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More examples of the Ministry Team Letter are at the bottom of this page. They are editable in Google Docs or Microsoft Word.

Dear Chandler and Monica,

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. I hope you and the rest of your family are doing well.

I’ve been at the University of Michigan for the last few years and God has been doing amazing things here in Ann Arbor. He’s been transforming my relationship with Him and has been calling me to helping college students learn more and grow as disciples of Christ.

This summer I have the opportunity to serve God through a ministry internship with Reliant, the mission organization that supports my church in Ann Arbor. With New Life Church I will be working to build Christian leaders on the University of Michigan campus through our summer long Leadership Training program (LT). I attended LT last summer and God transformed my life. He showed me how I can use my leadership gifts to further his kingdom and it has had a profound impact on my life.

This summer I will be working to train and to help grow a large group of student leaders on our campus as they seek to further their relationship with God and transform the culture at the University of Michigan. By training student leaders this summer, we hope to hit the ground running this fall as God does huge things on campus. I’m hoping to show people the same hope and freedom that God has shown me, on a campus of students who need it more than ever.

I am in the process of developing a ministry team of people willing to join me in praying about what’s happening at U of M. And to enable me to serve God in this way, I am responsible for raising $9,000. I am trusting God to provide people who would like to invest $500, $250, or $100 to help meet this need. A typical gift to Reliant for an internship like this  might be anywhere between $50 to $1000.

Mr. and Mrs. Bing, will you prayerfully consider giving to Reliant to meet this need? I would like to complete my financial support responsibilities by May 15. By helping me with this ministry internship, you can get involved in helping change the lives of hundreds of students at U of M by building leaders to introduce Christ to students on Campus. The giving process is easily done online at www.reliant.org/joe.staffer or by mailing a check to me made out to Reliant. I’ll give you a call in a few days to see what you have decided, and I can answer any questions you may have then.

I really appreciate you and your excitement about what’s happening at the University of Michigan and the way God is moving in Ann Arbor. I look forward to talking to you soon.

Sincerely,

Joe Staffer
P.S. Looking forward to talking to you in a few days!

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Johnson,

It was great reconnecting and catching up with you recently. Congratulations again on becoming grandparents for the first time! 

As you may know, I am a student at the University of Michigan, currently in my third year in the mechanical engineering program. Early on at my time at UM, I was invited to attend a college church called New Life. From the first gathering I knew it would be my community while in college and it has definitely become that. I have made such great friends there who share my heart to walk with God and be developed as a leader. Last summer I had the opportunity to participate in a summer-long discipleship program called Leadership Training (LT) in Estes Park, Colorado. Together with 100 other students from collegiate churches like New Life, I spent almost three months being developed as leader with the skills and character to make an influence for God’s Kingdom, all with Rocky Mountain National Park as the backdrop!

This summer I have been invited to return to Colorado to serve the LT program as a full-time intern! My own experience at LT was so impactful in my own spiritual formation that I jumped at the chance to return

Dear,

Intro…

Since coming to school at Virginia Tech two years ago, I have been really involved in our campus church New Life Christian Fellowship (NLCF). Our church is focused on equipping and challenging students to live a lifestyle of following God. Over my time at VT, I have experienced a lot of growth in character, biblical leadership, and outreach. This past fall, I started leading a group of women (called a LifeGroup) where I led others in studying the Bible and understanding what it means to be devoted to the Christian faith. Leading has been a really fantastic experience! 

This summer, I have an incredibly exciting opportunity to work as a ministry intern with Reliant, which is the missions organization that trains and equips NLCF missionaries. As an intern, I will be working in Blacksburg and getting hands on ministry experience. I will have opportunities to challenge students to actively live out their faith in Christ in the context of community. 

I will be focused on continuing to lead my Life Group, as well as beginning to lead a House Church (our larger community of multiple Lifegroups), as well as helping to run our Sunday worship services. In all of these areas, my hope is to help people grow in their relationship with God. My dream is to use this ministry internship to see what a career in full-time ministry would be like, and above all, bring honor and glory to God. 

I am in the process of developing a ministry team of people willing to join me in praying about what’s happening at U of M. And to enable me to serve God in this way, I am responsible for raising $9,000. I am trusting God to provide people who would like to invest $500, $250, or $100 to help meet this need. A typical gift to Reliant for an internship like this  might be anywhere between $50 to $1000.

______, would you think and pray about giving to Reliant to meet this need? By supporting my ministry internship with Reliant, you can help me to serve my church body and lead VA Tech students, which will hopefully impact the rest of their lives. My goal is to completely raise my financial support by May 15. The giving process is easily done online at www.reliant.org/joe.staffer or by mailing a check to me made out to Reliant. I will get in touch with you in the next few days to answer questions you have and to see if you’ve had a chance to decide. 

I truly appreciate you. Thank you so much for your interest in my life. I’m really looking forward to talking with you more about this!

Thank you,

alongside the directors and staff of the LT program to craft a summer that positions many college students to experience God and grow in their faith. Some of my key roles will include leading small groups, mentoring those serving as student leaders in the program, and coordinating outreach events.

Why serve as an intern? Great question! Having now been a participant in LT, I want to help position other students to be transformed by God. Something powerful happens when young people commit to living in community in the place like Colorado, and, honestly, I simply want to be a part of that. Plus, part of the internship experience is focused on my own development as a leader. Staff from the LT program will spend dedicated time each week investing in my spiritual formation and growth. 

In order to make this experience possible, my church partners with Reliant Mission, a Christian nonprofit organization with 40 years of experience mobilizing men and women for gospel work both internationally and here in the states. As I pursue this internship, I am developing a team of people who will financially partner with Reliant on my behalf. I am trusting God to provide partners who invest gifts ranging from $100 to $1,000 or more. I am hoping to average $250 per gift in order to be fully funded before the start of my internship in August.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson

Dear Chandler and Monica,

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. I hope you and the rest of your family are doing well.

I’ve been at the University of Michigan for the last few years and God has been doing amazing things here in Ann Arbor. He’s been transforming my relationship with Him and has been calling me to helping college students learn more and grow as disciples of Christ.

This summer I have the opportunity to serve God through a ministry internship with Reliant, the mission organization that supports my church in Ann Arbor. With New Life Church I will be working to build Christian leaders on the University of Michigan campus through our summer long Leadership Training program (LT). I attended LT last summer and God transformed my life. He showed me how I can use my leadership gifts to further his kingdom and it has had a profound impact on my life.

This summer I will be working to train and to help grow a large group of student leaders on our campus as they seek to further their relationship with God and transform the culture at the University of Michigan. By training student leaders this summer, we hope to hit the ground running this fall as God does huge things on campus. I’m hoping to show people the same hope and freedom that God has shown me, on a campus of students who need it more than ever.

In order to make this possible, I need to develop a ministry team — a group of men and women who are excited about what God’s doing at U of M and in my life and who can partner with Reliant to meet my biggest needs: prayer and financial support. I am trusting the Lord to provide partners who would like to invest in a recurring monthly gift of $200, $100 or $50 for the next 14 months.

Mr. and Mrs. Bing, will you prayerfully consider giving to Reliant to meet this need? I would like to complete my financial support responsibilities by May 15. By helping me with this ministry internship, you can get involved in radically changing the lives of hundreds of students at U of M by building leaders to introduce Christ to students on Campus. The giving process is easily done online at www.believe that together we can be a part of seeing God transform lives and develop leaders in his Kingdom! Should you decide to give, Reliant has established a giving platform for me at reliant.org/joe.staffer or by mailing a check to me made out to Reliant. I’ll give you a call in a week or so to see what you have decided, and I can . The site is safe, secure, and easy to use and allows you to start, stop, or change your giving at any time. Your willingness to consider supporting me in this is truly a gift and I am very thankful. 

I will plan to follow up with you within a week to help answer any questions you may have then.

I really appreciate you and your excitement about what’s happening at the University of Michigan and the way God is moving in Ann Arbor. I look forward to talking to you soon.

Sincerely,

and follow up on your decision regarding financial partnership. In the meantime, feel free to navigate the website linked above or reach out to me. Thanks again for your kind consideration. 

Yours in Christ, 

Joe Staffer

P.S. I look forward to reconnecting again next week!