Presidential Ponderings: 10-3

Why did you incorporate as a non-profit?

Why the audacity to start a new non-profit when there are so many respectable non-profits you could work for doing basically satisfactory spiritual work to serve the downtrodden in some way?

Why repeat the work of designing infrastructure?

Growing up in El Gordo’s household, we always had postcards from Christian missionaries on our fridge or taped to the cabinet above his head. He was reminding himself to pray for them. He was declaring that he thought their work was important to building the Kingdom of God. I know that he highly respected the faithful people who behaved like Jesus and sought out the company of people who were suffering to offer their presence in service.

These people on the fridge were actual people that i had met. Many stayed in our guest room when coming to Wheaton to visit the churches that supported the idea that one person could have enough impact in their community that the whole world would be better for it. The people at these churches gave money to the missionaries so that the missionaries had a salary, as well as expenses covered to do the work that they, personally, had been called to do in a specific community.

A dense collage of various personal photographs in different sizes and orientations covers a white wall.

(Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the missionary postcards of my youth. Do you? I'd love to see them.)

So, why did i incorporate as a non-profit?

The work that i want to do is more like a missionary than it is like any other vocation.

Schmuel’s story is told in the Hebrew scriptures as literally hearing God call for him, and he responded “Hineni” (הִנֵּנִי), which means, “i’m ready my lord.”

I have been called to serve the common good by offering succor to burnt-out community leaders, who are absolutely necessary for tikkun olam, mending the world.

When that calling is combined with my deep longing to spend my days writing, quilting/praying, and walking alongside the legacy of El Gordo, while being a single mom to teens, partner to my widowed mother and managing chronic illnesses, that’s a tricky job to find at a pre-existing organization.

So, when i considered all of the organizational models available to me, filing for a 501c3 so that i, personally, may serve a specific community made the most sense.

I love the questions you are sending me. Please send more!

Sincerely,

Rebecca