Contributions-Donations

Other than CBTC products, most of what I do or make available is offered at no cost, including much of my photography. Your financial support is not only greatly appreciated, but essential to the continuation of nearly all of my work. By contractual agreement with the T&SC, any contributions added to atow/CBTC product purchases, are considered to be made directly to the Teaching & Sharing Centers, unless specifically stated otherwise by the donor. Since those funds are released to the Teaching & Sharing Centers (IRS approved 501c3 non-profit public charity), they are tax-deductible.

If you would like your a touch of william, Cherokee Bill's Teaching Center, or wsharing website contribution to be tax deductible, you need to make your donation out to the Teaching & Sharing Centers and designate your gift by stating your desire in a separate attached note. I use the T&SC affiliate option for all online donations. A note to designate your offering is needed there as well.

One of the possibilities you are given online is to use a Mastercard, Visa, or similar card to make a donation. From the very beginning of my call to mission in 1994 this has caused some consideration on my part, since I teach eliminating the use of credit cards, and moving toward debt-free living, as one of the best ways to simplify life. Like me, for some of you, this card might actually be a debit card. Others effectively use them as such by paying off the entire balance each month. On the other hand, many are heavily burdened by credit card debt. It is not my place to tell anyone what to do with their finances. However, if you intend to use a credit card where you maintain a balance because you are unable to pay it off, I would humbly suggest that you not add to your burden by making a contribution at this time. I believe it is more important for you to move toward debt-free living than it is for you to help with my ministry and mission needs. Until you are in a better position financially, your prayers are a most sufficient way for you to participate in what I do.

Although I saw my calling in 1994 as that of a missionary, because it did not have the traditional look of getting on a plane and flying off to a distant land under a mission board's authorization, I have never strongly solicited traditional missionary support for my personal needs. I did have a small (contractual termination payments) residual income from State Farm (I was an insurance agent for 20 years) for the first five years. Actually, most of that went toward ministry even then. Very basic expenses like food, insurance, paying the utilities, etc, are currently taken care of by my wife's income. I got us to a living debt free status right from the start, so her income is sufficient for the absolute necessities. I have never taken any personal spending money from her paychecks, and my personal income typical runs less than $100 per year. I am not complaining. I consider myself very blessed. But occasionally I say no to something I would not mind saying yes to if I had a little personal cash to work with.

Things seem to be coming full circle as I look back, before stepping forward. Today, I am more willing to identify my status as that of a missionary. God's call was pretty clear. Instead of building a school or church in a distant land though, He had me create a teaching and sharing center right where I was. I started simply by changing the signs on the side of my former office. And since the walls already existed, most of the constructing took place inside. It took about five years to get the facilities similar to their present arrangement. After eight years, in 2002, the Holy Spirit led me to create a website to take the work I do worldwide. Never having even seen a website, or an email, I spent much of 2003 learning about the Internet, website work, and new computers. Throughout it all, like missionaries in distant lands, I needed to keep focused on the reason for working on these tools. Whenever God connected me with someone, teaching and sharing about our relationship with God, all of His creation, and each other was, and is, the priority. Ten years from the start, I was being advised by others to create a non-profit corporation. I trusted I was hearing God's will within their voices. In late 2004, the Teaching & Sharing Center[s] 501c3 non-profit public charity was created. From then until now (2010) I have spent a significant portion of my time organizing, structuring, and being the primary workforce for absolutely everything the corporation needed to function and present itself well. It is its own legal entity. I am a missionary. Remaining focused on the truth of my calling, using scriptural language, I must decrease and others must increase as the organization begins to find its way within God's master plan. In a way, I am the first fruits of this teaching & sharing circle God called me to initiate. As I teach others to do, turning to God for absolutely everything has granted me blessings through both the good and bad, times of personal and societal trials, and a most interesting journey using my God given gifts and talents. After fifteen years, I am more comfortable with being called a missionary. God has often made unusual choices in who He picks, and how He uses them. In conversation, I sometimes ask others who they know who would go to work everyday for fifteen years for no pay, if they did not feel it was a calling from God. I am either a lunatic and fool, or God's servant. I am hoping for the latter. Thank you for any support you give to me, my missions and ministries, or the T&SC with whom I am affiliated.