As 2019 draws to a close, I can only look back on the first year of Onward in the Faith with a mix of gratitude and amazement. God has been so good in letting me serve His people every week, and I entered into this blogging ministry feeling sure I’d be content to glorify Him by my family and close friends reading one or two articles each week. And I was thrilled to serve Christ in that way. Instead, the more I walked in prayer and obedience, the more people He chose to challenge and encourage. Whether this ministry continues to grow or stays where it is, I can’t wait to see what our Lord has in store next year.
I’d like to encourage my readers to prayerfully consider supporting this ministry in 2020. You can support me each month through Patreon, or through a one-time donation. Both can be done by clicking here.
As you pray, I’d like to share three benefits of partnering with this ministry, and one important reason why you shouldn’t.
#1 It’s encouraging
Based on the very kind comments I frequently receive, this blog is unique in that it tackles big topics, but explains them in a way that lets everyone understand them. Creating articles like this can sometimes be exhausting (especially when the Jehovah’s Witness series took me 20+ hours!), but it’s where God has called me and I do it with great joy. However, there is certainly a great deal of work involved.
Each article I write takes me at least 2 hours of work. Yet from that time investment, my readers can get a solid understanding of a topic. I don’t just want to introduce an idea or give a simple thought – I want people to understand why something is worth believing so they can either defend it themselves or be encouraged to figure out why they disagree. Either way, Christ is glorified as we seek Him with our hearts and minds.
By financially supporting this ministry, you show that you not only believe in what I’m doing but want to support the time and expenses involved in maintaining and growing it. It’s one way to say that you appreciate the hours I put in each week to serve God’s people, and reciprocating the blessing it’s been to you. It’s not the only way to support this ministry or encourage me personally, but it’s certainly an option.
#2 It will help this ministry reach more people
Once readers donated enough to help me cover my monthly expenses, I was able to start advertising on social media. That has allowed me to not only encourage more people directly, but also encourage the people close to them as they share the articles that matter to them. As my donations increase, so will the reach of this ministry.
#3 You can choose future articles
These articles have 2 things in common:
- “Jesus Is King” – Thoughts on Kanye West and His New Album
- What Happens to People Who Never Hear the Gospel?
- Bethel Church and Tested Faith – Thoughts on the Recent Tragedy at a Controversial Church
- The Bible’s Rules for the Bedroom
First, as you may have guessed, they were all topics chosen by specific Patreon donors who gave at least $15 in one month. However, these are also the articles that received some of the greatest feedback (with the Bethel Church article getting over 1,300 views).
I’m convinced these do so well because it’s what people are curious about. My supporters not only help encourage me and keep the lights on, but they make sure I’m always talking about things everyone cares about. If you take the opportunity to support this ministry, you can have a say in my monthly topics.
Why you shouldn’t support this ministry
I hope my regular readers are willing to take this to prayer. Your support won’t be what makes this ministry sink or swim. This is God’s ministry, and all any of us can do is be faithful with what He’s given us. We know that He often uses regular people to produce extraordinary results.
After prayer, please don’t support this ministry if you don’t feel God leading you to do so. I don’t ask for money because I need it, but because I know people want an opportunity to support what they believe in. I know God will use His people to keep this blog growing, reaching more people, and bringing ultimate glory to Jesus Christ. Whether it’s through my own pocket or the generous donations of God’s people, I will continue this ministry as long as God allows me to do so.
So if He leads you to give, then give out of faithfulness and obedience to Him. If He doesn’t lead you to give, then please don’t.
You can click this link to learn more about regular and one-time donations.
But whether or not you support me financially, I hope you’ll all support me in prayer. The biggest budget in the world will mean very little if Christ isn’t central to everything I do. In the year 2020, my greatest hope is that I continue encouraging God’s people to keep moving onward in the faith toward maturity in Christ.
