Tony Campolo

Helpful Tools For Christmas & Year End Giving

EAPE , Newsletters

EAPE is a kind of mutual fund. When you contribute to EAPE, your money is pooled together with gifts of others who share a commitment to evangelism and social justice and who are willing to trust the leadership of Tony and EAPE’s Board of Directors to invest wisely that money in a diverse group of innovative Christian ministries deemed likely to produce significant returns on the collective investment. The difference, of course, is that in this mutual fund the return on investment is measured by changed lives and changed communities instead of dollars and cents.

To learn more about the family of innovative and effective ministries we’re investing in with your gifts, click here: https://eape.org/ministries/. If you have any questions about our ministries and how your support will make a difference, please call 610-341-1715 or toll-free at 855-612-EAPE (3273).

Charitable Donation from your IRA (Time Sensitive)

Thanks to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, a popular tax law provision is back in effect. If you’re 70 1/2 or older you can transfer as much as $100,000 this year from a Roth or traditional IRA directly to EAPE without having to count the transfer as taxable income. This provision is set to expire December 31, 2023. For more information please visit: http://www.irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/Charitable-Donations-from-IRAs-for-2012-and-2023 and contact your financial consultant or tax adviser.

Giving By Credit Card or Electronic Check

Click here to make a one-time or recurring gift or create a profile and account.

Online giving makes good stewardship sense for us by reducing overhead costs and potential errors, and good sense for you by reducing check writing & monthly paperwork and by providing you with instant access to your account history. Our new DonateQ service is a better way for you to securely submit regular contributions, a one-time gift or a special offering in support of a specific ministry or project. You simply choose the purpose, the amount and the frequency for your giving to authorize from a checking account or credit card. You can change anything at any time, 24/7.

For more information, check out our Online Giving Q & A and Step-by-Step Instructions or getting started. If you have already been enrolled in our monthly giving program, your account has already been updated to DonateQ.

Giving By Phone or PayPal

Click the logo to donate via PayPal. To give via telephone or to ask any questions about donating, call 610-341-1715 or toll-free at 855-612-EAPE (3273).

Checks and Money Orders

Please make checks and money orders payable to EAPE/KINGDOMWORKS and mail to:

EAPE/KINGDOMWORKS
P.O. Box 7238
St. Davids, PA 19087

Appreciated Assets

In case you were wondering, stocks, bonds and mutual funds can be easily transferred to EAPE. You should first consult with your own financial adviser to learn about tax advantages, and then contact our broker to complete the transaction:

Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
100 Front St, Suite 600
West Conshohocken, PA 19428
610-260-8600

DTC#: 0015
Account Name: EAPE
Tax ID# 23-713-7006
Account# 665-163-679-087

Bequests

“I am getting up in years and have recently reviewed my will. EAPE is listed as a major benefactor. Would you consider doing what I have done? The assurance that the ministries of EAPE will go on long after I am gone is a joy to me. It could be for you, too!” – Dr. Tony Campolo, Founder and President, EAPE

An excellent way to provide for the future of EAPE’s ministries and leave a lasting legacy is to remember us in your will. You can leave your entire estate, a percentage of your estate, a specific dollar amount, or the residue. Check with your attorney for the specific wording.

Important Tax Information

No goods or services (other than intangible religious benefits) were provided to the donor in exchange for this contribution. Gifts are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. EAPE is a registered charitable organization. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, 800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

Milestone: Cornerstone Christian Academy Accredited

Cornerstone Christian Academy

In our October newsletter about the importance of education for holistic ministry, we noted that when the City of Philadelphia started this school year with 23 fewer public schools, Cornerstone Christian Academy began its 25^th year of providing quality, Christian education in a safe and loving environment for low-income children in southwest Philadelphia.

We’re pleased to share the following special announcement about Cornerstone Christian Academy, and to express how proud we are of the faculty, staff, students and you— our supporters—for achieving this milestone!

November 1, 2023
Southwest Philadelphia

Excitement filled the halls of Cornerstone Christian Academy this week when the official certificate of accreditation arrived from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. After two years of hard work examining every element of the school’s operation, hundreds of pages of self-study, action plans, policies and procedures, the award of accreditation has become reality. This is the first of two awards the school anticipates, the other being from the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) in early 2022. On Tuesday when he received the accreditation award, Cornerstone President and CEO Dick Ollinger, exclaimed, “We did it!” to staff, students, and faculty throughout the school.

Accreditation demonstrates to educators, parents and partners that the school has dedicated itself to rigorous academic standards and transparent governance procedures. When Cornerstone began in 1988, founders Tony Campolo, Jim Sweet and a host of volunteers, donors, parents and educators envisioned a southwest Philadelphia school that would instill in each student the hope that comes from faith in Christ. They saw thousands of children fall victim to poverty, violence and achievement gaps in public schools and wanted to establish an independent school option that was safe and challenged students with high academic standards. Those early leaders wanted to train and educate young people to believe that God loved them and gifted them with a top-quality education. Rather than a way out of the inner-city, the education they were to receive would be an empowering tool for transformation of circumstances they saw each day in their neighborhoods.

Today, accreditation is the next step in achieving that mission. With an increased focus on outcomes, the school can better prepare students to enroll and excel in top high schools throughout the region. Already, Cornerstone graduates report that they are well prepared for high school in Science, Math and Computers. Others tell their Cornerstone teachers and Principal Deb Lee that the disciplined study habits they learned at Cornerstone have followed them to post-secondary education. Graduates like Steve McFarland (Class of 2007), who now attends Swarthmore College in suburban Philadelphia, aim to bring their education and skills back to southwest Philadelphia to educate and train the next generations. Accreditation affirms the belief that a rigorous academic program coupled with a foundation of faith in Christ will produce students who can become effective leaders.

Thank you to each individual, church and business that accompanied Cornerstone along the path of accreditation. Continue to pray with us as the hard work of implementing the Accreditation Action Plan begins – and remember to “Save the Date” for the 25th Anniversary Celebration on May 1, 2022 at St. David’s Country Club in St. David’s, PA.

When you give to EAPE, you invest in a network of innovative, holistic and effective ministries, such as Cornerstone Christian Academy, that love, serve and support at-risk children, youth and their families in Jesus’ name. If you have questions about Cornerstone, or any of the ministries we’re investing in, please call EAPE’s office at 610-341-1722 or use the “Contact Us” form below to send an email.

The Importance of Education for Holistic Ministry

EAPE , Newsletters

My daughter started third grade last month, and I shared in her excitement for the new school year – the joy of reconnecting with friends, the awe of learning new things, and the awareness of beginning this next chapter of her life and dreaming of what the future holds.

Working with EAPE reminds me not to take my daughter’s education for granted.

As a sociologist, Tony has always understood the importance of education as a means for lifting people out of poverty. This understanding has informed EAPE’s holistic vision for ministry, which has made education a cornerstone for much of our work.

In September, when the City of Philadelphia started this school year with 23 fewer public schools, Cornerstone Christian Academy began its 25th year of providing quality, Christian education in a safe and loving environment for low-income children in southwest Philadelphia. Cornerstone was ready to welcome many new students to its classrooms.

Through Haiti Partners we’re equipping Haitians to change Haiti by educating children, teachers, community leaders and disciples.

In Haiti, where nearly 50% of school age children don’t go to school, more than 1,000 children returned to Haiti Partners’ elementary schools and the new Children’s Academy and began to realize their hopes for a better and brighter future for their country.

The work that Tony began over 40 years ago would not be possible today without the generous support and prayers from friends like you.

I invite you to spend some time here and peruse our redesigned website, which features new stories, photos, and announcements about Cornerstone Christian Academy, Haiti Partners, and each of our other Core, Supported and Affiliated Ministries.

This year we’re investing in a total of 20 innovative, holistic and effective ministries, programs and special projects and we’re counting on you beginning, continuing, increasing or renewing your support this year to meet all of our ministry goals and objectives.

Throughout the coming months we’ll keep you informed about the inspiring work of our urban missionaries and teachers, and of the impact their service—and your gifts!—is having on the children, youth and families we minister to across North America and around the world.

I’d love to hear from you, so if you have any questions about our ministry and how you can begin or deepen your involvement in our work, you can reach me by email using the “Contact Us” form below or toll-free at 855-612-EAPE (3273).

With gratitude and hope in Christ,

Robert Gauthier
Managing Director, EAPE

Celebrating 26 Years of Promise in Camden

Urban Promise

Last year we celebrated the 25^th anniversary of UrbanPromise with a banquet that featured Tony and a keynote address from Diane Sawyer. Ms. Sawyer has been a guest of UrbanPromise before and featured their work in Camden in her 2007 special report for ABC News program, 20/20.

Prior to last year’s banquet Tony reflected on how UrbanPromise began and praised Bruce Main for his leadership and accomplishments over the years. As Tony said “Giving birth to UrbanPromise is one of EAPE’s most notable achievements and we celebrate their 25 years of hard, but glorious service for Christ and His Kingdom.” Click here to read all of Tony’s thoughts about the first 25 years of Urban Promise.

Now it’s time to celebrate the next 25 years of Promise in Camden, and we hope you’ll join us on Thursday, October 24 for An inspiring program of personal testimony, a word from Dr. Bruce Main, dance, music, and more by UrbanPromise youth; and a gourmet dinner prepared by local chefs and restaurant owners.

If you live in the Greater Philadelphia area, I encourage you to attend this event – you’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll leave with renewed hope about all that God is doing in Camden.

Click here to learn more and register for tickets.

Hope for the Homeless in Northeast England and Other Important Ministry

Affiliated Ministries , Aquila Way , EAPE , Newsletters , Speak UK

Those who follow my travels may have noticed I speak in the United Kingdom—and may have wondered why. One answer to that question is that EAPE has strong commitments to ministries we have developed and supported over there. Let me give you some glimpses into what those ministries do.

Aquila Way provides safe and loving homes for women aged 16-30 and their children. Each resident is paired with a support worker who provides assistance with cooking, money management, job searches and other practical skills necessary to achieve independence.

First, there is Aquila Way, a ministry for the homeless in the northeast of England. Some of the women are battered; others are dealing with addictions; some are poor women with children who have no place to go. This ministry provides room and board, their own dedicated support worker, and job training, and nurtures these homeless women toward independence. For more information go to Aquila Way’s ministry page.

Secondly, there is Going Public, based in Wales. Every year, this ministry reaches thousands of teenagers, steering them away from destructive lifestyles that often involve drugs, alcohol, and sexual promiscuity. With various teams of volunteers, the staff lead assembly programs in middle schools and high schools. These programs include music, videos, skits, and special talks—all of which are relevant to these age groups. Going Public staff is routinely invited into classrooms, where they are able to share their faith. For more information visit our Affiliated Ministries page.

SPEAK is a network of young adults and students who campaign and pray about issues of injustice. Through their activism, they aim to share their faith in our all-loving, all-powerful creator: God.

Thirdly, there is Signpost International, based in Dundee, Scotland. Its ministries reach into the rough neighborhoods of Dundee, touching the lives of young people with the good news of God’s love. Signpost also provides an array of services for adults who have special problems, helping the unemployed to find jobs and providing health services. For more information visit our Affiliated Ministries page.

Fourthly, there is SPEAK, based in London, with faith-based chapters in universities throughout the United Kingdom. SPEAK promotes student movements that advocate for peace and work to eliminate poverty in Third World countries. For more information go to SPEAK UK’s ministry page.

When you give to EAPE, you invest in a network of innovative and effective organizations, including these four ministries. When you

consider what we are doing in the UK, alongside what our mission workers are doing in the Third World and in cities across North America, you have to be impressed with what your prayers and financial support are making possible. Thank you for that! And please—those who work in these ministries need for you to be generous.

Summer Camps and Christian Discipleship

EAPE , Newsletters

Urban Promise Miami’s summer camp COURAGE (which stands for “Changing Others Using Respect and God’s Embrace”) serves upwards of 75 children and youth from the Little Havana area providing a variety of enrichment activities, including arts and crafts, recreation, Bible study and field trips.

I recently returned from a month long speaking tour in Australia on behalf of Compassion International and World Vision. These two Christian organizations give significant support to our own EAPE ministries, so I was pleased to help them. My mission was to recruit a thousand people to sponsor desperately poor children in Developing Countries. The good news is that I was able to exceed that goal!

At every speaking venue I met people who told me that they regularly read the Red Letter Christians blog, and are faithful listeners to our radio program, “Across the Pond.” Both of these EAPE ministries can be accessed online at www.redletterchristians.org, and are reaching hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Thank you for helping make them possible.

During the next several weeks, many programs of our EAPE affiliated ministries go into high gear. Especially consider the hundreds and hundreds of kids who will be in our EAPE related summer camp programs, the 300 school teachers who will receive training from our affiliate in Haiti this summer, the scores of young women in our mentoring ministry in Oakland, CA, and the new “Urban Promise” ministries to children in “at risk” neighborhoods in Miami, FL, and Trenton, NJ. All of these outreach programs will have their financial resources stretched thin this summer, but with your support EAPE stands ready to assist them.

Street Leaders are high school aged students recruited by Urban Promise Miami to serve as Camp Courage counselors and role models for the neighborhood children in Little Havana.

Reaching people – especially kids – with God’s love, and nurturing young people into being Christian disciples is what EAPE is all about. Your giving is essential to keep our work going. We’re counting on your support, especially during our busy summer months when giving tends to drop off and as we transition into a new school year.

Lastly, you probably know that one of EAPE’s missions is to challenge young people to make commitments to doing God’s work in the world. To this end I regularly call teenagers and young adults not only to become believers in Jesus, but also to become His disciples. Believers are those who accept Christian doctrines, whereas disciples are those who are willing to serve Christ in all that they do.

Recently, more than 2000 young men and women responded to my invitation to discipleship when I spoke in Mt. Union, PA at the Creation Festival. (These are Christian versions of Woodstock where more than 50,000 young people come together to camp out, enjoy Christian bands and listen to speakers.) I don’t know how many of these young people will end up living out their discipleship as teachers, preachers and missionaries, but I’m sure many of them will. Others, I hope, will live out their discipleship in a variety of other vocations.

A Lifetime Achievement Award & Global Call to End Corruption

EAPE , Haiti Partners , Newsletters

John Engle at WorldBlu Live Conference in Denver, CO

John Engle speaking at the WorldBlu Live Conference in Denver, CO.

I’m extremely pleased to tell you that John Engle, a co-director of Haiti Partners, EAPE’s Core Ministry in Haiti, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from WorldBlu, an organization that promotes democracy worldwide in the workplace. John has committed his life to helping people realize their potential as children of God through what he calls “freedom-centered practices.” The award he received carries with it significant grants from large corporations which will be used to further the work of Haiti Partners.

Haiti Partners recently dedicated a new Children’s Academy. This facility is home to one of seven partner schools that offer education to some of the poorest children in Haiti, and also serves as a teacher training institute that equips more than 300 Haitian teachers each year. Through Haiti Partners we’re able to provide faith-based education to our Haitian brothers and sisters, which is an essential part of EAPE’s mission.

Another new and important ministry of Haiti Partners is Micah Scholars. This program enables twenty-five young church leaders to receive training in Haitian seminaries and intern in the churches and schools related to Haiti Partners. The ministry of Micah Scholars ensures the evangelical emphasis of this EAPE affiliate. Your gifts help make this possible.

Tony Campolo signs Global Call to End Corruption

Tony signed the Global Call to End Corruption. You can learn more about this movement and sign the petition at Exposed2023.com.

If you follow my speaking itinerary, you may have noticed that I was scheduled to speak to the British Parliament on May 15th. This meeting was set up by the British Bible Society, and it proved to be a much more significant event than I had anticipated. I was asked to address the topic of corruption, and I spoke to a packed house. The reason for the great interest in this lecture was that while those in government long have appropriated huge grants for helping poor people in developing countries with feeding programs, medical services, and support for education and economic development, much of this money ends up in the pockets of corrupt government officials in those countries. Our EAPE missionaries not only have firsthand knowledge of how corruption has severely hurt the poor, but are able to suggest positive ways to deal with it.

On hand for my address to Parliament were representatives of the British Evangelical Alliance. Following the program they began circulating a petition that, hopefully, will be signed by a million British citizens, calling upon Parliament to press for measures that will address this problem.

With your support EAPE is making a difference across America and around the world. So please continue to give so that this work can continue to grow.

Cornerstone Christian Academy – A Beacon of Hope in West Philadelphia

Cornerstone Christian Academy , EAPE , Newsletters

Over the years, EAPE has created a variety of missionary enterprises that have impacted some of the neediest people in the world. Through our monthly newsletter, I’ve tried to give you glimpses into what is happening in one or another of these programs. This month, I’ve chosen to tell you about Cornerstone Christian Academy. We created Cornerstone Christian Academy for school children who are growing up in “at risk” neighborhoods in Southwest Philadelphia, many of whom come from single parent homes or are being raised by grandmothers.

Children attending Cornerstone Christian Academy receive a quality education in a safe and loving environment.

Initially this school struggled academically and we faced a variety of crises. Principal after principal left after only short terms of service. Teacher turn-over was an ongoing problem. We had trouble with the city government when we tried to get our building approved for use. But we “hung in there,” and the results are more than encouraging.

First of all, Cornerstone Christian Academy (CCA) is up for full accreditation with the Middle Atlantic States accrediting association. It’s come a very long way academically!

Secondly, CCA’s ministries are year round; they do not stop. The school becomes a haven for kids in the neighborhood during the summer months. There will be an urban summer camp for children that will include lots of fun and games. Educational programs to give these children a “head-start” when they go back to school in the fall.

The Gates Foundation generously gave computers to CCA that have enabled us to offer expert and comprehensive training in all aspects of computer use. Both those enrolled in CCA during the regular school year as well as those in CCA’s summer programs will get the benefits of this specialized training. This is a great gift to a poor neighborhood where children have been left behind in today’s increasingly technologically oriented schools.

During the summer, campers participate in drama, music, art, dance, technology, sports, swimming and weekly field trips.

CCA has stayed focused on its Christian mission. The Bible is woven into the curriculum; participation in regular chapel services and nurturing of Christian character are at the heart of our efforts. We are committed to having our children come to know Jesus in a personal way.

Now here’s where you come in. We need you to go the second mile with your giving. All of our students receive financial support to help cover tuition expenses (which are very low to start with), but there are some children whose parents or guardians are not able to meet even our low financial expectations. Some of the poorest of the poor may have to drop out, and we are working hard to prevent that from happening.

Could you make an extra effort in giving so we can give such children the financial help they need? I hope your answer is “yes!”

Connect Leadership Ministries – Restoring Life to Urban Churches

Connect Leadership Ministries , EAPE

Our EAPE newsletters tend to be filled with all kinds of positive words. This is because we sense God at work, doing great things through our young mission workers and teachers who are serving in cities across North America and in several developing countries. Nevertheless, I want you to know that we have our times of trouble and sorrow.

Colin and family before surgery.

One example is found in the recently created program in Toronto, Ontario, called Connect Leadership Ministries. The executive director, Colin McCartney, had to undergo a very serious operation on his back. He is recovering, but the recovery is slow. In spite of this, he and his wife, Judith, have carried on their work with great effectiveness.

In case you don’t remember, Connect Leadership Ministries is a program designed to revitalize dying inner-city churches. EAPE is burdened by the reality that many urban churches are dying and we are committed to work with Connect Leadership Ministries to do something about that. This ministry recruits young men and women in their twenties who are willing to give at least a year as part of a team serving out of an inner-city church that has possibilities for rebirth. This is a program that enables each church, with the help of Connect Leadership Ministries’ workers, to reach those who live in the vicinity through a combination of door-to-door visitation, evangelism, and youth and Sunday school programs, in places where they haven’t existed for years. At the same time it provides pastors with the encouragement and support they need to prevent burnout and help sustain their ministries.

The exodus of the church only heightens the prevalence of criminal activity, drugs, gangs and other social problems.

EAPE knows from sociological studies, that as good as urban youth programs may be, unless those who are reached by these programs are integrated into churches, the likelihood of them continuing on in constructive Christian living will be seriously in question. Parachurch organizations have long-term effectiveness only if they are able to bring the young people and children they serve into a church fellowship that will nurture and sustain them in the years that lie ahead—after they pass their teenage years.

If you know some young people, particularly those who are just coming out of college and have not yet settled into normative vocations, why not tell them about this program and have them get in touch with me? I can link them up with Connect Leadership Ministries. A year or two serving with a team of fellow Christians and being nurtured by people like Colin will make them into mature Christians able to serve the Church for years and years to come.

Pray for all of our work, but especially for Colin and Judith and their ministry in Toronto. Thank you for enabling so much to be happening in the name of Jesus. Please continue to give and help keep them and all our urban missionaries and teachers continue their work for God’s Kingdom.

We’re All in This Together

EAPE , Newsletters

EAPE When you support EAPE, you support a network of national and international ministries. Your gifts also support three full time EAPE office workers, each of whom has a specialized ministry. What they do is likely to go unnoticed by those who are not around to observe what they do, day in and day out, so I thought I’d tell you about them.

First of all, there’s Robert Gauthier. In addition to keeping track of donations, writing “thank you” notes and serving as our bookkeeper, he is secretary and treasurer for the board of directors. He spends a good bit of his time on the phone, calling, you, our donors and letting you know how grateful all of us are for your prayers and financial support. He makes sure that we know you as persons. Robert keeps me posted as to special needs or problems any of you may have so that I can follow up with prayers and words of encouragement. He helps make our donors very special individuals to us, and if he has not called you yet—there’s a good chance he will. He’s diligent.

Secondly, there’s James Warren. This seminary grad is my right-hand man. He receives and makes sure that I answer all the considerable mail that comes into the office. I answer all of the letters that are addressed to me personally. What is most important is that he spends many, many hours talking to people who call in with special problems. Time and time again, people come up to me and tell me what a help and blessing he has been to them. Just recently a woman in a church in Canada told me that if she hadn’t had James’ help she doesn’t know what she would have done – because she had been on the verge of spiritual and emotional collapse. She said that talking to him by phone was better than going to a professional counselor. He does this while making sure that all the details that go with making speaking and travel arrangements for my 300+ engagements each year are handled with optimal efficiency.

Finally, there’s Brian Ballard. It’s sometimes hard for me to realize that he graduated from Eastern only a couple of years ago. He does the engineering for our radio show, Across the Pond, for the British Premier Christian Radio network. This show not only has a wide audience in the United Kingdom but also has a huge number of listeners online (go to TonyCampolo.org/media if you want to hear it). In addition to that he does all the securing of guests and all the arranging for EAPE’s weekly TV show, Red Letter Christians. The show is broadcast on the cable channel JCTV but can also be viewed online by going to RedLetterChristians.org/rlc-tv.

Besides all of the above, I have to tell you that Brian’s primary responsibility is to supervise the development of EAPE’s newest ministry, Red Letter Christians. This entails maintaining the Red Letter Christians blog which, since it was initiated a little over a year ago, has had more than a million “unique hits”, making it one of the hottest blogs online. This is a dynamic new ministry that is reaching all generations but especially the younger set.

Helpful Tools For Christmas & Year End Giving

Charitable Donation from your IRA (Time Sensitive)

Giving By Credit Card or Electronic Check

Giving By Phone or PayPal

Checks and Money Orders

Appreciated Assets

Bequests

Important Tax Information

Milestone: Cornerstone Christian Academy Accredited

The Importance of Education for Holistic Ministry

Celebrating 26 Years of Promise in Camden

Summer Camps and Christian Discipleship

A Lifetime Achievement Award & Global Call to End Corruption

Cornerstone Christian Academy – A Beacon of Hope in West Philadelphia

Connect Leadership Ministries – Restoring Life to Urban Churches

We’re All in This Together

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