Below is an open letter to our friends about NEXT Worldwide and our support-raising process. I hope you’ll read, enjoy and pray for us on this journey.
April 4, 2011
Dear Friends,
We pray this letter finds you well. It’s hard to believe we have begun the month of April! Lauren and I wanted to send our April update in a different way. As we begin our 5th month of raising support, we wanted to outline more specific details about our journey with NEXT Worldwide. Since it is difficult to meet face-to-face with all of you, we simply want to share our heart with you as we continue our ministry with NEXT.
After the initial interview with NEXT, Lauren and I believed that it was a great fit for my abilities and gifts as a minister. Their mission aligned so closely with my passion for discipleship and missions. We were really excited by how perfectly God had fit us together with NEXT Worldwide. Many of you received our initial support letter that outlined my role with NEXT, as well as our excitement about this new step in ministry.
When we began this journey, our hope was to be able to begin our work with NEXT Worldwide sometime in April or May. Over the past 6-8 weeks, I realized that God was pushing that back to later in the summer. The primary reason for this is sheer logistics. There are many aspects of NEXT’s ministry that I need to become familiar with before participating fully in a summer campaign season. If we started with them now, I would not have ample time to learn before going out this summer. By starting later in the summer, it gives me 8-10 months to observe and learn the process of building a campaign from the ground up. Since our campaigns are the primary focus of the ministry, I want to know those well.
In the midst of all of this, our support is growing and God is confirming the call to NEXT Worldwide. We are approaching 15% of our goal with several exciting opportunities ahead. We have begun talking with a few churches about partnering with them in missions and discipleship. These partnerships help churches formulate their focus on discipleship and missions without hiring a full-time staff member. In turn, the church can support us with a small monthly stipend that better fits their budget. I am very excited about partnering with the local church in this way, and I believe it will open great new opportunities for both the church and NEXT Worldwide.
As for raising support, we are still have a great need to reach our 100% goal. Many have asked how much we need and what those funds will go to. Our goal is $5700 per month. This will cover all of our monthly ministry expenses and give a salary similar to what I made as a Student Pastor. Our desire is to have 100-125 people on our supporting Ministry Team, with an average monthly gift of $45-$50. We certainly welcome larger gifts but prefer smaller, consistent gifts that fit into your monthly budget. We would love for you to be a part of that!
Lauren and I have worked alongside many of you in the local church over the years. We have had the blessing of ministering to your student and your family within that body of believers. Your tithes and offerings to the church allowed us to have that ministry together. In our ministry with NEXT, you are now investing directly in us – and through us, you will be taking the Gospel to the nations! Thank you for sharing this great challenge and opportunity with the Brittons!
Grace and peace,
Stan
For more information about NEXT Worldwide – www.nextworldwide.org
To contribute to our Ministry Support Team – www.nextworldwide.org/donate
– Fill in your contact information
– Select “I want to give to a NEXT Staff Member”
– Select “Stan Britton” from the drop-down menu
stanbritton.com 