Since the time Christ walked the earth, his followers have been known for the way they serve the less fortunate in their communities. In an effort to follow Jesus’ example, an organization called Especially The Family (ETF) was established by a few disciples from different US churches. Its objective is to provide support to disciples in the ICOC facing a once-in-a-lifetime crisis. This past year, ETF celebrated its 10-year anniversary.
The early Christians set a notable example for us in that “there were no needy among them” (Acts 4:34). Consequently, we praise God that in both big and small ways, disciples in our family of churches are shining brightly by serving others – both inside and outside of the church.
It is a sad reality that many of us will face a crisis such as a death in the family, a health emergency, or a natural disaster. Hopefully, we will have savings, friends, and family, or a local benevolence fund to draw from in these times. Unfortunately, in many countries of the world, some of our brothers and sisters have no such resources.
The ETF program has a network of 38 coordinators throughout the world who were hand-picked by their local ICOC church leaders to identify faithful disciples facing a crisis in their lives. Profiles of those in need are uploaded to the ETF website where brothers and sisters can read about and respond to their needs. Over the past 10 years, more than 2,700 disciples have received assistance amounting to more than $1.5 million USD (an average of $555). This information is available on the ETF website at especiallythefamily.org.
More than asking for your financial support, the ETF team invites you to read about the miracles God is doing each week on behalf of his precious saints. They are very encouraging. We have recorded more than 500 of these miracle stories here.
The following are a few short messages from the ETF Ambassadors:
- The ETF Team – Jessy Tohme – ETF Ambassador for the Middle East
- The ETF Mission – Mike Taliaferro – ETF Ambassador for Africa
- The ETF Promise – Ed Anton – ETF Ambassador for India
- The ETF Impact – Cesar Lopez – ETF Ambassador for Asia
- The ETF Vision – Robert Carrillo – ETF Ambassador for Latin America
Please keep our brothers and sisters around the world in your prayers.
