March 01, 1983 by Ralph D. Winter

Dear People,

As we get nearer that payment friends are more than ever besieging us with all kinds of earnest advice which we appreciate.

1. "Don't scare people. They won't support you if they think you are going down."

We are doing nothing we know of that is intended to scare. But we must be honest, open and straight forward.

2. "Renew your emphasis on lots of one time $15 gifts. If everyone on your list of 27,000 would find 15 others to give those gifts, that would make $6 million. But we have nothing to pass out."

That's right, We are right now rejuvenating our "grapevine letter' approach whereby you people will be able to pass on a prepared letter or brochure to your friends. We realize that the world's most reliable and powerful means of communication is still the word of mouth process. In three weeks. Lord wilting. the next issue of this bulletin will be in your hands. In it you will find a brochure to give. Look at it. Pass it on. Get more copies of it.

3. "People stilt don't know what the Center is. They don't know whether to try to help or not."

Well, what do you think a group of missionaries would do if they got complete control of a modest 35 acre college campus? They would certainly not waste their opportunities by starting another Christian college There are plenty of those already. Wouldn't you expect them to throw it open for the use of all evangelical mission agencies to come together to pray and give toward an overall campaign to reach the final frontiers? That's it in o nutshell? Now over 300 full-time people work here, coming from over 60 mission agencies. These people are busy scouring the face of the earth for "missing peoples" overlooked until now, drawing mops, charts, writing both scholarly and popular articles, spearheading o whole new wave of awareness in U.S. churches and college campuses. offering a specialized graduate school, and even pioneering a pilot project of a new type of undergraduate curriculum which we hope other schools will be able to follow.

4. "The Frontier Fellowship is a great idea, but it will never in the world bring in $6 million by Sept. 1."

You are probably right, but as a prayer method and as on educational and inspiratIon building enter prise, it really is more important than merely a money raising activity. Furthermore, new organizations are joining the movement all the time. It is not unlikely that by September Jet enough "participating organizations lions (congregations, classes, denominations, mission agencies, periodicals, theological seminaries) will have joined so that at least their goals, for the number of people involved in prayer and loose change giving will amount to 445,000 people.

5. "Why all this commotion about your $6 million balloon payment? Can't you 'refinance' and deal with it over a period of time?"

Yes, but our contract allows that for only two more years, at a much higher interest rate, and then payments almost double in size. This will clearly prolong the agony and further prevent us from really doing the lob God has called us to. Worse still, it will merge the balloon payment an the campus with the balloon payment on the off campus housing in 1985. We honestly hope this will riot be necessary.

6. "Simple; just ask people to join a 'committee of 1,200,' Each of them will give or advance $5,000 against your need. That's $6 million right there,"

This would be a last resort. In no event would we ask such funds as outright gifts, however. We would still expect to "return or reassign' the money once the required number of $15 gifts come in.

Never have I known so many wonderful people who are personally so concerned to see us make this payment  We thank the Lord for each one of you. Obviously we need your, earnest prayers that God wilt gold, us. Its way is not always obvious. 9 Quite often it is untraditional   But always it is right. So pray with us.