ministry-highlight Archives - Finish Line Pledge

Scott Cheatham, CEO of e3 Partners, on Missional Collaboration in Global Church Planting

Finish Line Pledge — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 09:00:54 +0000

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What We’ll Cover

Scott Cheatham, CEO of e3 Partners and I Am Second, was raised in a Christian, entrepreneurial family in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Scott started off in the business world as a successful entrepreneur living the American dream. But God got his attention in a powerful way, and led him to sell it all without knowing where God was taking him next. Through baby steps of radical obedience, God led his family to the nations to plant churches in one of the darkest places in the world.

Today, Scott’s business expertise and church planting experience have come together as he leads e3’s church planting network across over 100 countries. Scott is also closely involved with the Coalition of the Willing, a massive coordination effort among church planting organizations to see the gospel reach every person and village.

Major topics include:

Scott’s inspiring story of radical obedience to God
Maturing a church plant into a healthy church
Building accountability structures in church plants
Tips for telling your story and sharing the gospel
Collaboration between church planting organizations to advance the gospel

Quotes to Remember

“The more obedient we were to Jesus, the more we were prompted to want to do more.”
“We have a mission statement for our family and it’s simply this: Lord, help us to leverage every give, talent, and resource You have given us for the full extent of Your glory.”
“Our life with Jesus is just baby steps of incremental obedience.”
“We should be asking, ‘Lord, open our minds and our hearts to the opportunities that we have in front of us to have spiritual conversations.’”
“There’s not power in your words. There’s power in Jesus’ words.”
“God’s the one who does the work.”
“When we speak the truth in love, God does the work.”
“All God is asking for us is the simplicity of obedience.”
“God is setting the world’s stage for hope in Jesus.”
“Ask yourself, ‘Where am I investing in lostness?’”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

Acts 2:43-47 | The New Testament Church

And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Micheline Ouedraogo, Founder of Bridges to Burkina, on Risky Obedience When God Speaks

Finish Line Pledge — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:00:57 +0000

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What We’ll Cover

Micheline Ouedraogo, founder of Bridges to Burkina, grew up in a missionary family in West Africa with few resources. She learned from a young age what it looks like to completely depend on God for provision and guidance. While attending college in the US, she felt a call from the Holy Spirit to sponsor education for a handful of orphans in her home country, and despite her minimum-wage income, she stepped out in faith and obeyed. What began as a humble expression of generosity has bloomed into an amazing ministry.

Micheline’s inspiring dedication to live a life of submission and obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit led her from one divine connection to another, and Bridges to Burkina was born. Now, Bridges to Burkina works with rural villages in Burkina Faso, Africa, combating poverty by training locals to use agriculture and livestock to create sustainable businesses, as well as providing education for their children.

Major topics include:

Choosing to obey God when it doesn’t make sense
Listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit in life and generosity
Breaking the poverty cycle through education and business training
Balancing a full-time career with serving in the ministry
Micheline’s vision for growth in Bridges to Burkina

Quotes to Remember

“I’d rather take a risk and obey God than stay put and try to protect myself.”
“I don’t want to just fix the today-problem and leave you with the tomorrow problem. What God has put on my heart is for transforming lives for today and the future.”
“Everything we do has to be led by love. Then God will open the door for things to happen.”
“I don’t want to do what I want to do, I want to do what you want me to do.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

The Book of Esther

We Want to Hear from You!

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Christopher Beth, Founder of the Bucket Ministry, on Technology, Clean Water, and the Gospel

Finish Line Pledge — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 08:00:35 +0000

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Christopher Beth, founder of The Bucket Ministry, spent most of his life as a business consultant and thought he would retire from that line of work. But a radical encounter with God deep in the Amazon turned his life upside down and from that experience, The Bucket Ministry was born. The Bucket Ministry widely disperses water filters and the gospel all around the world using an advanced digital mapping platform to guide their work.

The mission of The Bucket Ministry is to share God’s love through the gift of safe, clean, drinking water. While The Bucket Ministry started out in the Brazilian Amazon, it is now actively evangelizing and providing water filters all over the globe. Christopher has an incredible story as well as lots of great advice on effective ministry and data tracking. You won’t want to miss what he had to share!

Major topics include:

The impactful story of how The Bucket Ministry began
Startling statistics about drinking water access throughout the world
Water filtration as a vehicle to practically share the gospel
Transitioning from business to ministry
Navigating the tension between profession and calling
Leveraging technology for ministry management and accountability
Christopher’s vision for scaling to reach more people faster in the next five years

Quotes to Remember

“I had no idea that at the age of 56, I would think more about fishing for men than fishing for fish.”
“The water in my toilet bowl is cleaner than 785 million people have access to around the world.”
“Our focal points are Jesus, water, and discipleship. We don’t do anything else.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

Acts 4:13 | God Uses Common Men

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

We Want to Hear from You!

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Rich Rudowske and Tilahun Mendedo from Lutheran Bible Translators, on Financially Self-Sustaining Models for Bible Translation

Finish Line Pledge — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 08:00:11 +0000

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What We’ll Cover

Dr. Rich Rudowske and Dr. Tilahun Mendedo are the CEO and Associate Executive Director of Lutheran Bible Translators. Rich’s passion for the written Word of God took root when, as a small child, his parents gifted him an NIV Bible. Tilahun’s life was changed at the age of 15 when a German missionary gave him the greatest treasure of all – a Bible in his own Ethiopian language.

They each have an extensive background in Bible translation and a great passion for seeing the Word of God printed in every person’s mother tongue through the work of Lutheran Bible Translators and other translation organizations worldwide. LBT has some particularly unique strategies blending entrepreneurship with translation in projects that fund themselves. They will share their personal stories, how God led them into Bible Translation, and about some incredible momentum happening today.

Major topics include:

Tilahun’s gripping backstory of being surrounded by death and struggling for a will to live, but finding life and hope through meeting Christ in the Word
Rich’s inspiring journey from the world of finance into the call of God, bringing his wife and five children with him
The history of LBT and how their unique approach to Bible Translation evolved
What is a “ministry entrepreneur” and how do these self-funded missions work to expand the Kingdom and engage local communities in Bible translation?
The profound spiritual impact of hearing the Word of God in your mother tongue
How Bible translation and language development improves quality of life as a whole
The story of how God miraculously provided for their pilot project, the Helge Center, to be built during the pandemic lockdowns
An update on the incredible leaps happening now in the Bible translation world and the great need that still exists
How you can get invested, financially and through prayer, in this eternal endeavor

Quotes to Remember

Tilahun – “Bible translation isn’t something that I talk about, it’s something that I am because I am the result of Bible translation.”
Tilahun – “What I need is just something that makes a difference. If I could be anything that would make a difference to millions, then here I am.”
Rich – “As many different folks there are with that mission drive, there are as many different stories and details of how they go about getting it done. But the common denominator is the drive to know that there’s a better future for their people or for the neighboring people around them and the drive to put pieces together to make to happen.”
Tilahun – “When you see the Word of God in your mother tongue, it means God is speaking to you. God has come all the way down to your language and is talking to you!”
Tilahun – “Bible translation is tough, hard, and full of struggles, but at the end of the day, it’s worth dying for. It’s a noble cause. There is nothing better than connecting the Incarnated Word to this generation and the generations to come.”
Rich – “We’re at an unprecedented level of understanding where those needs may be, and an unprecedented level of both collaboration and innovation in reaching out to those language communities.”
Rich – “The number one strategy is prayer – lifting the need for Bible translation in hard to reach people groups before the Lord, asking him to give us wisdom collectively on how to move forward and be wise.”
Rich – “Even now, data shows us that it’s not possible to meet the goals that we have in the next nine years. But data also shows us that we’ve closed the gap by about 100 years in the last five years. The last bit of it is going to be more difficult, but what looks impossible to us is not impossible to God.”
Tilahun – “It’s every Christian’s responsibility to make sure his fellow humankind, who was created in the image of God and for whom Christ Himself died, has Christ in written form.”
Tilahun – “Every person who supports Bible translation through prayers, funding, or advocacy is impacting the whole person.”
Tilahun – “Don’t forget, we are here only for a time. Don’t take for granted that this is the world for you. We are here for a purpose and that purpose is designed by God so that we can live out that purpose and deliver it for generations to come.”

Links from the Show

Lutheran Bible Translators
Wycliffe Bible Translators (see our interview with CEO John Chesnut)
SIL International (see our interview with Executive Director, Michel Kenmogne)
IllumiNations Bible Translation Alliance (see our interview with Todd Peterson or John Chesnut)
The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

Revelation 7:9 | Every Tribe, Nation, and Tongue

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

1 Timothy 2:3-4 | God Desires All to be Saved

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

We Want to Hear from You!

The post Rich Rudowske and Tilahun Mendedo from Lutheran Bible Translators, on Financially Self-Sustaining Models for Bible Translation appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

Gary Ringger, Founder of Lifesong for Orphans, on Handing His Business Over to God

Kealan — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 09:00:21 +0000

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What We’ll Cover

Gary Ringger is the founder and President of Lifesong for Orphans. His journey from struggling business owner in the food industry to the steadfast shepherd of Lifesong for Orphans is a testament to the heart of generosity in action. Following a profound personal “contract with God,” Gary’s life shifted from profit-driven enterprise to purpose-driven stewardship, shaping a legacy of impact.

Amidst the crucible of business challenges, Gary’s faith-inspired pivot directed millions in business proceeds to fuel an innovative approach to orphan care. Today, Lifesong thrives on sustainable and impact business strategies, all rooted in Gary’s spiritual journey and entrepreneurial grit.

Major topics include:

What led to Gary’s “contract with God”?
How did Gary transition from business to ministry?
How has careful, intentional listening prayer shaped many major decisions in Gary’s life?
How can givers align their time and energy with their financial giving?
How does Lifesong for Orphans serve orphans and families around the world?
What is a giving engine and how do they provide ongoing support for ministry?

Quotes to Remember

“We’re gonna get rich, retire at 40, and live the American Dream.”
“God used that brokenness to change my paradigm.”
“My prayer life went from a discipline to my favorite time of day.”
“If we hadn’t written it down, the entire journey wouldn’t have happened.”
“Don’t just give it away, get involved with something.”
“Once you’re a steward, God opens and closes doors in ways you could never imagine.”
“If you want to experience God, look for where He’s working and join into that.”

Links from the Show

Lifesong for Orphans
Radical Business, by Gary Ringger
The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lancione
The 13 Attributes of God (PDF) by Bill Bright
Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby
Ronald Blue Trust, now Blue Trust (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue)
National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills)
Halftime by Bob Buford
The Mystery of God’s Will by Chuck Swindoll
Impact Foundation
The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

2 Timothy 1:7 | Spirit of Fear

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

James 1:27 | Pure Religion

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Matthew 25:23 | Parable of the Talents

‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.’

We Want to Hear from You!

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Michel Kenmogne, Director of SIL International, on the Power of Hearing God’s Word in Your Heart Language

Kealan — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 09:00:49 +0000

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What We’ll Cover

Michel Kenmogne is the Executive Director of SIL International, a major bible translation agency currently involved in over 1,300 language communities across 98 countries, representing almost one billion people in need of access to God’s Word.

Michel shares his powerful testimony of growing up in the context of traditional African religion before hearing the gospel in through a ministry in his high school years. From there, God planted the seeds that would eventually lead Michel into the challenging work of bible translation.

Michel shares an inside look into the current bible translation landscape and the work that remains to reach the all-access goals of 2033: aiming to make God’s word accessible in the heart language of all people by 2033. He also shares about the IllumiNations impact alliance which has brought the major translation agencies together, rapidly accelerating translation progress around the world.

Topics include:

Michel’s powerful testimony growing up in Cameroon
SIL International’s inception story
The current bible translation landscape
Translating languages with no active believers
Translating for oral languages with no written alphabet
The role of AI in Bible translation
The illumiNations Impact Alliance
The work remaining to make scripture available to the entire world

Quotes to Remember

“I was impressed by the difference I could see in the lives of believers.”
“People can flourish by getting to know God, and understanding their identity as a people created by God.”
“Language is the platform through which people are valued.”
“We are always advocating for the need of the people who use or speak minority languages to have access to God’s word.”
“Bible translation is actually about allowing God’s light to shine into places where darkness has prevailed.”

Links from the Show

SIL International
Wycliffe Bible Translators (see our interview with CEO John Chesnut)
Intervarsity
American Bible Society
Lutheran Bible Translators
Every Tribe Every Nation (ETEN)
IllumiNations Bible Translation Alliance (see our interview with Todd Peterson)
The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

We Want to Hear from You!

The post Michel Kenmogne, Director of SIL International, on the Power of Hearing God’s Word in Your Heart Language appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

Bobby and Nan Bullard, Directors of of Partners in Ministry, on Stepping Into a Much Greater Story

Kealan — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 08:00:51 +0000

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Bobby and Nan Bullard are Directors of Partners in Ministry, a missions partnership ministry that provides fuel to empower indigenous missionaries who are reaching their own neighboring unreached people groups.

While God is still using the Bullards in the professional sphere, He has led them to channel much of their energy and resources over the years to accelerate the work of passionate believers abroad who live in close proximity to people groups who have never been exposed to the gospel. Their stories express the joy of generosity and how they have been able to step into a much greater story through the work they are involved in. They also share how the strategy and work of Partners has grown and evolved over the years, paving the way for incredible impact in years to come.

Major topics covered include:

Bobby and Nan’s transition into ministry involvement
Generosity as a lifestyle rather than an action
The effectiveness of empowering indigenous missionaries
Stories of God’s miraculous provision and the importance of trusting His plan
Creating a global community of gospel patrons to fuel the Great Commission
The Endowment 2414 initiative, sustaining ministry for decades to come

Quotes to Remember

“I want you to know that the Lord is getting ready to widen that highway.”
“But a wiser man is he who knows himself eternally, and sees his value not in his life, but in his Lord.”
“We’re not in the middle of this blue ball in the middle of the universe for no reason. There is a purpose for our lives.”
“Ministries all over the world are coming together around getting the gospel to every tribe and nation.”
“The body of Christ is not just my local church; it’s so much bigger than that.”
“The resources and finances to complete the Great Commission exist right now in the hands of Christians.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

Matthew 24:14 | And Then The End Will Come

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Luke 12:13-21 | Bigger Barns

We Want to Hear from You!

The post Bobby and Nan Bullard, Directors of of Partners in Ministry, on Stepping Into a Much Greater Story appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.

George Greene, CEO of Water Mission, on Engineered Water Solutions Paving the Way for the Gospel

Kealan — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 08:00:20 +0000

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What We’ll Cover

George Greene, CEO of Water Mission, shares grew up in a faith-driven family, the son of two water engineers and entrepreneurs. After a devastating hurricane hit Honduras in 1998, his family began to lay the foundation for Water Mission, building and installing water solutions in the country. The calling eventually led them to sell their thriving family engineering consulting business to serve those with poor access to water around the world.

Water Mission has now served over 8 million people across 10 countries in 3 primary contexts: long term community development, disaster relief, and refugee camp stabilization. In each context, Water Mission partners with local churches to introduce the gospel and trauma-informed healing to those they serve. Every water solution also involves comprehensive community development and remote-monitoring technology to ensure longevity of each project.

Water Mission has a strong culture of generosity. Their strong engineering background has not only allowed them to build high quality, durable water solutions, but has also enabled them to serve as a free engineering resource to other nonprofits working in the water space, eventually launching the Global Water Center. Their engineering origins have also enabled them to form many corporate partnerships to acquire components at discounted rates, which they freely share with other ministries as a partner distributor.

Major topics covered include:

Water Mission’s origin story
Strategies for community development, disaster relief, and refugee camp support
The fusion of technical innovation and faith-based ministry
Sustainability through community financial models and remote monitoring technology
The power of collaboration on lasting impact

Quotes to Remember

“We use water as an opportunity to build relationships with people that ultimately allow us to talk about who God is”
“Our mission is to honor God by developing, implementing and sharing best in class safe water solutions, that transform as many lives as possible as quickly as possible”
“As you look at Jesus’s model for ministry, it was both word and deed, it wasn’t one or the other.”
The one thing that none of us ever had any control over is where we were born, and who we were born to.”

Links from the Show

Water Mission
Halftime by Bob Buford
Ronald Blue Trust (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue)
National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills)
Life Shape
Lead Like Jesus
Mission Drift (see our interview with author Peter Greer)
Rooting for Rivals (see our interview with author Peter Greer)
American Bible Society
Living Water
Hope International (see our interview with founder, Jeff Rutt or CEO, Peter Greer)
Global Water Center
The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

Bible References from the Show

Mark 12:30-31 | Love Your Neighbor

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Proverbs 22:29 | A Man Skilled in His Work

Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

We Want to Hear from You!

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Mario Zandstra , President and CEO of Family Legacy, on the Ripple Effect of Generosity

Kealan — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 08:00:59 +0000

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Mario Zandstra is the President and CEO of Family Legacy. Mario’s journey from humble beginnings to his success in commercial real estate, and now to his current leadership in ministry demonstrates the power faith has had in his life. He discusses his personal journey, the connection between faith and business, transitioning from business to ministry, and the impact of his current ministry, Family Legacy, in Zambia.

Mario’s faith guided his career in commercial real estate, where he upheld integrity and honorable work. His colleagues weren’t surprised when he later transitioned to ministry, inspired by “Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance.” He first led Pine Cove, one of the largest Christian summer camp programs in the U.S. and achieved remarkable growth, with 30,000 children coming to Christ. He emphasizes the ripple effect of generosity and the profound impact several key experiences had on his faith and future.

Currently, he leads Family Legacy, which supports thousands of children in Zambia, empowering them through education and providing a safe haven through the Tree of Life residential facility. Over 20,000 students have been educated, entire communities have been transformed through Family Legacy’s continued work.

Major topics include:

Mario’s personal journey and the transformative power of faith.
The impact of Mario’s faith on his career in commercial real estate and his commitment to integrity.
Transitioning from business to ministry and the unexpected opportunities that arose.
Stories of generosity and the ripple effect of giving.
The significance of expressing gratitude and acknowledging the influence of others.
Family Legacy’s founding, and the ministry today.
Empowering children in Zambia through education, trade certifications, and holistic support.

Quotes to Remember

“I think about where I am in life, and I can’t imagine anything better.”
“What’s stopping you from trusting Jesus?”
“I turned my life over to Christ. And that was the beginning of a crazy adventure.”
“Pull together a group of people that really know you well, and give them the right to ask you the tough questions.”
“We leveraged, we took the principles of business that God has allowed to be created over the course of time, and we apply those into the organization.”
“You just don’t know what happens in life.”
“Be careful what you’re willing to go meet about because you might end up running a ministry in Africa.”
“We believe in empowering, equipping, and encouraging kids to live up to their God-given potential.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

2 Corinthians 5:21 | Christ’s Sacrifice

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Psalm 139:14 | Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Philippians 4:6 | Don’t Be Anxious

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

We Want to Hear from You!

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Lane Kipp, Founder of All Access International, on Maximizing Impact Through Pooled Giving

Kealan — Mon, 22 May 2023 08:00:32 +0000

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What We’ll Cover

Lane Kipp is the founder of All Access International, a pooled giving fund focusing on high impact projects addressing spiritual and physical poverty. Many givers struggle knowing where to give and which organizations to trust. All Access has developed a 5 step screening strategy to select high impact projects all over the world through a variety of partner organizations.

When Lane started out, his goal was simply to better understand how to be a wise steward and impactful giver himself. However, after consulting with multiple major research institutions, Lane began to realize there was a little more of a science to effective giving. An initial trial run through a repeatable screening process on a project in India yielded results were orders of magnitude more effective than most giving today. It was this process that laid the framework for All Access International.

Lane had plenty to share on topics including:

Patterns among the giving data he’s seen
What makes nonprofit organizations effective
His 5-step screening process for All Access International
Accountability in the field
Physical and spiritual poverty

Listen now to hear all he had to share!

Quotes to Remember

“Some of the most sustainable methods of alleviating physical poverty are also spiritual.”
“Spending is a reflection of what we are really passionate about.”
“All people deserve access to the Gospel.”

Links from the Show

All Access International
When Helping Hurts (see our interview with coauthor Brian Fikkert)
Joshua Project (see our interview with Director, Dan Scribner)
Walking with the Poor by Dr Byrant L. Myers
Uncharitable by Dan Pallotta
The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

We Want to Hear from You!

The post Lane Kipp, Founder of All Access International, on Maximizing Impact Through Pooled Giving appeared first on Finish Line Pledge.