Every so often we are asked how Stonecroft uses funds. And sometimes we are asked, “Why do you need money?”
I’d like to answer both the “how” and the “why” but also share with you the “who.”
Every week we hear stories of women encountering Jesus for the first time through Stonecroft. About 26,000 women attended a Women’s Connection Group for the first time last year. And last year nearly 3,000 women began a relationship with Jesus through Stonecroft. These women received the unconditional love and forgiveness that He alone provides.
That happened because God in His marvelous and compassionate way draws people to His Son, Jesus. Jesus saves them. And God calls us to play a small part in providing an avenue for them to hear about Jesus. This ministry, led by thousands of volunteers, requires lots of prayer, time, and financial resources.
Where the funds go
Some areas of expense include:
Staff − A team of dedicated staff members at the Home Office in the Kansas City area and in the Field across the U.S. uses their gifts, skills, and creativity to support the ongoing efforts of our faithful Stonecroft volunteers. Staff members create resources, write articles, develop websites, manage social media, process financial summaries and donations, issue receipts, meet accounting and auditing requirements, maintain office equipment, cast vision, and pray for the called leaders who carry out Stonecroft’s amazing mission.
Evangelism Resources − Each year our staff develops a plethora of resources, including downloads, videos, books, various types of handbooks and guides, and other training, evangelism, and leadership tools. We use these resources to mobilize volunteer leaders with encouragement, support, and training to reach the people around them with the Gospel.
Operations − Stonecroft wants to keep everything we do in order and therefore we must carefully follow legal and Internal Revenue Service requirements. This means that our staff members dedicate themselves to the protection and maintenance of the organization’s operations. This behind-the-scenes team keeps things running smoothly and with stability.
Outreach − Stonecroft develops programs and resources that support outreach in the United States and around the globe. These support mechanisms come in the form of guidebooks for leaders, videos, conference calls, promotional materials, and many other digital and printed items. We thank God for the resources we have available to share not only with our U.S. volunteers but also with our international partners as together we answer God’s call to evangelism.
I may not have covered every area where funds are used by Stonecroft, but your financial gifts help to propel Stonecroft’s mission. It’s a cause that has eternal impact. But it’s also a cause that reaches across the generations – and the decades. It must continue!
Ministry models
Stonecroft’s call to communicate the Gospel demands that we continuously develop models of ministry that relate to women today. God’s purpose for Stonecroft is to reach women where they are, as they are, with the Good News of Jesus. That’s why we place a high priority on the research and development of creative new methods of outreach.
We developed “Detox – find your balance” to meet women right where they are with their busy schedules, to connect with them and discuss the care of mind, body, and soul. And when we get to “soul,” we definitely get to Jesus!
We began a Military outreach because there’s a serious need to connect servicewomen and military wives with the Savior. Many of them are lonely, afraid, and lost without a strong community of women to support them and lead them to their true source for stability.
We created Story Marks after one of our team members noticed a growing number of young women with tattoos but without a knowledge of the One who can make the greatest imprint on their lives. During a Story Marks outreach, women gather and share the stories behind their tattoos. At least one of these women tells about the incredible difference Christ has made in her life and explains how to begin a relationship with Him. This is real. This is right. This is meeting a woman right where she is.
This above list goes on as our team members continue to develop many other models of sharing the Gospel. Why do we do this? Because we want each woman in the 21st century to know the forgiveness, healing, and saving power of Jesus. It’s because we care about her – the woman who is desperately lonely, looking for love and identity in all the wrong places, and in need of a Savior. That’s why we don’t give up!
Stonecroft supports all of these outreach communities. And in cities all across the U.S., we’re developing Stonecroft hubs that serve as a local center of outreach efforts. Volunteers gather regularly for training, planning, community, and celebration – all with the goal of showing Jesus to people in their area through various types of outreach.
God’s call, our mission
Stonecroft’s mission is a call from God. We rely on His supply. If you believe in what God is doing through this ministry, will you pray about financially supporting Stonecroft? Your gifts are an important resource God uses to address this lonely world with His salvation message, to provide women with a strong band of friends, and to give Christian women the practical tools needed to reach others for God’s Kingdom.
Editor’s note: Stonecroft is a 501(c)(3) nondenominational nonprofit organization and a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
Cheryl Lee Davis
Vice President of Women’s Connection