Guys? We got some big changes coming to Hole in My Heart Ministries, and we are excited to share them with you today.
In addition to the changes, we are exploring a couple of your questions with some answers:
Why does marriage have to be between one man and one woman? (We share our top three–well, four–favorite reasons.)
How do we walk with and speak truth to a believer who believes a same-sex, romantic relationship is right for them? (We offer some specific help.)
Let’s dig in!
Highlights:
“You guys didn’t assume the ‘Why marriage?’ question. That’s what’s been really unique about learning this stuff together with you: You dared to ask that question.” —Steve
“Matt is so different from me to represent how God is so different from us–and yet he wants to marry us! That’s bananas! It’s not cosmic joke. That’s beautiful cosmic design. That’s worth dying to yourself for.” —Laurie
“With these questions there is always a sense we need to call them away from what they are doing. ‘I need to somehow convince them that that is the wrong the to do.’ Honestly? That’s a theology of ‘no.’ … Your job as the friend is *not* to have them say ‘no’ to this thing over here, but say, ‘How can we more and more and more say ‘yes’ to God?’ —Matt
Question of the Week for Next Week:
What is the most annoying sound?
Do the Next Thing:
- Read Preston Sprinkle’s People to Be Loved to learn more about why God’s design for marriage is between a man and a woman
- We refer to this pastoral paper a few times on the episode
- We also talk about Christopher West’s work. Find out more in this episode
- That Streetlights app where we listen to the Bible? Here
- To hear more about the changes, read below.
Extra on the Changes
by Laurie Krieg
The biggest change happening with HIMH is we are shifting from a non-profit ministry model to a for-profit one as of January 1, 2020.
What is a for-profit ministry?
A for-profit ministry is a group of people who are committed to Kingdom work, and rely on the ministry to self-support through its activities, offerings, and services rather than tax-deductible donations from individuals.
However, in this season of transition, our new LLC is asking those of you who are supporting us now to continue to partner with us while we get our sea legs. You will not get a tax-write off, but you will be planting seeds into this huge faith step we are taking.
We want to keep doing this podcast. This equipping. This work. (We want to do more! You will hear how we will on the episode, and you will see it below.) Your support helps provide you with more content. Thank you.
To partner after January 1, go to lauriekrieg.com/partner
Why are we shifting?
Wisdom. “We are in a very hot conversation,” I said in the episode today. “For our family, the Kriegs, to be financially dependent on a tax-[write-off] line … just isn’t wisdom. Matt and I are definitely willing to suffer. We have suffered in this ministry. But it was like God was saying, ‘I want you to avoid unnecessary suffering.'”
We share more about that process in the episode today.
Also, you can check out more information on this and this article. Those came out months after we were moving forward with the changes, but the national trajectory seemed to confirm our direction. Additionally, even though Beto O’ Rourke is not in the presidential race anymore, the fact that the conversation is on the table is a bit alarming. It would be extremely challenging for our team and family to suddenly have the financial carpet pulled out from us in the future if/when the non-profit status is removed for people who hold to the historical, biblical view of marriage and sexuality. (And if churches are threatened, how much more would our organization?!)
What will not change?
- Our mission. We will still “equip Jesus-followers with a gospel-centered approach to sexuality.”
- The podcast! We are still going to be doing it and improving it (Lord willing)
- LGBT+ Journey Well Training. Our Journey Well workshops, our Journey Well Study, consulting we have done–all will still continue.
- Accountability. I will not have an official Board of Directors, but several from my current Board are coming to serve on my Discernment Team. They will help with financial stewardship questions and discernment that comes with engaging sexuality in a dark world that is getting darker.
What will change?
- The name. I will no longer be the executive director of Hole in My Heart Ministries, rather a teacher, writer, podcaster (and president of Laurie Krieg LLC, but won’t use that as my title as it is boring 😉 ).
- This website. We are working on a massive overhaul from HIMHMinistries.com to LaurieKrieg.com. Lord willing, it will be cleaner and full of even more equipping content as we continue to build it.
- Marriage focus. Along with our Impossible Marriage book (to be published with InterVarsity Press, Lord willing, sometime in 2020), we are going to launch Impossible Marriage intensives, retreats … maybe a conference? God is expanding our sexuality conversation engagement to lean into strengthening marriages with the vertical, God-relationship. We explore that a lot on today’s episode.
Thanks for sticking with us through these changes. We believe, hope, and pray that we will all be more equipped because of it.