The engineer in me craves efficiency in all things, including OnRamp’s ministry. I want to help the maximum number of people for the minimum amount of dollars. But that’s not how ministry works. As my former boss Brian Fisher was fond of saying, ministry is about effectiveness, not efficiency. And effectiveness, measured as positive transformation for a person or family, often requires inefficient inputs.
Case-in-point, last week OnRamp provided replacement vehicles to two existing clients who suffered major vehicular setbacks through no fault of their own. One had a front-tire blowout in the Scion we had given her, resulting in a rollover. We are so thankful she made it out safely! While her insurance provided some funds for a replacement vehicle, there’s simply nothing reliable in today’s inflated used car market for the amount she was given. So we “sold” her a great Toyota Matrix in our inventory (basically a hatch-back Corolla) for the amount insurance paid her, which was below what we paid for it, and threw in all the maintenance we’d done for free. We “lost” a couple thousand dollars in the exchange, but enabled her to hold on to her great job and continue moving towards her goals. We also got to show her what the never-failing love of God looks like.
The second case involves an unlikely vehicle to break down: a Honda Odyssey. While these usually treat our clients very well, the silver one in this picture developed a rare and costly engine oil issue along with multiple other ailments. This client was at the end of her 12-month maintenance agreement with OnRamp, where we provide all maintenance free of charge. We could have easily patched her up and sent her on her way, but the underlying engine failure and related issues would have certainly returned within the next year or two, leaving her and her four boys in a bind. So we did what we believe Jesus taught us to do in such cases: in grace we gave her another minivan (the blue Mazda) for free and will send the Odyssey to be parted out. This cost OnRamp many thousands of dollars, but OnRamp can afford it. Our clients cannot.
So my point is simply this: long-term impact in the world of faith-based charity is not about efficiency; it’s about effectiveness. And effectiveness will often challenge us to throw short-term efficiencies to the wind and invest substantially in the long-term benefit of those we are privileged to serve. So to our generous donors, thank you so much for entrusting your money to our ministry. We do not pledge to use it efficiently; we pledge to use it effectively for the greatest good of those we serve.