A few weeks ago I alerted the friends of ABR about our financial needs at the close of our 2011 fiscal year on June 30...
Dear ABR Family,
A few weeks ago I alerted the friends of ABR about our financial needs at the close of our 2011 fiscal year on June 30. I challenged everyone to consider helping us to raise an additional $40,000 so that we could end the year having all our budgeted commitments funded, and so that we would not need to make cuts in staffing or other essential priorities. I am pleased to report that over $30,000 was raised as a result of our appeal! In addition, 2 new lifetime members (gifts of $1,500) made commitments to ABR and we continue to see additional donations come in as a result of the appeal.
We are grateful for the response from the ABR family and for many of you who contacted us for the very first time, sending gifts and assuring us of your prayers. This ministry operates by faith. Its needs are met by God as He moves His people to give. As a result of your generosity we will be able to continue to operate without cutbacks in our staff or critical programs. In addition, important new projects will receive partial funding in 2011-2012:
- ABR will begin video-taping its first apologetics round-table conversations to answer critical questions from skeptics and seekers about the authority and reliability of the Bible. Such vignettes will be used on YouTube, Facebook, and other outlets to young adults.
- Work will continue on creating a biblical archaeology curriculum that will not only teach about basic Old Testament accounts, but will provide the cutting-edge historical and archaeological research to show the historical reliability of these foundation biblical accounts.
- Website expansion and improvements will help us reach more and more people with the truth of the Bible and how archaeology affirms the people, places, and events in Scripture.
- Vast improvements will be brought to ABR's presence at home-school conventions to get critical, Bible-affirming resources into the hands of parents, educators, and church leaders.
- ABR will expand its efforts in the field, continuing our research at Khirbet el-Maqatir and assisting in archaeological work at Hazor, Malta, Tel-Zayit, and Tall el-Hammam in work that continuously reveals the material culture and artifacts that uphold the historical reliability of the Bible.
These are just a few of the ways your support will allow us to follow God's call upon this ministry. Please know that ABR seeks complete transparency with the ABR family, and at any time you may contact the administrative staff if you have questions or with input you would like to share. Thank you again on behalf of the Board and Staff of Associates for Biblical Research!
Scott Lanser
ABR Director
