“Stick with what I’ve called you to do at the ministry. You can’t give away money but you can give away many other material things to people and churches that could really use them.” God then began to lay out a strategic plan to set up a scholarship fund through our blog community to donate materials (books, CD’s, DVD’s, and event tickets) to those whom God directs. LPM has always actively donated, but setting up a fund like this would greatly enhance what we’re able to give and also add a fabulous dimension to our community.
I immediately went to Linda, our LPM accountant, told her the vision as I understood it from God and asked her if it would work. She gave it a thumbs-up and began setting up the system and, as of right now, it is up and running. Here’s how it will work: We will now have a way for any of you Siestas who are not as financially strapped to give any amount of money the Lord directs to what will now be called “The Siesta Scholarship Fund.” Girlfriend, it can be $5 and we’d be thrilled! Your Siesta Mama is going to put up or shut up, so I want you to know that I brought my checkbook from home and, with great joy, am making the very first ever donation, $1,000, to our new scholarship fund. In fact, let me stop right now and write the check.
OK, it’s written. If you also want to write a check (for any amount, of course), you’ll make it out to Living Proof Ministries just like I did, but you absolutely must designate “Siesta Scholarship Fund” in the memo so they’ll know where to put it.
Mail it to:
Living Proof Ministries
12131 Malcomson Road
Houston, Texas 77070
You can also make a donation to the fund online by using this link below. When given the option in the online form, please designate it “In honor of The Siesta Scholarship Fund.”
I give you my word that these donations (whether by check or online by charge) will only be used for the expressed purpose of giving away materials. I also want you to know that we will always tell the recipients that they have received them as a gift from the LPM Siesta Blog Community.
With these donations, Living Proof will then begin appropriating materials for priority needs that hit the ministry. This is where I really need your understanding. This scholarship fund would not just be by Siestas for Siestas. It would be by Siestas for anyone at the discretion of our ministry based on the needs that we encounter. I fear that if we limited our donations only to Siestas, it could open the door to all manner of challenges (like how we’d choose between one and another) and, worse yet, it could skew our pure-hearted motives and purposes here on the blog. The purpose of our fellowship here needs to remain what it has been from the start: encouragement to walk faithfully and authentically with our Lord Jesus Christ. We have requests for materials and tickets constantly from people in need and, if you’d be willing to trust our discretion, I promise you we will seek the Lord’s direction. We will also make available a report of our ingoing and outgoing donations periodically so you can see for yourself how the money is being handled.
This is a great time for me to tell you that we work very hard at Living Proof Ministries to maintain the utmost financial accountability and, it you glance at our home page, you’ll see our “ECFA Member” seal (Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability). If you give that website a glance, you’ll know that we have to maintain the utmost standards (including an annual audit) to keep that coveted seal.
OK, here’s what I want to do today as a way to launch a spirit of giving in our blog community. In lieu of comments, if you know of a mission church or a small or struggling church that could really use a set of Bible study DVD’s, please post their name and mailing address as your response to this post. (Continental USA addresses please to keep shipping costs from becoming astronomical.) 48 hours after I run this post, we will do a drawing to give away 5 full DVD sets. These will be gifts from LPM and the cost will not be subtracted from our Siesta Scholarship Fund. We’ll then post the 5 winners and send the sets on their way in your honor. I will have a cute card prepared for all materials that go out in your honor and from the scholarships you make possible. I am so excited about this!
Now, listen here. We expect to have this blog and this scholarship fund for years to come SO if you can’t give a single dollar toward it right now, don’t you feel the least bit guilty. I don’t want a single person feeling under compulsion. God wants us to give cheerfully. Even with outright hilarity! So do not give a dime you are not free and thrilled to give. This is the time for those of us not suffering financially to take up the slack for those of us who are. We love all of you so much. Never feel condemned or pressured here.
I can’t wait to share an update with you! I’ll give it about a week and let you know what’s been given so far.
Lord, do Your thing! Edify Your Church and glorify Your great Name!
I would really like to add
Christ Community Baptist Church
P.O. Box 436 Flint, MI 48502
Thanks Thomas K.
Beth,
What an awesome idea! I want in! This church would love to share resources from LPL:
Ark of Mercy
240 Winn Avenue
Winchester, KY 40391
My husband has been youth pastor at this small, country church for the past 11 months. Amazing how God is moving! They have no ladies Bible studies so far and we have been praying on how to get this implemented and into actuality over the next few months. It truly is our honor to serve our LORD!
Calvary Baptist Church
2255 East Ridge Road
Salisbury, NC 28144
Kim Lambeth
This is such GOD timing, Friday night I was watching 20/20 about the Appalachian communities, and at one point they were in a church and their tithe for the week was $1.85. And I thought those people could use one of Beth’s bible studies. Those folks could use a good dose of hope. Here is the name of the group.
Christian Appalachian Project.
Thanks so much!
Tracey
Athens, GA
Long Avenue Baptist Church
Port St. Joe, FL 32456
This is a great idea and wonderful new ministry.
Journey
PO Box 84
Union Ky 41091
http://www.journeyky.org
Great Idea!!!! Can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store.
Christ Community Baptist Church
P.O. Box 436 Flint, MI 48502.
Christ Community Baptist Church
P.O. Box 436 Flint, MI 48502.
Beth–a truly God given idea. These ladies love to study the Word. I studied with them for 2 years before I moved away.
Shenandoah Baptist Church
7308 Pershing Ave.
Orlando, FL 32822
I would like to nominate Connect Church in Bothell, WA. They are a new church plant int the Seattle area. This area is less than 2% professing evangelical Christians, which is lower than most countries in the Middle East. The pastor is Dale Braswell, and the worship pastor is Brady Anderson, my brother, who both grew up in our church FBC Mansfield, TX. They are currently doing home groups but hope to start regular worship services in the spring meeting in a local school. The mailing address is:
Connect Church
2020 Maltby Rd #7147
Bothell, WA 98021
Thank you!
I would like to nominate a church in Mexico! I have a friend who is involved in women’s ministry there!
Iglesia de Cristo
Colonia Jardines de San Rafael
that is in Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, (Monterrey)
The U.S. postal address is…
Anita Pacheco
411 So. 12th St. # 1121
McAllen, TX 78501
Thank you so much for serving in this way!
Against the Grain
P.O. Box 809
Franklin, TN 37064
Beth, This is a wonderful idea! I was also wondering if there would ever be a way that siestas traveling to Living Proof Live events could come a day early and do some type of mission work in the community they’re traveling to? Just something I believe the Lord has put on my heart. Also, here’s some news I thought was exciting. We’re getting ready to do the Esther Bible study at my church. We showed the intro during the Sunday am worship service so we could have those interested sign up. Our pastor said that it looked so good, he wished he could do it. I said, I’d love to have men come, and that we’d make them feel welcome. At the end of the service, I had a man come up to me and say, I believe I’ll do that study. He then said, I’m going to talk to Pastor and see if he wants to do it with me. Praise God, he and the pastor have signed up! Pray God will bless these men who hunger for more of God’s Word! Have a great day! –Cheryl H., Huntington, WV
Wow! Thank you Lord!
I am excited to be part of this ministry.
It’s a little white one room church on a hill…
Carlos Missionary Baptist Church
Highway 30
Carlos, TX 77830
Your giving heart inspires many, especially me this day!
Cowboy Church of San Angelo
4001 N. Chadbourne St
San Angelo TX 76903
Mailing Address
Cowboy Church of San Angelo
PO Box 3094
San Angelo TX 76902
Contact Number
Shirley Barrett 325-277-5202
Christ Community Baptist Church
P.O. Box 436 Flint, MI 48502.
Great place.
Hopedale Church of Christ
329 High Street
Hopedale, OH 43976
Thank you for doing this!
I would like to submit Grace Evangelical Free Church for a Bible Study DVD set scholarship. This church has gone through a really tough struggle over the past 2 years with key leadership leaving several times. They now have a solid leader and are growing stronger. The women love Beth Moore Bible studies but often do the workbooks only because they can’t afford the DVD set. Here is their contact information:
Grace Evangelical Free Church
Pastor Garry Zeek
6716 Live Oak Drive
Kelseyville, CA
707-279-8448
http://www.gracechurchkelseyville.org
Great idea. Could you consider giving some to some libaries? I go to a mega church which is not hurting for money. They have 3 Beth Moore Bible Studies going on right now through the church. The problem is we have to pay $60 plus buy the book. So many of can’t afford that and we don’t want to go ask to attend for free even though we know they are just making profit. Just a thought.
JW
I would like to suggest the ladies serving in Nairobi Kenya with Africa Inland Mission. They will share it with other missions as well.
Africa Inland Mission
c/o Linda Stiansan
PO Box 178
Pearl River NY 10965
What an awesome concept and it will truly glorify His name!
I would like to nominate a small church tucked away in the mountains of North Carolina:
Lily Branch Baptist Church
3125 Snow Creek Road
Bakersville, N.C. 28705
Sara Powell
Neat idea! Our pastor from a church we attended several years ago is a church planter in the Seattle, WA area. They’ve been there 7 or 8 years now and I know they could use those resources. They were such a blessing to me as I was growing in Christ.
Their info:
Brent and Melodye Reeves
RiverChase Church Orting
Ptarmigan Ridge School (this is where they meet, but not their address)
P.O. Box 1902
Orting, WA 98360
Phone: 360.893.0738
E-mail:[email protected]
I would like to nominate
Centereach Bible Church
170 North Coleman Road
Centereach, New York 11720
Pastor Scott Kraniak
Woman’s Ministry
220 West Lawrence
Tribune, KS 67879
Melodie Rauch
Sweet Beth:
You are a petite little thing, and 99.99 percent of you is HEART!
This is awesome!
Love you,
GJ
Beth…great idea or should I say God, great idea! I know this came from God and I commend you for being obedient.
Barbara, Katy- Texas
Oh and I will definitely, immediately pass this on to my godly girlfriends that do have some to spare.
Barbara Katy-TX
A.K.A. The Mountaineer in Texas
Calvary Baptist Church
c/o Pastor Brian Drury
71 Buck St.
Canton, NY 13617
If it’s not too late, I’d like to enter the
NAVO CHURCH
Pastor Bryan Fowler
630 East Lake Drive
Decatur, Ga 30030
http://www.navochurch.com
My heart just about burst out of my chest and tears are about to flow as I read this post!!
Living Proof Ministries and Beth’s studies have done amazing things by the Holy Spirit for my Christian walk. Right now I am going through Believing God and my faith is changing in a way that I did not think possible. God is revealing Himself to me in ways that I cannot comprehend (even having visions which are a bit out of the ordinary – no not a bit – VERY out of the ordinary. One happened in church and I almost passed out – imagine my fear that I’d get another one that would actually produce that -passing out- my Presbyterian friends might gasp. I am way off topic. Let me go on!).
Anyhow, I am so very, very excited about this fund. I am going to get down on my knees and seek the Lord’s guidance on this one. I would be so grateful to be able to be a small part of blessing other women (even men!) with the studies, talks, LPLs, etc.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving us a way to bless someone else in such a very specific way.
Blessings,
Laura P.
Pleasant Hill, CA
St. Francis of Assissi Catholic Church
22nd Street
Riviera Beach, FL 33407
I nominate our missions ministries. We’ve bought your materials in the past to teach to the ladies (and men) in Ukraine, but haven’t been able to buy anything in a long time due to the lack of funds! Thank you for establishing this! How amazing our God is, and how great He is to provide for us to keep ministering!
Covenant Life Ministries
PO Box 2972
Statesboro, GA 30459-2972
I nominate…
Covenant Life Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 2972
Statesboro, GA 30459-2972
We have used as many of your materials as possible in teaching in our missions trips to Ukraine, but we haven’t been able to purchase anything new to use due to the lack of funds available. Thank you for providing a way for those of us who are still in small beginnings to take great material to those who need it so badly.
Blessings always,
Lyne
PORTICO CHURCH
201 Monticello Ave.
Charlottesville, VA 22902
http://www.porticocville.org
I don’t know if this is too late for this drawing, but I thought I would still add it!
Clare Christ Fellowship
3260 E. Colonville Rd
Clare, Mi 48617
This is such a great idea! ~Valerie
you’ve probably already done the drawing, but here goes:
Summit Church
590 W. High St.
Cary, NC 27513
Pioneer Baptist Church
2155 Buffalo Road
Woodville, MS 39669
Baptist Fellowship
195 Rte. 6
Columbia, CT 06237
I would like to nominate them for a ladies bible study of any kind.
Bless your heart ladies!
There is a great group in Jellico, Tennesee that is changing lives with their celebrate recovery program. There are a lot of young moms in the church that would benefit from LPM materials.
It could be mailed to
Donna Meeks
185 Baker Street
Jellico, TN 37762
What an awesome blessing.
I would like to nominate:
Oasis Church (new plant, launch day Easter Sunday 2009)
Pastor George B. Rose
345 Blackhawke Dr
Lynchburg, VA 24502
I am unable to give presently, but will DEFINATELY give soon.
I so love this blog and having for the first time been memorizing scripture every two weeks.
Mally
Easton Baptist Church
197 Bay Road
Easton, MA 02356
EBC is a small New England church that faces all the problems that New England churches have. We recently started a women’s minsitry and are seeing women starting to come alive in doing in-depth study. There is little or no money left to buy any more studies for a while.
The pastor’s name is Bob Sheldon.
God bless you,
A Fellow Servant
What an incredible idea! i did my first “beth moore study” Believing God, while i was serving as a missionary in east asia. they had brought in a bunch of materials to our conference in thailand that we could buy for seriously reduced rates. it was to date the most profound study i’ve ever done! and i’ve been hooked ever since!
praying that there are thousands of stories just like mine.
First Baptist Church of Dawes
3941 Dawes Rd
Mobile, AL 36695
This is a small church who loves the Lord – they have been met with many difficulties in finding the right man of God to lead them, and are struggling financially. Any donations of any form would be put to GREAT use! Other than youth programs, Sunday School, and regular worship services, there are no established Bible Studies at all – for any age group.
Northshore Church
PO Box 2369
Slidell, LA 70459
This church is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Having met in numerous places since the storm, they just closed on a building. The women’s ministry is growing exponentially in spite of the hard times. They have a small budget, but any materials would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for doing this! Orange Hill Baptist Church, 4293 austell Rd., Austell, GA 30106
Our church has been struggling for a while now financially, but our hearts our big and our love for God is bigger! Our women’s ministry to trying to get started again and we would enjoy so much receiving your bible studies to enhance our new women’s groups. Thank you so much!
Beth,
The Lord spoke to me a couple of weeks ago to give to LPM. You do so much for us, there is no question that we need to give back. I wanted to ask the Siestas to give to the ministry but did not want to overstep my bondaries, so I am excited about the scholarship fund. If all of us who participate in the memory verse sent $1..what a great beginning! Count me in!
Angela
Mansfield, TX
I don’t know if I am too late, but a sister in Christ has moved with her husband to be missionaries at Ugandan Christian University in Mukono, Uganda. I know that she would love any bible study materials and would share them with sisters over in Uganda. Her name is Mary Jane Dennison (complete with Charlotte, 7. David 5 and Robert 1.5 – talk about moving in faith!!)
I can get the materials to her – in fact if she won, her husband will be in DC in march and we could get them to him then. My name is Susan Moore (I go as Susan in Savannah on some posts – and am the one who bakes French tarts!)
The address is 205 Wiley Bottom Rd, Savannah Ga. 31411. Heres hoping!
This is such an amazing idea. Is there any way we could get a button to put on our blogs advertising this? I would make one, but that would be way over my techy head.