Missionary allowances are based on the size of missionary families. There is no distinction between evangelists and doctors, or between a missionary with 30 years of service and another who has just begun. We do not attempt to compensate our missionaries based on particular services rendered. We think of our missionaries as “kingdom volunteers.” Our allowance structure is an attempt to provide enough to enable each one to “volunteer.” Our legal relationship, of course, is that of “employer and employee.” But the philosophy behind the structure is something simpler: we hope to pay our missionaries enough so that they will be able to devote themselves full-time to their ministries.

With that in mind, we provide housing for all of our missionaries. In addition to housing, missionaries receive a monthly allowance based on the size of their families. A single missionary requires less to meet his or her daily needs than a family of four. We pay one amount for a single missionary, another amount for a married couple, and a little bit more for each child in the family.

Our Home Council reviews allowances every year and adjusts the figures as necessary. Historically, we have adjusted allowances every two to four years by an amount roughly equal to inflation. That is what just occurred last month. The Home Council increased allowances by about 10 percent across the board – the first adjustment since January of 2005. Costs of living around the world have increased significantly since our last adjustment more than three years ago. The time seemed right for an increment.

Some may think it unusual that we increase allowances when the economy is seemingly headed for a recession. But considering our philosophy, increase in the cost of living and decrease in the value of the dollar, we believe that the time is right. We trust that God will provide!

Thank you for your ongoing support of this ministry. It is your prayers and financial support that enable our missionaries to “volunteer” here at home and around the world.

Missionaries have unique sets of experiences and skills. In our own Prayer League fellowship, we must have a great number of people who understand the abilities and skills that a returning missionary can bring to the work force. We must also have praying partners who are aware of opportunities for employment that match the skills and abilities of returning missionaries. This month I am inviting readers to sign up for an email list that will be used for connecting missionaries who are transitioning to the U.S. with praying partners who may be aware of opportunities that could be helpful to that missionary.

The way it will work is this: When one of our missionaries returns to life in the U.S., I will ask them to let me know what sort of work they will be looking for and give them an opportunity to make their desires and qualifications known to the email list recipients. I will then send an email to the entire list with this information as well as information concerning how to contact the missionary. If you receive these emails and know of an opportunity that might fit the need, you will be able to contact the missionary directly and let them know of the potential opportunity. I imagine that the number one goal will be to help missionaries locate employment upon their return from overseas assignment. But there may be other practical needs that would be appropriate for the list as well.

I believe that having a large number of people willing to receive such an email would prove to be helpful and wonderfully encouraging to our missionaries returning from overseas assignment. If you are willing to be a part of this email list please send me an email at jdahl@wmpl.org. Put “returning missionary email list” in the subject line and I will add your name to the list.
Thank you for all of your support! And thank you for considering helping in this way.

Before Elycia entered college she already knew that God was calling her to serve him in missions. With this in mind, she chose accounting as her major at Northwestern College. Elycia had heard that accounting was a needed skill for many missions and mission fields. Accounting also suited her own interests. So Elycia pursued a degree in accounting, feeling that God was calling her to full-time missionary service for many years to come. His call came to her in large part through multiple experiences in short-term missions in Mexico and India. Elycia believes that God has called her to serve him overseas after her time with the home staff.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with Elycia. I believe that God has sent her at just the right time. With Elycia handling many of the accounting responsibilities in the business office, I will now concentrate my efforts on financial policies and longer-term projects. The addition of Elycia will give us the ability to do the day-to-day work of the business office better – and to accomplish new things that were not previously possible.

Elycia can be contacted by email at ebroden@wmpl.org.

The Bible teaches us that gospel servants “deserve their wages.” In the World Mission Prayer League our “wages” come from missionary support funds. These are not, of course, “salaries for services rendered.” They are free-will donations from praying friends that enable our missionary family to carry on in seventeen countries around the world. Last year over 45% of all donations were designated for missionary support funds. This month I thought it would be interesting to give a brief explanation on these funds are used.

The first thing to point out is that each of our missionary units has its own designated “support fund.” Gifts contributed to that fund are used entirely for the support of that missionary. They are not used to pay for things like office supplies or utilities here in the home office. If a support fund has more than is needed in a particular month, the balance is held over to be used in subsequent months for that same designated family.

The first and most obvious use of these funds is for paying missionary allowance. Some may think that support funds are used exclusively for allowances but in reality only about 60 percent of support gifts end up in a missionary’s monthly paycheck. This is because there are other expenses that are directly related to supporting a missionary – such as health insurance, housing, and retirement plan contributions. Roughly 35 percent of support gifts are used to pay for these. The remaining 5 percent covers a few other minor items, such as a modest term-life insurance policy, emergency evacuation insurance, social security taxes, and certain field expenses that are common to the entire field where a missionary is assigned.

A donation to the support fund of one of our missionaries is indeed used to support that missionary. Without these generous donations it would not be possible to “pay our workers the wages they deserve.” Of course, support funds are not always sufficient to meet all of our support needs. When support funds fall short, we attempt to make up the difference with undesignated general fund contributions. Thank you for your generous support!

Early in the morning this past Valentine’s day I gave my youngest son a large chocolate bar along with a little card. David was visibly happy to receive the gift. Later that day when I returned home from work David presented me with a Valentine. It was a card and a portion of the same chocolate bar that I had given to him earlier that morning.

It gave me a deep sense of joy and satisfaction to receive the gift from him. In our world, giving a gift that you have yourself previously received is frowned on. We feel that it may indicate that the gift was not appreciated in the first place, or that it lacks a personal touch. But this is not the case in a father and child relationship. I knew for certain that David loved the gift that I had given to him. And he knew that the chocolate bar was something that I enjoy also. So David, out of his limited resources, gave back to me something that was dear to him as an expression of his love. It was a great gift. 

This is how it is with the relationship between God and his children. In reality everything that we possess is given to us by God. After receiving my gift from David I think I can better understand how it must please God when we take the treasured things that he has given to us and return a portion of them back to him. Incidentally, I weighed the part of the chocolate bar that David had given back to me and found that it was just about one tenth of the original bar I had given to him.

Just as I did not need a portion of David’s chocolate bar, neither does God need our tithes and offerings. Jesus told the Israelites that God could raise up children of Abraham out of stones. I suppose God could also raise up financial resources and volunteer workers for his church whenever he pleases. God is not dependent on our gifts, but they are pleasing to him. God’s kingdom and church will prevail with or without our gifts but it must fill him with joy when we give back to him – joyfully as an expression of love and thankfulness.

The program has been a tremendous blessing for hundreds of Lutheran charities across the nation. It has been a blessing for the Prayer League as well. In 2007 Thrivent had $27.5 million available to give away, and gave away almost all of it. The amount targeted in 2008 is again set at $27.5 million.

For our part, we received $45,800 through this program. This was an increase of 16% over the previous year in spite of the fact that Thrivent tightened restrictions on how donors could participate. Until 2007 any member of Thrivent could participate in the program. Beginning last year only individuals who own Thrivent Mutual Fund accounts or Thrivent Life Insurance Company products were eligible. In spite of the changes, 222 Prayer League donors participated – up from 190 in 2006.

We hope to build participation in this supplemental gift program during the year 2008. If you participated last year you will receive a thank you letter with another gift form enclosed sometime soon. If you have not participated in the past please consider doing so this year. This is a simple way to stretch your donation a little bit further. All you need to do is complete the “GivingPlus® Gift Form” and send it to WMPL. Thrivent will then supplement your gift by $1 for every $2 that you contribute, up to a maximum of $300 for the year.

You can learn more about the program on the web at <http://wmpl.org>. Click on the “Business Office” tab at the top of the page, and then on the “Matching Gift Form and Information” box on the navigation bar on the left side of the page. You will find more information about the program as well as a link to the member gift form necessary to apply for matching gifts. Member gift forms should be submitted to WMPL for processing and not to Thrivent.

You can also contact me for more information or to request a member gift form. Give me a call at <612-871-6843> or drop me a line at <jdahl@wmpl.org>.

God did indeed meet all of our needs last year! Financial activity, I realize, is only a part of the picture, but this is the realm that I work with. And I see that God was at work here, too. We received over 2.4 million dollars in donations during the year – an increase of 9 percent over 2006. These donations represent hard-earned dollars given sacrificially, and given for the sake of the kingdom. We appreciate every donation. And we pledge to use every donation in a way that pleases God, as best we can.

Although God never changes and many things stay the same, the world we live in is ever changing. The past few years, retirement and health care have been concerns for the Prayer League. We have made recent changes in each area.

In 2007 we changed our retirement plan to allow all WMPL missionaries to take advantage of a new Roth 403(B) retirement account. This plan has tax advantages that could be especially advantageous to missionaries. In 2008 we changed our health plan from a low-deductible plan to a high-deductible plan accompanied by a Health Savings Account (HSA). This health plan change has only been implemented for our home staff. The pension plan we hope will provide for a better retirement with minimum increase in costs. The new health plan we expect will save us money while not putting extra financial burden on our home staff.

So 2007 was the same for us in many ways. But circumstances around us continually change – and we attempt to make appropriate changes, too, using the precious resources that God has entrusted us with wisdom and integrity. All of this is driven by the mission that God has given to us: to love him and to serve him, and to bring the gospel to areas where it is little known. Thank you for your part in our fellowship.

On November 15th Cyclone Sidr struck the south coast of Bangladesh. The region hit by the cyclone was still recovering from summer floods when Sidr came ashore. At this moment the official death toll is just under 3,000 people. In addition more than 6 million people are said to have been heavily affected by the cyclone.

In the aftermath of the disaster millions of those who survived now find themselves without food, shelter, or even income. Residents of the affected area are fisherman and farmers. Both industries were crippled as the storm washed away crops that were nearly ready for harvest and equipment used for fishing.

Part of WMPL’s work in Bangladesh for the past 10 years has been through Bengal Creative Media (BCM). This ministry, founded 10 years ago by WMPL missionary Kent Scott, has served Bangladesh through the promotion of the gospel and moral teachings using different forms of media, including videos and dramas. 

Immediately after the cyclone hit, BCM began planning how they might participate in the relief effort. One obvious way for BCM to participate is by creating short videos which will help tell the story of the cyclone and raise awareness of the ongoing suffering. One video has already been created and is available for viewing on the WMPL web page. Bangladesh Video

The other aspect of their relief effort is to assist victims in regaining a sustainable livelihood. Food, water, medicine, clothes, blankets, and short term housing are a part of the assistance provided by BCM. In addition they will focus on improving long term conditions by helping two villages rebuild their fishing enterprises and farms. BCM will provide resources for purchasing or rebuilding fishing boats and nets. They will also provide seed for farmers who have lost their crops. As is the case with all of the work BCM does, they will provide assistance with the love of Christ and with prayer, trusting that the recipients of their assistance will be touched by God.

BCM expects that their relief work will last for 4 -6 months. Before the cyclone hit the company was already stretched with their normal volume of media work. Please pray that God would provide the necessary funding and man-power for BCM to accomplish their goals in this relief effort. Pray also that the victims will not only receive the necessities for survival but that they will be profoundly touched by the love of God. If you would like to support the relief effort financially you can send your donations to WMPL with a note stating that it is for Cyclone relief, BCM.

So now that he is off to this phenomenal start people are lining up to try and explain what makes him so good. One theory suggested by former NFL running back Tiki Barber is that Adrian is successful because he keeps his eyes straight ahead, looking only towards the goal. Other running backs are looking around trying to avoid obstacles, but Adrian constantly looks toward the end zone. Does that sound familiar?

The apostle Paul exhorted the church at Corinth to live the Christian life in a similar manner. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” (I Cor. 9:24). Paul went on to say that athletes discipline themselves to win a perishable prize, but Christians are running toward an imperishable prize.

December is a great time to hear Paul’s words reminding us to keep our focus on the goal. The Christmas season, while drawing our attention to Jesus, also brings with it countless distractions. Nearly everyone struggles with the time crunch that December brings. The author of Hebrews says that we are to “run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith,” (Heb. 12:1-2).

Whether you are a running back in the NFL, or a mission minded Christian, the advice is the same. Keep your eyes on the goal. It is my prayer that I, along with all of you will be able to say with the apostle Paul “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14), even in the midst of all of the distractions that Christmas can bring.

In ten years time many things that used to be considered a luxury in American homes have now become a necessity.

During a visit to the house of Mary and Martha Jesus also mentioned what he considered as necessary. Because Jesus was visiting, Martha was applying herself to serving Jesus, and the many other guests that most likely accompanied him. Mary on the other hand was only concerned with listening and learning from Jesus which left Martha alone to serve, and made her a little angry. Martha took her complaint directly to Jesus, to which he replied “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Lk. 10:41-42).

What is necessary in your life? In one sense many things are necessary. Cable television may be necessary in order to watch certain television shows. An air conditioner is necessary if the goal is to stay cool. These days a computer is a necessity for many jobs. I am often told that what I do in the Business office is a necessity, and it is true in many ways.

In short many different things are necessary depending on what it is we intend to accomplish.  But what if you remove all qualifiers and just ask what is necessary? Then there remains only one thing, the submission of your life to Jesus.

How many things are necessary in your life? As Americans we can have a tendency to accumulate a large list of necessities. Every once in a while it is a good practice to look over the list of things that we have made a necessity in our lives and trim it down a little, because in the end there is only one thing that is really necessary.

The two main factors affecting fielding costs are family size and location of service. WMPL allowances are directly related to the size of missionary families. Since a larger family receives a higher allowance from WMPL as well as incurring higher insurance costs the fielding cost for a family can be considerably higher. Location also plays a role in fielding costs as wages differ from field to field based on adjustments for cost of living. Rents also vary widely depending on which country one serves. Rent in urban areas around the world can rival rent expenses in the U.S. while rent in rural areas can sometimes be free! WMPL has kept rent/housing expenses low in the U.S. by providing WMPL owned living accommodations for Home Staff and many furloughing missionaries. Health care for WMPL staff living in the U.S. is more than double that of our overseas personnel.

Single serving in the Philippines

Family of four in Bangladesh

	2002	2005	2007
Wages	1,450	1,620	1,560
Insurance/housing	790	1,049	1,254
Total Fielding Cost	2,240	2,669	2,814

 

Family of four on Home Staff

	2002	2005	2007
Wages	1,570	1,675	1,675
Insurance/housing	1,140	1,430	1,860
Total Fielding Cost	2,710	3,105	3,535

As you can see from the chart above fielding costs have risen dramatically over the past five years while wages have not changed so much. Everyone is aware of the rising costs of health insurance which is the single largest factor in rising fielding costs. In 2007 wages, for the first time, became less than ½ of total fielding cost for our Home Staff, this due almost entirely to health insurance premiums. During the last five years fielding costs have increased an average of 4.2 percent each year. Wages increased an average of 1.6 percent per year and during the same time inflation in the U.S. was about 2.4% annually. Health insurance alone has averaged 8.5% annual increase for WMPL over the last 5 years.

If you have any questions regarding the fielding cost of any particular missionary please feel free to email me jdahl@wmpl.org with your request or call 612-871-6843. Thanks again for all of your generous support.

There is nothing very glamorous about the General Fund….Many people think of general funds as a kind of big, dark hole where the money they give disappears and they never know what happens to it. They would have given their money to some more exciting cause, some project where they can see buildings being built, to orphans maybe whose faces they can get to know….But General Fund! What’s that? Who knows what happens to money in such a fund?

We do not feel that way about our General Fund. To us it is almost human. It is something like a big-hearted mother in a home who is always busy doing things for her family, for her neighbors and friends….She does the shopping, the cooking, the washing, the ironing, the sewing, the cleaning, the gardening….She makes lunches for the kids…and helps them with their homework. She reads the Bible to them and prays with them….She is the source of comfort…for everyone in the family. Dad and the kids expect her to know everything….

Well, our General Fund is like that. It helps to make our Mission a happy home for all the Mission family. It pays the rent and heat bills. It supplies the office with phone, light, paper, stamps, typewriters and what not. It gives living allowances to those who need this. It helps with travel expenses, with insurance, with printing….with troubles and emergencies that come along. We thank God for every gift that comes to strengthen the hands of our General Fund, and I am sure you can understand why. So we thank you too for doing this...!

Paul’s description is pretty accurate still today (except for the typewriters!). Donations overall could be divided into three categories: missionary support, project support, and the General Fund. The mission needs a healthy base of supporters in all three of these areas. During the past four years, nearly half of all donations have been designated for the ministry of a particular missionary. The other half has been divided pretty equally between project support and the General Fund. This seems to me to be a very healthy balance. I am grateful that our supporters have felt it worthwhile to support our General Fund – while at the same time providing for other designated needs in such a generous way.

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:16-17).

Last year Americans donated $295 billion to charity according to a report released in June – 1.7 percent of the national GDP. Of that amount $96.8 billion was given to religious organizations. That made U.S. citizens the most generous people on earth, both in terms of dollar amounts and percentage of GDP. Of Americans earning less than $100,000 annually, 65 percent gave to charity.

It is a blessing to live in a country that God has richly endowed with wealth – and generous givers. Cynics will say that Americans give out of their overabundance or to gain a tax benefit. Maybe it is true in some cases. Among our donors, however, I hear a different story. I meet men and women who desire to see the gospel of Christ preached around the world. Their prayers and donations are “good and perfect gifts from God.” It is God, after all, who has blessed the nation. It is God who has blessed our hearts individually, and God who moves in our hearts to give.

Reflecting on this study causes my faith in God’s provision to increase. Hudson Taylor said that “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” We are quick to agree with him on this point. Americans gave $96.8 billion to religious organizations last year. Our total for the year was less than 3 one-hundredths of 1 percent of the overall amount!

It is a small thing for God to direct a little more of the percentage our way if he pleases. It is also true that God could direct a little more away from the Prayer League, if that were to please him. There is plenty of giving in our country. The wise thing for us to do is to concentrate on serving and glorifying God – and to let him, the Sovereign Almighty, concern himself with when and where he directs the many he moves to give.

In addition to these day-to-day gifts, we are sometimes the recipients of estate gifts. In 2006 we received $181,000 in estate giving. Our Home Council and Directorate decide specifically how these funds may be spent. The chart below illustrates their designations for last year.

2006 Estate Fund Uses

51% Personnel $112,000

Retired Missionary Support ($35,000)

Active Missionary Support ($72,000) 

Condinued Education ($5,000)

10% Properties   $21,000 

Building Fund ($16,000)

Maintenance ($5,000)

24%  Mission Activity and Promotion   $52,000 

Field Projects and Events ($21,000)

Urbana Participation ($7,500)

Mission Organization Participation ($6,000)

Office Travel to Fields ($9,500)

WMPL Promotion ($8,000)

15% Office Expenses    $33,000 

Equipment ($8,000)

Office Vehicle ($8,500)

Business Office Expenses ($16,500)

100%  Total  $218,000

Since 2003, the Council has authorized the use of estate gifts to supplement missionary allowances – when our General Fund and General Missionary Support fund are completely used up. The Council decided that estate funds could be used, if available, to raise missionary allowances to 80% of their target when necessary. Last year, the Council revised this threshold downward, to 65%. Paying our retired missionaries a small pension has always been a top priority; usually estate funds are set aside for this purpose, too. For this reason “Personnel” is higher than any other category.

“Mission Activity and Promotion” was the next highest category. Last year we used estate gifts to help fund a housing project at LAMB Hospital in Bangladesh, and to host a meeting with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK) here in Minneapolis. The Council also authorized a video project and a new display board for the purpose of better informing people about the Prayer League.

We receive estate gifts like any other donation – with gratitude and as gifts from the hand of God. They are different in some ways, too. They represent the fruits of a lifetime of witness and labor! Estate Fund gifts have played an integral role in the accomplishment of the ministries God has given us. We trust that their use in this way would be pleasing to those who have thought to include the Prayer League in their estate planning.

If you would like to know more about including the Prayer League in your own estate planning, please call our Business Office. We can provide you with some material to get you started.

This does not mean that the missionary receives 67 percent of their allowance however. Other factors are involved. One of them is the fact that approximately 40 to 50 percent of fielding cost pays for things other than allowance, such as health insurance and housing. Another factor is that allowances are augmented by the General Fund and General Missionary Support Fund. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all of our missionaries were supported at the 100 percent level?
Here is how it looked in 2006:

The table below indicates that nine of our missionary units were fully supported for the year. This is a bit of a surprise since on any given month there are typically about 17 missionary units fully supported.

Support Level          Missionary Units

   0 to 49%                         23

  50 to 99%                        20

 100% or more                    9

   Total                            52

Each year we categorize our expenses according to purpose: they are either program or administrative expenses. This table below shows that missionaries whose task is administrative in nature are supported at a lower level than those who are involved in program activities.

Functional Category

Program 60%
Administrative 44%

Years of service appears to be a major factor in support levels. The table below shows support levels based on terms of service. A term of service is usually 4 years.

Years of Service

First term 31%
Second Term 59%
More than 2 terms 70%

Thank you for your partnership – and for your concern for the support of our missionary family. If you are interested in supporting a particular missionary, maybe one not yet fully supported, please give us a call.

In short, this portion of the Act allows individuals over the age of 70 ½ to make a charitable contribution directly from their IRA to a charitable organization. The advantage of this is that the amount transferred out of the IRA will not be counted as income to the donor. Making a donation this way could reduce your tax liability at the end of the year but it is not guaranteed to be the best way for you to make a charitable donation. It is recommended that you ask a tax advisor to analyze your particular situation to determine if it is right for you. Here are some factors that make this method of giving advantageous:

1. If you are presently taking a Minimum Required Distribution (MRD) from your IRA you may be incurring a substantial tax liability from it. Or, it could be that your MRD pushes you into a higher tax bracket affecting your tax liability on all of your income. A contribution from an IRA to World Mission Prayer League will count towards your MRD and it will not be considered income to you. You may be able to meet your MRD and your charitable contribution goals while remaining in a lower tax-bracket.

2. For many the MRD has an effect on the taxable Social Security Income (SSI). There are limits to the amount of other taxable income one can receive before SSI becomes taxable. If your MRD is affecting the amount you are taxed on Social Security Income an IRA rollover may reduce the tax liability on Social Security Income or even eliminate it.

There are a couple of other points of interest.
• An IRA Rollover does not qualify as a charitable donation. The benefit to you is that the amount withdrawn from the IRA is not considered taxable income.
• For now the opportunity to do this is only available until Dec. 31, 2007. There is pending legislation that would keep this law on the books beyond 2007 and even broaden its use.

If you are over the age of 70 ½ and you are taking an MRD from your IRA this may be of benefit to you and to the Prayer League. Please make sure you contact your tax advisor to discover if an IRA rollover is a beneficial way for you to make a charitable donation. If you have any other general questions about this law or if you would like the name of a tax advisor who can help you with specific questions feel free to give me a call at the Prayer League offices 612-871-6843 of write me an email at jdahl@wmpl.org.

]]> http://wmpl.org/bus_off/index.php?action=news&newsid=36&newslang=en Sat, 05 May 2007 13:49:00 GMT “And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8)

In the summer of 2006 a court case in Sacramento caught my attention. A self-proclaimed atheist filed a lawsuit claiming that the words “In God We Trust” on U.S. coins and currency violated his First Amendment rights. The U.S. District Judge ruled that the phrase did not violate his rights because the words amounted to a secular national slogan. Judge Damrell cited a similar case from 1970 in which the judge also determined that the slogan had become secularized.

A review of the history of the motto on U.S. currency reveals that it did not originate as a secular national slogan. The slogan first appeared on coins in 1864. According to the Department of the Treasury, the motto was placed on coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment that existed during the Civil War. Many ordinary citizens urged the change. A letter from 1861 is typical, written by a concerned minister to the Secretary of the Treasury: “the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW… [on U.S. coins]… would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed.”

In 1956, more than ninety years later, President Eisenhower approved a Joint Resolution of the 84th Congress declaring “IN GOD WE TRUST” the national motto of the United States. In 1957, the motto began appearing on paper money. Many believe this was a reaction to the cold war which was perceived to be at least in part a battle of Judeo-Christian beliefs versus atheist communism. 

Just 50 years later, some people are fighting to have the slogan removed from all U.S. coin and currency. There is even a small group that only spends “God-less” money. They make the effort to cross the name of God off of every dollar they spend. It makes some kind of sense to them.

So what should our reaction be – as Christians? We live in a nation in which many do not want to acknowledge God at all. “In God We Trust” – still our national motto – has become so trivialized that many consider it devoid of spiritual meaning.

I think we should follow the example of our Savior Jesus. “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s,” Jesus said during his life – illustrating that he was not particularly concerned with coins or what was printed on them. But in regard to putting trust in God, Jesus led by example. Jesus put his trust in God and only in God at every step in his life. This eventually led him all the way to Gethsemane.

There was nothing trivial or secular about this kind of trust. Jesus’ trust was more than a motto; he trusted with all that he had. Let’s put our trust in God like Jesus did – with our time, money, and in fact our entire lives. “In God We Trust.” It turns out that there is nothing secular about it at all.

This program has been an incredible success in the Lutheran community and it has been an amazing blessing for the Prayer League. In 2006 Thrivent met their goal of giving away 28.8 million dollars through this program. Each year upon meeting the goal set for the year Thrivent ends the program for that year and no longer matches gifts. This did occur in 2006, but I am happy to report that only three of the 190 forms that were submitted to WMPL in 2006 were rejected for this reason.

Thrivent donated $39,500 to the ministry of WMPL as a result of matched donations received in 2006. This was up from the $12,695 that WMPL received from Thrivent for donations received in 2005. This increase in funding received is a result of more participation in the program by you. More than twice as many individuals participated in 2006 as did in 2005 and we would like to see that number increase again this year. 

There is however a change in program rules this year that will make it a little more difficult. Until this year any member of Thrivent could participate in the program. Individuals who own Thrivent Mutual Fund accounts or Thrivent Life Insurance Company products are members of Thrivent. In addition to those members anyone could become an associate member of Thrivent by paying a $10 annual fee to Thrivent. Effective Jan. 1, 2007 associate members of Thrivent are no longer eligible to participate in the GivingPlus® program. Only members who own a Thrivent Mutual Fund or a Thrivent Life Insurance product will be able to participate this year. I have no way of knowing exactly how many of you this will affect but I suspect it is a small number of you.

If you participated in this program with us last year you will receive a thank you letter from us with another gift form enclosed sometime during the beginning part of this year. If you have not participated in the past and you would like to you can learn more about the program by clicking here.

Member gift forms should be submitted to WMPL for processing and not to Thrivent. Our address is:

WMPL
232 Clifton Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Please feel free to contact me for more information or to request a member gift form via mail. You may give me a call (612-871-6843) or drop me a line (jdahl@wmpl.org).

]]> http://wmpl.org/bus_off/index.php?action=news&newsid=34&newslang=en Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:03:00 GMT WMPL’s 2006 story
told through financial statements

The business office has been bustling with activity for the past couple of weeks. Each new year means that it is time to put the finishing touches on the year just ended. After all of the figures are checked and double checked, we are able to compile the financial statements for the year. I like this time of year. It is satisfying to wrap up one year and take some time to look and see what kind of story God might be telling us through the finances of the Mission. Here are some of the highlights of 2006.

Regular donations for the year 2006 were up 2% over 2005 donations. Over 2.2 million dollars was received from individual donors, churches, and other organizations. Donations to the Mission’s General Fund were up fully 49%, from $419,000 to $623,000. Donations to missionary Support Funds were up 1% for the year. Donations to specific work and project funds were down slightly.

Overall expenses were down 3% in 2006. Expenses directly related to missionary allowances increased by 2% while the average number of missionaries receiving allowance increased by 6%. Missionary fielding costs increase each year with or without an increase in allowances because of rapid increases in health care costs – up 18% last year. Please pray that God would provide us with some relief in this area. Expenses related to Information & Publicity more than doubled in 2006. This was the result of an effort to expand the monthly newsletter and to increase the number of publications sent from the Prayer League. We are happy with the results and pray that God will bless this effort.

So what is God saying to us? Well, we can see that God is still blessing this operation. The number of full-time missionaries, after a significant increase in 2005, has crept up again in 2006. In addition, many have indicated that they believe in what the Prayer League is doing by giving to the Mission’s General Fund and giving generously.

There are some things that the numbers do not show. A look at the year-end summary does not tell us anything about God’s timing. We saw on several occasions that God moved in the right people at the right time to provide just what was needed. Two times in 2006 we met all of the month’s needs by less than $100. It is incredible to see it when it happens. God motivates some to make small donations and others large donations and in the end, we add it all up, and it equals the amount we need. Personally, I would prefer to have more funds on reserve, but this is the way God has blessed us in 2006 and it has been wonderful to see.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” Mt. 6:26

In this month’s cover story Christian Vestergaard reports that he has “learned the privilege of trusting God for money.” That got me thinking about the year 2006. This past year, I probably had to trust God for money more than I ever have in my life. Especially when I consider the finances of the entire mission.

If you had asked me in the spring how Prayer League finances were doing, I would have given a pretty bleak answer. Sometimes I wondered if any allowances at all would be paid to many of our missionaries. I even expected it!

But then strange things started happening. A $34,000 gift allowed us to meet allowances one month, with a few dollars to spare. Another month we seemed close to no allowances at all. But we paid the bills and added up the remainder – and had enough for nearly 70% of target allowances. We paid full allowances in yet another month, and I did not have a good explanation of how it happened. In five different months this year, I was left scratching my head and wondering how things turned out as well as they did.

Even after ending the year with five consecutive months of full allowances, in my opinion things still look pretty shaky for next year. Our regular giving trends have not changed appreciably, yet expenses continue to rise. But one thing has changed, at least for me personally. I have understood more than ever the privilege of trusting in God to meet the financial needs of the mission.

Why is this a privilege? One reason is that it is comforting to know that it is not my job to make sure WMPL receives enough finances. I already knew this in my head – but this past year I understood it better in my heart. 

Another reason is that trusting keeps us closer to God. If we are looking to God each and every month to meet our needs, we will not easily forget our dependence upon him. If on the other hand we have a balance sitting in the bank good enough to meet many months of need, it is easier to forget about God in the area of finances. An immediate need has always served to draw us closer to God.

Of course the entire Christian life is based on trusting God. Two of our retired missionaries died in 2006. Both reportedly said on the day of their death, “I’m going home today.” Those who heard them did not immediately understand what they meant. Only after their deaths did it become clear that these dear women knew that they were going to finish the race on that very day and go home to be with Jesus. That is the fruit of a life lived in dependence upon God. There is no way to attain salvation apart from trust in God. Why not trust him for something temporal like finances, too?

We of course, are all looking forward to celebrating the season of Christmas and rejoicing at the birth of our risen Savior! In addition to celebrating Christmas and all that goes with that, December is also the last month to accomplish all of the goals that you may have made for the year. For many, planning a final charitable donation for the year is a part of the December rush. In fact, World Mission Prayer League typically receives about twice as much in donations during the month of December than it does during any other month of the year.

Donating stocks to a charitable organization is a relatively uncommon way of making a donation, but it can be extremely beneficial for the donor. The World Mission Prayer League is set up to receive donations of stocks.

Here is how it can be beneficial to the donor. Suppose you own 100 shares of XYZ Corporation. (This works for mutual fund shares as well). If you purchased it at $10 a share and sell it at $15 a share you have incurred $500 of capital gain, which will be taxed by the IRS. If on the other hand you were considering donating $1,500 to WMPL you could instead donate the 100 shares of XYZ Corporation directly to WMPL. WMPL will sell the shares and receive the $1,500 donation that you intended. As for you, you will receive the full $1,500 charitable contribution deduction (This is based on the value of the shares on the day they are transferred to WMPL.) and you will not incur any capital gains income. This is only beneficial to you if you donate stock that has appreciated in value. If this idea is interesting to you and you would like more information please contact me Jeff Dahl at jdahl@wmpl.org or 612-871-6843. I can provide you with the information needed in order to transfer stocks or mutual funds or answer any questions you may have. It is also a good idea to contact a tax accountant to make certain that this type of donation is beneficial for you.

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Minneapolis, MN 55403

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About one month after arriving I experienced my first earthquake. I was amazed at how little the earth actually moved. I guess I must have been expecting to be thrown off of my feet. Although the actual shaking was less than I expected the movement of the earth stayed with me forever.

From that day on whenever I feel a little vibration under my feet the first reaction of my brain is to expect an earthquake. It doesn’t matter if I am in Minnesota, California, or Mexico my brain now expects that the earth will move. Up until that day in 1987 I never ever expected the earth to move. Something inside of me had changed forever. When God touches us it is also an earth-moving event. Many people testify that when God first touched them they did not get thrown off of their feet as they expected they would, but they did know that God had done something inside of them. Whether God knocks off of our feet or lightly touches us it changes us inside forever. Our expectations and the way we perceive things are never the same.

I have seen people of faith walking around with changed expectations. When I warned my fellow missionaries this summer that allowances would more than likely be pretty low I saw people who expected to see God. God has never left us lacking in all of my years and he will provide this time also - they would say time after time. At church when a little baby was dying with a tumor I saw people all around praying earnestly for the baby’s life. They had seen God move before and were asking for him to do it again. He did! I am a firsthand witness of how many of you are sending money to WMPL and praying for the souls of people in far away lands. Why? Because you have seen God’s saving grace in your life and you expect that God wants to do the same in people all around the world.

When God heals a child who is dying, provides finances for us at just the time, or changes the eternal destiny of a soul from death to life it is never a small thing. We are always amazed at what God does and rejoice with him. But at the same time we have experienced the earth move before and we seem to expect that God will do it again.

Financial donations to the Prayer League can be categorized in many different ways. Recently I undertook a study that categorized all operating donations to WMPL into one of four categories.

General funds (general fund and general missionary support fund.)

1. Designated support funds (All donations to the support fund of a particular missionary.)
2. Work and project funds (Donations designated to missionary work funds or to one of the approved WMPL projects.)
3. All other donations. (Donations to children education funds, travel funds and other misc. funds.)

The results of the study are in the table below.

·        Note This chart excludes estate gifts and building fund gifts.

I was surprised to see how consistent the giving patterns have been over the years. I was even more surprised to see that 1 out of every 4 dollars donated is given to general funds. This is the hand of God at work in our mission. No one donation is more important than another. All donations, we believe are received from the hand of God and are received at the right place and at the right time. And that is precisely what has happened with our general funds.

WMPL decided long ago not to take administrative fees from donations received. Many missions take a certain amount out of each donation and use it to pay for administrative expenses. It is not a bad idea but WMPL has chosen not to do so. This means that a greater percentage of donations need to be received into our general fund. This has happened throughout the years! In fact, 26% of all donated dollars this decade have been received into the general funds allowing us to pay administrative costs and to help pay allowances to those whose support fund is lacking.

A quick study of given patterns like this is encouraging to me. It gives us another way of seeing how God is in control. When we are attentive to God and allow him to lead he does so. God’s purpose has prevailed at WMPL over the years. His purpose has prevailed as the council makes decisions for the entire mission, it has prevailed as missionaries seek and serve him throughout the world, and it also prevails daily as different individuals and churches take a moment from their day and send a check to WMPL.

When I was a young Christian making my way through the Bible for the first time these verses in Mathew 22 were deeply impacting for me. At the time I was awestruck by Jesus amazing ability to avoid the traps of all his enemies. Not only did Jesus successfully avoid the traps laid before him but in doing so he also trapped his accusers with their own words, and demonstrated his superior authority.

Jesus’ words also bring to light an internal struggle that God-seeking men have battled throughout history, one that continues even to this day. That is the struggle between mere religious activity and true devotion to God. The Pharisees opposed Jesus and wanted him gone. But why did they want him gone? Did they think they were serving God by doing so?

If you look closely at the Pharisees actions and words we can see that they really had motives that were not pure. They followed many rigid religious rules, not necessarily to please God, but often so that they would be respected and honored by others. They sat in a position of importance and authority in Israel. Jesus presence revealed them for who they were and jeopardized their authority. They wanted him gone. The Pharisees let selfish motives get into their religious activities and they no longer were able to truly serve God. In the end they decided they must lay a trap for Jesus in order to get rid of him.

Should we pay taxes to Caesar or not? They asked Jesus. Jesus answer cut right through all of their duplicity. His answer was a spiritual answer to an earthly question. It showed everyone present that God is a God who seeks the heart of men and nothing else. We can give God all manner of money, perform small and great deeds for him, but in the end, what he truly wants is the heart of every person. May God help us all to avoid mere religious activity especially if it is mixed with selfish motives. May he help us to live lives of true devotion and service to him.  

This month I would like to make you aware of another service that Thrivent provides to WMPL. Simply Giving? makes contributing to WMPL easier through automated giving. Simply Giving? allows those of you who wish to contribute on a monthly basis to do so automatically from your checking or savings account. Your donation is withdrawn from your account on either the 1^st or 15^th of the month, depending on your preference, and deposited into the WMPL bank account on that same day. This is all done at no cost to you or to WMPL.

Enrollment into the SimplyGiving? program is quick and easy. After completion of the short enrollment form your automatic donations will begin during the next month. If you decide to enroll in SimplyGiving? and later find that you need to change the donation amount or stop contributing automatically, this can be done with a quick email to the WMPL business office. As is the case with all donations, you may specify the support fund to which you would like your automatic contribution to go to.

If you would like an enrollment form for SimplyGiving? visit our website at http://www.wmpl.org/bus_off? click on:

• SimplyGiving? link on the left side of the page.

Or you can call or email the WMPL Business Office.

• Jeff Dahl telephone: 612-871-6843
• Email:??????? jdahl@wmpl.org

WMPL policy during the last three years allowed the use of available estate funds to supplement short allowances up to 80% of the target amount. Last month the Council approved the recommendation of the Finance Committee to use estate funds for the purpose of supplementing allowances only up to 65% of the target amount. Since we reached a minimum of 68% allowance in June without the use of estate funds, no estate funds were needed this month.

Thank you to all who prayed earnestly for our financial situation and to all who did what they could financially to help out. As you know during the last three months we were about $40,000 short of the necessary amount to pay full allowances in each of those months. This month we were only $16,450 short. During the last three months estate funds made it possible to increase allowances considerably. This month there were virtually no estate funds to fall back on but God provided enough through regular donations. I personally was very encouraged by this.

I would like to take a moment this month to remind you of WMPL?s participation in Thrivent?s GivingPlus^? program.

Giving Plus^?

GivingPlus^? gives Thrivent members the opportunity to supplement their donations to the Prayer League. Here is how the program works. When a member of Thrivent makes a donation to a qualifying ministry ? such as our own ? Thrivent will supplement the donation by $1 for every $2 donated. Thrivent will contribute a maximum of $300 per member per year. That means that Thrivent members who have donated $600 to WMPL over the year can apply for a $300 supplemental donation!

If you contribute to WMPL frequently you may submit the GivingPlus^? forms multiple times through the year. If you prefer, you could submit one form for several donations ? or for the total amount of all donations through the year. Remember that Thrivent will only award up to the $300 maximum supplement in every calendar year. If you and your spouse are both members of Thrivent, you may each request up to $300 of matching funds.

WMPL became a qualifying ministry with this program during the latter months of 2005. Last year, Thrivent donated $12,695 to WMPL as a direct result of 78 donors submitting the one page form to our office. This year we hope that more of our donors will take advantage of the program ? our first full year enrolled in the GivingPlus^? program.

If you would like to have your donation supplemented by Thrivent you will need to complete a simple one page GivingPlus^? Member Gift Form. You will find the form at www.wmpl.org/bus_off, or at www.thrivent.com/fraternal/churchcommunity/givingplus.html. For more information or a printed version of the form you may give me a call (612-871-6843) or drop me a line (jdahl@wmpl.org).