A Special Season of Giving 

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Today is November 28, 2023, Giving Tuesday around the nonprofit world. Here's a quick explanation: the Friday after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday due to the increase in sales for the upcoming Christmas season (to put retailers in the "black"). Online merchants got on board this marketing train and began to run sales the following Monday calling it "Cyber Monday". Then, with this wave of capitalism running hot, those of us in the fundraising world wanted to participate and began what is called "Giving Tuesday" as we understood that as much as 30% of donations occur within the last 6 weeks of the year.

This year, we enter this Special Season of Giving for our partners amidst our year-long transition from Brazil to the USA for our next season of life and ministry. We invite you to read the summary below of where we are and what the need is for us to begin 2024 in a great position.

  • Over the past 5 years, we have lost significant monthly support, have not raised enough new support to offset that loss, all while our family's expenses have increased. We have been in a positive support position because of our faithful monthly supporters and our one-time campaigns. 

  • Our transition to a US-based staff has significantly increased our tax and insurance burden, beyond what I had expected. Thus, our support account has gone into a concerning deficit, currently around negative $15,000.

  • We will participate in a Debrief and Rest for long-term missionaries returning from the field with Mission Training International in Colorado in February. The cost for the program and travel is around $5000.

Just 2 years ago God provided $20,000 for our 20 year celebration, and those funds have been instrumental in our current financial health in the midst of a major life event - uprooting from Brazil and bringing our reality to Birmingham, AL. That was only possible because our partners believed in our labor and our ministry, under God's provision.

Would you consider participating in this Special Season on Giving for these specific needs and help us raise another $20,000 to position our family to begin 2024 in our new role and new season for expanded impact of even more CO Staff and Regions around the globe?

Our online giving link is here: https://www.campusoutreach.org/donate/jon-elam/

New Role with CO SERVE

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Before I explain about the coming season of life and ministry, I want to begin by voicing how grateful our family is for the care that Campus Outreach SERVE (CO SERVE) has provided for our transition: allowing time to settle, constant check-ins from Member Care, referrals to other resources and personal touches as we finalized my new role. 

Over the past year, I have had multiple conversations with directors in the CO SERVE office. In October, I submitted a proposal that reflected my desire for even greater impact on the global work of Campus Outreach. Over the past 20 years I have come to understand what motivates me, my profile as a team player, my gifts, abilities and the vision I believe in that drives me to continue working under the mission and ministry of Campus Outreach. I am happy to say that I believe my next chapter will fit me well and will leverage what God has done in our lives to expand our impact even further.

Over the 21 years in Brazil, I wore a lot of hats and served in many roles. A few things were always present that came from my gifting and my education in Communications. Design, advertising, operations and project management were always part of what I found myself engaged in - even in the midst of front-line, interpersonal college ministry. I loved the personal ministry, but I also loved making things happen for others through behind-the-scenes setup, details and thinking about how to develop the team around me. One highlight of the conversations over the past months with the CO SERVE directors has been that my unique blend of Staff experience, profile, gifting and international perspective set me up to lead in a way that someone who was hired without those elements would not be able to.

I am happy to announce that my new role is Creative Content and Media Specialist with Campus Outreach SERVE, while also dedicating time each week to directly assisting regional field teams in Latin America and the UK. 

That may not mean a lot to some people, so let me give some highlights:

  • Production of the CO SERVE Annual Report for its public of 13,000 financial partners and 200 domestic and international staff. 

  • Take on oversight and production of the podcast series "CO Staff Cast" directed at the over 700 Campus Outreach staff around the globe.

  • Content management for the www.campusoutreach.org and COSERVE.org websites with their over 45,000 unique visitors over the past year, including 7000 from outside the US.

  • Resource and consult for administrative teams from regional teams in Latin America and the UK based on 20 years of experience in Brazil.

This is a great opportunity to not only continue to impact the colleges of the world with the gospel, but also to expand our personal impact on the global reach of Campus Outreach while stepping into a role for which God has been shaping me over the past 25 years. It is humbling to see God's care, sovereignty and goodness to have us right here, right now.  

In the next few days, I will be posting more information about the financial impact of our transition to the US, our support goals for the next season and opportunities to partner with us and work together as God provides for our needs. Our year-end giving campaign will begin soon, and I will explain more via updates and personal meetings. Thanks to all our partners for your care and support.