As Christ illustrated in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), God grants various “talents” to every believer. Talents take many different forms—such as wealth, intelligence, or skill—and are given in differing degrees by God in His wisdom. But no matter what or how much we have been given, our Lord expects us to invest these gifts to produce spiritual gains for the Kingdom. One day in heaven, He will hold us accountable as stewards of His resources here on earth. Thus, all Bible-believing Christians should be diligently seeking to maximize His resources to the best of their abilities.

Though the text does not specify, the stewardship principles demonstrated in this parable most certainly apply to Christian organizations as well. Equipped to reach and influence many more people than most individuals ever could, the Institute for Creation Research takes this mandate very seriously. Knowing that every gift we receive is an expression of personal stewardship from individual believers, ICR prayerfully and carefully applies each gift so that Christ’s message of salvation as seen through His creation is communicated as effectively as possible.

ICR accomplishes this primarily through our Acts & Facts and Days of Praise publications. You are already familiar with the breadth of articles in this Acts & Facts magazine, which provides important insights into issues related to origins and scientific research, as well as perspectives on how the biblical message impacts critical thinking. Days of Praise provides a daily portion of hearty “meat” for the Christian (Hebrews 5:14), delivering short devotionals that encourage our walk and strengthen our witness for Christ.

For over 40 years, ICR has been blessed to provide both of these publications free of charge to all who ask—and we wish to keep doing so. But the expense for such quality materials is considerable, costing ICR over $1,500,000 to prepare, publish, and mail these periodicals each year to those who request them. Virtually all of the expense is borne by a small band of faithful donors who understand the eternal value of these vital publications. ICR will continue offering these materials free to all who request them, but we are also required to be good stewards of the gifts God has provided through His people.

To this end, ICR mailed letters over the last several months to specific subscribers we haven’t heard from in a while, asking them if these publications are still meaningful and useful to them. We have received a good response thus far, but a sizeable majority still has not responded. If this applies to you, please know that we would like nothing more than to continue making these publications available to you—but we need to hear from you.

Otherwise, this issue of Acts & Facts will regrettably be your last.

If our materials are beneficial to you, and you still wish to keep your subscription active, please let ICR know by either:

• Returning the tear-off response slip you received from a previous letter, or
• Visiting www.icr.org/renew.

And if our ministry has blessed you, please consider a tax-deductible gift to support ICR’s vital work. We promise it will be put to good use, and with God’s help, it will bear much lasting fruit for the cause of Christ. Thank you for your prayerful consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

* Mr. Morris is Director of Donor Relations at the Institute for Creation Research.

Cite this article: Morris IV, H. 2012. Ministry Stewardship. Acts & Facts. 41 (9): 21.