The Partnership Landscape

The urban, multi-ethnic partnership is a new frontier for many. However, the chance to impact the world from our backyard has captivated the hearts of many new partners. New mission trips, new partners supporting our interns, and churches who have heard about us are now able to support The Tampa Project are getting involved. This is hugely needed for our long-term success.

While many church plants have a 3-year time line for self-sufficiency, an urban plan must plan for a longer process. Many of the new attenders, while faithful and active, may not have the resources other suburban church plants may have. Our latest projections seem to project that we will be looking closer to 5 years before we can assume our own self-sufficiency.

The Tampa Project is funded two ways. The first way is from inside support or regular attenders and members. The second way is by outside support, from churches, family, friends, and businesses. The best way to offer finical stability is to receive regular weekly support from our inside supportors and regular monthly support from our outside supporters.

Over the last 9 months we have consistently seen our work supported. Here is the dilemma, we simply have not been able to maintain consistent inside and outside support. (i.e, most of our outside support is from one time givers.) We finished 2007 with a surplus of 2 months finances and felt good about our situation. However, we have been short each week by about $900. Over the last 5 months we have seen our "balance" decrease each week.

June will be a month of a lot of travel and fund-raising. Staff will be going to camps and pushing for our mid-west friends to come to our friend-raiser event. This June we need to raise $30,000. We did not hit our goal of $20,000 by June and now we are facing some repairs on the facility and major needs.

Pray with us. We are counting on God to move our people to continue to show their support. We are thankful for the partners we have. We are thankful for the partners we are getting. Continue to pray that God will continue to raise and strengthen our support.