Our Financing and Support

Position Paper by the Family International

The Family International's [the Family's] primary mission is to share God's good news with others. During the first 30 years of the Family's history (1968-1998), over 25,000,000 people from all over the world prayed with Family members to receive Jesus as their Savior. Aside from ministering to people spiritually, our communities (based in over 100 countries) are active in providing physical assistance and materials to those in need.

The members of each Family community (called a "Home") determine which spiritual and physical ministries they will collectively undertake. Our Homes are engaged in a wide variety of activities, such as encouraging and assisting the elderly, the sick, and the disadvantaged; working to rehabilitate recovering drug addicts and ex-gang members; offering personal counseling in prisons and juvenile detention centers; and assisting in disaster-relief efforts and refugee camps. In recent years, among many other endeavors, the Family has joined in relief efforts after hurricanes in North and Central America; floods in northeastern Thailand, Mexico, Venezuela, Mozambique, and the Czech Republic; earthquakes in India, Greece, Turkey, Taiwan, Peru, and Colombia; Typhoon Toraji in Taiwan; volcanic eruptions in the Philippines; the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in the United States; and the terrorist bombings in Bali.¹ The Family continues to act as a positive force in humanitarian assistance throughout the world.

Our full-time members have chosen to devote their lives and efforts to volunteer missionary and social work, adopting this as their lifetime vocation. Our Family Discipleship Homes are self-governing, self-supporting, and financially independent. Members of each Family Home democratically decide the objectives and goals of their community, as well as how to invest their resources and personnel to best accomplish their chosen objectives. According to The Love Charter [for Family disciples], "Each Home is [to be] totally supporting and governing itself locally and are bound together only by a common doctrine, vision, message and method, history and the Lord's leadership. [Each] Home should operate within a budget agreed upon by its members [aged 18 and up] and endeavor to meet its financial obligations" (11, 102).

Although our material resources are limited, the Family has an invaluable asset-its dedicated and sacrificial members. Local Family members cooperate with individuals and organizations regardless of cultural, ethnic, or religious background to bring relief and hope to those in need. Our efforts to distribute supplies to disaster victims, the disadvantaged, or the disabled are frequently supplemented or multiplied by charitable contributions from other like-minded individuals, businesses, and organizations, on a local and/or international basis.

Our Biblical Beliefs
Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14).²

Members of our fellowship pattern their missionary work after that of the early disciples of Jesus, trusting that God will "supply all [their] need according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). Hence, rather than rely upon a monthly salary, members rely on God's promises of supply that He has clearly given in the Bible. This is referred to as "living by faith," because it is an act of faith to put one's life totally into the care and keeping of God. We trust that as we put our work for the kingdom of God first, He will see to it that our needs are provided, often through the kindness and generosity of those to whom we minister the message of the Gospel.

Jesus Himself set the pattern for those who would follow His example by humbly asking others for help: a meal, a boat to preach from, a drink from a well, a donkey to ride, a room in which to have His Last Supper, and more (Luke 19:5; 5:1-3; John 4:6-7; Mark 11:1-7; 14:12-16). As we reach out in love and concern to minister to others spiritually, people in turn heed His call in their hearts and respond by helping to meet our material needs (1 Corinthians 9:11).

Our Communal Lifestyle
And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need (Acts 2:44-45).

Following the pattern of the earliest Christians, the Family maintains a cooperative lifestyle, with each member sharing his or her material possessions, resources, talents, and abilities with others in the community. Our communities vary in size up to about 35 or more members including children. Living and working in cooperation allows us to manage our day-to-day lives and public ministries more efficiently and frugally. We pool our incomes within our communities and collectively pay expenses. This economical communal way of life efficiently enhances our efforts and plays an important part in the furtherance of our work.

In general, the Family does not purchase properties or buildings, but rather rents or leases them. While the Family lifestyle involves frugality, living and working quarters reflect a healthy, comfortable living standard.

Sponsors
The Gospel is freely given by God for all men, rich and poor, but it is a fact that it costs a great deal in effort and expense to preach and publish it. As one minister put it, "The Gospel is free, but it costs something to pipe it to you!" While the specific sources of income for each of our communities vary, most communities rely largely on the material and financial support of those to whom they minister. Many helpful individuals and businesses sponsor the Family by generously donating to our local works, as they might do to other churches and nonprofit organizations.

Through these donations the Family is also able to distribute food, clothing, and medical supplies in refugee camps, shelters for the homeless, orphanages, and other needy institutions. Our humanitarian aid and disaster-relief efforts would not be possible without the help of those who generously donate goods and financial support.

Some Family communities have registered as nonprofit foundations and NGOs to facilitate the receipt of contributions for charitable projects. Each of these foundations functions under its own specific mission statement, and provides a variety of services to their local communities and overseas missions.

Distribution of Educational Productions
The Family has devoted a great deal of time, effort, and manpower to produce a wide variety of award-winning, faith- and character-building materials such as children's television shows, video productions, and inspirational music tapes and CDs. We have also published a wide range of books and Bible-study helps, each designed to encourage faith in God and to foster moral values in both adults and children.

Our music and video production teams have produced the acclaimed Treasure Attic^TM series for children, distributed in over a dozen languages. These series have received international awards for their educational and moral values, as well as their positive, character-building themes.

Donations that Family individuals receive for these products are a primary source of income for many of our communities around the world. Many businesses and corporations also donate the cost of sets of our children's products for orphanages, underprivileged village schools, centers for the handicapped, or shelters. Local Family members often perform live benefits at these same institutions, incorporating clown and puppet shows, and song and dance troupes.

Secular Employment
Considering the shortage of people devoted to preaching the Gospel of God's love and helping the needy, it is our belief that Family members should be engaged full time in missionary and social work. Nevertheless, other employment, either full or part time, is an option for our members, provided they receive the agreement of the majority of the members of the community in which they reside.

Conclusion
Today's world is a complex, materialistic place in which the spiritual values of love for God and one another are often neglected. Consequently, many people suffer from loneliness, depression, and poverty. Family members regularly provide counsel and assistance to people with problems, young and old alike, helping them in their hour of need, sharing what extra food and materials we have, as well as the love and hope we have found in Jesus.

The Family's volunteer efforts would not be possible without the help provided by concerned individuals and organizations. We consider it a blessing and a special calling to serve God and our fellow man in this way, and we are very thankful for the many individuals and organizations that help make these efforts possible. It is our belief that as one gives to help God's work, he or she will be blessed or rewarded in turn by God, as He said, "I will bless them that bless thee" (Genesis 12:3).

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Footnotes
¹ For more information about the Family, including up-to-date details of the Family's international relief efforts, please see: http://www.thefamilyinternational.com/work/

² All Bible verses are taken from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

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Works Cited
Family, The. Love Charter, The. Bangkok: World Services, 1998.

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What Is the Family International?
The Family International (formerly known as the Children of God) is a fellowship of Christian communities with members in over 100 countries. Our current membership numbers about 8,500 full-time members and 7,000 associates.

The Family has four main objectives:

To share with others the life-giving message of love, hope, and salvation found in God's Word, conveying the joys of knowing Jesus as a personal Savior.
To ensure that each of our children receives a godly upbringing in the best possible environment we can provide.
To produce and distribute a wide selection of devotional, inspirational, and educational materials.
To actively assist the needy through producing and performing inspirational, dramatic, and musical benefits; serving as volunteers in disaster relief; and seeking ways to provide comfort and material assistance for the disadvantaged.

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If you have any questions or comments, we invite you to contact us at one of the following addresses:

Web site: www.thefamily.org

The Family International
PMB 102
2020 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20006-1846
USA

Call in the USA at:
1 (800) 4-A-FAMILY [1 (800) 423-3264], or
1 (202) 298-0838
E-mail: publicaffairs@thefamily.org

The Family International
Maxet House
Liverpool Road
Luton, LU1 1RS
England
E-mail: info@thefamilyeurope.org