“We show our gratitude by giving back to Him a part of that which He has given to us.” –Billy Graham

“You know that the hardest thing for you to give up is your money,” wrote Billy Graham in a devotion “Giving Back What Is His” (billygraham.org). Continued Graham: “It represents your time, your energy, your talents, your total personality converted into currency. We usually hold on to it tenaciously, yet it is uncertain in value and we cannot take it into the next world. The Scripture teaches that we are stewards for a little while of all we earn. If we misuse it, as did the man who buried his talent, it brings upon us the severest judgment of God.”

For more than three decades, the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation has continued to fulfill Christ’s directive: going into the world, teaching, making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), and meeting the physical needs of hurting people (Matthew 25:35-40). Since its founding in 1994, E91 Foundation — which has grown to a fund surpassing $3 million — has granted more than $2 million to over 300 evangelical nonprofit ministries in Indianapolis and some 60 countries throughout the world. The generosity of our donors makes it all possible!

So far, in 2025, E91 Foundation has awarded grants totaling $84,408. The following are those organizations and/or individuals that have received grants in 2025:

Alexander Christian Foundation — $20,000 for college scholarships to Indiana students entering the ministry;
Allendale Christian Camp and Retreat Center — $8,194 to help young people connect with God in His creation through worship, study, and adventure;
Crescent Project — $5,000 toward new Muslim outreach in Europe;
Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFI) — $3,000 toward Pilgrimage walk in Scotland to raise funds to benefit Roots, CMFI’s Globalscope campus ministry in Edinburgh, Scotland;
E91 Church/Camp Allendale — $3,120 for NextGen scholarships for E91 students to attend Camp Allendale/CIY;
E91 Church/Counseling Center — $2,000 for suicide-prevention training;
E91 Church/IMPACT Mission Trip — $3,000 toward IMPACT Mission trip to Romania;
E91 Church/IMPACT Mission Trip — $1,000 toward a student mission trip to Belize;
E91 Church/Not Too Old Conference — $1,000 to become one of the official sponsors – along with Christian Financial Resources (CFR), Moody Radio (97.9 FM), and E91 Church — of the Aug. 16th, 2025, conference at E91 (register at e91church.com/events);
Jesus House/Jesus Inside Prison Ministry (JIPM) — $6,000 toward the repair of a broken water main outside of Jesus House;
Kairos Benevolence Fund (KBF) — $2,500 to KBF, which provides assistance to Christian church ministers, missionaries, and their spouses who, after a lifetime of faithful Christian service, find themselves facing a financial or health-related hardship that they do not have the resources to meet. “I am so grateful for the generous support you have given to KBF throughout our ministry,” wrote David Pace, Founder and President of KBF, in a kind thank-you note to the E91 Foundation;
Life Centers — $5,000 toward relocating its West Pregnancy Center in Indianapolis to a new facility, which would nearly double its current square footage to meet the growing needs of some of the most underserved and vulnerable people Life Centers supports in this community. “We are very grateful for E91 Foundation’s support over many years, and the relocation of our West Center will allow us to serve more women and families in our community,” wrote Kellie Leeper, Life Centers’ Senior Director of Donor Relations, in a recent note to the E91 Foundation;
Love At Work Ministries — $6,400 toward scholarships for students to attend Love At Work International Christian School;
Polish Christian Ministries (PCM) — $8,194 toward Polish pastors’ and ministry- partners’ salaries; building projects at several Polish churches; 16 equipping and training weekends for 125+ students at Christian School of Music; as well as food, housing, and special care for Ukrainian refugees;
THE ARK Christian Ministries — $5,000 toward an internship program for college-age young adults.
Young Life/Raceway Region — $5,000 to help students from Arsenal Technical High School, Indianapolis, attend Young Life Camp this summer.

“The tithe is the Lord’s,” Graham continued, adding, “If you use it for yourself, you are robbing God. We are to take the tithe as a standard, but to go beyond the tithe is an indication of our gratefulness for God’s gifts to us.”

Today, the E91 Foundation – a separate entity from E91 Church — continues to provide members and friends with an opportunity to leave a long-lasting legacy of Christian service and missions through bequests, memorials, and gifts. The Foundation adheres to Christian beliefs and principles and provides a vehicle for the broader Christian community to remember Christ and give a portion of their family’s final assets or unexpected proceeds back to God.

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us by donating to the E91 Foundation. While a board maintains the endowment and grants funds to qualifying entities, donors can make contributions for specific purposes or create an endowed fund. The board then uses the interest each year within the donor’s guidelines to fund missions and ministries. If you’re interested in making a donation or memorial gift to the E91 Foundation, we can accept cash, check, or an on-line donation via the Foundation’s website (www.dev2.cmsdevelopment.net). If a check, please make it payable to “E91 Foundation” and mail it to: E91 Foundation, 6049 East 91st Street, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1304. Any Foundation board member is also able to accept donations, answer questions, and help you through the process, or you can visit www.dev2.cmsdevelopment.net to get more information or to contact us to help expand God’s kingdom. Please consider – if you haven’t already — leaving a lasting legacy for the support of Christian service.

Blessings,
Blair and Beth Austin, Co-Presidents
E91 Foundation
“Excel in the Grace of Giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7)

“All You Can Take With You Is That Which You’ve Given Away.” –Peter Bailey, It’s A Wonderful Life

Mark your calendar: On May 13, 2025, the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation and E91 Church, in conjunction with Christian Financial Resources (CFR), will be co-hosting a free Will/Trust Seminar at E91 Church at 7 p.m. Additional details and sign-up information will be available in early April on the E91 website Events page.

For more than three decades, the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation has continued to fulfill Christ’s directive: going into the world, teaching, making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), and meeting the physical needs of hurting people (Matthew 25:35-40). Since its founding in 1994, E91 Foundation — which has grown to a fund surpassing $3 million — has granted more than $2 million to over 300 evangelical nonprofit ministries in Indianapolis and some 60 countries throughout the world. The generosity of our donors makes it all possible!

So far, in 2025, E91 Foundation has awarded grants totaling $70,908. Following are those organizations and/or individuals that have received grants in 2025:

Alexander Christian Foundation — $20,000 for college scholarships to Indiana students entering the ministry;
Allendale Christian Camp and Retreat Center — $8,194 to help young people connect with God in His creation through worship, study, and adventure;
Crescent Project — $5,000 toward new Muslim outreach in Europe;
Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFI) — $3,000 toward Pilgrimage walk in Scotland to raise funds to benefit Roots, CMFI’s Globalscope campus ministry in Edinburgh, Scotland;
E91 Church/Camp Allendale — $3,120 for NextGen scholarships for E91 students to attend Camp Allendale/CIY;
E91 Church/Counseling Center — $2,000 for suicide-prevention training;
E91 Church/IMPACT Mission Trip — $3,000 toward IMPACT Mission trip to Romania;
E91 Church/IMPACT Mission Trip — $1,000 toward a student mission trip to Belize;
Jesus House/Jesus Inside Prison Ministry (JIPM) — $6,000 toward the repair of a broken water main outside of Jesus House;
Love At Work Ministries — $6,400 toward scholarships for students to attend Love At Work International Christian School;
Polish Christian Ministries (PCM) — $8,194 toward Polish pastors’ and ministry- partners’ salaries; building projects at several Polish churches; 16 equipping and training weekends for 125+ students at Christian School of Music; as well as food, housing, and special care for Ukrainian refugees;
THE ARK Christian Ministries — $5,000 toward an internship program for college-age young adults.

Today, the Foundation – a separate entity from E91 Church — continues to provide members and friends with an opportunity to leave a long-lasting legacy of Christian service and missions through bequests, memorials, and gifts. The Foundation adheres to Christian beliefs and principles and provides a vehicle for the broader Christian community to remember Christ and give a portion of their family’s final assets or unexpected proceeds back to God.

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us by donating to the E91 Foundation. While a board maintains the endowment and grants funds to qualifying entities, donors can make contributions for specific purposes or create an endowed fund. The board then uses the interest each year within the donor’s guidelines to fund missions and ministries. If you’re interested in making a donation or memorial gift to the E91 Foundation, we can accept cash, check, or an on-line donation via the Foundation’s website. If a check, please make it payable to “E91 Foundation” and mail it to: E91 Foundation, PO Box 50704, Indianapolis, IN 46250. Any Foundation board member is also able to accept donations, answer questions, and help you through the process, or you can visit www.dev2.cmsdevelopment.net to get more information or to contact us to help expand God’s kingdom. Please consider – if you haven’t already — leaving a lasting legacy for the support of Christian service.

As the late, famed evangelist Billy Sunday exhorted: “Live so that when the final summons comes you will leave something more behind than an epitaph on a tombstone or an obituary in a newspaper.” Indeed!

Blessings,
Blair and Beth Austin, Co-Presidents
E91 Foundation
“Excel in the Grace of Giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7)

“The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation.” –Corrie ten Boom

The dictionary defines donation as “something that is given to a charity, especially a sum of money” or “the action of donating something.”

Perhaps one of the Bible’s best-known examples of donating is the parable of the widow’s mite, which says: “As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on’” (Luke 21:1-4).
For more than three decades, the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation has continued to fulfill Christ’s directive: going into the world, teaching, making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), and meeting the physical needs of hurting people (Matthew 25:35-40). Since its founding, E91 Foundation — which has grown to a fund surpassing $3 million — has granted more than $2 million to over 300 evangelical nonprofit ministries in Indianapolis and some 60 countries throughout the world. The generosity of our donors makes it all possible!

In 2024, E91 Foundation awarded grants totaling $116,076. Following are those organizations and/or individuals that have received grants in 2024:

Afterbeat — $5,000 for school evangelism projects. Alko Stoel, Afterbeat’s CEO, recently wrote in an e-mail: “E91 Foundation has been an amazing, divine blessing to our ministry in The Netherlands. Especially locally, we have had the opportunity to go minister in schools, in our youth center, and coffee shop. On top of everything, we see our church-plant growing rapidly through this ministry.”;

Alexander Christian Foundation — $16,000 for college scholarships to Indiana students entering the ministry;
Allendale Christian Camp and Retreat Center — $8,788 to help young people connect with God in His creation through worship, study, and adventure. In a March 5, 2024, letter to E91 Foundation, Randy Pim, Camp Allendale’s Executive Director, wrote: “We would like to express our appreciation for your partnership with the ministries of Camp Allendale. Your gift is vital in providing Christian camping and quality retreat facilities for the central Indiana area. Thank you for helping further our goal of providing a dynamic environment for people to engage the living God.”;

Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFI) — $2,500 to help build a sports field at MOHI’s new Discipleship Camp. On Jan. 30, 2024, Kristen Hodge, CMFI board member overseeing the Sports Ministry project in Nairobi, Kenya, and a member of the E91 Foundation board, wrote in an e-mail to E91 Foundation: “I am leading another Kilimanjaro climb to build a sports field at MOHI’s new Discipleship Camp. I absolutely loved summer camp each year at Allendale! I learned a lot about myself and Jesus, so I know how important this experience is for these children! Having a place to play at the Angaza Camp will be priceless.”;
Christian Mission for Myanmar (CMFM) — $2,000 to help provide food and supplies for students and professors at a new Bible seminary (Hangnyu Bible College) located in Northwest Myanmar, where there are a few churches, but no training for current or future ministers and evangelists to attain Biblical degrees and further their study of Scripture;

Covenant Connections — $5,000 for assistance publishing the book, Soul Strength—Rhythms for Thriving by Dr. Alan Ahlgrim, for African and Pakistani readers. “Please convey our thanks to the board of E91 Foundation, wrote Rick Shonkwiler, Director of Operations, in a recent handwritten note, adding, “We are grateful for your belief in our mission and special project. Covenant Connections for Pastors exists to help leaders develop soul-strength. Stepping into the gap felt by leaders in Africa and Asia with books and resources is one of our endeavors. We will soon be reaching Spanish-speaking leaders as well.”;

Cru/Campus Crusade for Christ International/Keith Spence — $5,000 for funding toward the development of 18 Nepali ministry leaders as a part of a new emerging-leader initiative that our Campus Crusade for Christ ministry launched on Feb. 26, 2024. “We want to thank you for the generous grant that the E91 Foundation provided on behalf of our ministry in April of this year,” wrote Linda and Keith Spence in a thoughtful note, adding, “Your faithful partnership is helping us launch a new initiative in Nepal and is also opening the door for Gospel outreach within the Hindu-majority business community. We are very excited to see how God will work through this unique opportunity.”;

e3 Partners — $5,000 to help fund four upcoming “Four-Fields Disciple Making and Church Planting Intensive” trainings for emerging indigenous missionaries working in unreached areas of north India;

E91 Church — $25,000 for September 29, 2024, 100th Anniversary Celebration Sunday;

E91 Church/Camp Allendale — $6,500 for summer-camp scholarships. In an e-mail to the E91 Foundation, E91 Student Pastor Aaron Coon wrote: “I am so thankful for the generosity of the E91 Foundation over the years in NextGen. Donating to our scholarship fund has made a huge difference in the lives of so many families. Last year, because of the donation to our summer camps, five students from E91 who attended camps on scholarship decided to get baptized. Without the generosity of the E91 Foundation, they would not have been able to attend.”;

E91 Church/Mexico IMPACT Medical Mission Trip — $2,000 toward the purchase of supplies to be used in a medical clinic as well as for the purchase of sports equipment for children being ministered to while their parents are being treated in the clinic in north-central Mexico. The mission trip will occur in April 2025;

Indiana Right to Life Education Fund — $2,500 to help fund a “Love Them Both” billboard on I-465 in Indianapolis, Indiana, in Dec. 2024 that is expected to receive more than 1 million views per week;

International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES) — $5,000 toward a new-church plant. Jeff Greene, IDES Advancement Director, recently wrote: “Last year, we partnered with Global Providence Gospel Network providing famine relief, which resulted in the possibility of four new church plants. We would like your help in funding one of them. The location is in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya.”;

Kairos Benevolence Fund (KBF) — $2,000 to KBF, which provides assistance to Christian church ministers, missionaries, and their spouses, who, after a lifetime of faithful Kingdom service, find themselves facing a financial or health-related hardship that they do not have the resources to meet;

New International/Josh Reynolds — $5,000 in support of the start of Josh’s new position as the Pastor of Mobilization for New International. Writes Josh: “Our organization sends missionaries across the globe, and my division is Mobilization.”;

Polish Christian Ministries (PCM) — $8,788 toward Polish pastors’ and ministry partners’ salaries; building projects at several Polish churches; six equipping and training weekends for 125+ students at Christian School of Music; as well as food, housing, and special care for Ukrainian refugees;

Project Liberia — $5,000 toward completing a college building in Liberia, where ministry leaders will be trained;

Shepherd Community Center — $5,000 to provide expanded programming to our neighborhood students. “On behalf of everyone at Shepherd Community, thank you for your support of this vital outreach to our community,” wrote Pastor Mark Hiehle, Shepherd’s Church Development Officer, Pastoral Care & Food Strategy, this past October.

Today, the Foundation continues to provide members and friends with an opportunity to leave a long-lasting legacy of Christian service and missions through bequests, memorials, and gifts. The Foundation adheres to Christian beliefs and principles and provides a vehicle for the broader Christian community to remember Christ and give a portion of their family’s final assets or unexpected proceeds back to God.

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us by donating to the E91 Foundation. While a board maintains the endowment and grants funds to qualifying entities, donors can make contributions for specific purposes or create an endowed fund. The board then uses the interest each year within the donor’s guidelines to fund missions and ministries. If you’re interested in making a donation or memorial gift to the E91 Foundation, we can accept cash, check, or an on-line donation here. If a check, please make it payable to “E91 Foundation” and mail it to: E91 Foundation, PO Box 50704, Indianapolis, IN 46250. Any Foundation board member is also able to accept donations, answer questions, and help you through the process, or you can visit www.dev2.cmsdevelopment.net/donations/ to get more information or to contact us to help expand God’s kingdom. Please consider – if you haven’t already — leaving a lasting legacy for the support of Christian service.
As you reflect on Corrie ten Boom’s previously cited quote and the parable of the widow’s mite, are you more focused on your life’s duration or donation?

Blessings,
Blair and Beth Austin, Co-Presidents
E91 Foundation
“Excel in the Grace of Giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7)

Reckless Generosity: E91 Foundation Q3 2024 Update

“When God blesses you financially, don’t raise your standard of living. Raise your standard of giving.” –Mark Batterson, Lead Pastor, National Community Church, Washington, DC

“The widow of Zarephath fed Elijah even though she had but a handful of flour and a little oil in a jug (1 Kings 17:7-24),” wrote Scott Chafee in a Jan. 12, 2017, online devotional (heartquest101.com), adding, “In this story she is recklessly generous. She gives the last of what she has to Elijah.

“We should all pause occasionally to ask if we are living with that kind of generous spirit,” continued Chafee. “Maybe we have an abundance of oil and flour in our jars. Maybe we only have a little. Maybe we have a huge flour jar, or perhaps a very small one. No matter what we have, we can still learn to live with a generous spirit.”

For more than three decades, the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation has continued to fulfill Christ’s directive: going into the world, teaching, making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), and meeting the physical needs of hurting people (Matthew 25:35-40). Since its founding, E91 Foundation — which has grown to a fund approaching $3 million — has granted more than $2 million to over 300 evangelical nonprofit ministries in Indianapolis and some 60 countries throughout the world. The generosity of our donors makes it all possible!

On Sunday, April 14, 2024, the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation officially marked its 30th anniversary! To commemorate this important milestone, the following two-minute video – produced by longtime E91 church member and professional videographer Ken Nelson – was shown during E91’s church services that day: https://vimeo.com/927595033/2782157fc2?share=copy

So far, in 2024, E91 Foundation has awarded grants totaling $110,076. Following are those organizations and/or individuals that have received grants in 2024:
Afterbeat — $5,000 for school evangelism projects. Alko Stoel, Afterbeat’s CEO, recently wrote in an e-mail: “E91 Foundation has been an amazing, divine blessing to our ministry in The Netherlands. Especially locally, we have had the opportunity to go minister in schools, in our youth center, and coffee shop. On top of everything, we see our church-plant growing rapidly through this ministry.”;
Alexander Christian Foundation — $16,000 for college scholarships to Indiana students entering the ministry;
Allendale Christian Camp and Retreat Center — $8,788 to help young people connect with God in His creation through worship, study, and adventure. In a March 5, 2024, letter to E91 Foundation, Randy Pim, Camp Allendale’s Executive Director, wrote: “We would like to express our appreciation for your partnership with the ministries of Camp Allendale. Your gift is vital in providing Christian camping and quality retreat facilities for the central Indiana area. Thank you for helping further our goal of providing a dynamic environment for people to engage the living God.”;
Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFI) — $2,500 to help build a sports field at MOHI’s new Discipleship Camp. On Jan. 30, 2024, Kristen Hodge, CMFI board member overseeing the Sports Ministry project in Nairobi, Kenya, and a member of the E91 Foundation board, wrote in an e-mail to E91 Foundation: “I am leading another Kilimanjaro climb to build a sports field at MOHI’s new Discipleship Camp. I absolutely loved summer camp each year at Allendale! I learned a lot about myself and Jesus, so I know how important this experience is for these children! Having a place to play at the Angaza Camp will be priceless.”;
Christian Mission for Myanmar (CMFM) — $2,000 to help provide food and supplies for students and professors at a new Bible seminary (Hangnyu Bible College) located in Northwest Myanmar, where there are a few churches, but no training for current or future ministers and evangelists to attain Biblical degrees and further their study of Scripture;
Covenant Connections — $5,000 for assistance in publishing the book, Soul Strength—Rhythms for Thriving by Dr. Alan Ahlgrim, for African and Pakistani readers. “Please convey our thanks to the board of E91 Foundation, wrote Rick Shonkwiler, Director of Operations, in a recent handwritten note, adding, “We are grateful for your belief in our mission and special project. Covenant Connections for Pastors exists to help leaders develop soul-strength. Stepping into the gap felt by leaders in Africa and Asia with books and resources is one of our endeavors. We will soon be reaching Spanish-speaking leaders as well.”;
Cru/Campus Crusade for Christ International/Keith Spence — $5,000 for funding toward the development of 18 Nepali ministry leaders as a part of a new emerging-leader initiative that our Campus Crusade for Christ ministry launched on Feb. 26, 2024. “We want to thank you for the generous grant that the E91 Foundation provided on behalf of our ministry in April of this year,” wrote Linda and Keith Spence in a thoughtful note, adding, “Your faithful partnership is helping us launch a new initiative in Nepal and is also opening the door for Gospel outreach within the Hindu-majority business community. We are very excited to see how God will work through this unique opportunity.”;
e3 Partners — $5,000 to help fund four upcoming “Four-Fields Disciple Making and Church Planting Intensive” trainings for emerging indigenous missionaries working in unreached areas of north India;
E91 Church — $25,000 for September 29, 2024, 100th Anniversary Celebration Sunday;
E91 Church/Camp Allendale — $6,500 for summer-camp scholarships. In an e-mail to the E91 Foundation, E91 Student Pastor Aaron Coon wrote: “I am so thankful for the generosity of the E91 Foundation over the years in NextGen. Donating to our scholarship fund has made a huge difference in the lives of so many families. Last year, because of the donation to our summer camps, five students from E91 who attended camps on scholarship decided to get baptized. Without the generosity of the E91 Foundation, they would not have been able to attend.”;
E91 Church/Heritage Place — $1,000 for Heritage Place preparations in conjunction with E91 Church’s 100th Anniversary Celebration during 2024. Wrote Heritage Place’s Rachel Hunter in a kind thank-you e-mail to the E91 Foundation: “Our team extends sincere appreciation to the Foundation for your generosity and commitment to making Heritage Place a truly welcoming space to honor and preserve the history of our church. Your contributions have been invaluable to us.”;
Indiana Right to Life Education Fund — $2,500 to help fund a “Love Them Both” billboard on I-465 in Indianapolis, Indiana, in Dec. 2024 that is expected to receive more than 1 million views per week;
International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES) — $5,000 toward a new-church plant. Jeff Greene, IDES Advancement Director, recently wrote: “Last year, we partnered with Global Providence Gospel Network providing famine relief, which resulted in the possibility of four new church plants. We would like your help in funding one of them. The location is in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya.”;
Kairos Benevolence Fund (KBF) — $2,000 to KBF, which provides assistance to Christian church ministers, missionaries, and their spouses, who, after a lifetime of faithful Kingdom service, find themselves facing a financial or health-related hardship that they do not have the resources to meet;
New International/Josh Reynolds — $5,000 in support of the start of Josh’s new position as the Pastor of Mobilization for New International. Writes Josh: “Our organization sends missionaries across the globe, and my division is Mobilization.”;
Polish Christian Ministries (PCM) — $8,788 toward Polish pastors’ and ministry partners’ salaries; building projects at several Polish churches; six equipping and training weekends for 125+ students at Christian School of Music; as well as food, housing, and special care for Ukrainian refugees;
Shepherd Community Center — $5,000 to provide expanded programming to our neighborhood students.

Today, the Foundation continues to provide members and friends with an opportunity to leave a long-lasting legacy of Christian service and missions through bequests, memorials, and gifts. The Foundation adheres to Christian beliefs and principles and provides a vehicle for the broader Christian community to remember Christ and give a portion of their family’s final assets or unexpected proceeds back to God.

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us by donating to the E91 Foundation. While a board maintains the endowment and grants funds to qualifying entities, donors can make contributions for specific purposes or create an endowed fund. The board then uses the interest each year within the donor’s guidelines to fund missions and ministries. If you’re interested in making a donation or memorial gift to the E91 Foundation, we can accept cash, check, or an on-line donation via the Foundation’s website. If you have a check, please make it payable to “E91 Foundation” and mail it to: E91 Foundation, PO Box 50704, Indianapolis, IN 46250. Any Foundation board member is also able to accept donations, answer questions, and help you through the process, or you can visit www.dev2.cmsdevelopment.net to get more information or to contact us to help expand God’s kingdom. Please consider – if you haven’t already — leaving a lasting legacy for the support of Christian service.

Continued Chafee: “If you were the widow in this story, how do you think you would have responded to Elijah’s request? What an amazing example for all of us!”
Reckless generosity, indeed!

Blessings,
Blair and Beth Austin, Co-Presidents
E91 Foundation
“Excel in the Grace of Giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7)

Soul Generosity: E91 Foundation 2024 Mid-Year Update

“One gives freely yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” (Proverbs 11:24)

“Christian living is truly countercultural, especially when it comes to the concept of generosity,” according to the daily online devotional Soul Generosity (ifgathering.com), which continues, “While the world advises us to hoard, take, and amass more and more for ourselves, the Bible tells us a healthy and vibrant soul is a giving soul. Generosity is a form of reconciliation that declares the glory of God, and its beauty lies in its joy. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7); not an obligated, reluctant, or stingy giver.”

For more than three decades, the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation has continued to fulfill Christ’s directive: going into the world, teaching, making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), and meeting the physical needs of hurting people (Matthew 25:35-40). Since its founding, E91 Foundation — which has grown to a fund approaching $3 million — has granted more than $2 million to over 300 evangelical nonprofit ministries in Indianapolis and some 60 countries throughout the world. The generosity of our donors makes it all possible!

On Sunday, April 14, 2024, the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation officially marked its 30th anniversary! To commemorate this important milestone, the following two-minute video – produced by longtime E91 church member and professional videographer Ken Nelson – was shown during E91’s church services that day:
https://vimeo.com/927595033/2782157fc2?share=copy

So far, in 2024, E91 Foundation has awarded grants totaling $97,576. Following are those organizations and/or individuals that have received grants in 2024:

Afterbeat — $5,000 for school evangelism projects. Alko Stoel, Afterbeat’s CEO, recently wrote in an e-mail: “E91 Foundation has been an amazing, divine blessing to our ministry in The Netherlands. Especially locally, we have had the opportunity to go minister in schools, in our youth center, and coffee shop. On top of everything, we see our church-plant growing rapidly through this ministry”;

Alexander Christian Foundation — $16,000 for college scholarships to Indiana students entering the ministry;
Allendale Christian Camp and Retreat Center — $8,788 to help young people connect with God in His creation through worship, study, and adventure. In a March 5, 2024, letter to E91 Foundation, Randy Pim, Camp Allendale’s Executive Director, wrote: “We would like to express our appreciation for your partnership with the ministries of Camp Allendale. Your gift is vital in providing Christian camping and quality retreat facilities for the central Indiana area. Thank you for helping further our goal of providing a dynamic environment for people to engage the living God”;

Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFI) — $2,500 to help build a sports field at MOHI’s new Discipleship Camp. On Jan. 30, 2024, Kristen Hodge, CMFI board member overseeing the Sports Ministry project in Nairobi, Kenya, and a member of the E91 Foundation board, wrote in an e-mail to E91 Foundation: “I am leading another Kilimanjaro climb to build a sports field at MOHI’s new Discipleship Camp. I absolutely loved summer camp each year at Allendale! I learned a lot about myself and Jesus, so I know how important this experience is for these children! Having a place to play at the Angaza Camp will be priceless”;

Christian Mission for Myanmar (CMFM) — $2,000 to help provide food and supplies for students and professors at a new Bible seminary (Hangnyu Bible College) located in Northwest Myanmar, where there are a few churches, but no training for current or future ministers and evangelists to attain Biblical degrees and further their study of Scripture;
Covenant Connections — $5,000 for assistance in publishing the book, Soul Strength—Rhythms for Thriving by Dr. Alan Ahlgrim, for African and Pakistani readers. Covenant Connections exists to foster fellowship, mutual support, and spiritual growth among pastors and ministry staff within our Restoration Movement, in accordance with the principles of Biblical unity, mutual accountability, and shared mission;

Cru/Campus Crusade for Christ International/Keith Spence — $5,000 for funding toward the development of 18 Nepali ministry leaders as a part of a new emerging-leader initiative that our Campus Crusade for Christ ministry launched on Feb. 26, 2024;

E91 Church — $25,000 for September 29th 100th Anniversary Celebration Sunday;

E91 Church/Camp Allendale — $6,500 for summer-camp scholarships. In an e-mail to the E91 Foundation, E91 Student Pastor Aaron Coon wrote: “I am so thankful for the generosity of the E91 Foundation over the years in NextGen. Donating to our scholarship fund has made a huge difference in the lives of so many families. Last year, because of the donation to our summer camps, five students from E91 who attended camps on scholarship decided to get baptized. Without the generosity of the E91 Foundation, they would not have been able to attend.”

E91 Church/Heritage Place — $1,000 for Heritage Place preparations in conjunction with E91 Church’s 100th Anniversary Celebration throughout the year. Wrote Heritage Place’s Rachel Hunter in a kind thank-you e-mail to the E91 Foundation: “Our team extends sincere appreciation to the Foundation for your generosity and commitment to making Heritage Place a truly welcoming space to honor and preserve the history of our church. Your contributions have been invaluable to us”;

International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES) — $5,000 toward a new-church plant. Jeff Greene, IDES Advancement Director, recently wrote: “Last year, we partnered with Global Providence Gospel Network providing famine relief, which resulted in the possibility of four new church plants. We would like your help in funding one of them. The location is in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya”;

Kairos Benevolence Fund (KBF) — $2,000 to KBF, which provides assistance to Christian church ministers, missionaries, and their spouses, who, after a lifetime of faithful Kingdom service, find themselves facing a financial or health-related hardship that they do not have the resources to meet;

New International/Josh Reynolds — $5,000 in support of the start of Josh’s new position as the Pastor of Mobilization for New International. Writes Josh: “Our organization sends missionaries across the globe, and my division is Mobilization”;

Polish Christian Ministries (PCM) — $8,788 toward Polish pastors’ and ministry partners’ salaries; building projects at several Polish churches; six equipping and training weekends for 125+ students at Christian School of Music; as well as food, housing, and special care for Ukrainian refugees.

Today, the Foundation continues to provide members and friends with an opportunity to leave a long-lasting legacy of Christian service and missions through bequests, memorials, and gifts. The Foundation adheres to Christian beliefs and principles and provides a vehicle for the broader Christian community to remember Christ and give a portion of their family’s final assets or unexpected proceeds back to God.

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us by donating to the E91 Foundation. While a board maintains the endowment and grants funds to qualifying entities, donors can make contributions for specific purposes or create an endowed fund. The board then uses the interest each year within the donor’s guidelines to fund missions and ministries. If you’re interested in making a donation or memorial gift to the E91 Foundation, we can accept cash, check, or an on-line donation via the Foundation’s website (www.dev2.cmsdevelopment.net). If a check, please make it payable to “East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation” and mail it to: East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation, 6049 E. 91st Street, Indianapolis, IN 46250. Any Foundation board member is also able to accept donations, answer questions, and help you through the process, or you can visit www.dev2.cmsdevelopment.net to get more information or to contact us to help expand God’s kingdom. Please consider – if you haven’t already — leaving a lasting legacy for the support of Christian service.

“The New Testament verifies the words of Proverbs 19:17, ‘Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deed,’” continues the IF:Gathering devotional.
Soul generosity, indeed!

Blessings,
Blair and Beth Austin, Co-Presidents
E91 Foundation
“Excel in the Grace of Giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7)

Please enjoy watching this video that celebrates the 30 years of the East 91 Foundation!
(click below)

E91 Foundation: Three Decades of Expanding God’s Kingdom!

“Nothing that you have not given away will ever really be yours.” –C.S. Lewis

On Sunday, April 14, 2024, the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation officially marks its 30th anniversary! To commemorate this important milestone, a brief video – produced by longtime E91 church member and professional videographer Ken Nelson – will be shown during E91’s church services that day.

For three decades, the East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation has continued to fulfill Christ’s directive: going into the world, teaching, making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), and meeting the physical needs of hurting people (Matthew 25:35-40). Since its founding, E91 Foundation — which has grown to a fund approaching $3 million — has granted more than $2 million to over 300 evangelical nonprofit ministries in Indianapolis and some 60 countries throughout the world. The generosity of our donors makes it all possible!

So far, in 2024, E91 Foundation has awarded grants totaling $82,076. Following are those organizations and/or individuals that have received grants in 2024:

Afterbeat/Capstone Legacy Foundation — $5,000 for school evangelism projects. Alko Stoel, Afterbeat’s CEO, recently wrote in an e-mail: “E91 Foundation has been an amazing, divine blessing to our ministry in The Netherlands. Especially locally, we have had the opportunity to go minister in schools, in our youth center, and coffee shop. On top of everything, we see our church-plant growing rapidly through this ministry”;

Alexander Christian Foundation — $16,000 for college scholarships to Indiana students entering the ministry;

Allendale Christian Camp and Retreat Center — $8,788 to help young people connect with God in His creation through worship, study, and adventure. In a March 5, 2024, letter to E91 Foundation, Randy Pim, Camp Allendale’s Executive Director, wrote: “We would like to express our appreciation for your partnership with the ministries of Camp Allendale. Your gift is vital in providing Christian camping and quality retreat facilities for the central Indiana area. Thank you for helping further our goal of providing a dynamic environment for people to engage the living God”;

Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFI) — $2,500 to help build a sports field at MOHI’s new Discipleship Camp. “On Jan. 30, 2024, Kristen Hodge, CMFI board member overseeing the Sports Ministry project in Nairobi, Kenya, and a member of the E91 Foundation board, wrote in an e-mail to E91 Foundation: “I am leading another Kilimanjaro climb to build a sports field at MOHI’s new Discipleship Camp. I absolutely loved summer camp each year at Allendale! I learned a lot about myself and Jesus, so I know how important this experience is for these children! Having a place to play at the Angaza Camp will be priceless”;

Cru/Campus Crusade for Christ International/Keith Spence — $5,000 for funding toward the development of 18 Nepali ministry leaders as a part of a new emerging-leader initiative that our Campus Crusade for Christ ministry launched on Feb. 26, 2024;

E91 Church — $25,000 for September 29th 100th Anniversary Celebration Sunday;

E91 Church/Heritage Place — $1,000 for Heritage Place preparations in conjunction with E91 Church’s 100th Anniversary Celebration throughout the year;

International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES) — $5,000 toward a new-church plant. Jeff Greene, IDES Advancement Director, recently wrote: “Last year, we partnered with Global Providence Gospel Network providing famine relief, which resulted in the possibility of four new church plants. We would like your help in funding one of them. The location is in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya”;

New International/Josh Reynolds — $5,000 in support of the start of Josh’s new position as the Pastor of Mobilization for New International. Writes Josh: “Our organization sends missionaries across the globe, and my division is Mobilization”;.

Polish Christian Ministries (PCM) — $8,788 to assist Polish Christian congregations to become healthy and growing. “The past two years (2022 and 2023), the E91 Foundation grants have been used specifically to help Polish churches provide housing and food for Ukrainian refugees in their city and many times in their church,” writes David Hatfield, PCM Executive Director, adding, “Polish churches in Sandomierz, Bielsk, Podlaski, Ciechanow, and Ostroda still have Ukrainian families living in their buildings. They have become the caretakers of the building and grounds since they are now living in the church. But they are also being assimilated into the life of the church as Sunday School teachers for Ukrainian children, small group leaders for Ukrainian families, and, in Ostroda, one Ukrainian brother has become an elder and preaches from time to time”;

As we’re reminded in Hebrews 13:16: “Don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need.”

Today, the Foundation continues to provide members and friends with an opportunity to leave a long-lasting legacy of Christian service and missions through bequests, memorials, and gifts. The Foundation adheres to Christian beliefs and principles and provides a vehicle for the broader Christian community to remember Christ and give a portion of their family’s final assets or unexpected proceeds back to God.

We invite you to prayerfully consider partnering with us by donating to the E91 Foundation. While a board maintains the endowment and grants funds to qualifying entities, donors can make contributions for specific purposes or create an endowed fund. The board then uses the interest each year within the donor’s guidelines to fund missions and ministries. If you’re interested in making a donation or memorial gift to the E91 Foundation, we can accept cash, check, or an on-line donation via the Foundation’s website (www.dev2.cmsdevelopment.net). If a check, please make it payable to “East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation” and mail it to: East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation, 6049 E. 91st Street, Indianapolis, IN 46250. Any Foundation board member is also able to accept donations, answer questions, and help you through the process, or you can visit www.dev2.cmsdevelopment.net to get more information or to contact us to help expand God’s kingdom. Please consider – if you haven’t already — leaving a lasting legacy for the support of Christian service.

And, finally, as St. Francis of Assisi has been quoted: ”Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received – only what you have given.”
Indeed!

Blessings,
Blair and Beth Austin, Co-Presidents
E91 Foundation
“Excel in the Grace of Giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7)