Dear Friends:
In the past, I’ve felt burdened to ask for money to keep Advance funded. Unfortunately, I have been approaching funding incorrectly. I have viewed you, our supporters, as a means to an end, the end being Advance Memphis’ existence. In doing so, I had the wrong goal in mind. Friends, the end is, and always has been, God’s kingdom. Advance Memphis is just a platform.
Over the past year, God has used Transformational Giving principles taught by Eric Foley and Dr. Larry Lloyd to change my heart and Advance Memphis’s methodology. These principles have helped me shift my vision away from a concern for ministry funds and towards a heart for each of us to carry out the work of the Lord while moving toward full maturity in Christ.
While Advance will always need money to operate, my focus is now on finding brothers and sisters who will join me in growing to maturity in Christ through Advances’ Biblical cause: ransoming the captives. There are certainly other biblical causes (works of mercy), and one way to explore these in a focused way is by reading Eric Foley’s The Whole Life Offering. At Advance Memphis, we’re focused on ransoming the captive: seeking to serve the community in 38126 by setting them free from what enslaves them--poverty and unemployment.
“Ransoming the captive means the expensive day-to-day function of redeeming, or buying back, individuals taken captive...It’s about mirroring the character of Christ to the world.” Eric Foley
In scripture, I’ve found that God invites us to join him in fighting for these causes. Isaiah 61:1 states, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."
My prayer is that our supporters will attach deeply to the work of “ransoming the captives” that is found in scripture, rather than to this organization called Advance Memphis. Advance should simply be a tool for this to occur in ALL of our lives, whether paid staff, volunteers, employers, students, or tutors.
So let’s join each other in:
- Searching scripture to see where God calls us to live out the mercy we've been shown.
- Ask ourselves how God has ransomed us.
- Ask ourselves how we can participate in ransoming the captive in Memphis.
We want you to be involved in Advance’s mission not only financially, but also with your head, hands, and heart. Please forgive me when I fail to lead us all in this, and join us in becoming owners of this cause and growing to full maturity in Christ.
Sincerely,
Steve Nash
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