FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About the Moody Trustees' $500,000 Matching Grant Challenge
1. How does the $500,000 matching grant challenge work?
Several members of our board of trustees have committed a matching grant of $500,000 to Moody Bible Institute. In order for Moody to receive the full amount, they have stipulated that other friends of Moody must meet and exceed the match by contributing an additional $1,000,000. This will provide a total of $1,500,000 to educate future Christian leaders at Moody Bible Institute.
2. Is my gift really multiplied?
YES! Every dollar you give will unlock an additional 50 cents from the matching grant, up to the $500,000 limit. For example, your gift of $30 will unlock another $15 from the grant and be increased to $45. A gift of $100 will unlock $50 more, totaling $150, and so on.
3. Why are the Moody trustees offering this challenge?
The members of our board of trustees are passionate about the vision and purpose of Moody Bible Institute. They see firsthand how Moody is preparing dedicated young men and women for a lifetime of Christian service. They understand the urgent need for Christian leaders, and so they are offering this challenge to help provide the needed funds to make Moody’s educational ministry possible.
4. What happens if the challenge is not met by the June 30 deadline?
The trustees have asked that we meet and exceed the $500,000 matching grant challenge by June 30, 2008. Any funds not matched by then will no longer be available to us. Please join us in ensuring that we meet and exceed the $500,000 challenge!
5. How will Moody use the matching funds?
All the funds will help educate, train, and equip young people at Moody Bible Institute for a lifetime of service to the Lord. Moody has never charged undergraduate students for tuition since our founding in 1886. Our founder, the evangelist D. L. Moody, did not want lack of finances to prevent anyone from serving the Lord, and that tradition continues to this day. Your gift, plus the matching funds, will help make this tuition-paid education possible for dedicated young men and women. Upon graduation, they will be free to focus on serving the Kingdom of Christ without the financial burden of repaying student loans.
6. Why is Moody’s education so effective for equipping young leaders?
Moody’s education starts with rigorous Bible training in the classroom from our renowned faculty. By graduation, students have a thorough knowledge of God’s Word and how to apply it to their own lives and teach it to others. In addition, Moody has a unique three-pronged approach for preparing students for lifelong Christian service.
1) All students spend at least two hours each week in practical Christian ministry (PCM). This service is typically something like tutoring in an inner-city Chicago housing project or teaching a Sunday school class. Moody students are very passionate about their PCMs.
2) Upper-level students typically participate in an internship at a local church or a mission organization, often over the summer. These internships immerse students in the realities of ministry, giving them invaluable 'real life' experience.
3) Many students also participate in mission trips, traveling to a ministry site in America or overseas. They share the Gospel and demonstrate the love of Christ in areas where Christian witness is limited and desperately needed.
As a result of our three-pronged approach, the vast majority of Moody students have concrete plans for how they will serve the Lord with their lives by the time they graduate.
7. Why is it so important to train young people for a lifetime of service?
Christian leaders are more needed than ever today. Many well-educated, young Christians must turn down more lucrative careers if they choose to spend their lives as missionaries or pastors. To ensure that the message of Christ remains strong and vibrant in our increasingly secular world, we need more devoted young people to commit their lives to Christian service and leadership.
8. How can I be involved?
First, please pray that God will help us meet and exceed the $500,000 matching grant challenge by June 30 to provide a total of $1,500,000 in much-needed support. This is a wonderful God-given opportunity we do not want to miss! Second, please consider giving the most generous gift you can to help meet and exceed the grant. Every dollar you give will unlock an additional 50 cents from the grant, meaning your own gift will be multiplied to accomplish one-and-a-half times as much! You will be blessed as you bless others!