International (MNN) — Have you ever wondered how a ministry
gets it all done? Between doing the work
they actually are CALLED to do, raising the money to support teams on the field, and generating new projects,
it's easy to see that it doesn't all get done.
This is why the "Giving of Life" campaign came into being.
There's so much pressure involved in sharing the hope of the Gospel, that sometimes
there's interference with their message. Problem: lack of funding, which leads to distraction of the message. Solution: provide a grant to take one more
distraction off the table.
The group behind the first-ever "Giving of Life" grant award
wanted to simplify the grant approach to help resource, but that led to the new
problem of whom to choose. There are thousands
of mission groups to choose from. Some need more help than others, and each one seems
as worthy as the next.
So, they hit upon a new idea: let the groups tell their own
stories and let the response be a measure of engagement. Agencies that wanted to participate in the
project sent in a profile about themselves and told their story.
Orphan Outreach is one of the groups vying for a grant
award. Orphan Outreach's Amy Norton
says, "We have so many projects
that we are literally waiting to fund: schools for orphan children, helping
our graduates in Russia who so desperately need help. We're able to serve so
many more if we just have the resources. We're only limited by our
resources."
Orphan Outreach aims to equip each child for a fulfilling
independent Christian life in their community as they provide education, sponsorships,
care for orphans and other vulnerable children in the countries where they
work.
Orphan Outreach develops long-term relationships through local
church bodies, and together, they seek to change a community from within. Norton explains, "All of our staff are
Christians, so each and every moment that they're with these children–whether
it be in the orphanage, an orphan graduate, a feeding center, or in a
school–they are Christian staff who pour the life and hope of
Christinto these kids who really have
no hope."
For many with whom Orphan Outreach works in Guatemala, Honduras, India,
Latvia and Russia, hope is a new thing and love seems unattainable. As Orphan Outreach enters an area, they
introduce both hope and love to the kids, and they're seeing response. Growth is coming–and fast. "We are just
so hopeful that we are able to continue to support the programs we have.
But if we were able to depend on other funding, we could expand our ministry to
serve more, to feed more, to educate more, to evangelize more."
While their work is attractive, not everyone knows who
Orphan Outreach is. By participating in "Giving of Life," they are meeting new friends. For those whose passion is
sharing the hope of Christ, they can get to know groups like Orphan Outreach by
hearing them tell their own story.
Then it's easy. Vote for the group that resonates most with
you, as a participant. The votes will
narrow down the field to the top 50 ministries.
But be quick. Voting ends on Friday,
November 04 at 5:00 p.m. EST.
In the end, "Giving of Life" a
panel of judges will make a final decision on which ministries receive one of the 20
sizeable grants (up to $50,000, based on the votes they receive online). "Our goal is for people to go to our Web site and see "Giving of Life," and click on it and vote. It's that easy. It
literally takes about two minutes."
