Kingdom Giving: E91 Foundation 2023 Mid-Year Update
“Freely you have received; freely give.” –Jesus, Matthew 10:8
“Back in Paul’s day, the Macedonians were dirt poor,” wrote Pastor Pete Briscoe in his May 31, 2023, online devotional, Being Fully Free in Christ (petebriscoe.org). “In a devastated, drought-stricken land, any of them would have been sleeping in the gutters – except that they didn’t have any gutters,” continued Briscoe, adding, “Yeah, it was the kind of ‘poor’ that many of us rarely, if ever, see or experience. Those Macedonians have something to teach us today about the family of God:
“And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.” (2 Corinthians 8:1-4, NIV)
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 $85,910.
Following are those organizations and/or individuals that have received grants during the first half of 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;
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!”;
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 — $7,227 to assist Polish Christian congregations to become healthy and growing;
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 https://e91foundation.org/donations/. 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 www.e91foundation.org 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.
“Sharing resources is part of what it means to be a family,” continued Briscoe, adding, “It’s a huge blessing, and not just for those who freely receive, but also for those who freely give. What a strange mixture of words shows up in this passage (2 Corinthians 8:1-4)! Very severe trial… overflowing joy… extreme poverty… rich generosity.” A huge blessing, indeed!
Blessings,
Blair and Beth Austin, Co-Presidents
E91 Foundation
“Excel in the Grace of Giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7)
