GivingTuesday 2025 is Dec. 2!Click here to download a PDF version. Hold the Rope!Dear SIFAT family, Great News! Generous donors have committed to match donations up to $70,000 toward our goal of $210,000 on GivingTuesday 2025! We are asking you to help SIFAT meet this goal on Dec. 2. This annual day of giving allows us to continue to serve those in need in many hard places. We have just finished a training in Bolivia and are currently training others in Costa Rica. We are helping with Hurricane Melissa emergency relief through our SIFAT graduates in Haiti, whose projects were severely impacted when their houses and gardens washed away. Yurima, a graduate from Venezuela, was visiting us recently to share with churches about her ministry, which has been funded by a grant from SIFAT. When asked why she is returning to such a dangerous place to serve, she said, “That’s where God has called me. Because I can teach all that I learned at SIFAT about urban gardening, my people now have food to eat!” So many people around the world are being blessed and empowered by the work of SIFAT. I have heard our training graduates say, “I don’t mind going in the pit, but someone has to hold the support rope.” Thank you for being part of God’s ministry through us. Please consider a generous gift this Giving Tuesday to help meet the matching funds and to be part of the work God is doing through SIFAT. Help us hold the rope! In Ecuador, where our SIFAT mission teams are building the eighth church and outreach facility to provide a safe place for children who might otherwise be on the street, our friends with whom we serve say “God will repay you”! Now is your chance to make a difference and have your dollars matched up to $70,000! We are counting on your support on Dec. 2! Yours in His work, Worship on the Water 2025Worship on the Water at Lake Wedowee starts May 25, 2025!Lake Wedowee friends: We’ll see you on May 25th to kick off this year’s Worship on the Water! Each Sunday at 9 a.m., we’ll meet under the pines at Allen’s Lakeside Marina. Our casual, nondenominational services are held each week from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Come by boat, come by car, come as you are!  Each Sunday during the summer, we invite different speakers and musicians to lead our nondenominational, casual service on Lake Wedowee! 2025 Summer ScheduleMay 25 – Jimmy Yates and Jerry Rogers June 1 – Josiah Corson and Unshakeable Kingdom June 8 – Jon Tal Murphree and Ella Carter June 15 – Christie Shelton and Barry Waldrep with April Huddleston June 22 – Carey Akin and John and Jake Howle June 29 – Sallie Shaw and Jerry Rogers July 6 – George Mathison and Clearvision July 13 – Paul Messer and Unshakeable Kingdom July 20 – Janice Clark and Barry Waldrep with Kevin Lanier July 27 – Hughey Reynolds and Highpoint Road Aug. 3 – Jacob Wilkerson and Bear Creek Methodist Church Aug. 10 – Josh Stitcher and Dawn Rooks with Friends Aug. 17 – Matthew Colburn and Roanoke First Methodist Church Aug. 24 – Todd Noren-Hentz and Joyful Sound Aug. 31 – Billy Coleman and Ryan and Missie Robertson TBA = To Be Announced Help SIFAT on GivingTuesday – Dec. 3!Click here to download a PDF version of this page!
Dear SIFAT family, I am humbled and thankful for your prayers and support during the last 45 years. When SIFAT was founded in 1979, we had a budget of $12,000 and a call to help the poor learn to stand on their own feet. We have come a long way in 45 years, but now have an urgent need for funding that only God, through you, can help. GivingTuesday is December 3. We ask for your help to continue the work for which God has called us. Generous donors have committed to double donations up to the first $65,000 we raise. We cannot do it alone, but with your support, we can make a difference in the world for some of the least of these. In October, I led a team to Ecuador to help SIFAT graduate Anita and her husband, Pastor Rafael, plant their eighth church, which includes an after-school program that offers support, spiritual and educational tutoring, meals and medical attention for 75+ street children. Through these churches and others we have served, thousands of children have received opportunities that most of us take for granted. Young adult leaders are now serving as tutors, pastors and musicians because their lives were changed because of these programs. God is allowing us to impact the future of Ecuador one child at a time. The last few years have been difficult financially for our ministry. We need you to join SIFAT at this critical time, so that we can continue to make an impact for years to come. Information on how to donate is on the back of this letter. Thank you in advance for your gift to help us meet our goal to raise $200,000 on GivingTuesday. With gratitude and appreciation, Tom Corson  Since 1979, SIFAT has been training community leaders in appropriate technology and community development. We need your help on GivingTuesday, so that we can continue our ministry for years to come! Three Ways to Participate
Share your SIFAT Experience. Everyone needs a smile and encouragement these days. Share one of your favorite SIFAT memories (funny or serious) on social media. Use the hashtag #MySIFATMoment, so we can share them. Commit to Pray and/or Participate. Pray for SIFAT staff, projects and programs. Your daily prayers are heard and are such an encouragement. Choose a way to get personally involved in SIFAT. Begin to volunteer, choose a Learn & Serve retreat to bring a group to experience our campus or join an international mission team! Donate to SIFAT. Generous donors created a $65,000 matching fund that doubles your donation! Our goal is $200,000. You can donate by check or online. Designate your check GivingTuesday and mail by Dec. 3. Any designated donations received for GivingTuesday count toward our goals!  SIFAT believes building relationships is key to understanding the daily struggles others face and how we can help communities develop to their full potential. How will you support SIFAT on GivingTuesday? Three Online Giving Options
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