The Faith Promise dollars at our church go to fund specific missions efforts both locally and abroad. The current every-month causes funded by the Faith Promise Fund are:
Word Partners:
The mission of Word Partners is to equip and encourage pastors around the world to teach God’s Word with God’s heart. Their goal is to Launch Pastoral Training Movements Worldwide. Their strategy is called TNT - Training National Trainers. They equip and mentor small groups of pastoral leaders who then train others as well, targeting areas of the world where rapid church growth is outpacing the development of leaders.
The training is narrowly focused on:
The Word of God (skills to study, teach and preach)
The Heart of God (attitudes that shape a biblical understanding of ministry)
A typical TNT project takes four years, involving two weeks of in-depth training each year. These pastoral leaders (TNTers), in turn, equip and mentor other groups of pastors and church leaders, a 2nd generation. This approach enables LRI to achieve both depth through an ongoing mentoring strategy and breadth through a "large numbers"- multiplication strategy. Check out their website at wordpartners.org.
Brother Bob's Outreach:
In response to the Lord's commission, Brother Bob's Outreach (BBO) is a pioneering and innovative Christian prison ministry whose staff and volunteers have numbered in the hundreds during its years of service in Wisconsin. While an independent Bible teaching ministry, it has involved churches and Christ-centered denominations across Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area and has been increasingly doing so since the mid 80s. It expanded to the Philippines in September of 2002.
BBO's focus remains on lovingly teaching the uncompromising Word of God in an eclectic setting, both secular and church denominational that stretches on a continuum from non-believers and sects to the more traditionally accepted cross-section of main-line denominations—both new world and old—all while trusting in the power of God's Word and his Spirit.
The primary ministry vehicle is Bible teaching accomplished in on-site interactive Bible Study settings, with special occasion worship services (when allowed) and some one-on-one mentoring when specific needs apply. A Wisconsin spin-off sports ministry, inmate correspondence and prayer support involving groups and individuals are all designed to actively attract both regular and "non-prison attending" volunteers.
The Philippine agenda is much more centrally focused on the teaching of basic Christianity in the face of old world religions, superstitions and traditions.
Our Faith Promise support to BBO is divided between the Wisconsin and Philippine outreaches.
Supplementary programs, derived out of donations apart from any budgetary agenda, meet inmate (and occasionally their families) needs for food, clothing, bedding and over-the-counter medications which have been added since BBO's expansion into the Orient. Filipino supplemental efforts include attention to the locally poor and needy, primarily in the way of food and now some used clothing. That part of the Philippine effort has been funded primarily from caring individuals—most of whom are members of our church (through donations marked Brother Bob Benevolent Fund).
The Union:
The Union youth center opens its doors each week to Waupun area youth, providing them with a safe place to be. More importantly, they have a chance to build relationships with caring Christian adults who seek to share the gospel with them. Because of this outreach to students, area youth have a chance to hear the gospel message—many of them for the first time. Considering the vast numbers of young people who no longer have any church involvement at all, The Union has truly become a mission outreach and offers each of us the opportunity to be a missionary right here in our own town.
Youth for Christ (Scott Ritzema):
As a missionary with Youth for Christ/Campus Life, Scott reaches out to the vast number of students in the area who don’t know the Lord, and have limited church involvement. Some of this outreach takes place at The Union Youth Center, and also includes involvement at the Waupun & Laconia High schools—at games, practices, and activities. Scott immerses himself in the culture of today’s teenager—seeking to build relationships with them and sharing with them the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
Open Hands for the Fatherless:
OH4F, Inc is a nonprofit organization that is called to provide a Christian-based education to children in Myan, Haiti, who otherwise would not have the resources to attend a school.
Other causes regularly funded by the Faith Promise Fund include:
Cadets:
Cadets is a mentoring program where Christian men help boys become more Christ-like in all areas of life. Cadet meetings are open to 4th-8th grade boys from the church and community and includes lots of things: discovering what God's Word has to say about the things you do every day, activities, badge work (and games).
GEMS:
GEMS (Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior) seeks to equip women and girls to live radically faithful lives--doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. The purpose of GEMS Girls' clubs is to bring girls into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. To help foster this all-important relationship between each girl and Christ, other relationships are nurtured as well--between girls and between girls and their counselor (leader).
Friendship Bible Study:
Friendship Bible Study ministers to mentally and physically challenged individuals. Connections is a group for higher functioning adults. Persons from any denomination as well as those who are not members of a church are welcome.