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, and skill—and are given in differing degrees by God in His wisdom. But no matter what or how much we’ve been given, our Lord calls us to invest these gifts to produce spiritual gains for the Kingdom. One day He will hold us accountable as stewards of His resources here on Earth (2 Corinthians 5:10). Thus, part of our walk as Christians is to diligently seek to maximize His resources to the best of our abilities.
Though the text does not specify, the stewardship principles demonstrated in this parable certainly apply to Christian organizations as well as individuals. Equipped to reach and influence many more people than most individuals, 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 applies each gift so 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. As a subscriber, you are already familiar with the breadth of articles in the monthly Acts & Facts magazine, which provides important insights into 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 devotionals that encourage our walk and strengthen our witness for Christ.
For 45 years, ICR has been blessed to provide 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 over $1,500,000 to prepare, publish, and mail each year. Virtually all of the expense is borne by a handful of faithful donors who understand the eternal value of these vital publications. ICR will continue offering these materials free, 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 subscribers we haven’t heard from in a while, asking if these publications are still meaningful and useful to them. We’ve received a good response thus far, but a sizeable majority hasn’t yet responded. If this applies to you, please know that we’d 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 may be your last.
If these resources are helpful to you and your witness for Christ and you wish to keep your subscription active, please let ICR know by either:
- Returning the tear-off response slip you received in a previous letter, or
- Visiting www.icr.org/renew
And if our ministry has blessed you, won’t you please consider sending along a tax-deductible gift to support ICR’s work? It will be put to good and effective use, and with God’s help, it will bear much lasting fruit for the cause of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:7-8). 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.
