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Includes ministry highlights, testimonials, a financial snapshot, and prayer requests.
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Quarterly Ministry Update
You are receiving this e-mail because you have supported our ministry in the past, or you signed up to receive updates at LivingbyDesign.org/Give. If you do wish to receive these types of e-mails from Living by Design Ministries in the future, you can unsubscribe here.

Hello,
Friend!

The second quarter of 2020 was the most exhausting and the most encouraging season of ministry I've ever experienced.

It was jam-packed with every emotion under the sun fear, uncertainty, overwhelm, determination, faith, and hope.

Never before have I felt the need to release three separate resources in three short months. Never before have I been required to fundraise during a global pandemic.

Never before...never before!

If I had to sum this quarter up in one singular moment, it would be a conversation Ryan and I had with our mentors, Pastor Dick and Elvira Nickel.

It was our first face-to-face mentoring session since the pandemic shut down, and Dick asked me what I learned about God during our spring fundraising efforts.

I looked him straight in the eye and replied, "God provides for His work."

If you've been on this journey with me for any length of time, you know that I really struggle with the fundraising aspect of our ministry model.

I know that it is important and necessary, but it exhausts me!

This fundraising cycle was different for me. I was so busy serving God and our community, I had no extra energy to invest in worrying about our finances.

So I just did the work, and trusted God to give us what we need to continue the work. And He did!

Thanks to the generosity of 140 donors, we raised more than $20,000 between April-June 2020. There is nothing more humbling than watching God's people invest in the important work He has called us to do at Living by Design. Thank you for giving so we can continue to give!

I believe, now more than ever, that the work we do at Living by Design Ministries is vital and necessary. God has prepared this work for us, and He will equip us to continue to minister to the Church during this season of sifting (Matt 3:12).

Difficult times have a way of revealing the true condition of our hearts. They reveal the strength of our faith and require us to live out the truth we claim to believe.

My prayer for you today is this, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph 3:14-21)"

Sarah Koontz
President, Living by Design Ministries

P.S. If you have any questions or would like more information on any of the topics discussed in this quarterly update, please don't hesitate to contact our team at info@livingbydesign.org.

Testimonials from our Readers
I have found no other ministry online that comes close to the special presence of Living By Design. I think it meets women exactly where they are and infuses them with the simple, honest, pure message of the Bible. I pray that though out this pandemic women with find Living By Design as they search for “something” to make sense in this rapidly changing world. - Mary, from Canada

Your ResYOUed devotional is very inspiring. You've covered some of my favorite characters like David, Rahab, and Joseph. We need to be reminded that God doesn't look at our past, but looks in our hearts. Even when we're going through many difficulties, the Master is still at work. Thank you, Sarah, for the wonderful work you and your team are doing. - Barbara, from the Bahamas

I currently head up the weekly ladies Bible study at our church and found your site when looking for a study we could do online while not meeting physically. We usually average around 10 ladies each week at our study. However, when we branched out and invited other ladies from church, friends, and family, the Psalm 119 study Facebook page currently has 72 members! I am SO excited to see how God is going to work through this!
- Kelli, from Indiana
Giving by Design Project Update
 
 
During the month of May, we committed to donate a minimum of 10% of all funds received to Voice of the Martyrs Bible smuggling efforts. Brave men and women from VOM are risking arrest, imprisonment, beatings and even death to get God’s Word into the hands of those who otherwise might never receive it. Our goal was to give enough to cover the cost of 100 Bibles (a $600 one-time donation). Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we were able to make a donation of $989 to VOM (enough to cover the cost of 165 Bibles). Praise the Lord!
 
Prayer Requests for Living by Design Ministries
✔ Pray for Our Community: We have experienced unprecedented growth in our free Bible study community since January 1. As our ministry reach grows, so do the financial, physical, and emotional needs within our community. Please pray that God would continue to use our ministry to encourage and equip the Church to think and act biblically during these challenging times. Ask God for divine provision, guidance, and peace for every member of our community.

✔ Pray for our Summer Bible Study Participants: Our new Hymn-Inspired Summer Bible Study released on July 6. Please pray for everyone who chooses to participate in this study. Ask God to speak to them clearly through His Word and ignite a fire in their hearts for His ways. Specifically, pray that each participant would experience the joy of worship as they discover the beautiful theological truths woven into the sacred songs of the past. Pray that they would receive all the study e-mails, consistently engage in the process of personal Bible study, and experience the freedom and victory that can only be found in Christ.

✔ Pray for Rest for our Ministry Team: Every summer, we take a six-week break from social media, SOULfood Saturday e-mails, and blog posts. This allows our staff and volunteers to step back and recoup after a busy season of fundraising and releasing new resources. Sarah Koontz has some underlying health conditions that have flared in recent months, so we are all praying that this season of rest will boost her health and revive her spirit.
All Support Team members receive quarterly ministry updates, info about Bible Study Launch Team opportunities, volunteer and fundraiser information. We also have a private Facebook group just for you. This is a place where we can connect with the individuals within our support community and share ministry updates and requests in a more timely, personal manner.  
 
 
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