Did You Know?

Empowering people for Faith- Equipping people for Life- Helping people Heal.

A month ago I made some comments about Life Discovery and why we are--or are not--a church. It was called "What Makes it Church?" (See the e-news from September 13th.)  I heard from so many of you thanking me for my attempt to articulate our ministry more clearly. It got me thinking: maybe I haven't done a very good job of that. So here are some things about our ministry you may not know!  Some Facts About Life Discovery   I am one of several founding members of Life Discovery Ministries. We incorporated in 2005 as an Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.   Our Preamble: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19 NIV Our Mission Statement reads, "We are a ministry committed to empowering people for faith and life by proclaiming the love of Jesus Christ."    We have a Board of Directors consisting of seven individuals who have a heart and a love for this ministry and who understand its mission.   I am called by the Board of Directors and employed part time as Director/Pastor for Life Discovery. As Director I take part in most Board meeting discussions but I am not a voting member. Our Board usually meets twice a year, with our annual meeting being held in November of each year.     Our Board Treasurer handles all financial matters for the ministry including donations and offerings, deposits and disbursements, budgeting and accounting, all necessary paperwork for state and federal government agencies, insurance needs, taxes, etc. A small stipend is allocated for this important work.   Decisions by the Board are filtered through the lens of who we are as a ministry, always taking into account the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit for future direction. New program ideas, or a major shift in old ones, are generally discussed by the Board. The Board also exists to ensure sound legal and financial policies and practices.    Life Discovery is funded completely by your donations.      In closing, I believe God has called this ministry into existence to meet very specific needs in the body of Christ: healing broken hearts and "proclaiming freedom" for those who are oppressed or held captive. The thread that runs through our programs is one of freedom in Christ to be and become who God already says we already are.  "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."  John 8:36  May the Good News be proclaimed! Greg