FAQs

Does New Focus provide direct services if I have a need?
No, New Focus, a compassionate ministry of Here's Life Inner City, Campus Crusade for Christ, is a faith based training organization training churches to establish a weekly financial literacy class.

Is adopting New Focus a clear shift from our current short-term emergency support to a long-term "life changing" transformational ministry?
Yes, it means working with fewer families and going deeper vs. emergency support for many families.

Do you see this as a total shift of our focus or is this more of an opportunity to support individuals who need longer term assistance and know the path they are on needs to change?
The New Focus process determines what they are looking for and where their heart is - do they want emergency assistance (a check), or do they want to reach the dreams they have in their lives, or set some goals.

How do we know what is wasteful benevolence giving?
The help we give may take months or years to make an impact that would lead the individual to Christ, and we may never know. There is no such thing as wateful benevolence giving, if the gift is given in Christ's name and it is communicated that these funds are God's and he wants the best for your life and you are praying for the person's needs. When we talk about how to "Avoid Wasting Benevolence" dollars, we are talking about if you have limited funds, how can you use them in the wisest way to have the largest impact for the dollars spent. Impacting the maximum amount of families with the minimum dollars, but maximum relationships built with each family.

What is the level of support we would receive from New Focus?
If you are a member of New Focus, we actually become a case manager for you. When you have a family that you don't quite know whether you should be helping, etc, you would do a financial intake and spiritual intake with them. Fax or e-mail that over to us and we would give you suggestions on how to respond.

What is Membership?
Membership is a program of support that has an annual fee based on church membership.  It will be active for one year from the date of payment, and entitles you to the special "Members Only" page on our website.  This page includes a download of the "Needs Coordinator Kit".  You will receive the "Avoid Wasting Benevolence Funds" audio CD and worksheet (copyable for your church only), "The Heart House" booklet and a 17"x24" "Jesus" print.

Once you become a member and receive your confirmation, you will receive a 10% discount on products ordered.  You will have access to free phone conferencing facilitated by New Focus - a time of networking, learning and finding solutions to financial issues.  (You will be notified of date and time.)  You will have access to e-mail coaching with Jenny Forner, New Focus Founder, who has a wealth of knowledge in dealing with financial crisis.  You will receive a monthly e-mail on a topic relating to benevolence or finance.  We will also notify you of any training opportunities and items of interest that may help in your ministry.  You will also have the ability to use the New Focus logo and letterhead for your ministry.

Would we need to provide weekly meetings closer to where participants live, or arrange for transportation to support?
I would target a particular neighborhood - do a survey of where have the requests come from in the past year. Take an area where the most referrals have come from and map out several blocks. Find a church in that neighborhood that would be willing to partner with you to hold the classes there.

When would providing short-term emergency financial assistance still be appropriate with the New Focus program?
Health issues or special circumstances.

What experience does New Focus have with interim/short-term solutions that do not involve financial support?
Lots. Looking at Luke 5, put together a team of 4 people who each take an area of responsibility of goals that the family has set that they would like assistance in working on.

If we adopt New Focus, how many people should be expected to participate?
When an initial call comes in for assitance and you ask the question "Are you looking for a check or looking for a way to change your situation?", 50% of the calls will not be interested. You will offer where you are meeting and invite them. Once you determine the area that you will serve, that will also determine how many people will participate. Once a family has success and their neighbors see that success, you will get referrals from participants and will most likely end up with a waiting list.

What is the typical drop-out rate?
25% of the people who say they want to change drop out within the first 6 weeks of participation.

With New Focus, how many typically come back for further support?
Many families who are making life changes need on-going support and accountability for two years.

What kind of impact should we expect with requests for help if we shift to using the New Focus approach?
Requests will be reduced, because the word gets out on the street that if you call your church, they require you to attend class. It's not an easy place to get a check.

Our church is currently giving out $10,000 in benevolence by paying utility bills, rent and helping families with food. How would New Focus help us?
New Focus provides financial assessment and spiritual tools to do an intake, and evaluate what the long term need is, and, if giving money is going to solve the problem. One church reduced their benevolent budget by 75% and was much more effective in seeing life changes.

How do you determine whether a family desires a hand out or a hand up?
During the intake process, the family determines whether there is anything that they desire to change in their situation. Also, they attend a small group discussion on how do I take small "Steps to Change". This may be a change of not having to use the food pantry, to wanting to own a home rather than rent.

What is the difference between other financial literacy programs (Larry Burkett, Crown; Dave Ramsey; or Ron Blue)?
Other Christian financial literacy resources are largely aimed at middle and upper middle-income church members with relatively stable incomes. New Focus would rather meet the need it has identified for middle and lower-income earners that are experiencing generational or situational poverty and are often viewed as the object of church benevolence. New Focus assigns a one-on-one financial coach to each person/couple, supporting them with benevolence assitance from the church along with compassionate accountability, and inviting them to connect with the church through personal relationships.

How did New Focus begin?
In 1984, in Allendale, MI, we saw people returning, who we had paid rent or utilities, etc. 3-6 months earlier. Our gift had not helped them solve the root cause of the problem. A weekly financial class was established. In 1994, God led us to take what we learned locally to replicate nationally.

Does New Focus teach people to fish, rather than just giving them a fish for a day?
Yes, and sometimes people have to be brought to the pond to learn how and then we encourage them to buy the pond.

How many denominations and states are there churches who have been trained in the New Focus philosophy?
19 States and 26 denominations

How many people in my church do I need to begin?
Jesus sent his people out two by two. If you have the vision, find one other person to join you and come to a New Focus training. The best situation is to have four people on the team. The goal is to have 12 people in your church who are interested in reaching out to people with needs.

What do I do if we have the vision, but do not have the funding?
Pray and begin sharing the vision. If God is calling you to do this, He will provide the resources to make it happen. Ask 15-20 people to prayerfully consider a donation. These same people will be your prayer supporters and financial team members as you begin meeting needs in your community. Another option could be a corporate sponsorship, or partnering with a well financially resourced church.

Is New Focus for people in the church, or the community?
It is for both. One church New Focus financial class ministered to a woman just coming out of jail needing housing and a job. An engineer and a registered nurse making $80,000 with a huge credit card debt were in the same financial class. We all have needs, they are just different.

President Bush's Faith Based Initiative will provide funding for Individual Development Accounts (IDA). What are they?
An IDA is a fund from the excess welfare funds, due to welfare to work. Rather than just giving the money to people who do not work, the government is rewarding people who are employed. By matching their savings of $1,000 (varies by state 1 to 1 or up to 3 to 1, between 1-3 years) for a down payment on a home, secondary education or starting a small business.

Our church does not have a benevolence fund or meet community needs, but desires to. How would we get started?
Recruit interested people, take training, then contact your local woman's shelter, jail, homeless shelter, low income neighborhoods, missions, and ask if they would be interested in collaborating with your church to offer a weekly class on financial literacy for people who are graduating from their programs or living in their rental units.

Is New Focus associated with a particular denomination or organization?
No. New Focus is a compassionate ministry of Here's Life Inner City, Campus Crusade.

If you have any other questions, or would like more information, please Contact us.