I have a sensitive question to ask. Have you been blessed by something I’ve written, sung, said, or done over the last 20 years or so? If so, please read this entire message. I want to tell you the story of a community, which has also, for the last two decades, been my story.
A few years after starting a private practice in the mid-2000s, two colleagues and I named our operation “Abide Counseling.” It was a small and manageable ministry, helping people find soul-healing from fear, sadness, relationship difficulties, and other struggles.
Reflecting back, I call it my “baby elephant” because, at the time, it was cute.
But guess what baby elephants do? They grow. Abide Counseling—now Abide Network—has swelled into a faith-based, largely online community. We now have over 60 certified coaches with 27 more in training, meeting the needs of nearly 2,000 clients we’ve served in total. We’ve sold over 600 courses, and thousands more have attended our seminars and other messages. As of our last count, our website has had over 21,000 visitors in less than two years, with nearly 150 just yesterday… whew, I’m getting tired just thinking about it!
Want a taste of Abide Network? Our online church, Food for the Heart, began in 2020 at the start of COVID. While most online churches closed when brick-and-mortar churches reopened, do you know what? We had gelled into a bonafide online congregation, with over 50 in attendance most weeks, so this church still meets each week to listen, learn, and love. Please join us!
Abide Network Statistics
2000+ Clients • 21,000+Site Visits • 60Coaches
How do we fund all this? I built Abide by reinvesting my own counseling and speaking fees, saving and investing where I could, and selling books and online workshops. Shy about fundraising, I decided to support it myself. And at first, that approach was easy.
But baby elephants grow.
We’ve scratched an itch. The need for faith-based, Christ-centered, gospel-rich mental health services continues to call us. We need an addiction course, a podcast, more programs for our YouTube channel, and many other resources. But the baby elephant has outgrown my budget. If we are to expand, funding for the necessary manpower and tools must come from somewhere else.
Still reading? Let me tell you who you help when you help Abide:
Andrew, our webmaster, needs full-time work and a new computer (he’s part-time now and wants to get married!). He plays a key role in making sure our community feels connected and supported, both online and off. Through impactful visuals, user-friendly web designs, and thoughtful branding, he ensures people can easily find the mental health resources they need.
And there are others! Marae, our social media expert, needs to transition from volunteering (which she has done for almost 3 years!) to contract work. My faithful assistant Cree, along with other contractors like our bookkeeper Deanne and our intake supervisor Jeanine, need raises to match inflation. Behind the features you see on our active website are real people with houses, cars, grocery bills, rent, mortgages, children, and stomachs.
Jennifer Schwirzer - CEO • Andrew Carroll - Marketing & Design • Marae Hoover - Social Media Jeanine Goodwin - Intake Supervisor. • Cree Rillo - Secretary •. Deanne Snell - Accounting
We want to keep growing this beautiful creature God gave us. But as a Sanskrit proverb says, rivers don’t drink their own water and trees don’t eat their own fruit. I hasten to add that ministry elephants don’t feed themselves.
We’ve helped thousands. Will you help us reach hundreds of thousands? The gospel, which will be preached to every soul before Jesus comes again, transforms hearts and minds. As people who help others think and feel better, God has given Abide Network the calling of facilitating that transformation process. We are mental health evangelists, sharing the gospel in our unique way. Your donations will help fund the tools and resources necessary to expand our reach and better serve those seeking mental health support.
As people who help people with their emotions and thoughts, God has given Abide Network the calling of facilitating that transformation process. We are mental health evangelists, sharing the gospel in our unique way. Your donations will help fund the tools and resources necessary to expand our reach and better serve those struggling within.
Let’s work together to make Abide Network’s mission stronger. Every contribution helps us uplift more lives.
In Him,
Jennifer Schwirzer
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