You’ve read the journey thus far. I hope that you have experienced some of the thoughts and emotions that have brought us to this point. Many of you have prayed for clarity and wisdom and I ask that you continue those prayers. For all we have experienced, it is much like the iceberg picture in the first post. There is so much more to learn and experience.
Right now, I am very much in a transition phase. This is one of the most difficult transitions I’ve ever been a part of. Trying to work a full-time job while gaining momentum for another has been extremely difficult. Lauren and I believe that God has brought us to this point in the story and that He is not finished yet. He is completely in control, as He always has been and ultimately, we trust Him.
I am so excited about a new ministry with NEXT Worldwide. I have told several people that this is my dream job. It combines the things about which I am most passionate in ministry (discipleship and missions). My day-to-day job will be to impact the lives of high school and college students and to make a difference in the world by helping to plant churches. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do. When I moved to a new church or started a new ministry before, I was excited about the job and what we would be doing. There was joy in it. This new ministry, however, is exciting because it is exactly what I would choose to do. If I could create a “perfect scenario” for me, this is it – NEXT Worldwide. The mission to impact students and plant churches is so exciting to me and I can’t wait to be a part of it every day.
So, what’s the plan? Where are we going from here? In short, NEXT Worldwide is a support-based organization. Much like Compassion International or World Vision, we depend on the donations and gifts of others to support our ministry. We have to build a team of people to support us financially. It’s not an easy task and I take it very seriously. This is more than just people praying for a fruitful ministry. It is people committing to be the catalyst for ministry. Without a support team, we can’t do the work.
Lauren and I have crunched our budget and looked at what it costs to support our family annually. We are praying for 100-125 people who would commit to $35-$50 per month. Lauren works outside the home so we take that into consideration as well. With the larger figure, it would allow her to stay home with our boys more frequently. That is our ultimate goal and we will build up to that eventually.
As of today, we have raised nearly 11% of our support goal. We are excited about what the Lord has provided and so grateful to those who have partnered with us. Our hope is to build a ministry team that not only allows us to take the Gospel around the world, but that we can serve you and your family when you have needs. We want to celebrate and rejoice with you in good times and be a support in tough times. Our prayer is that this would be a mutual ministry partnership both for us and for your family.
You are a blessing to me and my family. Thanks for reading through the journey so far. I’ll be providing updates as this story continues. I am grateful for you!
If you would like more information about NEXT Worldwide, click here
If you wish to partner with us financially, all gifts are 100% tax-deductible. You can contribute by going to the link below and selecting, “I’d like to give to a NEXT Staff member.” Click here to contribute.
For testimonies about NEXT and a list of partnering churches, click here
grace and peace,
stan
Part 5 – Why?
Part 4 – What is NEXT Worldwide?
Part 3 – Costa Rica
Part 2 – Out on Faith
Part 1 – Where It All Started
More about NEXT Worldwide
stanbritton.com 