The Next Step

• March
• 28

3:04 pm Calling, Christian magazines, Footprints History, Updates

This week has been fairly momentous in the world of Footprints.  Allow me to introduce … Footprints Women’s Ministries Inc!  Don’t be too alarmed, it’s just a new name for an old friend. Let me explain:

Since January 1998, I have been producing Footprints magazine as a labour of love (with the support of my husband and family, and of course the Footprints Team) . I have always been motivated by my love for my Saviour God, and to tell other women about Him.

I didn’t know much about running a magazine, or a business, or whatever you wanted to call this new entity. I just knew that it was something that I had to do, and to start where I was at. If it was of God, He would bless it; if not, it would fade away. One of my favourite sayings is “out of a tiny acorn, a mighty oak tree grows”.

Twelve years and nearly 50 issues later, I think it would be fair to say that God has blessed it!  As I pondered and prayed over future direction, I realised we needed to set up structures and mechanisms to allow for future growth.

I have always been very careful to keep all Footprints funds completely separate from my own personal accounts. I knew that ultimately I would have to answer to God for what I did with the monies that came in to support Footprints. I appreciate the trust so many have put in me and the Team to use their money for the purpose of producing and distributing the Footprints magazine.

Registering Footprints is all about becoming more accountable to our readers. When we say we are a not-for-profit association, you can KNOW that this is the truth!

I have to admit I did give some thought to turning Footprints into a business. I would love nothing more than to quit my day job and make a living or even a profit from Footprints. But it just didn’t sit right with me. The original intent of Footprints was NOT to make a profit, but to benefit others. That hasn’t changed. (NB There are many Christian magazines out there that are run as a business. Please hear my heart, I am NOT saying that this is wrong! Just that this is not the path for Footprints).

So with the support of Footprints Team, we have taken the step of incorporating as a not-for-profit association. We chose the name “Footprints Women’s Ministries Inc” rather than “Footprints Magazine Inc” as we felt this best summed up our overall purpose. Yes, we produce a quarterly magazine … but we do more than that. We have a monthly ezine, two books, speakers for women’s events, a website, and who knows what the future may hold! Our new name needed to reflect that, and allow for possible expansion.

As an incorporated association, perhaps one day Footprints will be able to pay me a wage, which would allow me to give up my other job and concentrate on this ministry fulltime. But if that happens, it will be at the decision of the committee, and only when the ministry is able to sustain a paid position.

So allow me to introduce you to “Footprints Women’s Ministries Inc”  and our office bearers: myself (Janet Camilleri – surprise, surprise!) as President; Nicola Saad as Secretary; and Jenny Kalinowski as Treasurer.

All this, just in time for our 50th issue in May – seems a rather fitting way to celebrate don’t you think?!