| Year 1 through 3:
The Board of Directors of John 9 Ministries
International, Inc. has the following seventeen goals for
the first three years of independent existence:
1. Obtain independent tax-exempt status
for the ministry. (Dr. Cothren will continue to provide disability
ministries to persons with disabilities at his own expense
and on his own time until the receipt of independent tax-exempt
status for John 9 Ministries International, Inc.)
2. Contact all Birmingham, Alabama area
evangelical churches, social services organizations, and civic
groups directly to:
(1) offer the services of John 9 Ministries
International, Inc. in helping the churches set up a church-based
ministry to persons with disabilities and their caregivers;
(2) offer advice and assistance as to
how churches can make the churches accessible to persons with
disabilities;
(3) offer training classes for persons
in the said area churches in how to minister to persons with
disabilities and their caregivers to make them feel part of
the church and part of society;
(4) provide lists of disability equipment
and accessories that churches should consider purchasing for
different disabilities that may be present in their churches
(John 9 Ministries International, Inc. does NOT sell, rent
or lease equipment and accessories);
(5) provide lists of disability equipment
and accessories that churches and individuals may donate to
John 9 Ministries International, Inc. for benevolent distribution
to persons with disabilities.
3. Begin a free, public-service, three-to-five-minute
daily (Monday through Friday) radio broadcast program on disability
issues to be offered to radio stations. This provides both
ministry exposure and enables the radio stations to comply
with their FCC mandated public-service obligation.
4. Contact all area private and public
schools and offer general seminars for teachers, administration
and staff on how to handle disability situations and children
with disabilities and their caregivers legally, appropriately
and with sensitivity.
5. Write opinion editorials and guest
editorials on various disability issues for the major area
newspapers, and seek to produce a regular column on disability
issues, for small local and regional weekly and monthly papers.
6. Begin establishing a network of interested
individuals (including, but not limited to, professionals
in the medical, legal, psychiatric, psychological, Christian
ministerial and counseling fields) who are willing to donate
time to counsel and assist persons with disabilities and their
caregivers at and through their own local churches. Eventually
it is anticipated that this network will also include individuals
and businesses that will train and hire persons with disabilities.
7. Further develop and expand the current
basic website to provide regularly updated information (legal,
medical, services available, etc.) to the general public regarding
disabilities, available resources, and a clearing house information
center for where persons accessing the website can locate
specific help through an extensive list of multiple agencies
and organizations dealing with different disabilities. The
website will also provide a page for persons with disabilities
and their caregivers to post prayer requests for those accessing
the site. The website will also contain a calendar of events
scheduled by the ministry in different locations and contact
information for those interested in attending the events.
8. As funding becomes available, develop
and produce necessary promotional literature and materials
for distribution in various venues (churches, individuals,
businesses, etc.).
9. As funding becomes available, produce
literature (including literature in Braille and large print),
tapes, videos, CD's and other training materials for use by
persons with disabilities and their caregivers. These materials
will also be appropriate for use by local churches for "in-house"
training of staff, Sunday School teachers and other volunteers,
and the network of individuals described in #6 above, in the
appropriate handling of disability issues in each context.
The copyright and other intellectual property rights to materials
produced by and through the ministry will be owned by the
nonprofit corporation and not by any individual, group or
for-profit corporation. Materials purchased from other sources
for fair-market-value and in arms-length transactions will
be owned by other copyright holders.
10. As funding becomes available, conduct
an annual "Disability Summit" for disability professionals,
church leaders, medical personnel and other interested persons.
11. Begin fund-raising through personal
contacts with churches (See #2 above), individuals, businesses,
corporations, and, it is anticipated in the future, by legacies
and bequests.
12. Begin the process of identifying
appropriate foundations, social-services organizations, and
governmental entities to submit "Request for Proposals"
(RFP's) to apply for grants of both (1) funding ministry programs,
and (2) provision of disability equipment and technology for
benevolent distribution to persons with disabilities.
13. Begin the development of public "fund-raising
events", such as an annual fund-raising banquet, (the
ministry will NOT be using the services of a professional
fund-raiser) both to enhance public
awareness of the ministry and its services, and to provide
funding for specific ministry disability programs.
14. Set up a ministry Stewardship Department
to develop literature and other media to explain how individual
donors can provide funding to John 9 Ministries International,
Inc. through testamentary legacies and bequests, trusts, annuities,
charitable life-estate agreements, "in-kind" donations,
appreciated stocks, property, and other forms of charitable
giving and estate planning.
15. Engage the services of qualified
financial professionals to handle, under the direction of
the Treasurer of the Corporation:
(1) periodic and annual charitable donation
receipts;
(2) payroll;
(3) tax and accounting forms, reporting
and records; and,
(4) audits.
16. Purchase or lease necessary office
equipment as funds become available.
17. Pursue membership in the Evangelical
Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
JOHN 9 MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
“That All May See Him”
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VISION
STRATEGY 
