What happens with recycled materials?

As you have read in our past post on this blog, I have been spending a lot of emphasis on recycled materials as an opportunity for donations for charities. The amount paid for all types of recyclables has dropped drastically in the past 4 months. This is not all bad! While prices were high, thousands of little start-up recycling businesses were popping up just to make a quick buck on the opportunity. Just like any financial trend, it is those who have a long-term vision and are willing to plan for the long haul that will succeed. Now that the price of recyclables has dropped many of these overnight businesses have closed their doors so the opportunity for charities is to position themselves to receive recyclable when the markets rebound.

Here is a fascinating utube video that will show you the recycle process.



How does a charity position itself?

#1 Regularly mention in your newsletters to your donor base about your ability to receive noncash donations such as cars (running or not), jewelry, collectibles, business inventory and recyclables. It will take several months of continuing to remind your donor base of these types of opportunities until you will see noncash donations being offered.
#2 Consider using media outlets such as billboard space, radio spots or newsprint. If you are a public charity, many times media outlets and billboard companies will offer public service advertising for free for charities when space is available. One thing to remember, you get what you pay for! If you want good ad space or good radio spots or good billboards, you will need to pay for it.
#3 Talk about noncash donation whenever you are speaking with your donors. This especially holds true when talking with board members, major donors, core donors and anyone interested in supporting your charity. The idea of noncash donations is very viral and as you tell as many people whom you have influence with, they will tell the people they know and before you know it, you will have a regular stream of noncash donations to supplement your cash donor base.

One of the neat things about noncash donations whether they are recyclables, unused items or overstock, the donation is usually a win win for the donor and the recipient charity. Always remember that www.idonate.com is always there to help liquidate noncash donations. They are also there to advise in what donations you should or should not receive. Please go to their web site www.idonate.com to learn more or you can give them a call at 913-538-7850. You can subscribe to a noncash donations web site giving link for $45 per month that will allow your donors to offer noncash donations and they will be able to assess and liquidate the donations while allowing your charity to monitor the progress and give input where needed.

Medical Center Changes Computers - An Opportunity for Generosity

We have recently worked with an IT contracting company that had donated multiple pieces of surplus networking equipment that we were able to contract with a consignment company to sell them. When it was all said and done, there was a nice donation to benefit an inner-city ministry in Kansas City.
After establishing this relationship with this IT company, we recently received a call from them offering a donation from one of their clients, a local hospital. The local medical center was changing out 140 of their computer units and was offering them as a donation minus the hard drives (most companies require that hard drives are destroyed before they're donated to protect hospital data.) Even without a hard drive, newer computers still have resale value and can be sold to be rebuilt.
We often see these wonderful phenomena, what we call viral marketing. By building good relationships with donors and liquidators, word gets around about the joy of generosity!

Merry Christmas, December 2008 Update

Greetings, Friends:
Another Christmas season has come and even though we face greater challenges as a nation than we have seen for many years, Jesus is just as loving and powerful as ever. What a wonderful opportunity we have to grow in our faith and see God’s provision. Just as Abraham was walking to the top of the mountain and told Isaac that God would supply a sacrifice, we too can take courage. As we walk in obedience, we will see God’s provision in the Mountain of the Lord. Genesis 22:14.
“Jane” the Recording Artist
Janey and Benjamin are doing well. To the left you see the cover of her CD. We had an old cassette tape she made back in 1992. I thought it would be nice to have it duplicated on CD. Janey sings several well-known hymns and songs of faith that are very easy to sing along with. If you would like a copy, we would gladly send it to you, just write us a note.
Benjamin is doing excellent in Home School and is learning to be a great chess player. I was playing him the other night and he sneaked around and captured my King and I wasn’t going easy on him to let him win either.
I asked Jesus to live in my heart!
Last week as we were driving home from church Benjamin told us that in children’s church that he prayed a very simple pray and he was very serious about the prayer. He said that he asked Jesus to come and live in his heart. We obviously were very blessed. God’s wonderful love has drawn Benjamin to have a relationship with Him for eternity.

Electronic Waste, Electronic Recycling: a Donation Option

Donation of electronics is becoming more of an option for companies and individuals because of recycling. Electronic items such as computers, monitors, TVs, cell phones, servers, computer cabling, server decks, printers, copiers, etc., are becoming more economical to recycle. TVs are becoming more of an environmental hazard especially after the conversion from analog to digital goes into effect in February of 2009; the amount of e-waste will surely grow significantly. Electronic scrap is being collected in larger and larger volumes and is the fastest growing segment of the recycling stream.
Some of the responsible factors are from the cost of raw materials continuing to rise making it environmentally viable for recycling to extract the metals in printed circuit boards. Also, there is a need to increase security to ensure safe data destruction when companies replace computer units. As we look to the future, more and more states are passing legislation mandating reductions in the amount of hazardous waste in the waste stream. New technologies are making it much more cost effective to recycle e-waste profitably, which in essence creates an entire new industry.
Electronic scrap can be difficult to process and to sort. Some of the methods currently being used are state of the art with optical separators, electro-static separators, sink-float, hydro-cyclones, density separators, magnets and eddy current separators and air tables.
If you or your company has a surplus of electronic units, consider the opportunity to donate them to benefit a nonprofit. Donated electronics can be properly processed without compromising security or the environment. You can learn more about donating electronics to our ministry foundation equipment by going to the top right of this blog and click "Donate a NonCash Donation" and the instructions will follow.

You too can be a superhero. Generosity saves lives!

Benjamin is very interested in superheros these days. I think all little boys dream of being a superhero and all of us at one time maybe tied a bath towel around our neck and dreamed of flying through the air and crushing the villains and saving the innocent.

I think God has put in all of us the desire to be a superhero. What is a superhero? I think a superhero is someone who sees a need and allows God's burden to move their heart and then as we begin to cry out to God to save the helpless and hopeless, God calls us to give our lives to the cause.

Jesus was the greatest superhero and he said in John 14:12; "these things that I do, you shall do also and greater things than these you will do because I go to my father."

I think that all God is expecting us to do is make ourselves available to something much bigger than we are and this is the heart of what idonate.com and Servant Christian Community Foundation is all about: helping people to become superheros. There are families that I have met who have opened a Donor Advised Fund within our organization to that they can raise support for their cause. It may be missions, orphanages, ministry to the poor, ministry to youth and our children. Ask God for that compelling vision and begin to trust Him and pray that you will be able to fund that vision. Put a banner on your vehicle, "Donate your car boat, RV, timeshare to ABC Foundation." Share your vision; you may be surprised at who will help fund that vision. In studies about donors and donations; statistics clearly show that donors are more prone to donate to a compelling vision than they are to a need. Don't get me wrong; Americans are the world's greatest givers in times of need, but after all the newscasts leave a disaster area and the hype dies down, donations drop drastically. When we as donor continue to see a compelling vision that is before us on a regular basis, we give to support that vision.

What is the ministry that we can give to that has the best return on investment? I asked the missionary statesman George Verwer last month while attending one of his area meetings. George said that there are many great opportunities for us to give our funds to but the best one to give to is the one that God by His Holy Spirit tells us to give to. God truly does know how to spread the wealth around because He owns it all anyway and our assignment as Christians is to take care of God's money until He tells us what to do with it!

Be a Superhero Today; Give Generously!

Mobile Home for Missions

We have a new first; a mobile home! We received a call from a woman in Chicago who had recently lost her uncle and her father was the heir to his estate. The donor willed his trailer house to his brother. Distressed from the trauma of losing his brother, the new owner did not want to go through the hassle of selling the mobile home as well as paying the lot rent while it sells. As he spoke with his daughter, they decided to donate the trailer home to benefit Wycliffe Bible Translators. This mobile home is the perfect snowbird haven, and it is located very close to the Gulf of Mexico near Ft. Myer. We are hoping to sell the mobile home quickly so we have priced it to sell; $7900 and it is totally furnished. A potential snowbird buyer could come down with only a suitcase and move in and would only be responsible for the lot rent after buying the mobile home. Best of all, the donor will leave a legacy of helping Wycliffe Bible Translators to print a Bible for every people group. Other options are on the table for Wycliffe as well. If a retiring missionary couple needs a nice and inexpensive place to retire, this trailer can also benefit them as well.

Stone Medallions (A building donation):

We were recently contacted by a ministry in Plano, Texas, that received a very unique noncash donation two years ago from a Dallas stone flooring company. They were given eight stone floor medallions. These medallions are found in very elegant homes that have large entryways and often will be the focal point of the entry of the home. To say the least, these are very difficult to sell and especially difficult to sell anywhere near their retail value. Each of these stone medallions is worth about $1,500 retail. After doing some research, I found a flooring company that specializes in stone and they agreed to consign these medallions. Because these medallions are very much custom and anyone who buys one will want to build a color scheme around them, Ebay won’t help on these. Only a retail showroom is the way prospective buyers will be able to not only see the medallion but touch it as well. I have learned not to get too proud of myself when I am able to liquidate a complicated inventory; as soon as I start to relax, something harder comes along.

Thurman Mitchell Leadership Awards (A celebration of ministry and generosity):

Every November on the first Monday, Servant Christian Community Foundation holds its annual Thurman Mitchell Leadership Awards banquet. SCCF will grant out $144,000 to 22 different ministries. The grants will range from $2000 to one winner of $25,000. The event is designed to be a celebration of ministry and a celebration of generosity. This year's top winner was Urban Scholastic Center. USC is a ministry founded by Chuck Allen, a former public school teacher. Chuck realized that the public schools were very limited because all that they are designed to do is to give students knowledge but that the greater need is to develop character and leadership. USC is a Christ-centered ministry that is located in low-income neighborhoods of Kansas City, Kansas.

Steel Prices (a lesson in adversity):

With the recent economic slowdown, there are beginning to be adverse effects in the salvage steel industry. For the past couple of years, I have been researching ways that idonate.com can process junk vehicles and come out with enough proceeds to truly benefit the charities that we serve. Until recently, junk cars could bring an average of $200 a piece just from the parts and steel value. When the economic slowdown began, steel prices plummeted, going from around $300 per ton to its current level of $50 per ton. No businesses are buying steel and there is a tremendous strain on the entire scrap steel industry.
I was recently visiting with one of our junk car buyers, End of Life Vehicles. My contact is Paul Coon. Paul was saying there are advantages to this slowdown. When steel went up to $300 per ton, hundreds of fly-by-night junk car buyers came out of the woodwork. Some even bought a tow truck just to take advantage to make a quick buck, often picking up the junk cars for free and then quickly selling them at a tremendous profit. With the $50 per ton price, these fly-by-nighters are quickly going by the wayside because they can’t even pay for their fuel with the sale of the junk cars.
I guess that we as Christians can take away the same thing as we struggle to make ends meet or struggle to understand the political turmoil in our country. When we survive the crisis, we are much stronger in the battle. I truly believe effective military units are not really effective until they have gone through difficult battles, Once they are battle tested, they are much, much stronger! Let us learn from adversity. Since we can’t do anything about it, we can learn from the steel industry.

Awana Update (Ben, the man of God in training!):

Benjamin is just flying through his AWANA booklet. He will probably finish it by the end of the year and won’t be able to go to the next book until next fall. In the meanwhile, next January, our home church will begin a Royal Ranger’s program that is especially designed for boys. This will be a good opportunity for Benjamin to grow in his walk with the Lord and I will be assisting as well. The children’s pastor at our church told us that half of the families that bring their children to the children’s classes don’t have a dad at home. Again this just re-emphasizes the importance of male role models especially in the younger years. Even in the volunteering Janey and I do for AWANA, the encouragement you can have with children can be tremendous and most of that is just by paying special attention to them and helping them to learn God’s Word.

Harvest Festival (Celebrating Reformation Day!):

On October 31 we celebrated Reformation Day (the day that Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on the door of the Church at Wittenberg) as well as celebrating my birthday. We celebrated by helping at the Harvest Festival hosted by our home church, Antioch Family Worship Center. There were many games, bounce houses, inflatable slides as well as loads of candy. My job was to go to each station and refill their candy buckets and it was all we could do to keep them full. Each station would give out three pieces of candy to each participant. Janey and Ben worked in the black light room and they hosted a styrofoam bowling game. All in all we were able to be a blessing to the families in the community and we hope to see many of visit our church during a Sunday service.

Hotel Room Donations (Every good and perfect gift comes from God!)

I am currently working with a national ministry, assisting them with a process to receive and liquidate 5000 hotel room nights donated by a resort hotel. The recipient organization is a mission organization so I am especially excited to come up with a plan. Our hope is that the donating hotel will allow us to list the rooms on one of the hotel booking websites like Priceline or Hotwire and then we will be able to track these rooms and the hotel will be able to forward the proceeds to the ministry's fund that we host at Servant Christian Community Foundation. The more that I serve at Servant Christian Community Foundation and idonate.com, the more I believe that God’s work can be funded in any economy as long as we remain humble and ask God for wisdom. He may lead us to ask for a noncash gift and by God’s grace, we will have a process in place that can be used over and over again. Giving is fun! Creative receiving is fun as well; God is not limited by anyone’s checkbook. Every good and perfect gift comes from God above!

Nelson Atkins Art Museum

Benjamin is becoming a very good artist and seems to do very well with color and detail. Kansas City is fortunate to have one of the best art museums in the Midwest. The museum is divided into several sections with classical art from the renaissance period, ancient art as well as contemporary art. It makes it very nice to be homeschooling Benjamin because we have a say in what type of art he studies. My mom has been working with Ben to learn how to paint with water colors and Benjamin is getting a good collection. Our major emphasis as parent educators is to teach Benjamin not only the essential subjects like Bible, math, science, reading, history, art, PE, and grammar but to make learning a joy because if Benjamin can always love and enjoy learning, he will be a lifelong learner!

Father and Son Campout!

Bennie and I were able to take part in the annual Father and Son campout hosted by our church. The temperature was in the 30s that night, and we had to fumble around in the dark with flashlights, but we had great fun sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows. The following day we had an early breakfast of dry cereal, biscuits and gravy as well as a pop tart. After our group bible study time, we had a full day of flag football, dodge ball and even got to throw rocks in the lake.

Benjamin was very excited to be old enough to go on this camp out (6 years old) and even though he took a hard shot to the head and gut with the dodge ball along with a couple of other minor injuries he really enjoyed the weekend. My back couldn't take much more of all of the fun so I told Bennie we could go to Chuck E. Cheese on the way home and play the arcade games.

Reclaimed Maple Floor a Green Recyclable Donation

One of the more interesting donations that I am currently working on is reclaimed maple flooring that was removed from a double-sized gymnasium. Reclaimed floor has grown in popularity in recent years because of the growing green movement. This amount of reclaimed flooring can accommoidate three to five homes.

These types of donations are especially valuable not only for their monetary value but for their story value that allows us to spread the word to donors and charities alike. There is amazing opportunity for ministries to fund their budgets and projects with noncash donation and many times the donation is a win win for the donor as well as the ministry. As time goes on, green donations are going to be a greater opportunity for charities as recycling processes become more efficient and the cost of raw materials continues to rise. Some of the possibilities for recycled donations are: Steel, copper, aluminum, plastics, building materials and computers (without monitors.)

Excursion in Alaska, a Perfect Place for a Donation

A Ford Excursion has the distinction of being the biggest SUV on the planet. In a world of high gas prices it can be very expensive to operate. Recently, a donor in Alaska wanted to donate their Excursion 4wd, diesel to benefit a church planting ministry in Asia. It is fortunate that the vehicle is in Anchorage, Alaska, because that is one of the few areas of the country where there is a market for these vehicles. In the winters of Anchorage, you don’t want to dare get stranded in the cold. With the deep snow, the bigger your vehicle the better because there isn’t much room for compromise at 50 below zero. Alaskans have to make a much larger investment for transportation than the rest of the 48 states. We are very blessed to have found the perfect car dealer in Anchorage that can sell the vehicle for us. Pray for us and the donor that we are able to maximize the value of this donation so that many people will have the honor to hear the Gospel. If you would like to donate a vehicle to help the Erwin Family Ministries, click on the link below
http://www.creativegivingsolutions.com/?org_id=&org_id=Erwin .

Your donations help us be a blessing to the unsung heros, the servants to the servants!

Inventory Donation Benefits Orphans; A Family With a God-Given Burden!

Recently we received word of a corporation in New York that was offering a business inventory donation to one of our family foundations. This inventory comsists of electrical supplies from a large distributor that was consolidating their warehouse by taking slow moving and discontinued stock off of the shelves and storing it in the container. Even though this is old stock, it is still very valuable in the electrical wholesale market!

The most amazing thing about the story of this donation is the amazing way God works through anyone who has a true burden for the poor, the widow and the orphan.

4 years ago an 18 year old girl began working with her parents to bring awareness of the plight of orphans. By working with Servant Christian Community Foundation, they set up a Family Foundation called Hopes Heart Orphan Foundation and since their beginning, they have granted out over $100,000 to orphan ministries. That is why this inventory donation is so significant! It shows how a family with limited resources and a servant's heart can really make a difference for the poorest of the poor: orphans.

We don’t know how this inventory donation will turn out. The company in question is still working to obtain permission to actually give the product but what a story! Do you have a burden for the hurting? Has God given you something that is bigger than you can do? Take a look at hope’s heart and be encouraged because God wants to do something great with your life. All you have to do is let Him!

Prayer of Jabez, A 6-Year-Old's Version

Our son Benjamin is growing quickly in the love and knowledge of the Lord. Not only is he an AWANA superstar but he is also a superhero in training. The other day I was working at the office and he was with me writing something on a piece of paper. He handed it to me, and as I read it I noticed that it looked familiar. It was the prayer of Jabez, 1 Chronicles 4:10. Ben had copied it off of a business card holder that had the prayer inscribed on it.
It is interesting that as I read the prayer, I have to focus a little harder to make out the words. It reminds me of the powerful truth that God inspired: Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!' And God granted him what he requested." May we allow God's blessing to come to us by living a life of obedience and growing love and intimacy with God. Every good and perfect gift comes from God.

What is the best investment in missions? Being a Servant!

I was privileged to attend a meeting where George Verwer was speaking last night. George is one of the leading statesmen for world missions and the founder of Operation Mobilization, an organization founded in 1957. OM began after the missionary revivals of Wheaton and Moody College after the death of missionary martyrs Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, and Roger Youderian. These were killed while working amongst the Auca Indians of Ecuador.
OM has recently celebrated their 50th anniversary and since their beginning they have sent over 140,000 people on full-time or short-term missions. OM also was where a 16-year-old K. P. Yohannan began by preaching the Gospel in North India. After seven years with OM, K. P. Yohannan came to the United States and attended Criswell Bible Institute in Dallas, Texas. After his graduation he founded Gospel for Asia. Over 70 other mission organizations have found their roots from OM.
During the meeting we were allowed to ask questions of George Verwer, and I asked him what he thought the best investment is right now in the area of missions, “the best bang for your buck” so to speak. George was very wise to say that is clearly guiding donors in investing their resources as the Holy Spirit leads them. He went on to remind us of the Dalits of India, human slave trade, the AIDS epidemic, and clean drinking water. George especially acknowledged the importance of demonstrating our faith through preaching the Gospel without compromise and ministering to the needs of the poor and then he finished the answer with a powerful statement: “PEOPLE SEE CHRIST IN US MORE WHEN THEY SEE US AS SERVANTS” because Christ was a Servant!

Auto Parts Help During Disaster?

We have recently partnered with a disaster relief organization that stages supplies and manpower whenever a disaster strikes in the USA or worldwide. This organization has recently received a large auto parts inventory that we are currently liquidating on behalf of the charity.

Whether it is hurricane Gustov or Ike or the tornado in Greensburg, these faith-based organizations are extremely important during disasters. Where there are enormous needs, these organizations are filling in the gap where the government organizations can’t.

When a disaster strikes, corporations offer large quantities of “In Kind” donations like water, blankets, shoes, and food. Sometimes donations are offered that are not helpful for the relief effort but are still valuable. In the past, these organizations turn down these donations but this where iDonate.com comes in. These in- kind donations can be sold for cash providing funds for expense of mobilizing the volunteers and supplies.
There is always a great call during these disasters is for cash donations not only for the victims but also for the organizations that are serving them. Liquidating qualified donations makes a lot of sense, not only for businesses that have overstocks but for the relief organizations themselves.

One of the great values iDonate.com brings to organization is “Creativity!” As we continually learn new ideas for receiving and liquidating noncash donations, we are able to pass that expertise on to other ministries in their fund-raising efforts.

What will happen in the future?

I would imagine that I am not the only one asking that question after the wild events of last week. Many of us worry about our investments or 401Ks and the world financial markets. Some speak of the coming one-world government that would begin the end times.

But as I think about it, there is probably a mother in Sudan watching her child die of starvation. There is a family in Orrisa in India fearing for their lives because a fellow church member was burned alive in the last couple of days. There is a family in Haiti that fears starvation and disease because the tiny shack that they once called home has now disappeared.

For many in the world, they are living in the end times, they don't know if today will be their last and they are helpless to do anything about it. I pray that as a nation that we don't have to lose what we have in order to appreciate what God has given us. Now is the day more than ever that I must live my Christian faith and do all that I can to marshal as many resources for God's work around the world.

There is a man named Dr. David Barret along with Dr. Todd M. Johnson who has compiled very amazing statistics concerning world population and the growth of the church as it pertains to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20.) http://www.gcts.edu/ockenga/globalchristianity/resources.php
Some of the noteworthy statistics are:
10,000 unevangelized people groups who have no Christian witness.
There are 2.1 billion people in the world that have not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
1.1 billion people in the world are not able to read or write.
Over 2 billion people in the world are under 15 years old.
Christians have a combined income of 18 trillion dollars.
175,000 Christians will give their lives this year for their faith.

These numbers give me a new perspective, and they tell me that the God who made a universe so vast that even the greatest minds on earth cannot fathom it can take care of our tomorrows.

Ernie Miller Park Nature Trail

One of the wonderful things about home schooling is being able to take Benjamin to all of the museums and nature parks in the area. We were able to take several pictures of flowers, and next we will look up the flowers and plants to identify them. The trail we went to is about 2&nbspmiles, so not only do you get plenty of science in but a lot of PE as well.

A Biblical Perspective on the Current Financial Crisis

Greetings:

I friend of mine who manages a biblically based investment fund called "Eventide" recently sent an email concerning the current Wall Street crisis as it pertains to Psalm 52. I thought I would post it for anyone who might be blessed by it.

Obviously this weekend, and today, marks a very significant further meltdown in the fortunes of certain American financial institutions. It remains far from clear what else might fail and just how far the damage will spread. In reading Psalm 52, I am struck by its applicability to what is playing out in our financial services sector. Verse 7 seems a rather apt description of many American financial institutions — both the trusting in wealth and the fact that (much of) that wealth came from "destroying others." (Think how many relatively poor and unsophisticated borrowers are now in great financial peril or ruin because of the abuses of the subprime mortgage marketplace. Similarly, think how many individuals are in deep trouble with credit card debt that was aggressively marketed to those for whom it has proved toxic.) Verse 5 seems a telling description of the consequences coming to bear on these institutions and their malignant practices.

I say this with no pleasure whatsoever. There is widespread economic pain and even systemic danger. But it is also a very large reminder that, as God makes clear in Proverbs, "ill-gotten gain" — profit made at the expense of others — inevitably brings a day of reckoning. Unfortunately, such practices have become normative in many financial institutions and in many parts of the business landscape as a whole. Hence the importance of Eventide's commitment to searching out investment opportunities in which well-gotten gain comes as a byproduct of companies' creating real value and blessing for individuals and society. And as we do so, I believe that Eventide and our shareholders will be characterized by verse 8 instead.

Psalm 52

1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit.
3 You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah
4 You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him, saying,
7 "Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!"
8 But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.
9 I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

Ben's Visit to Holy-Field Vineyard: A lesson on John 15

Janey and I attend a Sunday School at which our teacher, Rus Wesley, works hard to bring the Bible alive as much as possible. With all of the references in the Bible about grapevines, our class took a trip to visit a local vineyard. We were able to experience first hand what is involved in harvesting the fruit of the vine and seeing how the fruit of the vine not only represents God's blessing but we could see how the gleaning fed the poor. We could also see firsthand what Jesus was saying in John 15 how "He is the true vine" and we are to abide in the vine.

Ben as usual was a big hit with everyone. He is so enthusiatic whenever he gets to do something new. He clipped those grapes like a pro and did really well with the ones that were down low. After helping pick grapes for 2 hours, he was disappointed that we were done. After we got home it was fun bringing the Bible to life for Benjamin as we studied the different passages that pertain to grapes, like John Chapter 15.

Junk Vehicles Make Good Donations

The recycling process of vehicles should always be done with environmentally safe means. Often abandoned or junk vehicles have fluids like motor oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, gasoline and antifreeze. Also, batteries have toxic acid and lead and many vehicles have remote switches that contain murcury.

Recycled vehicles come from many sources: tow companies, private parties, auto auctions and charities. When an individual has a car he no longer needs, this is a perfect opportunity make a great donation of their Junk Vehicle!

Simply by logging on to http://www.idonate.com/ click on donate vehicle and give us the information and we will gladly pick up your junk vehicle without any charge. All that is required is that you have a clear title without any liens.

Not only are vehicle donations a great gift to ministries, our business partners will take your donation and put it to good use as well as environmentally recycle it.

Our vehicle business partners will begin an environmentally friendly dismantling process by emptying the vehicle of any trash and/or leftover items. They continue the dismantling process by removing and recycling fluids and hazardous materials. Batteries are removed, tested and resold or recycled depending on the test results. At the same time, they carefully remove any mercury switches used in the engine compartment and trunk to prevent extremely toxic chemicals from entering our air and waterways. Freon (used by air conditioners), power steering fluid and brake fluid are all removed and recycled or reused.

After these first steps, they take the vehicle to specially designed drain tracks to remove the remaining fluids including gasoline, oil, antifreeze, differential and transmission fluids. All fluids are put into holding tanks with secondary containment to prevent spills and leaks into the environment.

Now that all the fluids have been drained, the vehicle is processed to sell and all reusable parts removed. Vehicles are stored so that there is no possibility of contact with storm water and to make it easier and safer for parts to be removed.

After all the reusable parts are sold, the de-coring process starts. They check for anything that can be reconditioned or that has recycling value. Examples include engines, alternators, wiring harnesses, compressors, torque converters and more.

The final step in the process is to crush the remaining vehicle hulk. They take the crushed vehicles to metal shredders where they are recycled into new metal.

So if you have a junk or disabled vehicle or a car that is near the end of its life, it will still make a good donation. You can donate a junk/disabled or any vehicle to support The Erwin Family Ministry by clicking on http://www.creativegivingsolutions.com/?org_id=&org_id=Erwin (This is our family's foundation, The Stepping Stone 2020 Foundation.)

Persecution in Orissa

There has been a severe season of persecution in the past year in the State of Orissa in Eastern India. Here are some of the reports issued by the Evangelical Fellowship of India. I think they speak for themselves. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters who are suffering terribly.

1. On the 24th of August Pastor Jeebaratna Lima from Khurda District was attacked and beaten up mercilessly. The miscreants doused petrol on him and were about to set him on fire, but timely arrival of police saved his life. He was in police custody but later was released on bail the next day.

2. Pastor Bahumulya Paik of Bamandei, Patpur Police Station, Ganjam District was beaten to a point of death by a mob of around 100 people. He vomited blood but later gained consciousness and managed to flee from the place while the group was engaged in attacking the local believers. Since the hospitals were closed, no medical help was available. On August 26, the police escorted him to some distance by their vehicle and left him on the way to take a bus and go away.

3. Pastor Bishnu Kumbhar and his pregnant wife of village Dutta, under Madan Rampur Police Station of Kalahandi district, were chased out. To save their lives, they ran away in the darkness and hid themselves from the attackers.

4. Pastor Susanjit Beero of Tengada Pathar under Tikabali Police Station of Phulabani was attacked by a group of Hindutva miscreants. Along with a few believers he is still reported to be taking shelter in the forest, though without food and clothes for the last 48 hours.

5. Pastor Dillip Koshla of Tiangia village, under Raikia Police Station was attacked by the mob. His house and property are burned and looted by the unruly mob.

6. Pastor Birendra Harijan, of Nakapolo Church under Dharmasala Police Station of Jajpur District, was beaten up badly. As the miscreants were about to set his house on fire, the timely arrival of police prevented the disaster.

7. Pastor Amit Pani of Ampani village, Koksora Police Station (PS) under Kalahandi district, was chased out and locked in a house but managed to escape.

8. Pastor Lebiyo Raito of Kanjamendi, Nuagam PS, Phulbani, was attacked and chased away from his house. He is still hiding in the jungle.

9. Pastor Jatan Nayak, of Bhadrak district was attacked and his house ransacked. He is in police protection at the moment.

10. Pastor Abinash Garjang, of Tattaguda, Malkangiriis, was attacked and the church building was ransacked.

11. Pastor Aurobindo Sahu of Tumgurpada Church, Bargarh District, is threatened to leave the place with dire consequences if he doesn't.

12. District pastor Anant Benya of Badibahal church, Luisingha PS, in Bolangir District, was issued a threat of attack to the church on the 26th August.

13. Pastor Pabitra Digal and Pastor Dharmendra Digal, of Sundargarh district, have received threats to their life, burning the church.

14. Pastor Thomas Bhoi of Petapanga church Raikia, Kandhamal district, was attacked by the mob and their household items were damaged.

15. Pastor Ramakant Pradhan of Dotta Church and Pastor Sulaisng Barik of Hatibandh Church under Sinapali PS of Nuapada District was chased away from the village. Their whereabouts are not known.

16. Pastor Bijaya Surya of Penkam Church, Gunapur PS, Rayagada District, is threatened and asked to leave the place.

17. Pastor Mothilal Sagar and his family, also along with five sisters and two brothers in Madekela, Godphila block, were attacked, but they managed to flee and hid themselves. The miscreants are searching for them.

18. More than 15 church buildings of Believers Church alone and several churches of other denominations are damaged. The rampage is still going on unabated.

19. Church building and 60 houses in Tiangia village, Raikia, Kandhamal burned. Two Christians named Dasarath Pradhan, Bikram Naik killed.

20. Church building was bombed and destroyed. 30 houses were burned in Tengdapathar, Tikabali, Kandhamal.

21. Church and parsonage damaged, 20 houses burned, and two believers killed in Pettapanga, Saranggada, Kandhmal.

22. Chandrasekaharpur, BDA Church, Bhubaneswar damaged.

23. Tangupada, Bargarh District, the anti-Christians have threatened the pastor, Arobindo Sahu, to leave, and they have a plan to destroy the newly built church.

24. Audiovisual Team is hiding in the jungle in Chandragiri, Gajapati District, because of the threats.

25. BOH (Education center for Children) in Kuttenpalli, Bolangir District, having 120 students, was threatened to close down.

26. Tattaguda Church of Pastor Abinash Garjang in Baipariguda, Malkangiri demolished.

27. Bhatta Palla Church of Pastor John Naik in Madanpur, Rampur, in Kalahandi demolished.

28. Tujung Church of Pastor Basant Digal in M. Rampur Kalahandi damaged.

29. Ladapanga Church of Pastor Rajanikanth Nayak in Daringbadi damaged.

30. The residences of Pastor Bijaya Kumar Surya, Pastor Susil Lima of Miraguda, Gunupur ransacked and looted. No police protection given.

31. The Church of Pastor Junus Digal destroyed and 180 houses of Christians burned in Balkidadi, Kandhmal. Without food and drinking water the Christians are in the jungle for the last three days.

32. The church building and all the houses of the Christians in Kurmingia of Kandhamal burned. The Christians have fled to nearby jungles.

33. Church building and houses ransacked and later burned in Tattaguda of Malkangiri District.

34. Churches destroyed and houses burnt along with 4 believers killed in Dadingia of Raikia, Kandhamal.

35. The church of Pastor Alif Nayak, alongwith 12 houses in Ranipada, Kandhamal, burned. Pastor killed.

36. Houses burned and Christians attacked in Madkela, Tusura in Bolangir.

37. Pastors Dandapani and Junus Diagal chased out of their place but they managed to flee to safety in nearby jungle.

38. Four incidents of attacks reported in Koraput.

39. Carmel English Medium School in Khurda threatened to close down by Hindu fundamentalists.

40. Houses in Khariapada, Udaigari were bombed by petrol bombs.

41. Unconfirmed reports suggests around 10-11 Christians were killed in jungles by angry and unruly mob.

42. Church in Balangir demolished.

43. Complete failure of Law and Order in violence affected areas. Police and paramillitary forces are mere spectators.

44. 300-400 attackers burned houses of Christians in Kurmanga, Raikia.

45. Nuagaon village dominated by around 50 Christian families completely burned down.

46. Church in Nuagaon village burned.

47. Grace Girls Hostel with 60-70 students in Kotagarh, Phulbani, attacked by more than 1000 people. Just 10 police personnel posted for protection were not sufficient to protect the Hostel.

The fundamentalist group is going from village to village destroying churches, burning houses, attacking and killing Christians. It is reported that thousands of extremists have been brought from Gujarat and Chhattisgarh to perpetrate this violence which has spread to all the districts of Orissa. Their agenda is to wipe out Christians and Christianity from India starting from Orissa.

Pray for the victims in Haiti

I don't think there is a country more venerable to a hurricane than Haiti. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere and is located right in the middle of hurricane alley. Having been hit 3 times this season by Gustav (killing 13), Hanna (killing over 500) and Ike (killing 60), this nation is in great need of help. The death toll will rise as the water recedes and as the victims must cope with the polluted water.

How can we help?

Servant Christian Community Foundation has several partner ministries that specialize in disaster relief. Right now these aid ministries are in the country trying to meet the basic needs to the thousands of victims. If you would like to donate a noncash donation or a cash donation to benefit some of the ministries that are aiding the victims, please go to:
(For Noncash Donations) http://www.idonate.com/
(For Cash Donations) http://www.servantchristian.com/

You can also call our office at 913-310-0279 and we can let you know how you can help.

If you aren't sure what ministry to give to, you can look through a comprehensive list of different ministries and their specialties by going to "The Treasure House"
http://treasurehouse.servantchristian.com/th/ir/donor.asp.%20%20

Please specify in your comments what ministry that you would like to benefit with your donation. I know what the devastation is along the U.S. gulf coast, but in the nation of Haiti, the devastation is much worse because there is little government infrastructure to help during times of need.

Classic Car? Who would have thought!

A few weeks ago we got a call from a missions organization about a 1983 Olds Regency that was being garaged in Illinois. The car was in perfect condition because it has spent its entire life in Arizona and since the original owner passed away, her son now was donating the car. My first thought was maybe $500 for the car, but the donor insisted that is was a "Classic Car" and my first thought was a "Classic Gas Guzzler." Besides, my wife and I were married in 1982 and we aren't classics!

We had just started a new partnership with an auto auction in the Chicago area that had been in business for 60 plus years, and I thought this would be a good test run to see how they would do. Well, they picked up the car in 2 days, helped the donor with the title transfer, sold the car for $1,400 and charged us only $200 towing because they had to haul it over 50 miles. I was wonderfully surprised, and it will be exciting to let the donor know that his mother's car will help plant churches in unreached areas.

You can donate your classic car or even your junk car by going to http://www.idonate.com/. You can help fulfill the great commission by your generosity to help those preaching the Gospel.

Discovering Our Calling

All of us at one time or another will try to determine our purpose, asking why God has created me. I am certainly no different. In recent years, much has been written about "Vision Statements" or "Mission Statements" either as an individual or an organization. The vision statement for Servant Christian Community Foundation http://www.servantchristian.com/ is to "Create a Culture of Generosity" with the ultimate purpose of funding God's work throughout the earth. I heard our ministry president challenge our board with the thought that SCCF would process the last gift that would fund the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20.)

Then there is a "Mission Statement" and many of us, myself included, are not sure what the difference between the two are. Someone once told me the difference: The vision statement is "Where" we are going and the mission statement is "How" we are going to get there. The mission statement of Servant Christian Community Foundation is "To Inspire, Educate and Facilitate Revolutionary Biblical Generosity." I suppose you can compare the "Mission Statement" as the “Map” of where we are going and the "Vision Statement" as the “Compass” to keep us on target.

Why is all of this important? I think we can draw many examples from the Bible, such as Jeremiah 1:4-7; " Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak."

Clearly, Jeremiah had his lifetime calling and from the scripture we can clearly see that the calling was ordained before he was born. We can also see this same scene played out in the life of John the Baptist (Luke 1:11-17) or Joseph (Genesis 37:5-10) and most importantly, our Lord Jesus Christ, who had the all-encompassing mission that was fulfilled at the cross.

Then the church that was born out of the resurrection now has its mission: Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. "

As the man of God and great Olympian Eric Liddell said concerning his running for Great Britian in the 1924 Olympics, "When I run, I feel His [God's] pleasure." I think this statement simplifies what our calling should be about and the question I should ask myself: Are the things that I am doing bringing God pleasure? I guess this is the greatest barometer to determine God's calling for my life. My calling will bring God pleasure as well as myself by doing the things that God has wired me to do. Am I bringing God pleasure by what I have put my hand to in life and ministry?

Visit to Powell Gardens

Some friends of ours, Tom and Joyce Bartlett, invited us to Powell Gardens in Oak Grove, Missouri, the other day, and it was a very pleasant experience. It was also an opportunity for Ben to learn some science hands-on. The gardens have been developed over the years after a family estate left the farm to be developed as a botanical garden. Tom and Joyce brought their grandson, who happens to be close to Benjamin's age, and they had a very good time. It was a beautiful place to see and enjoy. I guess I couldn't help thinking that the donors could have donated the land to be sold to help preach the Gospel throughout the world but then again, sometimes you just need to stop and smell the roses and enjoy God's wonderful creation.

Setting Proper Expectations (Baseball Cards to RVs)

As we serve more and more donors who are donating their noncash treasure to support ministry, we take time to evaluate what the potential value of the donation is in the current market. Often the donor has an exaggerated idea of what something is worth. Baseball cards are the biggest culprit; rarely will we be able to get the amount from collectible baseball cards that the donor thinks we should. Retail sellers of baseball cards place a high markup on their cards but greatly reduce the amount that they will pay to buy those same cards.

Often with collectibles and jewelry, there is a strong emotional attachment. Many donors have a lot of passion for their collectibles and they bring back strong memories or they inherited the collection from a parent or close relative so the collection represents a memory. Because of the strong attachment to a donation, a donor will often want to control the amount a donation is sold for, but the IRS requires that when a donation is given, the donor no longer has any control of ownership.

In many of these cases, it is much better for the donor not to give the donation and wait until they are ready to give the donation with no strings attached.

Once I was helping a church with several noncash donations that were offered in their capital campaign. A late model RV was offered that was potentially worth $60,000 and the donor had been trying to sell the RV for several months. After I consulted with our contracted RV dealer in Kansas City, he said that the RV was only worth $46,000 in the Kansas City market; this was unacceptable for the donor and he chose to continue selling it himself. I wasn't able to help this church directly but because of having a Donor Advised Fund with Servant Christian Community Foundation, they were able to allow their donors to donate almost anything and otherwise they would have never offered the opportunity. You can learn more about Ministry Foundation (AKA Donor Advised Fund) by going to http://www.servantchristian.com/web/Churches_and_Ministries/churches_home_page.asp?b=17 .

Donor Advised Funds are the heart of how Servant Christian Community Foundation can and can greatly serve churches, ninistries and individuals by allowing donors to give many noncash items.

Hi, I am Ben!

Hi, this is Ben writing to you (with a little help from Mom). I have officially started school. I am doing 2nd grade work in most of my subjects. Today we made a necklace and yesterday we made a crown to go along with my English lesson. My favorite things to do in school are my math worksheets. They are fun!

Hi Everyone

Hey everyone. Technology is moving right along. Guess it's time for me to join too. My first blogging attempt! Ben took this picture of me while we were visiting my parents. Not too bad for a 5 year old. We will try to update this often. Give us some feedback, please!

What is Your Story?

We have recently been learning at Servant Christian Community Foundation about the importance of stories. The Bible is basically God's story about redemption, salvation, and the church.

We and our families are part of God's story, and His story will continue on forever. I am learning to look at the Bible in this context instead of a book of rules and regulation about how I should act or behave but a story of God's love for me and a story of God's love for everyone on the planet. I once heard K.&nbspP. Yohannan say in a staff meeting several years ago while I served at Gospel for Asia: "You can't change the past, but we can change the future!"

One thing I have realized is that all of my successes and failures are simply chapters in a much larger drama. Today is the next chapter, and because of Jesus' love, I can intimately know the Creator of the universe! That is a better honor than being the CEO of the world's largest company or the greatest athlete or preacher in the world. I can't impress God with my achievements, but I can acknowledge His love and delight in me and reciprocate that love with genuine worship and willing obedience.

As I read some of the Psalms of David (these were chapters in God’s story in David’s life), I can begin the see the tender and intimate relationship that he enjoyed with God. Psalm&nbsp18 brings this out very well, especially in verse 19: "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." Now I can begin to understand how David felt in 2&nbspSamuel 6:14-15, how David “Danced before the Lord with all his might” - total abandonment. David was alive, raised from the pit, and God had delivered him.

What is your story? What is the next chapter of your life? It begins today. What decision can you make right now that will put you on a glorious path with God’s greater story? Can you be like a child again that is dancing in the rain simply because it is fun?

Frazoli's Restaurant Sale Becomes a Win, Win, Win, Win!

A couple of years ago, I was contacted by a local FCA leader with an interesting opportunity. A car dealer who was a big supporter of the FCA chapter had recently purchased a Fazoli's Restaurant building that had closed. Needing to clear all of the restaurant equipment out in order to expand his dealership, the owner offered all of the equipment to the local FCA for their ministry, but they had only two weeks to remove the items. When we received the call about this opportunity, I contacted a group that were experts in liquidating warehouses and grocery stores and asked if they could bring a crew to this town and have a quick 5-day sale. They were able to come to town, advertise locally, and sell all of the tables, ovens and equipment in the restaurant. They were even able to sell the 15' walk-in freezer that was attached to the building. After all of the cost, over $3,000 was given to the local FCA chapter to further its ministry.

What I love about inventory donations given for God's work is that everyone wins! The donor wins because he is able to help his favorite charity and get the items removed so he can remodel. The liquidator company wins because they are able to make a profit for their work while at the same time help benefit a local ministry. And the charity wins because they are able to receive funding and not have to become liquidators. FCA is very good at Bible studies and sports camps, not restaurant equipment liquidation.

Bass Boat Blesses Radio Teaching Ministry

Recently a radio ministry opened a donor fund with iDonate.com and began to promote the opportunity to make noncash donations during their radio broadcast. A donor near Austin went online and donated a 1996 bass boat to the radio ministry. iDonate.com had a boat dealer in the area that was glad to arrange pickup (50 miles away) and had the boat on their lot by that next Saturday. The boat was in excellent shape, and by Monday a buyer had put a cash offer on the boat and it sold for $4,300. The donor had not been able to use the boat for several years and was very glad to be able to bless the radio ministry that they loved. iDonate.com makes it possible to bless your favorite ministry well beyond the checkbook. Just look around and see what you might be able to donate! To donate a boat or make any other noncash donation or to even nominate your favorite charity, go to http://www.idonate.com/.

A House Full of Longaberger Basket; Donation?

A church was having a capital campaign and one of the ladies on staff at the church had a desire to benefit the church. She also had another dilemma: 60 miles away she was trying to sell a home but in the home was a very large collection of Longaberger baskets (910 to be exact.) Faced with the stress of trying to inventory the baskets as well as sell the home, she chose to donate the baskets to benefit her church. iDonate.com had contracted with a local collectible auction that was actually one of the best in the country at selling Longaberger baskets. They traveled the 60 miles to her home, picked up and inventoried her items, and sold them over a two-month period. The items netted nearly $11,000 for her church.

Windshield Advertising Brings in a 2001 Camry

I wanted to experiment with a new way of advertising for vehicle donations, so I had a banner put on the back windshield of my van that simply said “Donate Your Car Boat or RV” with our contact information. After several weeks, I was approached by a man that was at a conference I was attending. He saw my van and said that he had a 2001 Camry that he was planning on replacing and offered it as a donation through iDonate.com. Our local car dealer picked up the vehicle but after inspection realized that the head gaskets needed to be replaced and he recommended that we place it in a protected auction. Toyota Camrys are very desirable cars, and this car still brought $4,500 and, after the auction fees, was able to net $4,300 for the charity.

Blown Head Gaskets Bless the Homeless

iDoante.com liquidates 100s of vehicles each year, and with each vehicle that is offered, we work to find the best possible dealer to sell them. Some vehicles are just pure junk and need to be put out of their misery. Other times a lot of TLC will help.

One of our car dealers who helps us process vehicle donations picked up a 1999 Mercury Village minivan. This car was being donated to an inner-city ministry that did free medical car for the poor in their community. The donated vehicle was in very good condition except that it had blown head gaskets, a very expensive fix. As our dealer evaluated the car, he determined that it would be worth it to have the car repaired and use the proceeds from the sale to pay for the repair. The net effect of this creativity was a van that sold for $4,000 and netted $2,000 to the charity vs. a van that would sell at a salvage auction for $400 and only net $200 for the charity.

This creativity is what sets iDonate.com apart from other vehicle donation programs. We auction only vehicles that are too far gone for repair, and our vehicle dealers are able to maximize the value on vehicles that can be repaired. That is maximizing the value of a donation and bringing an extra $1,800 to an inner-city ministry.

Pallets of Sports Drink Bless Haitian Orphans

At a recent community meeting, our ministry president, Bill High, mentioned to the group about businesses being able to donate surplus inventory. One of the business owners has several pallets of sports drink that his business produced and sold that was getting close to the expiration date. The best solution for him was to donate the merchandise to SCCF, and we arranged to have it picked up by a local liquidator. The proceeds from the sports drink will go to benefit orphans in Haiti. The exciting thing about inventory donations is that everyone wins: the business owner, the liquidator, and the orphans in Haiti. Isn’t that the way God’s economy works, fueled by generosity, not consumer demand?

Buffet Tables Go From Problem to Provision

In Kansas City, there is an exclusive club connected with the local professional baseball team. This particular club recently changed out their seven buffet tables and needed to find a home for the old ones. Thinking that they could easily sell them locally, they were quick to find out that selling restaurant equipment is time-consuming and not very profitable. As time ran out and there was a baseball game the next night, they offered the tables to the local rescue mission. Normally rescue missions do not use buffet tables, but seeing an opportunity, the rescue mission called us at iDonate.com and asked if we could liquidate the tables. We had a company within 10&nbspminutes of the stadium that was able to pick them up the next morning. In the end, they netted $1,500 for the local rescue mission. Problem solved for the stadium club and found money for the local rescue mission. Isn’t generosity fun!

Your support of our ministry is vital and very fruitful!

We were recently honored to have a visit from Wycliffe Bible Translators, and we now have a partnership with this incredible ministry. Just think about it: your financial support will help me serve Wycliffe in translating the Bible in languages that have never before had the Word of God written in their language. Wycliffe currently has a major initiative to complete and/or begin translations in every language by 2025.

While the leader from Wycliffe was visiting us, I was telling of the struggles we were having keeping our support base strong. He encouraged me to communicate to each of you that your support of our ministry has a major impact and it is multiplied many times over because of the many ministries we serve. Your donation dollars also allow me to serve ministries like AWANA International, New Tribes Mission, PIONEERS, Gospel for Asia, Walk Thru the Bible, and over 150 other churches and ministries. It is like I am on staff with all of these ministries without their having to keep me on their salary roles.

We have lost significant support recently because of the economy, but the need continues. Thank you for all of our friends who continue to support us regularly and generously. May God richly bless you as you give sacrificially. As you read this letter, I encourage you to pray about how you might get behind our ministry and partner with us as we bless so many other ministries who are collectively reaching millions of people with the Gospel of Jesus and the Love of Jesus with aid and support. I can’t think of a bigger bang for your buck that your donation will have as we establish new ways that donors can give to fulfill the great commission. We are in an incredible time of change and transition, and I pray that we can take every opportunity to help charities raise needed funds so they can fulfill their missions without hindrance or delay! Your support is much needed and appreciated.

You can now donate online to our ministry by going to http://www.creativegivingsolutions.com/?org_id=&org_id=Erwin

A Sail Boat in Indiana!

We have a family that has a personal Family Foundation (aka Donor Advised Fund, click link for more information)http://www.servantchristian.com/web/Individuals_and_Families/home_page.asp?b=16 .

While vacationing in Vermont last winter, they called me and said that they had a 20' McGregor sailboat that was being stored in Central Indiana that they would like to donate and the proceeds would go into their fund and they would grant the money out to charities that they support. What a challenge! After making a few calls, I found an auctioneer in central Indiana that was a strong Christian. After three months of work between the donor and the marina, the boat was shipped 80 miles and transported to the auction yard, where it eventually sold for $2,500. This made me realize that anything could be liquidated through businesses that God has placed all over this nation. There are not many items that we turn down, and anything is worth inquiry to see about donating. If you have an item that you think could be donated to benefit charity, please go to http://www.idonate.com/ and submit your donation, give us an opportunity to serve you in your generosity!

Starwars / Battlestar Galactica / Star Trek Collections Benefit God's Work

The Gen Xers are giving! Last year I was able to liquidate not only one but two sci fi collections. One collection was almost entirely of Star Wars and was very neatly cataloged and well cared for. For the donor, it was time to simplify his life and put these items to good use and help his church.

The other donor had an equally impressive collection of Star Wars, Battlestar Gallactica, Babylon Five and Star Trek. For him, it was a matter of getting more room in his garage, and since he had been out of college for over 10 years, it was time to grow up a little as well. Between the two collections, we were able to raise about $1,500 of charitable benefit. If you have a collection that you would be willing to release for charitable benifit, go to our website, http://www.idonate.com/, and click on colletibles. We will give you instructions on how to donate.

Story Book Dolls; Collectibles Benefit a Church

A church in our area recently had a fund-raising campaign, and one of the members had saved her "Story Book Dolls" ever since she was a very young girl. Realizing that these dolls could be sold to benefit her congregation, she donated them. Carefully wrapped and cataloged, I took these dolls to a local group that specialized in selling collectibles. These dolls broght over $1,000, and they allowed this lady to give more than she could have hoped through cash giving alone. Do you have any collectibles that can be put to good use? Ask the Lord if He would be leading you to donate them to benefit ministries. Just go to our web site, http://www.idonate.com/, and read about donating collectibles and many other items that you can give.

A Box Full of Junk Jewelry

When I first began to liquidate noncash donations for Servant Christian Community Foundation www.servantchristian.com, I was presented with a very large box of costume jewelry that was left through an estate to an overseas missionary. Having served in missions nine years prior to this, I was very interested in trying to bring some valuable support to missions.

My first thought was that maybe we could get $100 for all of this junk jewelry and tried to find someone in the area that bought these types of items. I did find a place that reluctantly said that they would take a look at these items (there were about 200 pieces). As I was driving the jewelry to them, the thought occurred to me to run it by our regular jewelry buyer, and she was glad to give the items a quick glance to see if any had any gold or precious stones. The next day I got a call from her saying that they found 29 rings that had value and she would pay $800 for them; I would have never thought. I was able to sell the rest of the jewelry for $75 at a local costume jewelry outlet. It goes to show you, you never know what value your items have until you allow an expert to take a look.

If you are ever intested in donating some of your old jewelry, please go to http://www.idonate.com/ and follow the instructions and we will make arrangments to receive your donations. Our whole purpose as a ministry is to help Create a Culture of Generosity.

Antique Binicle

I visited a church one time, and as we were discussing different ways that we could help them fund thier ministries, the executive pastor of this church showed me a picture of an "Antique Binicle." To be honest, I didn't know what a binicle was, so I did some research and found out it was a shipboard compass that was formerly used on an old wooden cargo ship and there were nautical collectors who collected these types of items.

Through various sources and an extensive process, we were able to sell the binicle for around $2,500. For the church this was found money and for us, it gave us confidence that if we look hard enough, we can find buyers for almost anything!

Jane Erwin, A Sweet Blessing

Janey and I have been married almost 26 years now! Having met in high school, we were married while I was serving in the United States Marine Corp in 1982. We had a three-year honeymoon in California before returning to Arkansas after my time with the Marine Corp was completed.

Janey has allowed me to dream big, and she is always there with me. When we felt the call to full-time ministry in 1996, I left my job at the United States Postal Service and we joined Gospel for Asia http://www.gfa.org/ in Carrollton, Texas. Janey faithfully followed, sensing God's calling for our lives to reach the nations. While at GFA, Janey was a major asset to the organization, eventually heading up the Gift Entry Department that processed an average of $20 million per year in donations with the average donation being a $30 sponsorship of native missionaries.


Then the miracle of miracles happened for us in 2001 when we found out that God had given us a child that we prayed for since our marriage began in 1982. Benjamin was and is the joy of our lives and a gift from God who loves us very much.


In 2005, we were honored to move to Kansas City and begin serving at Servant Christian Community Foundation (http://www.servantchristian.com/) - but with much difficulty. Not able to sell our house in Carrollton, Texas, for two years, it cost us dearly and left us with a lot of debt. All the while, Janey has been a sweet blessing.

Now as I serve at SCCF, Janey has been working part time at Costco so that we might pay down debt and as usual has become a top employee at Costco, loved by her customers and her fellow employees. Janey has a God-given abilty to bring joy wherever she goes and God blesses the work of her hands. She is a major part in raising Benjamin to be a "Joyful Man of God," and our home is very blessed because of Janey's gentle touch. I love you, my sweet blessing.

Benjamin Erwin, A Joyful Man of God

This is Benjamin. He is almost 6 years old and a preaching machine. Ben likes to help me at work, and he does very well at his AWANA. He will be 6 in August and will officially begin 1st grade at his homeschool. Ben loves trains, running track, playing basketball, drawing pictures, and reading books.

We are looking forward to teaching Benjamin all of his subjects and especially the Word of God. One day we hope to take Benjamin to Asia, where he can see the villages that are still waiting to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a family we can help bring the blessing of God's Word to many that have not heard about our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is hope for today

Welcome to our new blog! As we serve at the ministry of Servant Christian Community Foundation (http://www.servantchristian.com/), we are often constrained by time to keep a consistent newsletter while at the same time sooo many things are happening. The vision of Servant Christian Community Foundation is to "Create a Culture of Generosity," and we are able to accomplish this task through several different means.

#1 Helping ministries process noncash donations.
#2 Setting up Donor Advised Funds within our foundation.
#3 Hosting several events each year, such as the Thurman Mitchell Leadership Awards, Generous Giving Conferences, Ministry Forums, Grant Writing Workshops, and Donor Retreats.
#4 We have completed and now are using a web portal called iDonate.com (http://www.idonate.com/) and are busy telling as many ministries as we can about this tool.