September 2007

Dear Friend,

Leith Anderson, senior pastor at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, MN, has said that "FaithSearch International is making a significant contribution to the body of Christ… FaithSearch effectively evangelizes and disciples people." This is to the praise of our God! I'm writing this short letter to help you see where God has currently brought us as a ministry, and how important you have been-and are-in the ongoing development of FaithSearch.

We are in the home stretch of our five-year "Extending the Vision" ministry initiative. This strategy has advanced the impact of FaithSearch International like no other in our twenty-eight year history.

• In 2002, we ministered effectively, but to English-speaking people only. Today Surprised by Faith is translated into nine languages, with more being planned.
• In 2002, we ministered in the U.S. only. We now minister in ten countries on four continents.
• Since 2002, we have equipped more than 11,000 facilitators and teachers of FaithSearch Discovery so they can sustain this ministry in every place.

Extending the Vision has been an incredible success story. But that success really doesn't matter unless we are extending something of essential and eternal value. The bottom line at FaithSearch is the same motive as the heart of God "who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4). That's why we focus all that we do on our mission: "To proclaim the Gospel with evidence to all peoples everywhere." We know this mission is near to the heart of God; has the rich heritage of the apostolic proclamation (see my enclosed article on the apostolic kerugma); and is something of essential and eternal value!

Each staff person hired, every dollar spent, all publications written and released, the hundreds of outreach and training events conducted every year, have one focus only: to proclaim the Gospel with evidence. This is the passion of the executive leadership, the staff, the board of directors and many of our prayer and financial supporters. Therefore, Extending the Vision is important and exciting because it entails the ways and means by which we advance this mission, not merely because it is successful.

Advancing the Mission in Fiscal 2008

Annually we formulate the immediate priorities and strategies to advance the mission for the next twelve months. Our 2008 fiscal year vision began on July 1, and is the culmination of a five-year plan. It continues previous initiatives and adds some new endeavors. The broad outline of our ministry activities and emphases is diagramed below.

It takes a team of gifted and Spirit-filled individuals—currently fifteen full and part-time staff whom God has called into this service—to implement the many dimensions and details of FaithSearch International today. This is His ministry, which we are privileged to manage as His stewards under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As the apostle Paul wrote, "it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

Ministry Operations	Vision for America	All Peoples	Ministry Services
(five staff)	(five staff)		(five staff)
Office management / maintenance Audit / Accounting & Banking Information systems Data processing Reception Warehouse management Shipping & receiving Personnel and benefits Equipment and supplies	Outreach events: – Churches and communities – College / University campuses Training & equipping events: – Facilitator and teacher training of pastors – Parachurch leaders – Bible college / seminary faculty and students Growing Faith discipleship Bible events: – Bible for Life classes	Twelve Languages in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal Russian speaking: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, etc. Spanish speaking: Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, etc. Arabic/French speaking: Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, North Africa, etc. Chinese-speaking Philippines	Event Management Communications Publications Marketing Financial stewardship Partner services Media development Product sales Web site development and maintenance

To assure continuity of executive leadership, the Board recently called Roy Kruse to minister alongside me as vice president. Formerly with Billy Graham for twenty-three years, Roy guides the day-to-day operation and directs the international ministry. To assist the ministry with the financial stretch of his first eighteen months of transition to FaithSearch, a special fund of $135,000 has been established. About $80,000 has been received with an additional $16,000 pledged for 2008. Contributions to meet the remaining $39,000 should be designated as "Transition."

Sustaining the Mission into the Future

When asked about their future, a Christian ministry must answer and act with confidence, "Whatever the Lord wants and provides for!" (James 4:13-18). With that attitude and as good stewards, we are to plan wisely for the future. We ask God for wisdom in our planning-then we adapt as we see God's guidance more clearly.

FaithSearch will continue to extend its ministry of proclaiming the Gospel with evidence into the future. The number of events in languages other than English will increase, and so will the diversity of hosts and venues. But I see an important and necessary corollary activity emerging: Maturing the Vision. This is the strategy of multiplication-of both the message and the messengers-consistent with the apostle Paul's advice to Timothy, "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2).

We have unique events and publications whose greatest evangelistic impact is yet future-if we can establish a sustainable ministry in every place. We are seeking partnerships and networking with church denominations, missions, indigenous leaders, parachurch ministries, etc. in order to provide both language-specific resources and leadership training so they, too, can present and sustain a ministry of proclaiming the Gospel with evidence. This is already occurring internationally in our partnership with India Campus Crusade for Christ, Sowers of the Word in the Philippines, and others. In the U.S. our Vision for America initiative has already begun to equip seminary grads with the skills to use FaithSearch Discovery in their ministries. In addition, a partnership is currently being established with the upper Midwest Campus Crusade leadership to strategically join forces in campus evangelism and to equip staff and students to use Discovery.

An Opportunity to be a Financial Partner in what
God is Doing through FaithSearch

FaithSearch partners—donors, prayers, volunteers—-not only sustain this ministry, but are also our friends. You encourage us in so many ways. Our financial partners provide about 80% of our needed budget. Two observations are clear: 1) FaithSearch needs your financial support to fulfill God's will to extend and mature its vision; and 2) Your investment makes you a friend and partner in ministry which is near to the heart of God, which has the rich heritage of the apostolic proclamation, and which is essential and has eternal value! We need a surge of support right now as we begin our more-active fall schedule. (Please use the response form (PDF) if you are able to help now.) Thank you for your continued prayers and sacrificial gifts. As always, I am open to your suggestions and available to chat.

Committed to the apostolic proclamation,

Don Bierle
President