Hey Reliant Staff! 

As we have mentioned, over the last few months, our team has been working hard to make vast improvements on our Toolbox MTD tool! Many of the features that you have come to know and love in Staffnet now exist in Toolbox to allow you a more one-stop-shop website. To see a full list of features, please check out our handy dandy Toolbox Solomon Page! For now, let's highlight a few questions that many people have been curious about:

As we mentioned earlier, there are a WHOLE LOT of new features that have been rolled out on Toolbox recently that we have listed on Solomon, but here's a short list of other features to look for:

• Account Statements
• Reimbursements (Both paid out and pending)
• Support Goals 
• Others are in progress! 

To read more about these features, see new updates, view a video on how to navigate some of these things, and more, please visit our Toolbox page on Solomon!

We know change can be great and challenging at the same time. We promise our mission is to serve you in your service to the Kingdom, and we are constantly looking for ways to do that better. If you have any questions or just want someone to walk you through all the ins and outs of Toolbox, we would be more than happy to set up a time with you to do so! In fact, it would be our pleasure! We want you to feel empowered in your MTD journey, and we will do whatever we can to make that happen. Please email MTD@reliant.org for any questions or needs regarding Toolbox or any part of your MTD journey!

Blessed to be serving WITH you,

Reliant Mission MTD Team

Hey Reliant Staff,

We wanted to send a friendly reminder that this year, we took the LEAP away from Staffnet and toward Toolbox. As of February 29th, Staffnet became no longer accessible. We have focused our efforts to provide three main spaces for you to gather the information needed for your employment with Reliant:

1. Toolbox - Used to track and view your MTD financials 
2. Solomon - Our internal Wiki with training material, references, forms, and resources
3. Reliant.org - Where your personal giving site is housed and can be referenced by donors (along with other information about Reliant)

We do want to highlight one change to Toolbox that has happened this week. We know that some of you have noticed that there was a line on your MTD Dashboard for Non-Current , as well as a line for Suspended Promises.

First, let's highlight the differences quickly: Non-current donations represent check donors with problematic gifts, and Suspended is for online donors with a problematic gift. We have made the shift now to include ANY donation that is past its intended gift date to be included in Suspended Promises. This way, you'll be able to view any gifts that have not been given when they were intended, regardless if it's a check donation or online giving. We hope this change helps to find missing gifts in a simpler fashion.

Most of the things that you might have been used to finding on Staffnet have now migrated over to Toolbox (you may have seen our last email which highlighted some new features). We recognize that learning a whole new tool does not have everyone leaping for joy. At Reliant, we are committed to working FOR and WITH you on mission and strive to make things as easy as possible from the employment and support-raising side of things. If you are feeling confused, intimidated, or just interested, we'd love to set up a short 15-minute time to walk through the new features with you personally over a video call. If this is something that you would feel blessed by, please respond to this email, and we can set that up straight away!

Truly, it is a blessing to be able to serve each and every one of you. May the Lord continue to grow us as we walk towards Him together. Day by day.

Questions? We can help! Connect with us be emailing jenni.saniuk@reliant.org 

Grace and Peace,

The Reliant MTD Team

Hello, U.S. Field Staff!

We hope and pray you all are staying healthy and being strengthened by the grace of Christ as you continue the mission of showing and sharing the gospel! It is hard to believe, but it is October and time once again for Open Enrollment.

Open Enrollment is the time when all benefits-eligible staff notify Reliant of their benefit decisions for the upcoming year. It begins on October 11, 2023, and goes through November 1, 2023. All Reliant U.S. staff working 30 or more hours/week are required to participate, as well as any part-time employees who elect childcare or vision benefits.

We are providing you an opportunity to preview the rates now before Open Enrollment officially begins.

To view the new rates for 2024, click on the link below:

Open Enrollment Rates

A Leadership Resources folder is now available to you in LEARN. This folder currently has recordings from this past year's Leadership Learning Series. Be on the lookout for more videos to come! Here's how to access the Leadership Resources folder:

1. Log into LEARN: http://learn.reliant.org
2. Click on the Catalog tile on your dashboard
3. Click on Leadership Resources, and a video library will appear
4. Check out the incredible content by clicking on the green Enroll button

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact hr@reliant.org.

Reimbursing 2023 Expenses

Our overhauled Policy, Standards, and Forms are LIVE for 2023 expense recovery and reimbursement submissions. In case you missed it, we've been working on cleaning up and improving our reimbursement processes for several months. You can access all the forms in the new Reimbursements and Expense Recovery space in the Field Manual and begin using these forms now for any 2023 expenses! Please don't hesitate to contact your Program Team Liaison if you have any questions.
 

EOY Statements

All of your supporters will receive their End-of-year giving statements in the mail by early February. These statements will also be available on their donor account by the end of the month. Here's how your donor can view their receipts and statements digitally within their Reliant.org account:

• They can navigate to their "Giving History" or "Statements" under the dropdown menu.
• They can find their end-of-year statements under the "statements" dropdown.
• By selecting "Giving History,"  they can access, print, or email any gift receipt.

Resident & Intern Training Season

For resident and intern programs that hope to start in August, which is most of them, the time to start MTD is now! We will have six training opportunities over the next three months. All of these trainings have a 2-week online portion and a 2-day, live portion. The dates and locations can be found here under Fixed Term Trainings. Email Carly.Erskine@Reliant.org with any interest in including someone in these trainings or if you'd like to help train or coach these folks!

MTD Refresh with the Collegiate Program Team

In mid-February, the Collegiate Program Team will hold a 2-day virtual training called "MTD Refresh." This training is for our experienced field staff looking for ways to grow in developing their ministry teams. Fellowship is at the core of the time as the staff is provided with opportunities to connect with others and practice the unique skills necessary for raising support. A past participant in an earlier round of MTD Refresh shared that they left the time with a boost of energy and made five support appointments following the training – all with positive outcomes. Email collegiate.program@reliant.org for more information. 
 

Calling all Coaches and Supervisors!

The Program Support Team hosts a Mastermind call every other month just for you! We grow from being able to learn from each other's experiences. We want to open up a space for you to interact with other coaches and supervisors, ask questions, troubleshoot unfamiliar situations, and hear from diverse perspectives. If you are interested in joining these, please email Jenni.saniuk@reliant.org.

Also, we would like to hear from you and what you need this year. If you are currently an MTD Coach or plan on coaching this year, please take five minutes to complete this survey, letting us know how these calls can be most effective for you.

Tools Update: Meet Breezy!

Our applicants for all Reliant ministry roles now use a service called Breezy, which rolled out this last fall. Breezy does quite a few amazing things for us:

1. More clear and efficient interface for those applying to Reliant.
2. Easier communication between applicants and Reliant via email AND texting.
3. Our partners now have autonomy by accessing certain parts of the process through the Breezy interface.
4. New features are available, like video responses, and new features are being rolled out continually. 

We are excited about how this new tool will help us serve ministry workers by making the application process smooth and easy for all. Please let us know if you have any questions or want to learn more!
 

Benefits Spotlight 

For those covered by our medical insurance coverage, you can order a new supply of at-home COVID-19 tests for $0 copay from Express Scripts Pharmacy. Enjoy the convenience of free shipping right to your door.

Currently, our plan covers up to 8 at-home COVID-19 tests every 30 days per member. You can use your benefit to get your tests at a participating pharmacy or order for home delivery. Our plan may change the coverage for at-home tests in 2023, so you may want to order now.

• If you have any questions, please call Express Scripts at 1-800-555-3432 or visit their website at www.Express-Scripts.com. 
• For more information about Express Scripts, visit our Solomon page in the Field Manual - Prescription Insurance, or email us at benefits@reliant.com.
   

Ministry Experience Survey

Thank you to those who participated in our Ministry Experience Survey this past summer. We want you to know that our priority is to honor you with the decisions we make moving forward based on the informative feedback you have given us. Changes are already taking place in Reimbursements. Following your feedback, we've been streamlining the policy, standard, and process for easier understanding and use. We are excited to implement more changes as the new year unfolds to serve you better. We appreciate the time you took to complete this survey, and we want you to know that every comment was read and your voice matters to us. Because of that, a similar survey will come this summer. We pray that you feel seen, heard, and supported in 2023. Thank you for serving with Reliant.

We heard great feedback about the newest Reliant apparel given as a Christmas gift last month. If you are a Reliant employee and could not sign up in time to receive yours, please log in to CopyCat to place your order. Navigate to the "Reliant Swag" section, and you will see this year's hoodie. Remember that if you want to order multiple hoodies, you will be responsible for paying for them. Please feel free to reach out to communications@reliant.org if you have any questions.

Happy Fall!

We hope that you are enjoying this new season and we are praying for your ministries as things get busy toward the end of the year. We have lots of important updates in this quarter's newsletter so we're going to let you jump right in! Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at all.

As always, we are thankful to partner with you in the ministry God has given you.

Amber Blais
Communications Administrator

Fall Leadership Learning Series Webinar

Have you signed up for the next Leadership Learning Series Webinar, Soaring with Cultural Intelligence, with Dr. Dee Stokes? It will take place on Wednesday, October 26th, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm ET (2:00 to 4:00 pm CT). It will not be recorded, so make sure you register and attend live! You can register here. To learn more about the webinar and the speaker, click here.

Resources

Are you a new (or newish) leader? Here are some great resources that you may want to check out!

Courses on RightNow Media
(If you haven't gotten access to RightNow Media, check out the RightNow Media Access page on Solomon.)

• Christ-Centered Leadership
• Three Things Leaders Do Well 
• Follow the Leader

Missio Nexus Critical Skills for Emerging Leaders

• Where: in-person event in Orlando, Florida
• When: January 31 to February 2, 2022
• For more info: visit this page for more information.

MTD Cohort

Our MTD Health Team is launching another round of coaching cohorts to support you as you continue your MTD journey. These cohorts are an hour once a week for eight weeks and are made up of other missionaries in the field working to sustain their support. These groups will begin at the start of Fall and are available at no cost to you. We have found that they can be incredibly helpful in creating new goals, providing weekly accountability, encouragement, and an opportunity to ask questions. If interested, click here to get signed up, and we will reach out to you. If you have any questions, please email Jenni.Saniuk@reliant.org.

End-of-Year Ask

It's hard to believe that the end of the year is just around the corner! Our MTD Health team has worked on some tips and resources that you should have started to receive a few weeks ago and will continue to receive throughout the end of the year. These tips on End-of-Year Ask (EOYA) will hopefully inspire you to keep going and end the year strong with your MTD health. If you are eager to start your End-of-Year Ask, we have compiled some suggestions for you here: Game Plan for End-of-Year Giving.

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment begins for domestic staff on 10/18 and international staff on 11/1. This is the time of year when all Reliant employees must complete their forms for the following year's benefits. All domestic staff should have received their first email about this already. You can visit the Solomon page now to review all benefits information. Another email will be sent on the day that open Enrollment begins.

Reimbursements Changes

We are updating key aspects of our reimbursement policies to make them more concise, user-friendly, and current. The new policy and standard will be effective January 1, 2023. More details will follow in the coming months. Benefits of these changes will be:

• Consolidation: We will combine many current policies for staff reimbursements into just one short Reimbursement Policy for broad guidance and one Reimbursement Standard for more detailed and situation-specific guidance.
• Ease of Use. Standards for reimbursements will be shorter, more navigable, and more straightforward.
• Tax Advantages. Fewer reimbursements will be considered taxable wages per IRS guidelines.
• Keeping Up with Inflation: In some cases, reimbursement thresholds and payments have increased to keep up with inflation.

Important Dates

We have several important dates that you need to be aware of. These have to do with holidays, reimbursements, deadlines for donations, and other important topics. Please take a moment to view those in the Field Manual on Solomon 2022 Important End-of-Year Dates.

Did you know that your donor can access their receipts and end-of-year statements in their Reliant.org account? We will soon reach out to your donors via email to show them how they can access these items through their online donor portal. We also would love your help in spreading the word about their paperless options for receipting. So that you can communicate with them, we want to show you what it looks like for a donor to access receipts and statements digitally.

When your donor logs into their account on Reliant.org, they can navigate to their "Giving History" or their "Statements" under the dropdown menu. By selecting "Giving History," they can see and click on the specific receipt they want to access, print, or email. And by selecting "Statements," they can access their End-of-Year Statements

We appreciate your help guiding your donors to even more ways to understand their giving!

We are in the process of a major transition internally at Reliant to a new, more scalable accounting and payroll system, Microsoft Dynamics. This is a large, critical project that the Finance team has been working diligently on for many months. We’re very excited about the possibilities ahead!

The new system will be the basis for many improvements next year to Toolbox and our other staff tools for years to come. In the next few months, there is the possibility of some operational disruptions and downtime as we make the final crossover from our old software to the new one in November and December. We’re working very carefully with excellent consultants to ensure it’s an accurate and timely conversion.

• Core accounting functions will launch on December 1st.
• The first payroll in the new system will be on December 15th.
• This conversion will not affect online giving, donor information, or the monthly processing of recurring gifts.

You may have many questions over the next few months. We will launch an update area here on Solomon by October 24th with an FAQ, more details about the timeline, expected downtime over the next few months, and our longer-term hopes and plans. Please pray for our team, this is a lot of extra work on top of already very full workloads. Lots more to come!

It's Fall launch time for Reliant's Women's Staff Development Mentorship Program!

As we continue to lean into discovering and providing ways to serve and connect women across Reliant, we will once again be launching Reliant's Women's Staff Development Mentorship Program sign-ups!

If you are a female Reliant staff member interested in being mentored or being a mentor, please fill out this Interest Survey by Sunday, October 23rd.

If you know of a female Reliant staff member who would be interested in being mentored or being a mentor, please let them know about this opportunity!

More Information

Before committing to this program as a mentor or mentee, please make sure that you have the support and approval of your Supervisor. This optional mentorship program will be between female Reliant staff members or associates. The mentorships will either be one-on-one or in groups that meet virtually. Participants should discuss with their Supervisors the time commitment required and whether participation will be during work hours or outside of them.

• Field Staff Information
• Supervisor Information 

We anticipate these mentorships will meet together for at least a year but also know that some may last longer and others may be shorter, which is okay! Reliant is here to foster these opportunities, but it's essentially up to those involved in each individual mentorship how long it will last, what will be discussed, and how often they will meet.

If you have any questions, please contact hr@reliant.org.

Now that the Pumpkin Spice Lattes are flowing, it's the season for End of Year Asks (EOYA)! Whether you are new to support raising, or you have been doing it for years, EOYAs are for you!

Some of you might be asking: Why? I'm doing pretty well. Why should I spend time on an EOYA?

Did you know the EOYA appeals to a different type of donor than your standard monthly donor? It’s wise to offer various giving opportunities because you recognize there is no "one size fits all" appeal. A large ask, such as an EOYA, tends to resonate with your special gift donors and those with a higher capacity to give. This group may even include those who stopped giving or have never given before. This can make up a HUGE chunk of your MTD. Reliant Field Staff last year gathered $10,000, $25,000, and even $50,000 in their EOYA efforts! This is not a small potatoes thing if you do it correctly.

Action Step

The EOYA is broken up into 5 phases: Make a list, Reconnect, Ask, Remind, Thank. This month, it's time for phase 1: 

Make a List of 20-30 you will personally ask. 

• Seek the Lord for His wisdom on whom to contact
• Run a report of the last 3-5 years of giving data. Filter by: Gift Type/ Special, Last Gift/ Last 3 Years. 
  • The report will show special and recurring giving for each donor. To easily filter through, copy data into Excel or Google sheets and sort/ filter by special gift date. 
  • Look for those who give annually, irregularly, have lapsed in their giving, give only when asked, or have never given but have high capacity. Add these people to your list. 
• Create a list of 20-30 you will personally ask to give at year end.  
• Begin praying over the people on your list.

Total Time: 1-3 hours

Story from the Field

Last year's EOY Survey responses were GOLD. Thank you to those who filled it out. Here were some commonalities from those who raised the most at year-end: 

• They updated their databases/ donor addresses. 
• They sent a snail-mail letter + Email

Here are a few quotes: 

• My ask was conservative for my need for next year, I should be braver and ask for what is most helpful. - S.B.
• Keep doing it. Partners learn to anticipate it (some give earlier than I ask since they know it’s coming). - E.W.

Deeper Dive

Ready to draft a plan? This Planning Form breaks down the EOYA planning into easy chunks. Give it a try!  

Would you rather get a big-picture before planning out your individual steps? Check out the Game Plan. Sample timeline included!

We want to help! If you think you would benefit from a one-on-one consultation with one of our expert coaches or would be open to joining a group call where people share their ideas, doubts, fears, and successes, we want to provide that accountability and community to you! If this is something you'd be interested in, please reply to this email and we will reach out to find the best way we can help you in this journey. 

We love you. We are here for you. We are so encouraged by your faith. May God bless you on this journey. 
 

Thankful to be serving alongside you, 

Your Reliant MTD Health Team

Annual Required Education is back!
Over the weekend, a third-party report was released that detailed decades of sexual abuse, the mishandling of reports, and the subsequent cover-up of abuse allegations in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The findings are, among other things, shocking, frustrating, and profoundly heartbreaking. They are also a reminder of how essential it is to have preventative resources, including education and training, as well as accessible and responsive mechanisms for the reporting of abuse and misconduct. And most importantly, churches and ministries must take any reports of abuse seriously and soberly and respond in a way that prioritizes the safety of the victim and those who may be vulnerable to abuse.

A critical lesson that we and our partner churches and ministries have learned over the years is that we all have a duty to be vigilant in watching for abuse in our ministry communities. If something doesn't seem right, we should not remain silent. Furthermore, those in a position of power and influence must take action to address the abuse appropriately. So as a reminder, if you have any concerns, please contact us at notifyHR@reliant.org or use our anonymous reporting line at 844-544-1444. And no matter what role we are in, we must also be aware of our actions to ensure that we are not creating environments that allow even hints of abuse to fester.

This is why for the last three years, we have required all Reliant Missionaries and Associates to take courses on two topics vital to fostering a safe and healthy environment for you as a staff member and for those to whom you minister. On June 1, 2022, we will once again launch web-based training courses on Child Safety Awareness and Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Prevention. These courses are taught from a Biblical perspective and are meant to equip you and your team in ministry. This year, we also will invite you to complete a Ministry Experience Survey that includes questions about your experience at your partner church or ministry and about the services that Reliant provides.

Your supervisor has been made aware of what is included in this year's Annual Required Education and the expectation that you complete these steps by July 31, 2022.

Below are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions, but we also encourage you to visit the Getting Started and General Questions Solomon page to begin. Feel free to reach out to your Program Team with any questions. Both Kristina Lilly, Reliant's HR Compliance Coordinator, and I are also here to help, and you can reach us at hr@reliant.org. Be sure to check your Reliant inbox for emails with links to LEARN and MinistrySafe that will be sent out on June 1, 2022.

I am grateful to be partnering with you to build safe and healthy ministries.

Warmly,

Steps to complete by July 31, 2022.

Look over the helpful information about the Required Education Courses.
Complete the Sexual Abuse Awareness Training course. You'll receive an email invitation from hr@reliant.org for the course you need to complete. The subject line will start with "Here is your link to the..." and will include your unique link to the MinistrySafe course.
Complete the appropriate Harassment & Discrimination Prevention course(s) for your staff level.*
Take the Ministry Experience Survey.*
*You will receive emails from learn@reliant.org with links to these three activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are we doing this again when we took the same courses last year?

• Reliant is committed to fostering a safe and healthy ministry environment for employees and those to whom they minister. Therefore, it is beneficial for us all to be trained and educated regularly on best practices around child safety and workplace harassment and discrimination prevention, two areas that are essential for creating safe ministry and work environments. It also gives you a chance to review the policies related to these topics. Plus, some states require annual training on workplace harassment, and this ensures that we are compliant with those state laws.

• The Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Prevention course has been updated for 2022. The Abuse Awareness training by MinistrySafe is the same course but with a new look. However, it is such a vital topic for churches and ministries today that the information covered in the course must remain top of mind for anyone who works with children, youth, young adults, or any vulnerable population.

How long will it take to complete the Annual Required Education?

• For most staff, it will take just over 2 hours to complete the courses. For staff members who are supervisors or leaders, it will take around 3 hours. See Role Definitions for more details about who falls under each role.

I completed the courses as part of my New Staff Training with Reliant. Do I need to retake them?

• If you have attended Reliant Training since January 2022 and completed the courses, you do not need to take them as part of the Annual Required Education for existing staff. However, all Reliant Staff that attended training before January 2022 will need to complete them again as part of the Annual Required Education.

I am planning on exiting staff within the next few months. Do I need to take the courses this year?

• If you are planning on exiting staff with Reliant before October 1, 2022, you do not need to take the courses this summer. But it would be great if you could take the Ministry Experience Survey!

• If your Program Team is aware of your planned exit, they may have removed you from the list, and you should not have been emailed the links to the courses. However, if you did receive the links, please let your Program Team know so that they can note that you are excluded from the training requirement.

Hello,
Reliant is excited to let you know that we have hired the International Program Team Leader position. As you are aware, we have been in a season of transition over the last few months, and we genuinely believe that God has brought the right leader at the right time to lead Reliant's International Program into this next season. After a thorough process and much prayer, we are pleased to announce the hire of Mike Easton. Mike has been in the missions community for over 15 years. He has served on the field as a goer, he has mobilized countless individuals through a missions network, and most recently, he has worked as a missions pastor at a large sending church.

Mike is very familiar with Reliant as he has been the leader of one of our largest international sending partners, Campus to Campus (C2C) and The Salt Company. Mike comes in with an intimate knowledge of Reliant's systems and processes, but more importantly, he comes to Reliant with a unique perspective as the leader of a key partner. Mike has experienced both the good and the bad as a partner, and we are confident that his perspective will put us into a position to better serve you, our partners and field goers. Mike brings a proven track record of leadership, both on the field and in the church. We believe he is the right person to lead this program into the future, and we are confident he will bless you.

Mike will start his new role at Reliant on June 1, 2022, and we would love to provide you with an opportunity to meet him. There are a couple of ways you can do this. First, you can schedule a one-on-one time with Mike at your convenience using this link: https://calendly.com/mike-rel/45min. In addition to this, we will also have two group meet and greet times available to you:

Thursday, 6/2/22 at 8:00 am Central Standard Time
Wednesday, 6/19/22 at 8:00 am Central Standard Time
Both of these times will be on Zoom using the following link:

https://reliantmission.zoom.us/j/6939654040?pwd=RFZhdWwxSlFCZitjbXdCZmFKbWh0QT09

Meeting ID: 693 965 4040

Passcode: fayxr6

We would love to end by allowing Mike a chance to introduce himself in this email, but we hope you will take the time to personally meet him through one of the opportunities listed above. We are sure he would also love to hear from you via email. You can email Mike at: mike.easton@reliant.org. As always, please know that we are here to serve and help in any way we can. Always feel free to reach out to us anytime. You can always email us at: international@reliant.org.

Reliant Goers, Church and Network Partners,

Hi, my name is Mike Easton. As of June 1, 2022, I'll be the new International Program Leader for Reliant. I'm excited to get to know all of you a little bit and find out how to serve you better. Here's a little about myself.

The two words that describe my life's vision are "Mobilizing Passion." I love to take motivated people and give them everything they need to go in that direction as fast and as equipped as possible.

I graduated from Iowa State University in 2005. After that, I spent a semester overseas in East Asia and then started on with the college ministry, the Salt Company, at the church I went to in college, Cornerstone Church. After three years, my wife and I went to East Asia. We stayed two years and decided to come back to the States to be a part of mobilizing college graduates to the nations.

For the past eight years, I have been the missions pastor at Cornerstone Church in Ames, Iowa, where I will continue to live and work remotely with Reliant. During my time at Cornerstone, we had the privilege of sending over 2000 students on short-term summer mission trips. The Lord graced us with the opportunity to send over 90 people overseas for 2-years or more with the IMB or Campus2Campus.

As I move to this role in Reliant, I have two particular passions that I believe will be a blessing to Reliant and you all: 1) equipping churches to send and care for healthy members, and 2) making goers' lives easier through improving financial and logistical systems. I'm excited for these passions to be a blessing to you all.

I am looking forward to hearing from you all!

Mike Easton

Let's talk about MTD stewardship: the relationship-building that takes place after a ministry gift has been received. Stewardship involves showing how a donor's giving is making an impact, connecting personally in order to minister to them, offering new opportunities to give, and recognizing their investment with genuine thanks. Generally, this can be accomplished in a SHOW, CONNECT, OFFER, THANK cycle. This ongoing view of MTD leads to a strong and stable support base.

Quick Tip

This month, focus on the CONNECT phase of this cycle by personally connecting with some of your donors.

Think 1-on-1 connection to build relationships vs. one-size-fits-all mass communication. No ask. Just connection and ministering to the people who empower you.

For ideas on how to relationally connect with donors, go to the CONNECT section on this page.

Story from the Field

"After about a decade on a support-based salary through Reliant, I decided to dig into my MTD numbers. I looked at backpay and what I *could* be making as a salary vs what I was actually taking. It helped me realize I wasn’t in a sustainable situation. I either needed to figure out a different source of income or get the support raised. So, I spent the next few months calling every one of my 70 donors. I talked with 40 of them. A lot of my calls were an hour long. I was fine with that because I was making up for years of not connecting. And I didn't ignore the elephant in the room. I acknowledged I hadn't done a good job keeping in touch but wanted that to change and was looking forward to getting to know them more. It was so worth it..."

Tune in next month to hear the rest of the story!

-Matt Moore
Missionary serving in Austin, TX

Deeper Dive

Dig into the Connect portion of the Annual Stewardship Plan.

In Spirituality of Fundraising, Henri Nouwen explains more of the "why" behind this style of stewardship plan. This short, 8-chapter booklet can be used as a devotional companion to the summer support raising season. Go through it on your own, with your spouse, or your team.

We're here to help

Summer cohorts are starting up soon. Click here to learn more and sign up. Rather have 1:1 coaching? Let us know if you need a coach.

Thankful to be serving alongside you,

Your Reliant Program Support Team

Welcome to the Reliant Newsletter!

We hope and pray that this Holy Week has been a time of reflection for you and your ministry as we remember all that God has done through His Son, Jesus, and as we celebrate His glorious resurrection! In this newsletter, you will find some important HR updates, exciting development opportunities, and a request for you to contribute your stories and testimonies so that Reliant can share what God is doing in and through your ministry. Keep up to date with all that's going on around Reliant by checking out each item below. And don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

As always, we are thankful to partner with you in the ministry God has given you.

Amber Blais
Communications Administrator

Testimonies & Stories

We love hearing what God is doing through you and your ministry! We are always looking to share missionary testimonies and updates in our communication pieces like the Annual Ministry Report, quarterly email newsletters to Reliant staff (like this one), and social media channels. Would you consider submitting a story or testimony about what God is doing in and through you and your ministry? Just click the button below to fill out our brief form.

Share Here

 COVID-19 Policies & Updates

Since March 2020, we have all been trying to figure out how to live and work amid a global pandemic. For Reliant, our top priority is to support our missionaries as they do ministry in this ever-changing environment. Until recently, we had asked Reliant employees to inform us if they had been exposed to or have contracted COVID-19. We have adjusted that policy and no longer require that notification. However, if you or a member of your household exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms, please 1) refer to the CDC's Guidelines for COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation, 2) abide by local health guidelines, and 3) confer with your local supervisor on work arrangements, precautions (i.e., testing and masking), and timing for when you can return to in-person work. More about this and other COVID-19-related information can be found on Solomon at COVID-19 Policies & Updates. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to HR@reliant.org.

 Ministry Leaders - Join us for our Spring Leadership Learning Series live webinar on Wednesday, April 20th at 3:00 pm ET/2:00 pm CT as we learn how to care well for stressed and anxious ministry staff members. You can learn more about the Speaker and Panelists and register for the webinar here.

Also, save the date for our Summer Leadership Learning Series webinar with Dr. Chuck DeGroat, author of various books, including When Narcissism Comes to Church, named an Outreach magazine Resource of the Year. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, June 15th, at 3:00 pm ET/2:00 pm CT. More details to come soon.

 MTD Cohort
Support raising is an ongoing journey that doesn't end when you hit 100%. Sustaining your support may take just as much effort as raising it in the first place and can be a new and daunting responsibility. Our MTD Health Team is launching the second season of coaching cohorts to support you in this experience. These cohorts are an hour once a week for eight weeks and include other missionaries in the field working to sustain their support. These groups are voluntary and at no cost to you. We have found that they can be incredibly helpful in creating new goals, providing weekly accountability and encouragement, and an opportunity to ask questions. If interested, click here to get signed up, and we will reach out to you. If you have any questions, please email Jenni.Saniuk@reliant.org.

 RightNow Media Access

Did you know that you have access to the entire library of resources at RightNow Media, as a Reliant Missionary, including thousands of Bible study videos and hundreds of Leadership training courses? If you haven't requested access yet, email kathy.zellinger@reliant.org from your Reliant email address and let her know you need a membership. You will receive an email invitation to create your own RightNow Media account and then have instant access to thousands of biblically-based resources. You can find more information on the RightNow Media Access page on Solomon.

Reliant Central is hiring for two open positions: Gift Services Manager and Payroll & Reimbursement Specialist. If you know of anyone looking for a job, please share this information with them. You can find more details on both roles and how to apply by visiting our Employment page on our website.

Hey! We're starting something new and we think you'll love it.

Keep your eyes and inboxes open for Reliant's monthly MTD Minute! We are curating tips, advice, and stories from the field to keep you inspired towards healthy and thriving MTD partnerships. As you raise and maintain your support, we are here to help. Through quick, timely, monthly updates, our goal is to help you raise and maintain your support no matter what season you're in.

What can you expect each month?

• Tip of the Month - A quick, easy-to-implement action to help you increase, steward, disciple, or nurture your financial partners.
• Stories from the Field - Encouraging real-life stories from Reliant missionaries. We hope these stories will lift your gaze from your current circumstances and onto the larger story God is writing both on your heart and on the hearts of your financial partners.
• Deep Dive - Each month contains a new deep-dive, timely to the season.
• Additional Help - There are extra layers of support our team offers. We'll introduce a few of these each month.

Raising and maintaining support is an experience few people have and only those who have done it understand. We are here to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with you as you build and nurture your ministry team. Our goal is for you to be faithfully served and abundantly funded so you can serve faithfully.

At His feet,

Reliant MTD Health Team

As you know, things are shifting quickly with the situation in Ukraine and we want to be prepared to serve in the best way possible. Reliant in partnership with Great Commission Europe has started a dedicated Ukraine Relief Fund for the Ukrainian crisis to help with the many significant needs coming over the weeks and months ahead. The Ukraine Relief Fund will enable us to mobilize funds towards a broad range of needs and people on the ground. We partner with many local churches and networks throughout the country and want to serve them all the best we can. This will be our primary vehicle for donations and 100% of donations here will go towards relief efforts.

We mentioned our close partnership with Spring of Hope in an email last week; they will now be recipients of relief grants from this new crisis fund rather than the place to make donations to. If you or others would like to give towards our efforts in Ukraine please go to reliant.org/ukraine.relief.fund for more information.

Click here to give to Ukraine Relief Fund

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."
1 Corinthians 1:3-4

Praying with you that our God of all Comfort will be with those suffering and mourning through these tragic events.

Tom Mauriello, Executive Director

Welcome to the Reliant Newsletter!

From all of us at Reliant, we hope that your year is off to a great start. But no matter how 2022 has begun for you, we pray that you would feel the presence and peace of God in your family and ministries. In this newsletter, you will read about some exciting new things in store as well as some important employment reminders. We hope that this information serves you well and adds value to you and your ministry. We are so thankful to serve alongside you and support the ministry God has called you into!

Amber Blais
Communications Administrator

As you all know, we recently launched our brand new online training and equipping platform called LEARN! We are so excited to use this tool to serve you better. One of the biggest values of LEARN is that we now have one location to house all of our MTD Training content for new and existing missionaries. We have already started using the platform for our 2022 virtual training and have heard lots of positive feedback from missionaries. Below is just one quote from a training participant.

We know there are different comfort levels with jumping right into any new tool. Many missionaries are still getting used to LEARN and growing their understanding of how it can make work easier. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, we want to come alongside and support you. 

If you haven't already, be sure to check out the LEARN FAQ page in the Field Manual. This page contains all the information on how to log in and access your courses, along with other helpful details. 

We are so excited about all the new possibilities that open up with LEARN and are here to serve you and the ministry God has called you to. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your Program Team Liaison if you have any questions at all.