Taking Donors Seriously® Podcast

Reid Saunders is an evangelist who has led his organization for 27 years. During the past 15 years of Brad and Reid's friendship, RSA has grown 10x and has seen a million people make decisions to follow Jesus worldwide! Enjoy this inspiring and fun interview. Our prayer is that you are encouraged in your journey.

Reid's Book Recommendation:

Finishing Strong: Going the Distance for Your Family by Steve Farrar

Links: https://reidsaunders.org/ https://reidsaunders.org/books/ Book mentioned: Stories From The Ends Of The Earth

When I first learned about Medical Ambassadors International, the scale of their ministry relative to their budget seemed so crazy that it was almost too good to be true. In this episode, we dive deep with Dr. Ravi Jayakaran, the current President, to explore this incredible Christ-centered, grassroots organization. Their holistic approach beautifully intertwines physical and spiritual care, creating lasting change in communities. We'll also discuss their recent capital campaign, which has dramatically transformed their work.

Medical Ambassadors International has 231 staff members in 76 countries and utilize a robust number of volunteers. They combine medical help with the gospel's good news, impacting 3,007 communities and 3.4 million people!

Website: https://www.medicalambassadors.org/

Healing Lives Magazine: https://www.medicalambassadors.org/publications/

Ravi's book list:

"Best Things in the Worst Times: An Insider's View of World Vision" by Graeme Irvine

Flamin' Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man's Rise from Janitor to Top Executive Hardcover – by Richard Montanez

Subversive Jesus: An Adventure in Justice, Mercy, and Faithfulness in a Broken World by Craig Warren Greenfield

Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change by Paul G. Hiebert

Playing two truths and a lie with Trinidad-born Dr. Wintley Phipps would be tricky. It's hard to fathom the number of famous people whose paths he has crossed—whether singing for Mother Theresa or for one of six different U.S. Presidents, or at Diana Ross's wedding, or a divine appointment with a young and not-yet-famous Oprah Winfrey. However, one such "chance" meeting on an Amtrak commute with Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship founder, eventually led to his passion for youth and the founding of the U.S. Dream Academy. Dr. Phipps entreats us to consider, "Imagine how much greater America would be today if we invested in character building for the kids who need it most?"

https://www.usdreamacademy.org/

Dr. Felix Theonugraha, President of Western Theological Seminary shares how he sees fundraising as a way to minister to and care for his donor partners. As many seminaries are struggling, Western, instead is leaning into their distinctives such as focus on mental health and Hispanic ministry. Part of their current capital campaign is raising funding to further innovative initiatives including ministry to those with disabilities and a center for Christian imagination.

https://www.westernsem.edu/

Ray Keen exudes wisdom and compassion. He's a veteran CEO of The Canby Center, a wrap-around care ministry to youth and families in a small town in Oregon. Even as a growing organization–they are currently finishing up a $10 million campaign to expand their facilities and services– they seek to emphasize dignity and learning for everyone they serve. Advice to his younger self? "Get to know the Lord, yourself, and those you serve."

The Canby Center: thecanbycenter.org

Book List: Practicing the Way, by John Mark Comer Giving it all away... and getting it back again, by David Green The 6 Types of Working Genius, by Patrick Lencioni Atomic Habits, by James Clear

Chuck Hagele, CEO of Project Patch, is no stranger to darkness. The ministry he leads provides therapeutic residential programs for teens struggling with severe depression, anxiety and other acute challenges. Through fundraising, they strive to say "Yes" to kids needing treatment even if finances are a barrier. Chuck discusses the difficulties of learning his role, including transitioning leadership from the founder (who also happens to be his father-in-law.)

Some helpful books he is reading are:

Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Dr. Lisa Demore The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

Mandy's book is: Have More Fun: How to Be Remarkable, Stop Feeling Stuck, and Start Enjoying Life

https://www.themom.co/home

She has recently enjoyed reading:

Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday

Running with Sherman: How a Rescue Donkey Inspired a Rag-tag Gang of Runners to Enter the Craziest Race in America by Christopher McDougall

In this special Juneteenth edition of the podcast, we interview Lisa Fields, a prominent apologist, speaker and founder of the Jude 3 Project. The Jude 3 Project exists to help equip the black Christian community to know what they believe and why they believe it. Lisa is also an expert on Juneteenth and led the production of a recent faith-filled documentary picked up by PBS. If you are not familiar with Lisa and her work, you absolutely should be.

Her book: When Faith Disappoints: The Gap Between What We Believe and What We Experience

Films: Unspoken Documentary, PBS Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom

Website: https://jude3project.org/

YouTube: @Jude3Project

As God laid on his heart a desire to re-orient education to the focus of glorifying God, David Nees was drawn to classical education. He is now the Head of School at Heritage Classical Academy outside Cleveland, OH, and has led the school through a phenomenal season of growth in the last decade. More students often leads to a need for new physical spaces, and Heritage is, indeed, in the midst of a campaign to consolidate multiple campuses into one.

A book that David recommends is: George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution by Brian Kilmeade

Hear from Ty Fischer, a 27-year veteran Head of School at Veritas Academy in Lancaster, PA. He shares about the need for humility in asking for help with fundraising as well as the surprising diversity God has brought to his school via the refugee community. For a school nestled in Amish country, it has been an unexpected blessing to have students from over 10 different countries become part of this classical school community. Some books that Ty is reading are: Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up, by Abigail Shrier Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture, by Christopher Watkin