From our appeal at our dinner on April 14. Help us reach out to men and women in need of healing. Help us reach out to people in our communities and give them information on this type of healing. Donate now
The financial goal for this evening’s event is 150 thousand dollars. It is a lot of money, but there is a lot to accomplish. Bethesda Healing Ministry KNOWS it is NOT yet a household or parish name. We are asking you to please help change that by supporting an increase in ministry outreach educators and programs by which all will come to know the calling, the gift, and the presence of Bethesda Catholic Christian Post Abortion Healing Ministry.
For 22 years this ministry has been a ministry of GOD’s MERCY. All service, care, and ministry provided to those suffering from the after effects of abortion have been provided at no cost to them. Most of this is accomplished through generous individuals volunteering their time. Most of Bethesda Healing Ministry staff and volunteers are on call 24/7 responding to phone calls, inquiries, and support of those seeking spiritual, emotional, and psychological help.
This past year volunteer hours were tracked through sign-in log books. In one year’s time, easily 6,000 man hours were logged dedicated to one on one care and for programs such as retreats, seminars, outreach, and support for affiliates around the country. This affiliate support includes 25 requests from other dioceses wanting to model the Bethesda Healing Ministry program. The need for this ministry is growing.
In order to answer this need, we need to support our volunteers, staff, and religious. This is where you can help through your generous support. We need your support to promote the necessary growth of Bethesda Healing Ministry.
Judy Schlueter, who was called to serve as foundress, to provide a vision, to grow, and to extend the arms of outreach in Ohio, and now in dioceses throughout the United States, must prepare Bethesda for the future. This cannot be accomplished without paying for a number of positions that we no longer can ask of our volunteers. Out of fairness to the volunteers and the staff for the amount of work they are asked to accomplish, we feel that we now need to offer certain compensation.
First, leadership is crucial. We believe our goals cannot be accomplished without paying someone to serve in the position that Judy has held as foundress and volunteer. This change drastically alters the financial demands on the work of Bethesda.
Some in the business world have suggested that such an encompassing position, which oversees with advice, consult, and all aspects of leadership, is worth $60K. We know after some years of trial and error that Bethesda must discover and recruit a leader for a full time position with necessary benefits for no less than $50K. Bethesda does not have such resources as ALL of the Bethesda ministry team has served without pay. Currently, only two part-time staff support the business aspects of Bethesda Healing Ministry. This includes the administration, development, financial affairs, promotion, and more. Because this small team has less than 28 hours a week to accomplish all of this, the work of Bethesda is hindered in its ability to respond to very real needs of organization, outreach, formation, information sharing, and programming.
In addition, other competent staff is now critical for the growing need for promotion through social media, marketing, website improvements and maintenance, print materials, advertising, and other tools. Funding is needed for contracting these critical and specialized roles upon which the outreach of Bethesda Healing Ministry is essential.
This evening you experienced the beauty and quality of work of Producer/Director Peter Messmer. Bethesda Healing Ministry has been approached about creating other DVDs in Spanish as well as continued educational DVDs, which will both require financial underwriting. These DVDs are important tools for Bethesda Healing Ministry outreach both locally and in other dioceses in the country.
Our new website with capability to increase outreach through all forms of social media is still under construction. We will need for an individual to sustain and grow these resources as well as graphic artists to create brochures, materials, informational booklets, cards, and tools for better communication. Bethesda Healing Ministry is already and will continue to market itself as a place for people to experience healing.
On September 17, 2016, Bethesda Healing Ministry and the Pontifical College Josephinum as well as Bethesda Healing Ministry affiliates, will have coordinated and collaborated in another annual Bethesda Healing Ministry FORMATION DAY. It is absolutely necessary to equip our priests with an understanding of the real and personal effects of abortion so that they can assist, as effectively as possible, those whom they meet in their ministry.
One day of this formation will be on campus at the Pontifical College Josephinum and a second day has been requested. Costs will include preparation of the site and programming for 40 seminarians, 20 affiliates from around the country, local mentors in formation, ministry, and association members.
In addition, Bethesda Healing Ministry is already in consideration for an at large community educational program offered by Project Rachel foundress, Vicki Thorn. Such a program will require underwriting and will expand universal understanding of most up to date research and information on this important topic of post abortion trauma, especially in light of cultural misinformation about this issue. This project is currently slated for 2017.
Bethesda Healing Ministry has received an invitation for ministry formation leadership to consider offering a seminar in Phoenix, Arizona. It is time to offer stipends to presenters in order to continue to have quality outreach and support. It is also time to provide additional resources for the ministry team for their own continued formation through retreats, seminars, and classes. This includes payment for travel and other financial support. This financial help is a means of showing our gratitude.
In January we received a request from St. Charles students to assist Bethesda Healing Ministry in outreach by delivering information packets to pastors and parishes within an hour travel time. We will be coordinating with St. Charles for this generous gift of student service. However, staff and travel reimbursements will be needed.
Bethesda Healing Ministry also realizes there is a need for increased programs and means by which Bethesda might support diocesan priests in the tender and important work of this ministry. A ministry that is faithfully Catholic yet welcomes individuals of all denominations.
Finally, our Annual Event Dinner and fundraiser creates expenses of about 40 thousand dollars. Through this event, we make aware to all the presence and heart of Bethesda Healing Ministry in a holy and beautiful way. This event is our only fundraising event and we desire to keep it that way. Please help us accomplish that feat by giving generously tonight.
Bethesda Healing Ministry would like to take a moment to acknowledge the participation of the Pontifical College Josephinum seminarians as ministry pastoral support.
Bethesda would also like to make known our appreciation for all the time and treasure given to this ministry by its volunteers. It is Bethesda’s hope to be able to provide those precious volunteers with salaried hours where justified and, in time, small stipends. Currently, the gentle ‘women and men’ who give without pay, often do so at a cost to themselves. To date, none of the eight women involved in the Bethesda Healing Ministry team receive stipends or reimbursements for travel or personal expenses. It is now time.
As you may now realize, your contributions this evening are critical. We must collect $150K this year to not only sustain the ministry but, in fairness, provide for those who are on our staff. This staff also needs the resources to make Bethesda Healing Ministry more effective and available to all in need.
Please consider donating today through our website: Donate now
