As many of you know...I LOVE WHAT THESE TWO FAMILIES ARE DOING! Please take a moment to read the following. Thank you!
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 Important 119 Ministries Update ~Test Everything~ |
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February 22, 2012
Shalom shalom!
Thought for the Week
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| 119 Update | |
Shalom to the Body of the Messiah from 119 Ministries,
It is not often that 119 Ministries addresses the Body in a formal personal communication, in fact, we believe this is the first.
Purpose of Our Letter
The purpose of this communication is intended to inform the Body of some possible impactful changes within 119 Ministries, Yah willing. We see this as a critical juncture for 119, and we hesitate proceeding without any consultation from the larger portion of the Body, as we realize that Yahweh does speak through His people. We are doing everything possible to just cancel out the noise, and simply listen.
119 Ministries Today
As you may or may not already know, since 119 Ministries was launched in January 2010, 119 Ministries administration, and teaching creation and publishing, is managed solely by two families.
The growth and attention placed on 119 Ministries has well exceeded anything we could have ever expected. This statement is increasingly true each and every month. This
is only a result of Yahweh working through our obedience and submission
to Him, and most certainly all glory goes to the Father. The 119
website currently receives about 8,000 hits each day and easily results
in about a dozen phone calls and several dozen emails a day to the
ministry. Most of these communications are a blessing, and are most welcomed. In
the midst of this, we are still engaged with our mission and vision to
edify the body, fully focused on what the Messiah’s Great Commission
charges us to do – to teach all nations to obey everything He commanded.
As we continue to listen and obey in
what we fully believe to be our purpose, we constantly see firsthand the
fruit of what Yahweh is accomplishing through the vehicle 119, which is further validated by the continuous feedback we receive from the Body. We
are overwhelmingly grateful simply to be a small part of the Father’s
grand plan of orchestrating the restoration of Israel, so that the
ultimate goal of delivering His Torah to the nations can be fully
realized.
The Situation
As mentioned already, 119 consists of only two fully dedicated families. These two families also have full-time secular jobs intended to support their families, and also the 119 Studio. This is in addition to all of the responsibilities and activity surrounding 119 Ministries as already noted above. This
means that everything you have witnessed coming out of 119 Ministries
is through the efforts of two families, each with children, and
demanding full time professional jobs.
As the demand of our full time jobs remain constant, or in reality, as of late, increase, and the demands of 119 Ministries also increases, it is our personal families that we love very much, that feels the impact. The reality is that 119 Ministries is already more than a couple full time jobs. Rest assured, this is a good problem to have. We would rather have this problem rather than discovering that 119 Ministries is of no value to the Body. However, the fact remains, certainly from our perspective, that this is still an issue worthy of solving.
The Solution
In an effort to satisfy the increasing
demands of the ministry, and mitigate the increasing pull away from our
families, the only sphere of our life that can be discarded is our full
time jobs. We have seen the Father moving us into a
direction of full time ministry for some time, and preparing us for such
a change, but the question has always been about timing. There
is most certainly an element of anxiety to consider separating from the
comfort and security of our long term professional jobs and embark on
an increased dedication in the ministry Yahweh has called us to.
The anxiety is further elevated once we
consider the logistics, though we fully believe as long as we are in
His will, then all things will work out.
Currently, our financial structure derives resources from two paths. One path is from donations from the generosity of the Body, expressing a desire to support the mission and vision of 119. The other source is from the marketplace, in which we offer our already free teachings in the form of convenient DVD’s. We also offer tzitzts of different styles, and other related items.
We decided early on that donations to 119 stay within 119, and thus only support the administration of the ministry. Whether that be for equipment, licensing costs, software, benevolence, etc. No person affiliated with 119 Ministries benefits from donations in any capacity. We prefer to keep it this way.
The vehicle we chose to support 119 teachers and families is through the conveniences and products offered through the 119 marketplace. If a teacher offers a DVD, the teacher is compensated for the sale of a DVD. Keep in mind, these teachings are already free, so the teacher is only offering a convenience.
In reality, we have been blessed that there has been some interest in the DVD’s offered in the marketplace. It
is gradually positioning us for the highly welcomed opportunity of
being able to dedicate ourselves full time to the ministry, which will
basically double or triple the time we can invest into publishing
teachings, and also enable us to have more reasonable amount of time
afforded to our families.
Currently, the marketplace revenue does not even come close to being able to support two families.
This has caused us to move forward with
some rather impactful changes, and also some things that we are only
considering and could benefit from feedback.
Both of our families are placing our homes up for sale, and selling many of our things.
At the very least, we are minimizing
our financial needs and examining cheaper rental opportunities for our
households, as well as the 119 Studio. This is phase 1.
However, the reality is that the costs of supporting our families are still not likely be satisfied through 119 marketplace income, and would still require our full time secular jobs.
This is where we feel Yahweh has been speaking to us. 119
Ministries is an international ministry, and logistically requires
nothing but a physical recording studio, electricity, Internet access,
and our time. We can relocate anywhere the Father leads us, and still serve the Body to the same degree, if not much better.
When we began to compare things such as
taxes, energy, healthcare costs, housing costs, food costs, etc. in the
United States, verses other locations, we realized our solution to our
problem might be quite different than what we expected. It has forced us to think outside of the box.
One country we have been examining in detail is Costa Rica. It
is the most stable Latin American country, and already has many U.S.
citizens that have relocated there for the exact same reasons we are
seeking. For example, without being too radical
minimalists, our two families could function on $1,200 - $1,500 each per
month, and likely still support the 119 Studio. This will be a significant change in our lifestyle, both in living standards and cultural norms.
Yet, this is also a country that we are intimately familiar with. Personally,
I (Jon), have been there three times, once as enrolled in a student
program during college (2001), another as a tourist with my wife in
which we toured the country (before kids)(2004), and recently as
research on the practicalities and logistics of the move we are
considering (2012). We are traveling there one last time in April, to assist in solidifying our thoughts on the matter. Our families are quite excited about this possible opportunity, resulting in increased family time, and a more simple life.
At the same time this thought entered
our heads, we pulled back and prayed intensely that we would simply
listen and hear our Father’s direction. We were then
almost immediately connected with the Costa Rican resident and Torah
teacher, Jeff Gilbert, a couple other Torah families, and another
gentleman building a Torah community in the same general area we were
considering.
Also, at the same time, a friend of ours recently felt convicted that he needs to be using his skills in edifying the body. One of his skills happens to be Spanish, and starting on March 4th, he will be re-recording our teachings, and some of his own, in Spanish. The timing of his unprompted decision really spoke to us, as did the sudden activity in all of the Torah connections we now have in Costa Rica, in the specific area we are considering. We feel that we did not have to be listening hard to hear what the Father was saying. Yet, there is still the question of timing.
Though it would be challenging for us
to facilitate such a move, our families welcome it knowing that the
ministry would not be compromised, but only enhanced several fold, and,
our family life would be again exactly that…a family life.
We have been researching this extensively, and have personally talked with many who have already done this. We have been examining a target move of the first week of September, if this is Yah’s will.
Though this letter could be several dozen pages long, describing the details of the matter at length, that is not our intent. However, if anyone has any questions about the matter, requesting any clarification, we are fully transparent.
What Do We Need?
What we do need is this. We need prayer. We need Yahweh led feedback and discernment, and please realize that you might be the tool Yahweh uses to deliver a message or thought. We are listening.
We simply know that satisfying the
increasing demands of 119 Ministries while still working full time are
becoming increasing incompatible with both of our families, and we need
to find a solution. What we are currently doing is not sustainable.
May Yahweh bless you all, and thank you for your valuable time and attention.
119 Ministries
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| About Us | |
119
Ministries is a ministry dedicated to seeking, teaching and living out
the truth of the Word. Our purpose is to seek and bring the truth to
all nations, unlearn false doctrines and traditions of men, and to
equip the body to live and practice the Word as God
originally intended.
We
find that continuously examining the Scriptures (in the same Hebraic
first century context and perspective in which they were written and
understood) reveals to His people much more understanding, as opposed to
the more common Greek mindset that is a couple thousand years
removed.
We
firmly believe in testing all doctrine to His Word and only holding on
to what is good. Any belief that may fail such a test (regardless
of that particular doctrine's origin or even its popularity) is
systematically rejected. We seek to search the scriptures daily, in the
same way Paul commended the Bereans in determining what was true.
Through the leading and teaching of the Spirit we aim to bring 100% pure
truth to all nations, teaching them to obey everything He
commanded. We recognize that this is not always easily done, and
we welcome friendly and truth seeking engagement from fellow believers
in His perfect Word, as we also believe iron sharpens iron. We
expect to challenge you and also desire to be challenged-all under our
unified desire to seek, understand, and apply His one and only Truth
as revealed in His Word.
119 Ministries 2011 Closing Financials (-$12,902.89)
Contact us at any time by phone or email for any questions or concerns.
119 Ministries
~Test Everything~
P.O. Box 376 Troy, IL 62294 Email: info@119ministries.com |
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