2009 Brought with It Significant financial Mark 4:30-32 Eileen Harvey Bakke
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'%%.6ccjVaGZedgi Dear Friends d[i]ZBjhiVgYHZZY;djcYVi^dc! =dlh]Vaa lZe^XijgZ A year ago we celebrated Mustard Seed Foundation’s 25th i]Z`^c\Ydb birthday. At our March annual meeting in South Carolina, d[<dY4 we laughed and cried and remembered God’s faithfulness through good times and bad. We celebrated the incredible journey God has given us as we steward His resources. >i^ha^`ZV !e Mustard Seed Foundation is a Christian family foundation Along with millions of people and organizations around the bjhiVgYhZZY established in 1983 under the leadership of Dennis W. Bakke and globe, the start of 2009 brought with it significant financial Mark 4:30-32 Eileen Harvey Bakke. !e Foundation was created as an expression of uncertainties for our family foundation. !ankfully, Mustard their desire to be faithful stewards of the financial resources entrusted Seed was able to continue granting in the midst of a global to them, to bring together the members of their extended families recession. !e Foundation’s total giving for the year was into common ministry, and to advance the Kingdom of God. !e $5 million, a slight increase from our giving in 2008. Foundation provides grants to churches and Christian organizations worldwide that are undertaking new ministry projects including Local church granting remains at the core of Mustard Seed outreach, discipleship, and economic empowerment. !e Foundation giving, with about 50% of our operating funds given as grants also awards scholarships to Christians pursuing advanced educational to match local churches. We awarded 715 grants totaling $3.1 degrees in preparation for leadership roles in both the Church and million to churches in 77 countries to support their outreach society. !e Foundation affirms the Lausanne Covenant as its missional and growth. Members of our gifted staff and dedicated commitment to the world. All directors and staff of the Mustard Seed volunteer board devote much skill and wisdom to develop Foundation are committed followers of Jesus Christ. these international, grassroots grants and to discern feasible projects and appropriate grant amounts. By matching the investment of local churches in discipleship, empowerment, and outreach ministries, we believe that our “mustard seed” grants are appropriately scaled, that accountability remains with the local church, and that projects have a greater likelihood of being sustainable long after the Mustard Seed funds are spent. continued on next page lll#bh[Yc#dg\q& Our Harvey Fellows Program, in its 17th year, financially We want to thank Todd Pearson, who ended his term on the assists talented graduate students who are followers of Christ Board in 2009, for his astute assessment of our grants. Todd and who are preparing to enter vocations where Christians has a heart for nations and people groups that are closed to Guiding Principles are under-represented. Last year the Foundation awarded the gospel, and we will miss his contributions to our Board nearly $1 million to 85 scholars pursuing graduate degrees discussions. We welcome Lowell Bakke’s return to the Board at top-tier universities. for a five-year term. One of our newest initiatives, !eology of Work (TOW) !e Mustard Seed Junior Board, comprised of members of grants, received strong reviews from the dozens of seminaries the Harvey and Bakke families age 13-18, awarded 12 grants worldwide where the TOW courses are being taught. totaling $94,600 in 2009. Dargan !ompson, who chaired !eology of Work courses are designed to help Christian the Junior Board, graduated and was succeeded by co-chairs pastors and lay leaders understand and teach the sacred Whit Harvey and Norris Laffitte. Dargan, thank you for your nature of all believers’ work. We are grateful for Lowell capable leadership last year, and for the ways you mentored Bakke’s role in overseeing and championing this program. the younger Junior Board members. We awarded $294,357 through 36 grants to seminaries to develop and teach TOW courses. Mustard Seed Foundation has a long history, for which we are grateful. We find that each year brings new opportunities In 2008 and 2009 we significantly reduced the !eological to witness God’s gracious activity in the world and to partner Education funds spent on scholarships to international globally with dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Each year seminaries, granting $300,000 to support 374 students at 46 also brings challenges, endings, and opportunities to be on institutions in 2009. We are planning to continue this smaller, our knees in prayer. We wait expectantly to see what God more targeted scholarship program for seminary students will do with this family, the relationships, and the Foundation in the years ahead. Mustard Seed also has established a funds in the year ahead. scholarship program for students attending Bakke Graduate University (BGU) in Seattle; 87 BGU graduate students In Christ, received financial aid from MSF in 2009 totaling $300,000. !e day-to-day work of the Foundation is carried out by a team of 11 staff members who are located in seven countries around the globe. !is small, effective team serves Dennis and Eileen Bakke as ambassadors for Christ as well as ambassadors for the 8]g^hiVcY=^h@^c\Ydb Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, and through grants and scholarships Mustard Seed Foundation, encouraging the witness of the !e gospel of Jesus Christ and the Evangelical traditions. We affirm God’s around the world. Our goal is to local church as they identify worthwhile grant and scholarship advancement of his Kingdom are redeeming and restorative grace and give the majority of our funding to power as sufficient to bring blessing churches and individuals worldwide, opportunities. We are so grateful for each member of the staff central to all that we are and all that we do. It is our joy to worship and serve to all structures, institutions, and while intentionally limiting our and commend them for the amazing work they do. Jesus and to submit ourselves to the societies. All grant and scholarship investment in the United States. Since authority of the Bible. We seek to be recipients of the Mustard Seed the Foundation’s inception in 1983, we Christ’s servants and ambassadors and Foundation must proclaim a personal have awarded grants and scholarships to encourage as many as will come to faith in Christ, affirm the basic tenets in nearly 150 countries. follow Christ. We seek to encourage of orthodox Christianity, and desire to the formation of disciples from serve and witness in Christ’s name. AdXVa8]jgX] every community, city, and culture. We recognize the Church as God’s We desire to see the whole Church <adWVa primary representative in the world. bring the whole gospel to the whole !e Mustard Seed Foundation !erefore, we try to maximize the world. !erefore, we award grants recognizes the global nature of the role and responsibility of local and scholarships to churches and Body of Christ. !erefore, we desire congregations in the initiatives we individuals representing the spectrum to participate in God’s work to support. We seek to partner with of biblical Christianity, including encourage churches and individuals and empower local congregations 'qlll#bh[Yc#dg\ lll#bh[Yc#dg\q( 2009 Overview 2009 began with a slow start due to the continued global !e remainder of the Foundation’s giving was channeled recession but ended with increased giving over 2008. !e through a collection of other giving programs. !e Harvey Foundation’s expenditures totaled $5.9 million in 2009. Fellows Program grew significantly in 2009 due to the Approximately 85 percent of these funds were given through selection of 18 new fellows and restructuring of payments over 750 grants to churches and Christian organizations, to more closely follow most academic calendars. Our and nearly 550 scholarships to individuals. !e remaining !eological Education scholarships increased slightly over 14.9 percent, or $885,131, was used to administer this work 2008 in continued support of students pursuing theological through an international team of 11 staff located in seven degrees where the Church continues to experience the countries around the globe. greatest growth globally. Our scholarships to graduate students at Bakke Graduate University also increased in Providing seed funding for small startup projects of churches 2009 as the school continues to grow and expand the and Christian organizations around the world remains the diversity of degrees offered. Our !eology of Work grant primary giving area of the Foundation. Over 53 percent, program remained at a consistent level of funding from the or $3,155,752, of total operating expenditures was given previous year while broadening the geographic regions of through grants primarily to local churches in major urban granting. Together these initiatives represent over 30 percent, centers worldwide. !ere was noteworthy decline in our or $1,888,857, of our 2009 expenditures. average grant award to approximately $4,400 from our historical average of around $5,000. '%%.:meZcY^ijgZh <gVcih (!&**!,*' =VgkZn;Zaadlh ..)!*%% I]Zdad\^XVa:YjXVi^dc (%%!%%% 7<JHX]daVgh]^eh (%%!%%% 6Yb^c^higVi^dc to identify, equip, and support their when they are integral members of a !is parable exhorts us to respond I]Zdad\nd[Ldg` '.)!(*, &)#. members who are called to specific local church. !us, in all our giving we faithfully to God’s calling but to trust 6Yb^c^higVi^dc --*!&(& areas of ministry in the Church, seek to support individuals who are outcomes to him. In our giving we I]Zdad\nd[Ldg`*#% marketplace, and the world. We also active members of a church community. seek to trust individuals and churches consider local church support and !e power of individuals to be agents as they listen to God by taking small IdiVa *!.'.!,)% accountability as primary indicators of grace and change in community is steps toward their visions.