A Word of Thanks to Our Supporters, Some Behind the Scenes, And an Ask From the ‘Not Yets’
It’s 3:45 a.m. I’ve been up since yesterday morning and am about to catch a few hours of sleep before waking up at 7am for my secular job, but I wanted to talk about a few things, get personal a bit, and thank our current financial supporters while encouraging the ‘not yets’ to join our ranks.
First, a highlight one of the many messages we received over the last few days.
My husband and I wanted to thank you for the work you do. Some of the stuff you find amazes us but usually it makes him mad and me cry, and then we talk about it in the car to pass the time. I know it’s a thankless job but the things you find give us a good sense of what’s going on with the Christian world and where people are at. I also loved your work on Jen Hatmaker with her being proabortion and protransitioning children. We knew she was bad but had no idea it was that bad and we’ve told our friends who still follow her and they have stopped. It’s made us being thankful for the church we have and a pastor who wouldn’t be caught dead or run the risk of ever being on your page. We support you with our prayers.
Shannon and Réal
This is the sort of thing we live for. We have fun and post pics and memes and all that, but when people see the value in what we’re providing, from our undercover work at North Point Church, breaking stories about Jen Hatmaker and Dante Bowe, refuting and rebuffing bad sources like Julie Roys, creating an easily accessible reference library of theological mischief makers, building cases against establishment #bigeva players, creating two podcasts and involved in three more, and providing daily fodder for many other websites and YouTube channels, they understand that we’re different than every other Christian site out there.
Who else out there is doing what we’re doing in the way that we’re doing it?
But these efforts take time and money, which is where you all come in.
If you’re already giving to us (again, only after you give sacrificially to your local church and only if you’re attending or looking for a church. If you are not pouring into your own local body, or are not willing to travel two hours each way to attend a good church, we do NOT want your money) I want to say again thank you so much. I can’t express how much David and I appreciate it.
Your gifts and patronage make it so that producing content for Protestia functions as my (second) part-time job, so I can do this instead of working elsewhere to make ends meet. I’d love to do it full-time and really crank out the content, but we’re not there yet. It also pays for software we use, equipment, web hosting, and private servers so that nothing can ever take us down. As for David- he’s been doing all this for free. He doesn’t make a dime off Protestia, despite working at it daily and being the face and visible target.
Please thank your families for us, as I know any funds given to us are funds that you can’t spend on them, and that sacrifice is not unnoticed.
As a bit of behind the scenes for our current patrons: when I headed out to North Point for the Unconditional Conference, we determined to do this as economically as possible. I drove across the country thousands of miles because, though I lost two days driving and had to give up my only two ‘personal days’ at work for the year, it was cheaper than flying and getting a rental car. I slept in my car at a truck stop on my way down, in a Walmart parking lot on the way home rather than get a hotel.
At the Walmart someone started banging on my window and woke me from my stupor. I had no idea what was happening and thought I was being robbed or something until I realized it was a security guard, who told me he was banging on the windows to make sure I wasn’t dead. Thankfully, North Point has stunningly nice and well-stocked private bathrooms, and I was able to clean myself up in one of them during one of the breaks.
Oh, and North Point had a “prayer wall” that was put up specifically for the event, and of course I couldn’t help but add our own.
My family spent the month of August nearly halving our food bill so we could redirect the funds toward gas for this trip. When I arrived and saw the extended security measures, including all the people I had been writing about front and center manning the check-in booth, I was in a half-panic mode because if they turned me away at the doors because they recognized my face, despite my impeccable ID, it would have been all for naught. You should have seen the messages I was sending David as I was giving him the play-by-play as I was grappling with the best way and time to go.
I lastly packed a cooler instead of eating out because I knew that the story was important, but so was honoring the people who are doing the same so they can spare money for us. (Though I did try the Waffle House for the first time, and got very sick, which I’m told is a thing) To me, this is what a partnership is about. I’m not saying all this to paint a sad picture, but to convey in no uncertain terms that making the most with what we are entrusted with is at the utmost of our minds. So thank you, thank you, thank you. The fact that you’re all helping us in this way still blows my mind.
If you appreciate our work but are not a supporter yet, please check out our Patreon page here or our Giving Fuel. We’d love to have you join us in bringing light to dark places and contributing to something that is unlike anything else on the internet. We want and need your help to build this, and an influx of new folk would greatly strengthen our base and allow me to write more and go on more projects.
If you’re a pastor or elder of a church, would you consider carving out space in your budget for us? We love churches and want to partner with them. We have some ideas of what that might look like- email us at editor@protestia.com and we’d love to talk to you in person.
If you’re a larger ministry and have an interest in incorporating us somehow, whatever that might possibly look like, likewise send me an email or message me for my number.
If you can’t give but have been praying for us and the work we do- that is also a joy and a blessing. Thank you, as what we do needs the Holy Spirit to illuminate us, and your prayers are the means. Honestly, it’s about the best feeling ever, when I’m at my desk or at my job and reflecting that there’s folks I’ve never met lifting us up in prayers for years.
It’s one of the joys of being part of the greater Christian body.
Our lowest Patreon tier gives people access to the full podcast and other perks, including a completely ad-free website experience. But always remember that if you cannot afford it, please send us a message or a DM and we will get you a show link at no cost. Likewise, our Bulldogmatic Bible study is for a higher tier, but if it would do your soul good to join and you can’t afford it, let us know, and we’ll bring you into the fold for free.
Lastly, as always, a special thanks to the donors giving $49.95, as your generous contributions cover costs and pay for these site-access “scholarships,” especially those residing in other countries where sparing anything for a donation is a financial impossibility.
We love you all.
In His grip.
Dustin & David
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This is cool. Iove the prayer wall at North Point keep up the good work