September 1, 2008

My dear friend,

This may be a letter unlike any I have ever written to you. I plan to take you into the inner workings of my heart concerning the subject of money.

In my senior years, I am looked at—especially by younger lives—as an example, a pattern that they hope to follow. That is a fearful—a terrible—responsibility that causes me to shake in my shoes. It means crying out to our Father in heaven to kill Eiklor and replace him with Jesus. It means “giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed”— (2 Corinthians 6:3)

The easiest place to disgrace the gospel is in the realm of the material—specifically “money”. We have all seen it through the years: begging, shaming people into giving, putting folks on guilt trips (ie: “If you don't give, we fail—and it's your fault!”), baloney promises (“Send me your seed money—all you have—and God will grow you a money tree—all you want”).

That is why I have chosen to walk a line that perhaps I have no right to even wish other Christian leaders to follow. Nevertheless, God has given me a great peace to try to stand out as an example of financial integrity.

1) No fake telegrams to scream “URGENT!” Just a simple letter giving honest facts and offering any who wish to help the opportunity to do so.

2) No using other people's mailing lists, and never allowing other organizations access to ours.

3) No asking for honorariums when I speak. Since it's out of my hands, God can do what He wants—including nothing, if He so chooses.

4) No adding names (with rare exception of special friends) of people from congregations that support Shalom. Why? Because they often love Norma and me and would give personally to us instead of to their church mission fund that has already made a sacrifice to support this work. I would be taking advantage of that church. So I don't.

5) No accepting honorariums from Jewish groups (not believers in Jesus) who ask me to speak about my love and support for them and for the people of Israel. Many have gotten the picture over the years and said, “This guy is not after our money. His compassion is real.”

6) I know it is not wrong for others to receive the rewards of their labors. It is just a path that I have chosen to follow to give my words more impact and credibility.

7) If someone writes, “Frank, I only have sufficient funds to send a gift either to Shalom or a needy missionary in the field”, I always answer: “Please don't desert that missionary. God will take care of Shalom.”

8) When we take the good news of Jesus to other countries, we pay our own way and ask that any funds that would have been given to us instead go to the poor and needy of those countries. In fact, we try to take extra funds to help needy pastors, struggling flocks, and hurting individuals.

Yep, I know what some of you are thinking: “If you pass up so many ways that you could employ to get more names for your mailing list and money for the work, you have to rely on a miracle God.” And so we do. What He sends—and whom He sends—is a month by month miracle from the Lord. It all goes into preaching the gospel, training the believers and taking leaders into greater depths of servanthood. The goal is simplicity itself—through the Holy Spirit to create disciples, warriors, statesmen (ambassadors for Christ) and patterns (examples for others to follow).

To do that, this ministry will pay any price to be that example to others. Will you keep us in your prayers? Your help means more than my words could ever say.

“Lord Jesus—lead on”,

Frank Eiklor