I'm on a boat.

"A ship at harbor is safe, 

but that's not what ships are for."

I really resonate with this quote, because this season that I am in is both challenging and encouraging.

 Support raising does not feel easy or predictable. It's not safe, it's not guaranteed, and all my best efforts do not necessarily equal success. 

That's why I think the R.U.F. internship is the Best and the Worst. 

Worst: because I feel 0% comfortable when I have to put my security and trust in Jesus, asking people to partner with me in raising $32,401. All I have (emotionally, spiritually, and physically) is prayer.   

Best: because I feel 0% comfortable when I have to put my security and trust in Jesus, asking people to partner with me in raising $32,401. All I have (emotionally, spiritually, and physically) is prayer.

Notice the similarity in my reasoning? 

Jesus promises to meet us in the dark and beautiful places of the unknown. Which is both terrifying and so exciting.

There is a good possibility that I may fall flat on my face and raise 10% all summer and never make it to campus… Terrifying.

Yet my prayer will continue that all of my money is raised all by August 15^th, and I get to continue this journey and share it with all of the people God brings on as my partners… Exciting.

(Click Here if you'd like to become one of my partners, via Monthly donations or One Time Gift!)

At June training for R.U.F. we were told to "drink in" the verses of 

Psalm 23: 5-6.

"You prepare a table before me

    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever."

God is good.

HE will take care of me. Whether I end up in Rock Hill or not, He is my provider and guiding my steps. Surely, HIS goodness and mercy will follow me ALL of my days... Not just when I feel like I am doing “good” or even "better".

This season and through all the seasons of my life, I hope Jesus will remind me that He is my provider in the unknown. He is my provider when I feel like a ship, unsafe and out at sea.

(This is a picture from a ferry ride (“on a boat”) from visiting my dear sis {Kelly} in Seattle.. so beautiful!)

Click Here for a breakdown of my budget/financial needs.

Click Here if you'd like to give online and partner with me. 

Thank you for letting me share this process with you!

Jaimie Pastori

jaimie.pastori@ruf.org

My cap was decorated for South Carolina back in December :)

Financial Support Updates.

Hello Friends!

At this point I have made it to 3% of my budget being raised! Every step counts and I am so thankful for every supporter so far. I must make it to 85% in order to move to campus in August. 

I have been asked to explain my fundraising needs to work with R.U.F. (Reformed University Fellowship www.ruf.org) and I figured I could explain it here! 

I need to raise $32,401 for this next year, and to complete the next two years of the internship, I need to raise $64,802.  

Yikes. That is a lot of money. However, I am trying to rest in the fact that God will get me there if He truly wants me to be at Winthrop with RUF. 

This is R.U.F.'s views on support raising "We feel that support raising is not only Biblical, but also a very healthy way to enable God’s people to do ministry. Through the process you are not only asking people to partner with you through financial support, but you are also seeking ministry partners who will pray for you and who are available to talk when that kind of support is needed. We are all part of a large Christian community, and your support needs will come in a variety of forms.” 

I need support partners of all kinds. And am grateful for the ways God is generous to His children through His people. 

So far I have broken my budget down a couple different ways: 

***(Also, know that if one of these specific ways of giving is not within your range, I would be SO grateful for ANY amount you choose to support me, there are NO restrictions!)

$32,401/year 

($64,802/ two year commitment)

Link to Give Online! 

(givetoruf.org)

5 supporters at $200/month (or $2,400/year)

10 supporters at $100/month (or $1,200/year)

10 supporters at $50/month (or $600/year)

10 Supporters at $20/month (or $240/year)

1 supporter at $1/year ;)

With the above breakdown I would only need 36 people to partner with me.

OR

If you are thinking "UMMM, I can not give that much a month!

I have 50 envelopes numbered.

Would you consider picking a numbered envelope to fill each month? You would be responsible for filling the envelope with the corresponding dollar amount. For example, if you have envelope number 13 you commit to $13/month OR you can send a check with 13 x 12(or $156.00) for the year.

Which breaks down like this: 

1 supporter at $1/month or $12/year

1 supporter at $2/month or $24/year

1 supporter at $3/month or $36/year

.... all the way to... 

1 supporter at $49/month or $588/year

1 supporter at $50/month or $600/year

ALL 50 of these monthly supporters added together will total to $15,300 per year!

To meet my goal I will also need:

3 supporters at $200/month or $2,400/year

3 supporters at $100/month or $1,200/year

3 supporters to give a one time donation of $1,000

2 supporters to give a one time donation of $2,ooo

With this second breakdown I would need 61 people to partner with me... the more the merrier!

My budget of where all this money is being allotted is as follows: 

Personal Expenses: 50%

Intern salary is determined by our standard base pay ($1,000 a month), housing expenses, and student loans. Typical intern pay is $1,400 a month, $16,800 a year. FICA taxes are budgeted for under personal expenses. It is the responsibility of the intern to cover all their bills, including housing & car insurance, through their monthly salary.

Benefits: 21%

RUF provides health, life, and workers comp insurance. Vision and dental insurance is optional. Interns may opt out of RUF’s health coverage if they can be covered under their parent’s health insurance.

General Administration: 14%

This amount covers costs incurred in the following areas:

 • Support Services -- Maintaining financials, acknowledging and receipting gifts, administering newsletter service, events coordination

• Area Assistance -- Supervision and oversight

Ministry Expenses: 15%

Expenses additional to those listed below may occur.

• Conferences -- Covers cost of travel and meals to and from regional and national conferences

• Development  -- Basic development materials, initial letters to mailing list, ministry-wide mailings, newsletter printing and mailing, long-distance calls for development, and certain travel involved in building and maintaining a support base.

• Literature— Covers required readings   for Study Program.          

• Moving Expenses – One-time  reimbursement                allotted to help cover moving expenses.

• Orientation—Covers lodging,    travel, meals, training materials, honorariums,  other associated training expenses.

• Phone -- Covers $80 of monthly phone bill.      

• Miscellaneous -- Related costs for student events, student trips, unexpected reimbursements, etc.

• Training-- Covers lodging, travel, meals, training materials, honorariums, and  other associated training expenses.

I've been working at different ways to break this down and I hope you will contact me with ANY questions about this. I would love to answer them! 

I've been spending a LOT of time at coffee shops working on budget breakdowns, stories from my time in RUF, scheduling meetings, writing thank you notes, and so many other details that go ino support raising. Good thing I have my Taylor Swift notebook to keep me laughing. 

Thank you!

Jaimie Pastori

(photo cred to my amazing friend Rebecca Wise, she so kindly took some pictures for my support letters! She is the best.) 

Starting a R.U.F. summer.

Hello! 

My name is Jaimie Pastori, and I've been hired with Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) to intern at the Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC for the next two years! 

What is RUF? 

RUF is on over 130 different campuses and is reaching students for Christ, and equipping them to serve. 

What does that mean?

It means that RUF is a student organization that seeks to spread the gospel- the good news of Jesus Christ- first through ourselves and then through the campus by word, deed and lifestyle. RUF is for the "convinced" and the "unconvinced," the lost, the found, the burned, bored, cynical, and spiritual. 

Why RUF? 

My freshman year of college at the University of Central Florida, I was entering into the third largest school in the nation, wondering how I would survive four years on this campus. A couple older friends who had been at UCF for a few years introduced me to Ande Johnson, the RUF at UCF Campus Minister, and once I started attending large group that fall, I didn't stop through senior year. RUF has been a deep and rich community of fellow students and friends. RUF has cultivated an environment for students to be free to learn, laugh, cry, doubt, laugh some more, and enjoy our day to day lives, together while learning about the Gospel. 

What does an intern with RUF do?

As an intern at Winthrop University it will be my job to love WU students in many ways.. by praying for them, studying the Bible with them, sitting with them when they're feeling overwhelmed by brokenness, and rejoicing in beautiful days. I will meet with the students one-on-one, I will help lead Bible Studies, and I will be assisting my Campus Minister. We will have a large group meeting every week. At that meeting, we will pray, sing and be taught by the word of God. These meetings are a safe and inviting environment for returning students to feel known and new comers seeking community! I will also be responsible for coordinating social events, 15 hrs a week of a Biblical study program, planning conferences and other ministry related tasks.

How can YOU help support my ministry? 

Talk to me.

I have so many stories from my time in RUF. Stories of how God used RUF to change my life and how I've seen Him use RUF to reach other students for Christ. I would love to talk to you and tell you those stories or answer any questions you may have about RUF. We can meet for coffee, lunch, dinner, chat on the phone, via email, or written letters! 

I would be so excited to connect in whatever way works best for you!

I will be in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, and Orlando this summer. Let's talk!

Jaimie Pastori 904-347-8154     Jaimie.Pastori@ruf.org

give.

 RUF cannot continue without YOU.

In order to work with RUF at Winthrop, I will need to raise $32,401. That’s a lot of money and can be so overwhelming when I think about that number. I am asking for you to prayerfully consider financially supporting me in this mission. Because intern salaries and expenses are raised completely through financial gifts from individuals and churches, I need people like you to partner with me in my work with RUF. I must raise 85% of this ($27,541) before I move to campus in August. Whether you can come on board as a monthly/annually/etc. partner or a one time gift partner, your contribution is so appreciated and a huge blessing to me and the RUF at Winthrop University community!

(all gifts are tax deductible and RUF is a certified 501(c)(3)!) 

Every gift counts, whether it be $1 or $1,000... It's a gift toward letting me be apart of bringing the Kingdom of God to college students and I am SO grateful!

Anyone can give online at givetoruf.org 

or mail checks to:  Reformed University Ministries 

                                                                           P.O. Box 890004

                                                                           Charlotte, NC  28289-0004

PRAY. 

 First, I need your prayers for myself. I am so excited for this opportunity, but I am not blind to the fact that it will be hard! I am sure I will be lonely many times, and feeling useless walking around campus before I get to know students. And even before I get there, to raise all of my financial support, I am overwhelmed sometimes when I think about the next couple months. I hope you will pray for me to be encouraged and reminded that God has not dropped me and will not! He will raise these funds if I am truly being called to RUF at Winthrop. 

Second, I would love for you to be praying for my new boss! Each RUF has a Campus Minister that has been to seminary and is Ordained in the PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) to minister to the students. My boss and his family are new to RUF this year and I got to meet them at our RUF orientation/training in Atlanta last week! Mark & His wife Katherine are wonderful and I am so excited to work for Mark and to get to know their family better. They have two children and one more on the way! 

(Mark Ashbaugh (my new boss!), myself, and his wife Katherine!) 

Also, I would love for you to pray with me for the campus of Winthrop University! The students, faculty, churches, and the surrounding community. Especially the incoming freshmen, preparing to leave home for the first time! 

I will be sending out updates with specific prayer requests once I am there and get to know the students and campus better... I can't wait!

THANK YOU. 

For reading this and any/all support. I am excited to share about my journey with RUF the next couple years! 

(This is my group of 60 fellow 1st year interns! We are going all over the US to different RUF's and I am so thankful for their friendship and encouragement. All of us are fundraising this summer in hopes of moving in August!)

I am in the left side of the front row :)