June 10, 2015
Picking a Project (Part One)
Dad what’s your favorite color? What’s your favorite food? Do you have a favorite song? These and many other “favorite” questions are ones that I often hear around the house, and with four kids it will eventually lead to who is your favorite child? Honestly, I have a hard time picking a favorite anything. My favorites are usually situational.
Favorite color? What am I going to be doing with this color? Is it for clothes because I think I look best in blue but happen to gravitate to greys.
Favorite food? Are we talking appetizer, main course, or dessert? What did I eat yesterday? Would this be for my last meal?
Favorite song? Can we narrow it to a decade and a genre? How long would I have to listen to this song? Would it be sung at my funeral?
Favorite kid?…….We’ll save that discussion for another day.
With so many options available, making a choice can be overwhelming. That’s why, on the big decisions in life, it is important to have a set of filters and seek wise council.
At Finish The Work, we get many applications for assistance in each year. How do we choose a “favorite”? The one God is calling us to complete.
The process starts with an application which each potential recipient must fill out and submit. This can be found on our website, here.
Upon receipt, a filter is applied. The project must meet five criteria for assistance (CFA)to make it past the first cut.
- The project must be used to further the gospel of Jesus Christ – On the surface this may seem to limit FTW to only churches. However the actual act of completing a project in and of itself can be used to further the gospel. I am aware of a project in the Caribbean where a public school was built by believers. This was such a foreign concept that the one news outlet in the entire island came out to cover the ribbon cutting ceremony live. One of the participants was able to share the Gospel message on live TV!
- The project must be in some phase of construction – We don’t start any new projects. God has called us to finish what He already started through others.
- There must be an inability of the local population to finish the project without outside help. If there is already a plan and funding in place then we do not need to upset the apple cart.
- The project must be of scope and size as to allow Finish the Work to complete it in a reasonable time frame. As FTW grows we will be able to take on larger and more involved projects. We will continue to heed the words of Jesus found in Luke 14:28 “ For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”
- The project must be connected to a local church or ministry partner – We want to ensure there is ongoing spiritual follow up and ministry once we are complete with our portion of the mission.
Projects which obviously do not meet one of the CFA’s – “We would like to start building a…..” for example, are not even brought before the board.
Projects which need a little more attention with the CFA’s or who clearly meet the CFA’s are presented to the board.
What happens next? How do we decide? What is the vetting process? Check out tomorrow’s blog…
-Finish the Work Founder, Joel Davis
