10/94

—By Maria Maria #244 DO 2960

1. Of course kids are the biggest thing you could emphasize when raising support. Everybody is concerned about kids. You can't say that everybody likes kids nowadays, because this generation of kids has pretty much turned the adults off. In fact‚ many people don't like kids anymore, because of what they see & the terrible kids that have been produced in this last generation. But they're very concerned about kids. They're very concerned about the World because of the kids & what is going on with them.

2. So we can explain that we're a missionary organization & our whole ministry is to help others in every way possible; & our young people are being brought up to do the same. They are being trained to be role models for the World; they're in training to be examples of young people with morals, character & faith. Nobody has to be convinced that the World's kids are in terrible condition. You could give a pretty good talk on the value of our young people & what they're doing. You could say something like the following:

3. "Our young people are being trained & brought up to be examples to others & leaders of others. When other young people see them‚ there is hope. They see that kids don't have to be involved in gangs & drugs & crime & all these other things‚ but they can do something worthwhile, make something of their lives, do something to help others. They see they don't have to just live selfishly & seek success for themselves alone. A few young people today are successful, but the thing that is very rare in our kids is that they are not only successful for themselves but for others, & that they reach out to others & they do something to make the World a better place.

4. "We're a worldwide organization whose main mission in life is to bring love & encouragement & comfort to others. We teach our children to do the same from babyhood; & to them it is perfectly natural, & it is the right thing to do to help others‚ to love them, to encourage them, to help change the World for the better. Our young people give hope to other young people that they can overcome the problems that they have. They show other young people that there is something to live for, & that in doing something of value to help others, they can help themselves.

5. "We believe that every person was created by God to reach out with love & understanding & share with others the blessings that we have been given, not to live selfishly for themselves. If each one gives something to help another, we can all make the World a better place. To this end we all work together to share Love, hope & faith, forgiveness & healing with all who need it.

6. "When it comes right down to it, the thing that makes people the most fulfilled & the happiest is to know that they are doing something to help others. There is a little saying that goes: `If you want to be happy‚ make someone else happy.' And it's in the giving that you get. As Jesus said, `It is more blessed to give than to receive' (Acts 20:35). The happiest people in the World are the ones who reach out with helping hands to others. The saddest people in the World are the selfish folks who never give, but always take.

7. "The Bible teaches us to train up a child in the way he should go, & says that when he is old, he won't depart from it (Pro.22:6). So we believe in training our children to love & be of service to others. It will not only make the World a better place, but it will help them to be happy as well. This is what we want for our children, & this is what we want for the World.

8. "In fact, we're already succeeding in that our oldest children, who are now in their teens or early 20s‚ are already enthusiastically engaged in volunteer missionary work to their peers in society. They are reaching out to hundreds of other young people, helping them to find fulfilment & the solutions to their many problems, sharing what they have learned to inspire their peers to lead happy & productive lives!

9. "We believe that the principles upon which we have based the education of our children are superior, & that we have a very good foundation. We have deliberately kept them away from the very negative influences of public school & its crime, violence, drugs, total disbelief & cynicism, resulting in confusion‚ mental & emotional depression & even suicide. The results of home schooling our children, as has been found with other home schoolers, are overall well above the average. It has been proven that home schooled children by & large are above the level of public schooled children.

10. "We have used all the resources that we have. Our adults, though most are not professionals, have given what is most valuable & most important—their lives in sacrifice to teaching our children. For them it is not a job but a vocation, a lifetime commitment. However, because we do not have the facilities of the public school system at our disposal, we are lacking in some of the tools that would enhance the potential of our children.

11. "In order to give our children the very best training for the purpose of making them the very best leaders of tomorrow, & the knowledgeable & capable & educated role models that the youth of today's World need, our young people must have computers & educational programmes for their development. We need computers for our nearly 4,000 school-aged children. We need libraries & other resource materials for our Homes. We need gymnasium equipment. As most of our children are musically-inclined & participate in singing groups & drama as a way to effectively minister to others, & as most of them learn guitar & many of them learn other instruments, we need musical equipment. We need recording studios for our young composers, & video equipment for our young people—both as an educational tool, as well as a means for vocational training. (You could go on here with many other items.)

12. "In helping to give our children the training they need, you will not be disappointed. Not only will these children succeed, but they will help others to succeed also. Please visit one of our Homes & see our children in action.—Or invite them to come to you!

13. "In investing in our young people, you are investing in a better World. Not only are you helping children, but you're helping children who can help the World's children. In other words, you're not only helping us but you are helping the World at the same time. We have over 200 Homes worldwide. If you would prefer to sponsor a Home or two or three or more, you can adopt that Home & become part of their family. You will have the opportunity to share the love & happiness that abounds in our Homes, & participate in this unique experience with these precious children & their parents."

The Endtime Message as an Appeal!

14. Considering that the Endtime is such an important part of our Message, you'll probably want to talk about it in your witness to the people you're ministering to & asking support from. Some of them may not understand or accept it, but others will, & for those for whom it turns a key, you may want to use it as yet another appeal project & reason why they can support you. You could tell them that we're not just any missionary group, but we have a vision that the Next World‚ which is much more wonderful than this one, is going to be ushered in soon. Things are getting bad now‚ but we know from God's Word that after they've gotten so bad, they are going to get better; & we are preparing for this Next World, which is going to be an extension of all the good things in this one‚ but more wonderful.

15. We're going to be using There what we learn now. And the good things we do now are going to be carried over to the Next World, so we should do as much as we can to prepare now with good works that are going to stand us in good stead in the Next World. That's the philosophy of most religions, your good works: What you do here you're going to get credit for There‚ which is the truth.

16. I think if we talk more matter-of-factly about this, people will be able to relate to it a little more. People are into sci–fi now. I don't think they have such a hard time accepting some far-out things. We could be more matter-of-fact, telling them what is in God's Word about the Endtime‚ saying: "Well‚ things are getting worse, but then they're going to be better. Those who are working on God's side trying to make a better World now are going to go on & be leaders in that Next World. You can have a part now in investing in that Next World & in the leadership of the Next World. Your investment in us is not only going to yield rewards right here, but rewards in the Next World."

17. That doesn't sound too much different than the normal religious spiel, but we can add a lot of details to it & make it sound pretty realistic, which it should be & it is! It's not just a lot of religious jargon & hype. You can say, "You are not only investing now to help the World with its terrible problems, but you are investing in a cause much greater than just this present one‚ because the Next World is going to be coming soon. Right now we are being trained how to help people & how to run the World the way it should be run; & we are going to continue doing that in the Next Era, which, according to the Bible is coming very soon, within just the next few years, we believe." This gives people a vision of something more than just the present. It gets them past just thinking, "Sure, you've got a lot of little kids & you want them to grow up & help, that's fine." It gets them out of the narrow confines of everyday life & the routine they're in & helps them to see how these extraordinary soon-coming events relate to their personal lives.

18. People you're asking to donate in a big way don't want to hear that the World is going to end in just a few years & everything is going to go down the drain. Why should they give you thousands of Dollars to pour into something that is going to be eradicated in a few years? But the Endtime isn't just the Endtime. It is a time which will immediately precede a whole new Beginning! We don't have to talk only about the Endtime so much. We need to talk about the New Beginning! The Endtime is just incidental to the New World that is coming! That's the message we need to get across! We need to tell them of the New World that's coming & the part they can have in it!

19. This may sound pretty crazy to some people, & they may dismiss you as fanatics, but if they see that you're doing a good work & helping to change the World, they may support you anyway even if they don't agree with your Endtime beliefs or like the idea of investing in the leadership of the Next World. And if you keep asking & keep seeking & keep knocking, & being faithful to give out the Message, the Lord has promised that He is going to provide & bless you. Praise the Lord!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family