A Year In Review
Update from Dave Scriven, Executive Director, 423 Communities International
Dear Supporters and Friends of 423 Communities,
We are on the threshold of major advancements in our mission to shine the gospel of sexual sobriety into every dark corner of the globe by creating safe and accessible communities of healing. 2018 was an amazing year for 423 Communities and 2019 promises to be even better!
Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16.18 NKJV). All effective ministry happens through the local church, and 423 Communities is no exception. Without a strategic and relational connection to our church families around Portland and the United States, we could not have accomplished all the great things Jesus called us to do in 2018:
One Year Ago (2017)
423 Communities became a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with a goal of reaching a modest first year budget. We surpassed our first-year goal by several thousand dollars.
423 Communities served approx. 150 active male members in 13 weekly recovery groups in 6 partner church locations.
Over 625 men had participated in a 423 Men recovery group over the course of 8 years since founding our recovery program in 2009.
423 Men was a ministry exclusive to A Jesus Church. A Portland-area network of churches at Westside AJC, Bridgetown Church, and Van City Church.
My book, The Pursuit of Porneia, was just published and we experienced brisk initial sales. We had an active weekly email list of about 900 subscribers.
Today (2018)
Increased Organizational Stability: We doubled our budget goal for 2018 and exceeded that amount in the last two weeks of this year.
Increased Service Capacity: 423 Communities serves approx. 250 male members (66% growth) actively attending one of 23 weekly recovery groups (77% growth) in 13 partner church locations (116% growth).
Increased Participation: More than 190 new men participated just last year, bringing our total to well over 800 men served by the 423 Men program since inception (29% growth).
Increased Partner Churches: 423 Men has active groups at Westside AJC, Bridgetown, Van City, Colossae Tigard, Colossae Hillsboro, Cedar Mill Bible, Riversgate Four Square, Newberg Christian, The Bridge Church, Mosaic (NE Portland), Clear Creek (Gresham), Oregon City Christian, and Emmaus AJC (NC).
Increased Reach: About 900 copies of The Pursuit of Porneia have been purchased and distributed and our email list has grown to nearly 1,500 subscribers (67% growth).
423 Women’s Programs: 423 Women and 423 Betrayal & Beyond are flourishing at Westside AJC and Bridgetown with about 175 women receiving support since their beginning in 2014.
423 Young Men’s Program: 423 Young Men continues to thrive under the capable leadership of men specifically trained to help high school men navigate the journey of sexual sobriety during their difficult adolescent years.
423 Leader Training & Oversight: Approximately 95 men and women serve as our group leaders. They are the backbone of our program. To better equip and support our leaders, we meet as a group every month to learn, grow, and fellowship together. These leadership development meetings are open to guests, so please join us on any 2nd Saturday of the month in the Video Venue Room at Westside AJC. Additionally, to exercise prudent leader oversight, we have enacted a new background check protocol and all leaders have been successfully checked.
Hosting Our First Benefit Dinner: We hosted our first ever 423 Communities Benefit Dinner on February 9th. It was a huge success with over 300 people in attendance.
Organizational Growth: Due to your generosity, our organizational stability has greatly increased. Not only have I been able to draw a modest fulltime salary, but we made our first hire of a part-time administrative assistant to help expand the influence of 423.
Outreach Opportunities: This last year I have been privileged to preach at various churches and address church leaders in several states regarding our unique Biblical recovery methodology.
The word is getting out… there is hope!
We need your financial support:
Pornography, in all its many forms, is an addictive, world-wide epidemic. It destroys countless lives, marriages, and families. Porn fuels the sex industry, including illegal activities such as prostitution, domestic violence, child pornography, and human trafficking. Together we can make a difference by motivating men, women, and young people to lead the charge against the demonic bully of porneia.
Our strategic ambition is to “to equip his people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4.12). Your financial support is so much more than a charitable contribution to help people find recovery from sexual bondage. It is also an investment designed to remove shame as an obstacle to service in the name of Jesus Christ. Graduates of 423 Communities are emboldened to make a dynamic stand for their faith, some for the first time since they discovered pornography in their pre-teen years. Free from bondage, these men and women are our future leaders. 423 Communities creates redemptive communities where wounded believers can heal together, resulting in saving overburdened pastoral church staff untold hours of counseling and crisis management. Jesus said, “The fields are already ripe for harvest” (John 4.35). Now is the time to act with generosity and conviction.
I am thrilled to continue in my role as the Executive Director in this amazing ministry. When God called me for this work, He chose a complete failure, a truly broken man. I am Ebenezer Scrooge… I woke up from a bad dream and was given a second chance at life! About eighteen years ago I found the help I so desperately needed. Jesus blessed me, my beautiful dearly departed wife, Adonica, and our wonderful children. I am so grateful for His restoration and am determined, with your help and the continued work of hundreds of dedicated men, women, and young people, to “fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 1.18) of purity in churches and cities all over the world.
Would you consider supporting 423 Communities International in your recurring monthly family budget at https://www.423communities.org/donate/? We finished strong in 2018 and hope you will help provide us powerful momentum for 2019. Thank you so much for your kind consideration.
Dave
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4.23