Blog, Giving

Our most important Match2Multiply campaign yet

One foundation we applied to for support in 2017 wrote us this response:

“Thanks for your request of to our foundation to support your work in the ministry. I am sorry to report to you that our foundation has recently donated all of its funds, and has been dissolved. Nevertheless, I congratulate you on your work, because the average Christian and church member today is void of any knowledge regarding God’s purpose and plan for the ages. Actually, they are unable to even articulate the milk of the Word, much less the meat. I therefore encourage you to continue your efforts, and in particular to concentrate on educating pastors and parishioners in Paul’s second ministry regarding the church of the one body in Christ, and it’s heavenly calling. Without that understanding the average Christian will never grow in the grace and knowledge of Him, because they only have half of the story.”

We couldn’t agree more, and this past year we’ve been able to help more churches and leaders than ever before. Because of our expanding programs and the setback Harvey caused (see the lead article in our latest Highpoint for more information), in the remaining weeks of this year we need to raise double the donations we raised in the last eight weeks of last year.

That’s quite a challenge, but there’s good news:

Our Matching2Multiply Multiplying Pledgers will quadruple any donations mailed or received online on National Giving Day (Nov. 28).
After National Giving Day, our Matching2Multiply Multiplying Pledgers will double donations through the end of the year.

How can you help?

Set a reminder to send in your donation next Tuesday.
Share with friends and colleagues the reasons you believe discipleship is a worthy cause, and how donating to Ascending Leaders can further discipleship in churches today.
Pray for God to surprise us with an overflowing abundance to continue our work and expand to help more churches in the coming year.

Blog, Giving, News

December 30, 2016 webmaster

Holiday coffee with Mike Johnson

Christmas marks God in all his glorious divinity, making himself nothing, setting aside all the perks of divinity, to be made in human likeliness, and to suffer on this fractured globe for 30+ years for the purpose of redeeming humans for a relationship with Him. God gave up so much to bridge the gap and live in proximity to people like you and me.

Maybe it is that relational aspect of Christmas that every year this season gives me an urge to sit down for coffee with friends of Ascending Leaders like you, to hear more of what God has done in your life and family of late and to share what he has done in my life and in my ministry through Ascending Leaders. Of course that is not possible this holiday season because the year is almost over!

In place of a holiday coffee time together, please allow me to share briefly by email.

What a year God has given us at Ascending Leaders. We have grown our staff into the strongest and most positive team yet. Together we have helped more people experience more deeply the presence of Christ and grow deeper as His people. God has expanded the scope of the ministry of Ascending Leaders in ways I had not expected. We would never have gotten here if it had not been for your past support.

Our last trip this year and last event was to facilitate a new weekend “Stages of Faith” conference for 50 members of a church we are helping build a clear and simple disciple path to help people move forward. It was a wonderful weekend of God moving people to yearn to step forward as disciples and seeing ways they can each do that. One of their staff shared her gratitude:

“Mike, you have done an excellent job with us as a team at our church. We deeply appreciate your work and you. You keep us moving forward. You refresh and encourage us. You serve us well”.

These are compelling times of greater interest in discipleship in congregations. There is ample evidence for the role God has for us to play. If you have already donated this season, I hope this “holiday coffee” has given you a glimpse of what your support means for churches, and seeing the momentum of God’s work through Ascending Leaders encourages you.

If you have not yet supported our work this year-end, I do not want you now to miss out on the excitement and the joy of participating in this fruitful mission. In just ONE day, the opportunity to have your gift doubled by our Matching2Multiply crew will be coming to a close.

We need to receive any donations to:

Ascending Leaders
3927 Field Crossing
Sugar Land, TX 77498

postmarked Dec. 30 or 31 to be doubled and to count as a 2016 tax deduction.

Or by credit card by clicking here before midnight Dec. 31 (your time zone) to be doubled and to count for a 2016 tax deduction.

We are so very close to surpassing our goal to be able to launch at full tilt into 2017. Please help us get there!

Peace and grace to you and yours,

Blog, Giving

December 14, 2016 meganl

UPDATE: Matching2Multiply 2016

The checks are in! The donations from #GivingTuesday have been counted (and multipled x4!). Y’all, we are at 91% of our goal!!

Thank you to everyone who has taken up the challenge from our generous “Matching2Multiply” crew! There are 17 days left in the year…who is going to push us over the top and max out our x2 matching offer?!

Blog, Giving

November 30, 2016 meganl

Thank you for the best #GivingTuesday yet!

Wow! Our donors are amazing. Thank you, to everyone who gave from $20 to $1,000 on #GivingTuesday. Checks are still coming in, but so far your gifts have exceeded those received for National Giving Day last year by a whopping 63%!

With one month left to go in 2016, we’re over halfway to our year-end fundraising goal. This has been a year of growth, momentum, and humbling gifts as God continues to work through Ascending Leaders to make a discernible difference for discipleship in the churches we partner with. So what do you think — can we fly right on past that stretch goal? Can you help us do more than we could possibly envision on our own?

Good news: our Matching2Multiply crew is standing by to double your donations through the end of the year!! You may have missed #GivingTuesday, but you can still multiply your impact by sending a check or giving online before midnight on New Year’s Eve!*