Graceful Giving: E91 Foundation Fall 2023 Update
“See that you also excel in this grace of giving.” (2 Corinthians 8:7)
“Some have criticized the church for talking too much about money,” wrote John Koessler, Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute, in his September 25, 2021 daily devotional, The Grace of Giving (www.todayintheword.org), adding, “But Jesus made it clear that our attitude toward our finances is a spiritual matter. He urged His disciples to store up treasures in heaven, warning: ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’ (Matt. 6:21).
“Paul calls giving a ‘grace’ in today’s passage (2 Corinthians 8),” continued Prof. Koessler, adding, “For the Christian, giving is not a duty but a gift. The apostle did not command the Corinthians to participate in the offering for the poor believers in Jerusalem. Instead, he encouraged them to follow the example of the Macedonian believers, who were poor themselves. They were so eager to share that they begged Paul. There is an edge in Paul’s observation that the Corinthians ought to ‘excel’ in the grace of giving since they excel in the other gifts. It may suggest that Corinthian commitment to participate in the offering had begun to waver. The apostle wanted the Corinthians to understand that the offering was not intended to create hardship for the Corinthians so that others might be relieved. Instead, the goal was sufficiency—that there would be enough for everyone. This standard was established by God when He provided manna in the wilderness (Ex. 16:18).”
For nearly three decades, the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation has continued to fulfill Christ’s directive: going into the world, teaching, making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), and meeting the physical needs of hurting people (Matthew 25:35-40). So far, in 2023, E91 Foundation has awarded grants totaling $111,310. Following are those organizations and/or individuals that have received grants so far during 2023:
Alexander Christian Foundation — $16,000 for college scholarships to Indiana students entering the ministry, and a $5,000 memorial grant in honor of Scott Read;
Allendale Christian Camp and Retreat Center — $7,227 to help young people connect with God in His creation through worship, study, and adventure;
Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFI) — $5,000 to help support CMFI missionary and long-time business owner Mariana Luna for her initial two-year commitment to a new Marketplace Ministry in Mexico City. Launched in 2021, the focus of this new ministry is reaching Mexico’s business leaders for economic transformation and discipleship;
e3 Partners — $6,400 to fund intensive training for missionaries;
E91 Church/Camp Allendale — $4,456 for summer-camp scholarships. “Once again, we are so grateful for your generous heart and your belief in our ‘nextgen’ here at E91,” wrote the E91 Next Gen team in a thoughtful note. “Thank you for helping several kids attend life-changing summer camps. What a blessing to the Kingdom you are!”;
E91 Church Counseling Center — $3,000 “for more intensive training for one of our team members for suicide prevention,” wrote Natalie Hubartt, LMHC, E91 Church’s Director of Counseling, Support & Recovery, adding, “This specific training would be for a team member to get trained and certified to then train our team more thoroughly.”
Fountains of Hope — $6,000 for installing two-tank, water-purifier systems at Christian schools, churches, and a Young Life Club House located in three regions of Cameroon, Africa, where children and teachers are currently dying from typhoid and/or cholera waterborne diseases;
Grace Vision Center Services — $7,500 to help purchase a van to transport members of the Indianapolis refugee community to work and to church;
ICAN Services, Inc. — $6,000 matching grant to obtain appliances for 2022 flood victims in Eastern Kentucky;
Jesus Inside Prison Ministry/Jesus House — $7,500 to assist in the replacement of an aging, leaky roof;
Polish Christian Ministries (PCM) — $7,227 to assist Polish Christian congregations to become healthy and growing. “The past two years (2022 and 2023), the E91 Foundation grants have been used specifically to help Polish churches provide housing and food for Ukrainian refugees in their city and many times in their church,” writes David Hatfield, PCM Executive Director, adding, “Polish churches in Sandomierz, Bielsk, Podlaski, Ciechanow, and Ostroda still have Ukrainian families living in their buildings. They have become the caretakers of the building and grounds since they are now living in the church. But they are also being assimilated into the life of the church as Sunday School teachers for Ukrainian children, small group leaders for Ukrainian families, and, in Ostroda, one Ukrainian brother has become an elder and preaches from time to time.”;
Project Liberia — $5,000 to pour the footers for a college building in Liberia, where ministry leaders will be trained;
The ARK Christian Ministries (Camp and Retreat Center) — $5,000 to remodel quarter-size model of Noah’s Ark into an interactive nature center that will be used year-round;
Vision Nicaragua — $5,000 memorial grant in honor of Scott Read to Vision Nicaragua, a small non-profit out of Asheville, North Carolina;
Young Life/Raceway Region — $5,000 to develop Young Life in five new multi-ethnic communities in the Indianapolis area by 2025 through financial support and culturally intelligent developers working with the community to bring about hope for lost students;
Young Life/YoungLives — $10,000 to expand programming and work toward a summer-camp experience for teen moms and their children, as well as mentors and childcare volunteers, in Detroit and Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Since its founding, E91 Foundation has granted more than $1.8 million to evangelical nonprofit ministries in Indianapolis and throughout the world. The generosity of our donors makes it all possible!
East 91st Street Christian Church started the E91 Foundation in 1994 as a long-term Christian charitable entity separate from the church’s day-to-day business and budget. The Foundation was formed to provide members and friends with an opportunity to leave a long-lasting legacy of Christian service and missions through bequests, memorials, and gifts. The Foundation adheres to Christian beliefs and principles and provides a vehicle for the broader Christian community to remember Christ and give a portion of their family’s final assets or unexpected proceeds back to God.
We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us by donating to the E91 Foundation. While a board maintains the endowment and grants funds to qualifying entities, donors can make contributions for specific purposes or create an endowed fund. The board then uses the interest each year within the donor’s guidelines to fund missions and ministries. If you’re interested in making a donation or memorial gift to the E91 Foundation, we can accept cash, check, or an on-line donation via the Foundation’s website (www.e91foundation.org). If a check, please make it payable to “East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation” and mail it to: East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation, 6049 E. 91st Street, Indianapolis, IN 46250. Any Foundation board member is also able to accept donations, answer questions, and help you through the process, or you can visit our donation page to get more information or to contact us to help expand God’s kingdom. Please consider – if you haven’t already — leaving a lasting legacy for the support of Christian service.
Indeed, “Excel in the Grace of Giving”!
Blessings,
Blair and Beth Austin, Co-Presidents
E91 Foundation
