By the end of this week, I should have five board members lined up and then I'll be ready to proceed with creating a nonprofit. Let the fun begin!
To help my ministry planning, I asked the friends at my meeting to answer several questions. This would not only give me ideas but reveal who might be good as board members. Now that I have heard from the potential leaders of my ministry and figured out possible board members, I wanted to give my friends and followers the opportunity to give a little input as well. I asked some similar questions at my meeting, but now I want your opinion. Feel free to answer in the comments, or as a reply to the email distribution, as many or as few of these questions as you want in whatever level of detail you want:
In what areas of your life would it be helpful to learn how the Bible applies?
What are some cultural issues that you need biblical answers to?
Where do you struggle living boldly for Christ?
In what areas do you need encouragement?
What are some areas that the church might need help instructing Christians?
DISCLAIMER: I cannot guarantee that I'll be able to address everything that is brought up in reply to these questions. Once my ministry is off the ground, I hope that I can address as many of these as possible, but cultural and church trends can change rapidly so by the time I get around to some of these responses, there may be different needs. I should be able to address some of them in future blog posts while I work on the nonprofit formation process. Also, if you answer these questions a year or more after the publication date of this post, I may not see your answers even though I hope to keep up with your comments as much as possible.
If you are able to answer any of these questions, thank you! My new endeavor would not be possible without the support of my family, friends, and followers and once my ministry grows, I don't ever want to forget that. Even though it is still important to be involved in a local church, I hope to build an online Christian community of sorts where you are free to ask questions and suggest ideas.
On another note, I plan to engage the Foundation Group later this week so I can get their help as I officially begin the nonprofit formation process. It really is getting exciting as Wheel Truth gets closer and closer to being a legitimate organization. There is still much to do in the months ahead and I'm about to get a lot busier because of it. I always need your prayers, but I ask that you do so in earnest right now. Here are some things that you can be praying for:
Pray for the development and growth of this ministry:
Pray that there are no issues in receiving nonprofit status
Pray for wisdom as the various documents are written up
Pray that my future videos, blog, and other content have a far reach
Pray that enough funds are raised to pursue additional goals
Pray that additional staff can be hired in the not-too-distant future
Pray for the creation of additional relationships that are beneficial to the ministry and its mission
Pray for me:
Pray that I stay diligent and focused
Pray for God's wisdom and strength
Pray that I do not fall into temptation
Pray for me as I learn to run a nonprofit in compliance and with excellence
Pray that I learn additional skills to produce high quality content
Pray for the board of directors:
Pray that their service does not become a burden on their time
Pray that they operate the board with loyalty and integrity before God
Pray that God guards their minds and gives them great ideas
Pray for guidance and wisdom as the board provides governance and oversight
Pray for accountability between board members
Pray for my family:
Pray for my parents as they enable me
Pray for my parents as they help my ministry
Pray that God gives us energy and strength
I know that this post has been more informational than my typical blog content, but I wanted to make sure to keep you updated on the ministry development process here at Wheel Truth. Even though I've been a little slow on this blog recently, I hope you know that as long as I am able to serve the Lord, I'm not going anywhere. I already have some additional blog content planned so you should hear from me again soon!
