President's Message
Question: "What does it mean that ‘to whom much is given, much will be required’ (Luke 12:48)?"
Answer: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). This statement of Jesus has become somewhat of an idiom in Western culture and is found, paraphrased, in the words of wisdom given to Peter Parker in Spider-man: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
The idea of “to whom much is given, much will be required” is that we are held responsible for what we have. If we are blessed with talents, wealth, knowledge, time, and the like, it is expected that we use these well to glorify God and benefit others.
We have been given much, and God desires us to use what He has given to further His Kingdom and proclaim His glory. It’s what we were created to do. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. For the Son of Man will reward each person according to what they
have done’” (Matthew 16:24–25, 27). We are living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), giving the things God has given us in service to others, and in that we actually find life. God, the giver of all good things (James 1:17), gives us everything we need to fulfill His will. “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
It is absolutely true that God is with the vulnerable and poor, and it is also true that God is with us… when we are with them.
So, allow me to thank you for being a part of this work that the Lord has established. What we have been able to do could not have been accomplished without your participation and very generous support. In this Annual Report we want to share with you some of the successes we have seen, and the good work you have been a part of this last year.
I also want to say thank you for living the following truth:
“Let it not be said that I did nothing when they needed me”.
Mark Vanciel, CEO
Question: "What does it mean that ‘to whom much is given, much will be required’ (Luke 12:48)?"
Answer: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). This statement of Jesus has become somewhat of an idiom in Western culture and is found, paraphrased, in the words of wisdom given to Peter Parker in Spider-man: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
The idea of “to whom much is given, much will be required” is that we are held responsible for what we have. If we are blessed with talents, wealth, knowledge, time, and the like, it is expected that we use these well to glorify God and benefit others.
We have been given much, and God desires us to use what He has given to further His Kingdom and proclaim His glory. It’s what we were created to do. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. For the Son of Man will reward each person according to what they
have done’” (Matthew 16:24–25, 27). We are living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), giving the things God has given us in service to others, and in that we actually find life. God, the giver of all good things (James 1:17), gives us everything we need to fulfill His will. “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
It is absolutely true that God is with the vulnerable and poor, and it is also true that God is with us… when we are with them.
So, allow me to thank you for being a part of this work that the Lord has established. What we have been able to do could not have been accomplished without your participation and very generous support. In this Annual Report we want to share with you some of the successes we have seen, and the good work you have been a part of this last year.
I also want to say thank you for living the following truth:
“Let it not be said that I did nothing when they needed me”.
Mark Vanciel, CEO
| Full 2018 Annual Report |
