Happy New Year!  A new year and a new beginning to focus your church and ministry efforts on the plans that God has for you.  As everyone is busy setting goals for 2013, we must turn to the Word of God . . .

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Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands that I give you today. When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster.  Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.. Deuteronomy 27:1-3  

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Making memory of the past as God is leading you in the “promised land” is wisdom from the word of God.  His promise to those who fully obey His commands are in Deuteronomy 28:4,

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 “You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.” 

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Don’t we all want that for our ministries?  As we at Meet The Need were looking back on the past year to plan for 2013, we wanted to share with you a few highlights and thank you for partnering with us as we lead into another year. 

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What started as a small, simple idea years ago has become the standard for connecting and mobilizing churches and ministries to help families in need across the nation. 

Imagine people searching the web sites of churches and ministries for opportunities to serve the community that fit their skills and interests, ministries are getting the volunteers and resources they need to continue their work, families  receiving help and hope.  Well now in many cities that has come true. 

With Meet The Need, the gap no longer exists between the thousands of needs in the community and the thousands of people able and willing to help.  God showed favor in 2012 as Meet The Need  .

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2012  

 

• Launched nationally and now in 37+ different statesm with 1,000+ churches/ministries, and 36,000+ volunteers
• Started relationships with over 65 city reaching organizations
• Developed a new event module to make the posting and adopting of volunteer and resource needs more customizable and efficient
• Began relationships with national ministries such as NAMB, Campus Crusade, Focus on the Family, Christian Emergency Network, Worldwide Open, Mission America, Logos Bible Software, etc. 
• Built single login APIs for several church databases as well as building a customized directory solution for several city reaching organizations and national ministries

2012 was about breadth and starting relationships in new cities across the nation.  In 2013 our focus is about depth in these new cities.  We are looking forward to continuing to follow God as He leads us in another exciting year with the following on the horizon . . .

 

2013

• ​Form deeper relationships with partners and city reaching organizations to see cities transformed as Meet The Need is shared with more churches and ministries
• Enhance the adoption of needs with “group sign-up” to provide families and small groups and even easier way to serve together and for leadership to track which groups are serving together. 
• Complete the national missions and disaster relief modules for more efficient searching, adopt, and reporting of these needs 
• Increase the modes of media in which needs are communicated, searched, and adopted (text, iphone app, etc).
• Link key contacts through a culture change portal to easily distribute and share tools, materials, discussion forums, and training materials related to “external focus” best practices
• Publish a book on the importance of the church being far more engaged in the community
• ​Launch in 3 new countries with a feature to translate MTN in to multiple languages
• ​Enhance the adoption of needs with “group sign-up” to provide families and small groups and even easier way to serve together and for leadership to track which groups are serving together. 

What an exciting time to be a part of the body of Christ!  We are praying for knowledge and wisdom for your church/ministry as you begin to live out your 2013 goals and Meet The Need is here to support you in accomplishing those goals.