Thank you! When you give to Life Challenge, you change a life. It’s that simple. Without your support, there would be no Life Challenge, and hope would disappear for the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives that are impacted each year through the ministry. Thanks to you, by the grace of God, Life Challenge in Detroit has endured for almost half a century offering the only true cure for addiction: the life-saving, life-changing message of hope in Jesus Christ.
This is our mission and by His abounding grace, we have been able to serve Southeastern Michigan since 1964.
Through all those years, new armor bearers have risen up from all walks of life to support our mission. They may have new faces, new stories of grace, but somehow each new friend of Life Challenge seems already familiar to us, like a brother or a sister we haven’t seen in years, but who now comes bearing the unmistakable “family smile”.
How we need to see those faces, those smiles, that unmistakable expression of joy. If we look too long only into the face of strange despair, we can tire easily. We need the strength that joy brings. God does not disappoint. Time and again we have looked up from our labors to see bright new smiles, new encouragement, new armor-bearers. How glad we are, how inspired, how loved, as we reach out and we are greeted by the face of Christ.
So again, we say thanks. Your gifts are our life-blood. We receive no support from federal, state or local government. It all comes from you. Besides your faithful gift of cash, here are some of the ways we have been blessed by you.
Prayer Support
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for” (Charles H. Spurgeon). Prayers are what we covet the most. We can do nothing without asking God, as John Wesley pointed out, “God does nothing but by prayer, and everything with it.” Pray for our students, that they might hear and be miraculously changed by the word of God. Pray for the staff, that they might be given wisdom, patience and endurance.
Gifts In Kind
Many of you have given “gifts-in-kind” through the years. Instead of giving money to buy needed goods and services, the goods and services themselves are given. These gifts are a great blessing to us. They will often find their way into our yard sales but may also be used by our students and staff. Sometimes we have a special need for something. Each month we publish a list of goods and services we may need in this newsletter. Other Non-Monetary Gifts Many people like to give in other ways. These include gifts of vehicles, real estate, stocks, bonds or mutual fund shares. All these gifts are welcome. In general, Life Challenge will convert these gifts to cash so that we can continue our mission.
Major Gifts and Planned Giving
Planned giving is a way of supporting Life Challenge that allows donors to make larger gifts than they might otherwise be able to make. While some planned gifts may provide a life-long income to the donor, others use estate and tax planning techniques to provide for charitable giving and their heirs in ways that maximize the gift and/or minimize its impact on the donor’s estate. So, a planned gift can be any major gift, made in lifetime or at death, as part of a donor’s overall financial and/or estate planning. It is always wise to consult with a professional when contemplating such a gift. Steve Swaggerty, a member of the Life Challenge board of directors, is such a professional. He is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, an Accredited Asset Management Specialist and he would be happy to talk to anyone who is considering such a gift.
The Hamlin Society
The Hamlin Society is a special group of men and women who have pledged to help Life Challenge meet its long-term financial goals through an annual membership gift and through longer term, strategic giving and support. These are people who have a special calling to ensure the continued success of Life Challenge. If you feel called in this way, please call the Pierson Center and talk to John Richardson for all the details.
The Greatest Gift
We thank God for all of you. We look forward to seeing you at our dinners and other events as the new year approaches. In all of this, we remember the greatest gift of all. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
