New Babies!

We praise the Lord for several babies who were born this past month. Pray for these families as they adjust to having a new little one in the home. Pray for the other expectant mothers in our mission family, that the Lord will grant smooth pregnancies and healthy babies.

Jackson Bartholomew Daniel was born on August 6. He was 7.5 pounds and measured 20.5 inches. Jackson is the son of Fred III and Brittany Daniel, who serve in Mexico, and the grandson of our board member, Fred Jr. and Beth Daniel. Jackson joins seven older siblings: Katherine, Ashlyn, Fred IV, Kevin, Isabella, Carolina, and Jedidiah.

Eden Hope Lockhart was born on August 30. She was 6 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 18.5 inches. Eden is the fifth child of Jeremy and Esther Lockhart. Bro. Lockhart serves as our Deputation Director. Eden’s older siblings include Allie, Bethany, Judah, and Levi.

Atarah Gail Folkers was born August 31. She weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces and was 20 inches long. Atarah is the first daughter of Seth and Kaitlin Folkers, who serve in Cameroon. Atarah is Hebrew for Crown, and Gail means Joy.

Wedding Bells!

Congratulations to Brandon and Rebekah (Cmaylo) Tolley on their marriage on September 1! Brandon is a recent graduate of Gardner Webb University. He will begin a new job with Oakwood Homes when the couple returns from their honeymoon. Rebekah will continue her responsibilities as Office Assistant at World Wide, where she has worked since 2014. The couple will live in Kings Mountain near the mission office. Pray for them as they begin their new life together!

Estimated Tax Withholding

Due to the new tax laws for 2018, the IRS is recommending that individuals speak with their tax preparers to evaluate their estimated taxes before the fourth quarter of the year. We recommend reviewing your needs to ensure that you will not be surprised at how the changes will affect your 2018 tax return. Please notify us if you need to begin or change monthly withholding.

Dates to Know

August 1 – June financial reports will be due.

August 13 – Please contact us by this date if you will need funds in your account before August 31st.

August 20-24 – Encouragement Conference in Germany.

August 31 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.

September 1 – July financial reports will be due.

September 3 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Labor Day.

New Missionary

Salvador “Sal” Lara is the newest missionary to join our World Wide family. He was raised in California but moved to Mexico to attend Bible college. He is sent out of Iglesia Bautista Centra Biblical de Gracia, with Pastor Jerrel Shaw, Jr., and is a graduate of Bro. Shaw’s David Bible Institute. His goal is to return to Mexico and assist in the ministries of both Jerrel Shaw, Sr, and Jerry Shaw, Jr. Pray for him as he begins deputation!

Form I-9

We have recently learned that Homeland Security requires WWNTBM to have a Form I-9 on file for all of our current missionaries (employees). Typically this form has to be completed in the presence of a staff member. However, because many of our missionaries are not present in the Kings Mountain, NC, location, we have established a process for those individuals who cannot come to the office to complete this form. You should have received an email detailing the steps needed to submit this. Please complete this as soon as possible so we can get our records up to date. If you have questions, please contact Naomi Torberson. Thank you for your help with this urgent matter!

Uplift Podcasts

The following recordings were recently published on Uplift.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. These recordings for our missions family contain the Uplift calls in their entirety, including prayer requests and challenges to our missionaries. We hope they will encourage your heart.

Recent Episodes:

Personal Growth During Deputation by Bro. Jeremy Lockhart
The Making of a Missionary by Bro. Allen Mercer
Raising Kids in Missions, Part One  by Pastor Jon Earnhart
Raising Kids in Missions, Part Two by Pastor Jon Earnhart

At Family Fellowship Week, we shared a testimonial video about the encouragement that the Uplift calls are to some of our missionaries. Click here to view this video.

Dates to know

July 30 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.

August 1 – June financial reports will be due.

August 13 – Please contact us by this date if you will need funds in your account before August 31st.

August 20-24 – Encouragement Conference in Germany.

August 31 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.

September 1 – July financial reports will be due.

September 3 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Labor Day.

Mark Your Calendars

Now is the time to begin planning to attend next year’s Family Fellowship Week. We will meet June 17-20, 2019, with Pastor Tim Daniel and the New Testament Baptist Church of Kinston, NC. If you are planning a furlough in 2019, please be sure to arrange your schedule so you can attend this meeting in its entirety.  It will begin with dinner on Monday evening and end with the Thursday evening service.  Most attendees plan to depart Friday morning.  It is truly the highlight of the WWNTBM year.

Thank you!

Our Office Staff greatly enjoyed the opportunity to visit with many of you during the recent Family Week. This is our favorite week of the year because we have the opportunity to connect with you in person. Several of you were so gracious to give us gifts, including some we received marked simply as “from the missions family.” Thank you to each of you who participated in this gift. We appreciate your thoughtfulness!

25th Anniversary     

This year’s Family Week included a special recognition of John and Kim O’Malley for 25 years of service at WWNTBM.  We praise the Lord for their faithfulness and for their heart for missions.  The mission gave them a gift, and in addition Faith Baptist Church also took up a collection for them. Here is a note of thanks from the O’Malleys:

Dear Missions Family,

In 1993 when Brother Whetstone approached me about serving with World Wide New Testament Baptist Missions I did not know what the next 25 years held. But, I knew Who would hold us during the next 9,125 days. I know, as long as God gives life and His will permits, He will hold us the next 9,125 days. 
It is a joy to serve the Lord at WW. Kim and I sense your love and prayers. Your prayers and love make us thankful for you. 

Thank you for your kind and generous financial remembrance and the extravagant gift card for Starbucks. I am planning to use the funds for a getaway with Kim. 

Thank you for the privilege to serve you!

John and Kim O’Malley

SERVE Qualities

This year our staff has adopted a new mission statement.  We thought you would like to see our motto so you are aware of what we are striving for each day.  As you consider this, perhaps it is something you would like to implement in your own ministry as well. We pause weekly to remind ourselves of this goal, and to focus on staff and missionaries who have exemplified these qualities during the week.

We serve God’s Great Commission partners so that they can focus on giving and going into all the world. (God’s partners are the Laborers, Leaders, and Givers who participate in spreading the Gospel.)  We are at our best when we are:

S-Selfless
E-Eager
R-Responsible
V-Valuable
E-Exceptional

Form I-9

Summer Dates to Know

June 18-21 – Family Fellowship Week in Shelby, NC.

July 1 – May financial reports will be due.

July 4 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Independence Day.

July 30 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.

August 1 – June financial reports will be due.

August 13 – Please contact us by this date if you will need funds in your account before August 31st.

August 20-24 – Encouragement Conference in Germany.

August 31 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.

September 1 – July financial reports will be due.

September 3 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Labor Day.

New Babies

Amadeo Dante Ortiz was born on May 11th. He was 21 inches long and weighed 8 pounds and 9 ounces. Amadeo is the son of Rolando and Hannah Ortiz, who serve in Mexico, and the grandson of our board member, Fred Jr. and Beth Daniel. Amadeo joins two older sisters, Azelia and Viana.

Priscilla Marjorie Rose was born on May 24th. She was 20 inches long and weighed 8 pounds and 13 ounces. Priscilla is the daughter of Matthew and Rebecca Rose, who are on deputation to go to Kenya. Priscilla joins four older sisters, Deborah (6), Hannah (5), Esther (4), and Lydia (2).

Kezia Leigh Knickerbocker was born on May 26th. She was 21.5 inches long and weighed 6 pounds and 2 ounces. Kezia is the daughter of Stephen and Julie Knickerbocker, who serve in Burkina Faso. She joins her sister Alina, who is almost 2.

New Missionary

We rejoice that the Lord continues to bring new missionaries to join our growing World Wide family! Kevin and Hannah Taylor are missionaries to Mexico. They are sent out of the Calvary Baptist Church of Statesville, NC, with Pastor Chris Haizlip. The Taylors have served in pastoral and evangelistic ministries in IL and NC. Most recently, they have been assisting a Hispanic church whose pastor needed to return to Mexico for a time. Their goal is to work with an established ministry in Puebla, Mexico, training church members in discipleship and family counseling. Eventually, they would like to assist other churches throughout Mexico in developing strong family-centered counseling ministries. The Taylors have three daughters: Tirza (6), Hadassah (4), and Aletheia (2). Pray for them as they travel on deputation.

Student Interns

Kaitlyn Whitney and Tyler Scott spent a week with us in May, completing a portion of their internship requirements for Ambassador Baptist College. One of the ministries our staff enjoys being a part of is training students for whatever the Lord has called them to do, whether on the mission field or in a ministry office. Please pray for these ladies as they serve the Lord this summer, and return to finish their education at ABC this fall.

Summer Support

Bank holidays and the timing of weekends this summer in relation to when we close the books may affect the days you receive your support. Please make a note of the adjusted pay dates for July and August listed above, and contact us in advance if you have special needs for early deposits during those months.

Most of our staff will be traveling to Germany for the Encouragement Conference in August. We are trying to plan ahead to reduce interruptions in our service to you during this time. Please message us via Signal by August 13 if you would like funds in your accounts before August 31. Contacting us by August 13 will enable us to schedule your funds before we leave. Upon our return, we will need time to handle the mail that will arrive during our absence. Therefore, final August support distributions will be made on August 31.

Uplift Podcasts

The following recordings were recently published on Uplift.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. These recordings for our missions family contain the Uplift calls in their entirety, including prayer requests and challenges to our missionaries. We hope they will encourage your heart.

Recent Episodes

Family Ministry On The Road by Pastor Frank Camp

Dangers of Spiritual Indifference by Pastor Freeman Weems

It’s Not Over Until God Says It’s Over by Pastor Mike Renfrow

Helpful Resources Recently Shared on Uplift:

The Plague of Plagues by Ralph Venning

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

What Do I Know About My God by Mardi Collier

Go Ye There Podcast by Leland Johnson

Breeze Church Ministry Software

Dates to Know

May 28 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Memorial Day.

May 30 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.

June 1 – April financial reports will be due.

June 18-21 – Family Fellowship Week in Shelby, NC.

July 1 – May financial reports will be due.

July 4 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Independence Day.

July 30 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.

August 1 – June financial reports will be due.

August 13 – Please contact us by this date if you will need funds in your account before August 31st.

August 20-24 – Encouragement Conference in Germany.

August 31 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.

September 1 – July financial reports will be due.

September 3 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Labor Day.

Summer Support

Bank holidays and the timing of weekends this summer in relation to when we close the books may affect the days you receive your support. Please make a note of the adjusted pay dates for May, July, and August listed above, and contact us in advance if you have special needs for early deposits during those months.

Most of our staff will be traveling to Germany for the Encouragement Conference in August. We are trying to plan ahead to reduce interruptions in our service to you during this time. Please message us via Signal by August 13 if you would like funds in your accounts before August 31. Contacting us by August 13 will enable us to schedule your funds before we leave. Upon our return, we will need time to handle the mail that will arrive during our absence. Therefore, final August support distributions will be made on August 31.

Family Fellowship Week

This year’s Family Week will be hosted by Pastor Barry Goodman and the Faith Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina. Family Week will begin with registration at 4:30 p.m. Monday evening, followed by a dinner in the fellowship building of the church at 5:30 p.m. The evening service will immediately follow. Guests will be housed at the American Inn in Boiling Springs, which is approximately 15 minutes from the church.

Each missionary is invited to bring their ministry display to set up in the gymnasium area. Church members, visitors, and other missionaries will have time to visit the displays throughout the week. Children’s activities for the week will include skating, laser tag, bumper cars, mini golf, a playland, and a ropes course. Please watch your email for more details as the week approaches.

New Missionary

Garrett Conley is the newest missionary to join the World Wide family. He is a member of the Maranatha Baptist Church in Shelby, NC, with Pastor Jim Davidson. Brother Conley will graduate from Ambassador Baptist College this spring. He has traveled for three years with Neighborhood Bible Time, including spending two summers in Ireland. He plans to go to Ireland later this year, where he will complete a one-year internship with Pastor Bob Zemeski while he seeks the Lord’s will for future ministry. Pray for him as he travels on deputation this summer.

New Baby

Grace Elizabeth Fry was born on April 24th. She was 20 inches long and weighed 7 pounds and 4 ounces. Grace is the first child of Nathan and Hannah Fry. The Frys have a ministry called Lens of the Harvest, through which they assist missionaries and churches with photography and presentation needs.

Uplift Meetings

Have you joined us for one of our Uplift meetings? We host a video conference call every Friday morning at 11:15 a.m. Eastern Time. In addition, we host bi-monthly meetings that alternate between Tuesday mornings and Tuesday evenings to give those in other time zones an opportunity to participate.

Each meeting features a time of prayer for those in our missions family. Most feature a board member or other guest who shares devotional thoughts to challenge and encourage you. Staff members are available to give announcements and answer office-related questions. Sessions are recorded and published in a podcast for those unable to attend the live meetings. Once a month we also have unrecorded meetings to provide a forum where you can openly discuss ministry needs with John O’Malley and Jeremy Lockhart.

Upcoming Tuesday meeting times will be as follows. All times listed are Eastern Time.

• Tuesday, May 8 at 9:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, May 22 at 9:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 12 at 9:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, June 26 at 9:00 p.m.

If you have not yet joined, we encourage you to try us out.

Dates to Know

New Missionaries

Matt and Colleen Dundon have recently joined the World Wide family. They are sent out of the Hampshire View Baptist Deaf Church of Silver Spring, MD, with Pastor Terry Buchholz, where he has been serving as assistant pastor. Bro. Dundon is a graduate of Capital Baptist Deaf College. Their goal is to plant a deaf church in Philadelphia, PA. Please pray for them as they begin deputation.

Colton Lee is a new associate with World Wide. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of La-Salle, IL, with Pastor Wesley Waddle. Bro. Lee will graduate from Ambassador Baptist College this spring and plans to do short-term evangelistic missions trips several times a year to different locations. He recently took a trip to India to minister with the Hendricks family. In addition to missions trips, he will be working as a staff evangelist for Camp Joy in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Pray for him as he completes his studies and begins making plans for his next overseas trip.

Doctrinal Agreements

If you have submitted your doctrinal agreement statement, your new card for 2018-2019 is now available for you to download and print from your SecureCloud folder. If you have not yet submitted your annual agreement, please click here, or email Naomi Torberson as soon as possible, indicating that you have read and are still in agreement with our Articles of Faith. If you have questions or concerns, please contact John O’Malley.

Donations for Adult Children

We recognize that donors often wish to show kindness to our missionaries by sending birthday gifts, etc., for their children. However, WWNTBM cannot receive funds designated for adult children of our missionaries (age 18 and older). This is to protect financial integrity by not issuing charitable contribution receipts for funds designated for individuals who are not missionaries with us. In some instances, receiving such donations through WWNTBM could also create tax issues for the recipient, and/or possible visa issues if they are not US citizens. If a donor is interested in assisting your adult college student, we suggest that funds be sent directly to the student, or to the student’s educational institution.

We are here to serve all the needs of our missions family. If there are other ways in which we can assist your college student while they are away from family and home, please let us know.

Uplift

Several new recordings were recently posted on Uplift! We hope you find encouragement in these devotionals. (Access Information: Username- wwntbm Password- gospel)

Finish Your Race Well by Steve Zeinner

Comfort In God’s Characteristics by Fred Daniel, Jr.

Flee And Follow by David Fulp

Raising Kids In Missions (Part 1) by Jonathan Earnhart

Amazon Shopping Donation

Did you know that it is possible to support the ministry of World Wide through your regular purchases from Amazon? Simply click here to begin your shopping experience at smile.amazon.com, and then link your account to authorize Amazon to make donations to World Wide New Testament Baptist Missions Inc. Amazon will then donate a portion of their proceeds to the Office.

Teaching English as a Second Language

Crown College of the Bible in Powell, Tennessee is offering an eight-week summer course which can equip you with internationally recognized certificates to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) or Structured Literacy. It is their desire to help missionaries preparing for the field to get this certification quickly and easily. You will earn your TESOL certification by completing courses on different teaching methods, choosing the right curriculum, and using the Word of God as your English Textbook. You will have opportunities to student teach and practice what you learn. The Lord is already using graduates with this certification around the world—including many creative access nations. Other graduates are using these certifications in the United Kingdom to reach many of the Muslim immigrants coming into the nation. A church has recently been planted through these efforts!

Classes begin May 8th. Contact Crown College at 865.938.8186 or [email protected] for more information.

Dates to Know

March 30 – the Office will be closed in observation of the Resurrection

April 1 – February financial reports will be due

June 18-21 – Family Fellowship Week in Shelby, NC

Financial Report Checklist

Changes in ministry can affect the typical expenses you list on your reports from month to month. For instance, someone on deputation will primarily have travel expenses, while someone on the field may have more costs related to renting a building or purchasing snacks and Sunday School supplies. Someone coming home on furlough will be dealing with mileage, meal allowances, and lodging costs they don’t usually see when on the field. We suggest that you click here to review our checklist of commonly overlooked expenses, to be sure you are claiming all allowable deductions.

Changes in Tax Laws will affect you this year

Our CPA has given us guidance on several changes taking place for this tax year. While our staff is not qualified to give tax advice, we do seek to keep you aware of situations that may impact you financially. Please review the following information carefully, and contact us or your tax preparer if you have questions.

• Necessity of submitting MFRs

Our accountable plan has always provided a benefit to those who choose to submit Monthly Financial Reports. Those who do not participate have previously had the option to itemize unreimbursed employee expenses on Schedule A of their personal taxes. However, starting this year that is no longer an option. This means that if you have previously been submitting ministry expenses through your tax preparer, you will lose the tax benefit this year unless you begin submitting MFRs. Some ministry expenses could possibly still be used to modify self-employment taxes via Schedule SE, but those specifics would need to be discussed with your tax preparer. By far the best situation is for you to report all ministry expenses through WW, thus providing the fullest tax benefit. If you are new to submitting reports, or even if you just need a quick review, you can click here to download a handy checklist.

Please note that other personal expenses may still affect your tax return, such as health care, contributions, etc. This change specifically affects ministry expenses, such as mileage, travel, and so forth.

• Change in Entertainment Expenses

Several have asked about the change that eliminates the ability to claim business entertainment expenses. Our CPA has assured us that taking a supporting pastor to lunch and hosting missions teams are expenses that can still be listed on your MFR. One key factor is recording the business purpose of the meal, as well as the participants. (i.e. Took Pastor and Mrs. Smith to lunch to discuss ministry philosophy, or took the Taylors to coffee for a counseling session.) This change specifically affects entertainment expenses such as tickets to sports games or concerts, or sightseeing excursions, so will likely have little impact on our missionaries.

• Change in Moving Expenses

One big change is that moving expenses are no longer tax deductible. Therefore, shipping a container of household goods is no longer able to be listed on your MFR. If that container also has ministry items, it is possible there may be some allowances that can be made for a portion of the overall expense. Our CPA is unsure how the impact of this change will play out, as the IRS begins making decisions on case-by-case situations of what may still be allowable vs. what will definitely not be allowed. Passports and visa costs will still be allowed, as they are not specifically related to moving. For now, please be aware of this as you estimate costs for moving to the field. As many costs will no longer be tax deductible, you may wish to increase your estimated tax payments to help make up the difference. Please communicate with us when the time comes to move, so we can consult our CPA about your individual case.

• Change in Child Tax Credits

These changes will affect each family differently, and it is vital that your tax preparer is aware of both state and federal laws that affect this complex situation. Following is a brief note from our CPA: “We are balancing state and federal laws regarding the foreign earned income exclusion (FEIE), foreign tax credits, and child tax credits. In some cases, we delay using the FEIE for federal purposes (but not for state, if applicable), in order to gain benefits of child tax credits. With the increased credits, especially the refundable portion, it’s potentially a whole new ballgame. As our missionary clients get older and their children begin to turn age 17 or begin to attend accredited colleges (depending on the five-year window for FEIE elections), we annually must revisit these factors.”

We recommend discussing your situation with your tax preparer annually, and asking that they recommend which method of exclusions vs. tax credits will most benefit you not only in the current year but also for the future. Our CPA is also available to discuss this should you or your preparer have questions.

• Tax Notes

As you prepare to submit your financial documents to your tax preparer, here are some things you may want to give them:

• List of dates you were in the US vs. out of the country
• Details of any housing expenses
• Information on any retirement plans – IRA, Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, or 403(b)
• Information on any investments
• Information about any foreign bank accounts on which you are a signatory
• Details of any family births or deaths in 2018 (Names, dates, and SSNs)
• Details of estimated taxes submitted
• Information about your health coverage and medical expenses, including the type of health coverage you have (i.e. traditional insurance, marketplace insurance, health sharing plan, etc.)
• W-2s, 1099’s, and other tax forms received
• Details of charitable contributions
• Be sure your tax preparer is aware that you are a dual-status minister, who is self-employed but receives a W-2.
• New for this year: You may need to provide copies of a photo I.D. such as a drivers license or passport if your preparer will be submitting your taxes electronically

Dates to Know

February 19 – You should receive the 2018 MFR Template with the new mileage rates.

March 1 – January Financial Reports will be due.

June 18-21 – Family Fellowship Week in Shelby, NC.

August 20-24 – Encouragement Conference in Germany.

Uplift

The Friday Uplift time changed to 11:15 AM. The adjustment allows everyone a better block of time for making deputation contact calls. If you have never attended Friday Uplift, please join us for this time of encouragement and prayer. Other Uplift meetings this month are Tuesday, February 13th at 9:00 AM EST and Tuesday, February 27th at 9:00 PM EST.

Women of World Wide

We’re announcing a fairly new ministry of WWNTBM for ladies only. For several months now, we’ve had a Facebook closed group for the women of our mission. Every day, you can laugh, pray, ask questions, and share with us. Some of our ladies are very active, but we haven’t seen many of you at all. Perhaps you didn’t even know we existed. Men, please tell your wives about WOW (Women of World Wide), and if you are a World Wide lady reading this, please come over and join us. It would be wonderful to have ladies praying for each other at any hour of the day or night. We are all over the globe, you know! Hope to see you soon! Your fellow WOW, Lou Ann Keiser (Spain)

Please contact the office to be added to the WOW group.

Benefits of Financial Reports

The Monthly Financial Report (MFR) is the tool that missionaries can use to become accountable to WWNTBM for their reimbursable expenses, rather than having all funds listed as salary. Over the course of 2017, 82% of those eligible chose to submit MFRs. By doing so, they were able to reduce their W-2 Wages by a combined average of 33.73%. If you are not currently utilizing MFRs and would like information about how to begin, please contact our Office. This tool will be even more important in 2018 as changes to the tax law may make it more difficult to claim certain items on your own taxes that could still be claimed through the WW office.

Financial Status Report

We have uploaded a Financial Status Report to your SecureCloud account. This is meant to show you the financial details that we have on file, such as your support estimate and the average amount of support you received this past quarter. This is information we provide to pastors who may call about your ministry. We ask that all missionaries update their support estimate once every four years, or as their lives and ministries change. Please review this information and contact us if you have any questions.

New Baby

Congratulations to Joshua and Joanna Town on the birth of their newest baby, Joshua Scot. He was born on January 31, and weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces and was 21 inches long. Joshua joins three sisters: Juliana, Jayla, and Jennifer. The Towns are starting an Arabic church plant in Philadelphia, PA. Pray for their ministry as they are seeking a new location.

Dates to Know

January 9 – Missionaries will receive their statements of December Support Received.

January 11 – All missionaries will receive their final December support on this day, regardless of the day they normally receive support.

January 15 – December Financial Reports will be due, along with any remaining receipts or financial paperwork for 2017.

January 31 – W-2 Forms and other tax documentation for the 2017 year will be available.

June 18-21 – Family Fellowship Week with Faith Baptist Church in Shelby, NC. Begin arranging your summer schedule to be with us!

August 20-24 – European Encouragement Conference in Nittendorf, Germany.

SecureCloud Packets

At the end of each month, we scan any mail that has come to the Office and place it in your SecureCloud folder. This would include check stubs for all bills paid by the Office, as well as any cards or correspondence from donors. Please be sure to check SecureCloud periodically, especially once you receive the notice that December packets have been uploaded, as many missionaries have received Christmas cards and letters which are available to you there.

January Income Totals

During a typical month, we close the books on the 25th, and any checks received after that date are posted to the following month. Due to receipting requirements, we cannot do this in the month of December. As a result, please be aware that your December support total may be higher than normal, while your January support total may be lower than normal. Please be sure to plan ahead for this!

Housing Allowances for 2018

Housing allowances previously in place have automatically rolled over to the new year. Missionaries who are ordained are eligible to have a housing allowance in place, which can provide certain tax benefits. If you did not have a housing allowance in 2017 and would like to have one for 2018, or if you have questions regarding this, please contact our office.

New Excel Template

A new Excel template for the year 2018 will be available during the second week of February. This will give us time to review the need for any possible updates. January financial reports will be due on March 1. Should you wish to complete your report before the new template is available, you are welcome to submit it on the 2017 template.

New Mileage Rate

Beginning January 1st, the IRS mileage rate has increased to $0.545 per mile for business/ministry miles. This change will be reflected in the new Excel template for 2018.

New Tax Laws

On December 22, President Trump signed legislation that enacts some major changes to tax law. We are working with our CPA to determine what changes may affect our missionaries and will keep our missions family updated with our findings. We would recommend that as you begin working with your tax preparer to file your 2017 taxes, you also consult with them on how these changes may impact you personally.

Uplift for Servants

Devotional excerpts from our Uplift calls are available to the general public at upliftforservants.com. Uplift For Servants will help other Christians benefit from the encouragement provided to us each week. Please feel free to share this resource with your friends and family!

Dates to Know

December 1 – October Financial Reports will be due.

December 8 – Revised pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 10th.

December 8 – All prayer letters should be submitted to our staff in order for your recipients to get them before Christmas.

December 18 – Please contact us by this date if you will need funds in your account before Christmas or the end of the year.

December 20-27 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Christmas.

January 1 – November Financial Reports will be due.

January 9 – Missionaries will receive their statements of December Support Received.

January 11 – All missionaries will receive their final December support on this day, regardless of the day they normally receive support.

January 15 – December Financial Reports will be due, along with any remaining receipts or financial paperwork for 2017.

January 31 – W-2 Forms and other tax documentation for the 2017 year will be available.

December Support

Please contact us via Signal by December 18 if you would like funds in your account before Christmas. Final December support distributions will be made on January 11th for all missionaries, regardless of their regular pay date. Contacting us by December 18 will enable us to schedule your funds around bank closings and holiday hours. Should you have an emergency need after December 19, you may contact our staff at the following numbers:

John O’Malley: 704-974-6108
Kim O’Malley: 704-974-1008

January Income Totals

During a typical month, we close the books on the 25th and any checks received after that date are posted to the following month. Due to receipting requirements, we cannot do this in the month of December. As a result, please be aware that your December support total may be higher than normal, while your January support total may be lower than normal. Please be sure to plan ahead for this!

Utilizing a Tax Professional

We have recently had several requests for information about tax preparers used by other missionaries. Therefore, we wanted to make this available again to everyone in case others are looking for a new tax preparer.

Studies have shown that the average person who uses a tax professional, instead of filing their own taxes, receives a much greater tax return. Many have also found that using tax software does not always compare to the benefits of using a professional either. In many instances it is not that the software or the self-filer is wrong, but that other choices not obvious in the software may be better for the individual. (Information taken from daveramsey.com.)

It is also good to note that not all professionals are familiar with tax situations that might affect you. We encourage all missionaries to use a certified tax preparer who is familiar with special tax situations that affect missionaries. A list of tax preparers used by other missionaries is available on SecureCloud, under the Forms and Manuals section. Each of these agencies are currently taking new clients. Prices and level of assistance can vary greatly from one agency to another, so it may be beneficial to contact them first to discuss your individual circumstances before choosing a preparer. A less expensive option may not always be the most beneficial for your situation.

Retirement Accounts

Each year we are required to publish to all missionaries the following:

WWNTBM currently offers our missionaries the option of participating in a 403(b) Retirement Plan, the non-profit version of a 401(k) plan. We encourage all of our missionaries to participate in some type of retirement planning. If you do not currently have a 403(b) account and would be interested in opening one, please contact our office for a listing of vendors and more information.

Due to IRS regulations, we are required to use a Third Party Administrator (TPA) to handle all 403(b) accounts. The administrative fee is $50.00 per year, which will be deducted from Support each January or February for those who contribute. The TPA assists us by administering our plan and keeping us in compliance with the Department of Labor and IRS codes.

Please note that loans and hardship withdrawals are not allowed by the companies who manage your 403(b).

Please see the 403(b) Availability Notice in SecureCloud under the Forms and Manuals folder for the latest information on contribution amounts and limits for 2017 and 2018.

Uplift Podcasts

The following recordings were recently published on Uplift.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. These recordings for our missions family contain the Uplift calls in their entirety, including prayer requests and challenges to our missionaries. We hope they will encourage your heart.

• When Are You At Your Best? by John O’Malley
• Encouragement In The Jupiter Tree by Chris Swiatocho
• Pressing Through Distractions by Danny Whetstone
• A Glimpse Into Glory by Fred Daniel, Jr.
• Remembering To Make Him Known by Jeremy Lockhart
• Encouragement In God’s Call by David Fenley