May 2007

STS Aims to...

The four primary areas of service we provide are:

·         Education and Training - Christian leadership, financial, occupational and other forms of education and training using various individuals and organizations within the United States, Liberia and the world who have significant competency in the core subject.

·         Logistical Services - Movement of materials, funds, people and information from the United States to Liberia in a cooperative manner ensuring the most effective and efficient process possible.

·         Accounting and Financial Integrity - Accounting services and assistance allowing those providing funds and those receiving the funds to be good stewards of God's resources.  Services range from receipt and delivery of funds to complete accounting services for individual ministries.

·         Entrepreneurial Development - With a primary goal of assisting Liberian ministries in becoming self-sufficient, we provide business determination, startup, capital, training, and oversight services.

 Education and Training

Biblical Literature for Liberia

Recently we received an email from Dr. Samuel Reeves, pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Monrovia.  Providence was the very first church established in Liberia upon its founding in the early 1800's.  Here's an excerpt from Dr. Reeves' email:

"I have a request that I need your help with: I am teaching a leadership class at the Baptist Seminary in Monrovia.  I like to use Dr. John Maxwell's book, Developing the Leader Within You, as one of my key text.  I have the class reading the one copy I have. My request is this: Is it possible for you to get about 25 copies for the students in my class? I would like for each of them to have a personal copy."

Here in the United States we simply don't understand the scarcity of Christian materials as we are only a bookstore or website away from any text we desire.  In Liberia the availability is very low and the cost, even at a reduced rate, would be the equivalent of one week's wages or more.  So a single copy of a book is shared among 25 students.  These students are the future leaders of God's Kingdom work in Liberia.

So board member David Bearchell sprang into action and used contacts he has developed within John Maxwell's Equip ministry to obtain the books at a reduced rate and partnered with Mrs. Edyth Bawn of Syncrop SSR Liberia, based in Dulles, Virginia, to have the books delivered to Dr. Reeves in time for the completion of the Seminary class on June 24^th.

If you, your church or another organization would like to provide Christian literature for various seminaries within Liberia, we would be excited to help you make contact with the appropriate representatives.

Many U.S. ministries gather clothing, vehicles, equipment, books and medical supplies to send to various Christian organizations in Liberia.  Yet it is difficult to get materials from the U.S. to Monrovia.  The average cost to ship a 40 foot shipping container full of goods to Liberia and get it processed through the Freeport of Monrovia is $10,000 or more.  Most organizations do not need an entire container, so they end up partially empty or filled with unnecessary or underutilized goods.  In addition, the process of setting up, loading, and shipping the container can be quite difficult requiring tremendous time and effort.

STS set an initial goal of one container for 2006 and it was shipped in August of last year.  For 2007 we have budgeted for 3 containers (May, August and November).  Our goal is to establish a quarterly shipment and if demand warrants, a monthly shipment within the next 2 years.  Board member Chuck Clark manages this segment of our service and can be contacted by by clicking here.

Accounting and Financial Integrity

 

 

 

 

Increasing Financial Accountability

One of the similarities, sadly enough, that Liberia and the United States share in common is a lack of financial integrity.  This permeates Liberian culture at present and is all too common within the church.  The investment, by outside organizations, in Kingdom work within Liberia is negatively affected by the lack of financial accountability by those groups receiving it.  Many times the problem is the difference in expectation by western donors and Liberian recipients concerning financial reporting.  The financial training of many Liberian ministries is not sufficient to report back in a format viewed as even minimally acceptable by the donor organization.  Mistrust develops and funding stops under these circumstances.  Also, with such tremendous need in every segment of their ministries, Liberians tend to have difficulty remaining true to the concept of designated gifts.  When there is no money to buy food for the children, leaders of orphanages may not understand that funds in hand can only be used to build a building or buy school books.  Thus training and assistance with accounting issues is very important for those that God has called to be His hands and feet on the ground in Liberia.

Although not currently implemented, STS is committed to developing an accounting service as a means of increasing the trust of U.S. donors so that more funds will be provided to the various Christian organizations doing Kingdom work in Liberia.  As part of this goal, individuals from the various organizations being served would also be trained to take over their own financial reports at the appropriate time.

 Entrepreneurial Development  

An area of significant need within the Liberian Christian community is financial sustainability.  The Bible has a financial plan for the local church which involves its members' tithes and gifts.  The para-church and other Christian social welfare organizations (orphanages, medical clinics, etc.) do not have such a formal plan.  In addition, the average Liberian earns $360 U.S.D. per year.  While labor costs are incredibly low in Liberia, almost every other item of need is imported and costs more than what it would here in the U.S.  Therefore, even if all members tithe, the base of income that they draw from is very low.  So providing jobs to Christians actually fits into God's plan for the church.

For individual Christians and organizations STS desires to provide capital, training, and management services that will enable the establishment of profit producing businesses.  STS will initially control the businesses, develop the leadership and recover its initial investment.  At the appropriate time the business will be transitioned to its new owners and we will reinvest the funds in the next business.

The funding vehicle for this business development strategy is a "One of One Hundred" plan whereby 100 individuals donate or make an at-risk, non-interest bearing investment of $10,000 each.  The $1,000,000 pool of investment cash will be used to establish for-profit businesses as we identify suitable pursuits and individuals with management potential.  A significant portion of the profits derived will be designated for specific ministry efforts throughout Liberia.

"The great comission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed." 

Hudson Taylor  

Upcoming News

STS featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution

STS' Crown Event held November '06

We are immensely grateful to our Lord and Savior for the opportunities that He is making for STS to serve others in the great country of Liberia. We ask that you join us as we pray for continued avenues of service to become available to us.  We believe that finding and securing property for STS to have as a home base in Liberia is vital to the ministry. This has been challenging up to this point, but we know that our Heavenly Father has a strategic place where we will be able to benefit the people He has called us to serve.  We will be updating you as He opens this door. We praise Him and wait expectantly for the day we can literally "open the doors" to these precious people.  Thank you for joining us in seeking our Father in regards to this situation.

Beccy Lanier