Friends, we are at an impasse. Jesus' Outsider Ministries has been called to be an equipping ministry. The mission the Lord has given us is to help the Body of Christ take on the more challenging issues including pornography, mental illness, and more. (A complete list can be found here.) To accomplish this mission, we need to be able to produce media. The plan includes videos from seminars, webisodes, and other video and audio resources. However, we can't do that. We have had a massive and permanent failure of our studio computer system.
We have tried to move forward with the extremely limited capacity that we have. We have been able to produce our weekly podcast but not much more than that. We have video footage from our first conference that we would release but we can't process it. Anything beyond the most rudimentary audio production is beyond the ability of the older model computer that was given to us after the crash first happened. Video work is completely impossible.
We need your help. We are starting a fundraiser to replace our tower and a few key components that are beginning to fail. We will be using a multifaceted approach as our limitations allow. The essentials of the need can be found on an Amazon wishlist created just for that purpose. The tower and monitor on the list are included for specs only as a guideline for anyone who chooses to help.
We do not have the resources to replace the lost equipment. Our ministry and personal budget run razor thin. Up to this point, we have been mostly self funded save for ticket sales to the Sex, Porn, & Freedom Conference and a few timely contributions. In order to fulfill the mission the Lord has given us, we can't operate that way anymore. This initial fundraiser gets us moving in the right direction. A follow up for the next phase is coming down the road.
Please, prayerfully consider how you can help. Give if you are able and if not, please share this as wide as you can on social media and in person. We trust the Lord that He will move on the hearts of enough of his people that we will accomplish that which has been entrusted to us.
The complete list can be found on Amazon following this link. If you would like to give financially, visit the Support page of our website.
Why stainless steel? To keep it from breaking due to overuse, of course!
Showing posts with label support. Show all posts
Showing posts with label support. Show all posts
Monday, September 26, 2016
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Big Announcements!
For the last several days, we have been wrestling with a couple of decisions. One of them is fairly large the other more operational but still significant.
Okay, the small one first. As we prepare for the Sex, Porn, and Freedom Conference, time has become more critical and short. We also have a number of ministry opportunities on the horizon that will require a lot of prep time and travel. To prevent the quality of the podcast from suffering, we have decided to drop to one episode a week. It will be uploaded Monday mornings at 6:30. The advantage for us and yours truly the host is that it can be recorded any night of the week and preloaded. We can then travel and minister as needed and have fresh, new content every week. This change goes into effect April 17th.
The big decision is one that we had to seek a lot of counsel on before coming to a conclusion. Most ministries incorporate as a not-for-profit corporation and file for a 501c3 tax exempt status. We have decided to go another direction.
There were a number of factors leading to this point. Since the last time we filed for a 501 several years ago, a lot of changes have occurred within the IRS and to the tax code and more on the way. More than one person, including an attorney, our banker, and other ministry leaders warned that the IRS doesn't like parachurch organizations. They don't grasp them and their purpose. More, it is likely that the free speech restrictions placed on not-for-profits are going to become even more draconian. Since we are unwilling to compromise one pen stroke of the Word, we would lose that status before allowing the government to silence us in the name of political correctness.
There are also more practical reasons. The bookkeeping is much simpler. We will practice financial accountability but we don't have to worry about the federal and state filings or restrictions. We will have to charge sales tax on any merchandise we sell at events but that isn't a big deal.
Since we are not a donation based ministry, there isn't a benefit to the status. The majority of the revenue we receive is from ticket sales, speaker fees, and merchandise sales. Sponsorships and table fees are conferences are still tax deductible for businesses as advertising expenses just like for any other trade show or conference. If someone wants to donate, we obviously won't stop them but there will not be a tax benefit for the contribution.
This was a tough decision but the right one. If things change down the road, we will revisit it. For us, it means that Jesus' Outsider and Deep Mystery Studio are essentially one and the same. The studio has always been linked to the show as the site of recording and as the vision shifts, they will be more integrated. Once the equipment we lost is replaced, we will be producing more media aimed at proclaiming freedom in Christ.
God is moving and there's a lot of great stuff happening now and in the near future.
Okay, the small one first. As we prepare for the Sex, Porn, and Freedom Conference, time has become more critical and short. We also have a number of ministry opportunities on the horizon that will require a lot of prep time and travel. To prevent the quality of the podcast from suffering, we have decided to drop to one episode a week. It will be uploaded Monday mornings at 6:30. The advantage for us and yours truly the host is that it can be recorded any night of the week and preloaded. We can then travel and minister as needed and have fresh, new content every week. This change goes into effect April 17th.
The big decision is one that we had to seek a lot of counsel on before coming to a conclusion. Most ministries incorporate as a not-for-profit corporation and file for a 501c3 tax exempt status. We have decided to go another direction.
There were a number of factors leading to this point. Since the last time we filed for a 501 several years ago, a lot of changes have occurred within the IRS and to the tax code and more on the way. More than one person, including an attorney, our banker, and other ministry leaders warned that the IRS doesn't like parachurch organizations. They don't grasp them and their purpose. More, it is likely that the free speech restrictions placed on not-for-profits are going to become even more draconian. Since we are unwilling to compromise one pen stroke of the Word, we would lose that status before allowing the government to silence us in the name of political correctness.
There are also more practical reasons. The bookkeeping is much simpler. We will practice financial accountability but we don't have to worry about the federal and state filings or restrictions. We will have to charge sales tax on any merchandise we sell at events but that isn't a big deal.
Since we are not a donation based ministry, there isn't a benefit to the status. The majority of the revenue we receive is from ticket sales, speaker fees, and merchandise sales. Sponsorships and table fees are conferences are still tax deductible for businesses as advertising expenses just like for any other trade show or conference. If someone wants to donate, we obviously won't stop them but there will not be a tax benefit for the contribution.
This was a tough decision but the right one. If things change down the road, we will revisit it. For us, it means that Jesus' Outsider and Deep Mystery Studio are essentially one and the same. The studio has always been linked to the show as the site of recording and as the vision shifts, they will be more integrated. Once the equipment we lost is replaced, we will be producing more media aimed at proclaiming freedom in Christ.
God is moving and there's a lot of great stuff happening now and in the near future.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Help Make The Sex, Porn, and Freedom Conference Happen
There is a cancer spreading throughout our culture and the Body of Christ. It’s time to face this evil head on.
Pornography and the culture it creates has penetrated every level of society. It’s everywhere including the church. Some of the numbers:
- 33% of youth pastors admit to pornography addiction or to struggling with pornography
- 40-45% of Christian men admit to being addicted to pornography
- 70% admit to struggling with porn
- 25% of all internet downloads are porn related
This is just a taste. However, if you believe this is just a problem for men, consider the following:
- Fifty Shades of Grey has sold over 125 million copies worldwide with an estimated reach of nearly double that amount with libraries and book sharing. Millions of Christian women have been exposed to the BDSM lifestyle in its pages.
- Surveys range from 25-40% of women admitting a pornographic addiction.
Our culture is becoming increasingly sexualized and it’s influence is felt in the church. That’s why we are putting on the Sex, Porn, and Freedom Conference scheduled for May 14th of this year. We’ll be sharing the full statistics, how porn has influenced our culture, and, most importantly, how to break free from its clutches. We’ll be using personal testimonies, clinical methods, and the power of the Gospel to share freedom from sexual addictions.
Our speakers include Pstr. Mike Kerby, (Director of Jesus’ Outsider Ministries and program host), Kim Kerby (a survivor of the real BDSM lifestyle and Addiction specialist for Jesus’ Outsider Ministries), Kevin Sisco (D.MIN., LCPC, CSAT, CMAT, Antioch Group), and Rich Gerberding (Men of AIM).
In order to make this conference happen and help stem the tide of sexualization in the church, we need your help. We are looking for businesses, congregations and ministries who are willing to stand up to this evil and support our efforts.
Through sponsorships, direct donation, and congregational support, we need to have at least half of the projected cost (approximately $3000 of an expected $6000 cost) covered before we start selling tickets. We need to accomplish this before April 1st to ensure a venue has been booked and printed materials can be ordered.
Sponsors with at least $75 will be featured on the conference site. Higher levels of sponsorship (at least $150) will be in the participant guide including a full color logo and a QR code to the sponsor’s website or Facebook page.
Please consider how you can help. More information and links to make contributions can be found on a special section of our site dedicated to the conference or you can contact me directly. My contact information is below.
In Christ,
Pstr. Mike Kerby
Director and Program Host
Jesus’ Outsider Ministries
Office: (309) 670-0302
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