Resource Freak blog funds missions by plugging resources

Jenny Burr
Special to Spur Ottawa

As successful owners of Land Ark Homes, Stephen Rolston and his wife Diana built more than 300 award-winning custom homes. Five years ago, they delivered their last house. Rather than building homes, Rolston felt God calling him to build up people by offering character building resources.

“The Resource Freak blog was initiated two years ago,” Rolston explains. “God has done amazing things in the lives of subscribers. Many subscribers have gone from reading one book a year to listening to one a month. The resources have changed their thinking, and changed thinking changes lives.”

Rolston’s blog reviews books, CDs, DVDs, and audio books. He uses articles and videos to promote resources he believes can transform his readers’ lives. Although the resources he recommends are based on Biblical truths, his blog isn’t just for Christian audiences. He focuses on building people in four areas: personal development, leadership, business, and finance.

“People face two main problems,” he says. “So I have two resources which I most frequently recommend: ‘The Story’ [the NIV’s Bible version that reads like a novel] for spiritual problems and ‘The Total Money Makeover’ [by Dave Ramsey] for financial problems.”

So what makes Resource Freak unique?

Rolston also uses his blog as a creative way of funding international missions, at no cost to readers. His website, www.ResourceFreak.com, links to both Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. When readers use these links to make purchases, Amazon pays Resource Freak a finder’s fee for the referral. Many bloggers do this, it’s called affiliate income.

Amazon pays Rolston about six percent of the customer’s purchase price. He then donates all of the funds to Gospel for Asia’s (GFA) Jesus Wells program.

Rolston learned about GFA when he read “Revolution in World Missions,” by GFA founder K. P. Yohannan. He chose to support GFA because he says their wells are one of the lowest cost solutions to one of the world’s biggest problems.

GFA’s Jesus Wells cost only $1400 and provide water for as many as 200 families. Each well is also inscribed with a plaque that talks about how Jesus gives living water to those who follow him.

“One hundred percent of all field-designated gifts are sent to the field,” says Joan Veldkamp, GFA’s Canadian chief financial officer. “Administration needs are provided [separately] through our general fund.”

Last year, GFA drilled 5645 Jesus Wells. Resource Freak hasn’t yet earned enough money to cover the cost of their first well, but every purchase gets them closer.

As you finish up your Christmas shopping and think about Boxing Day purchases, consider linking through Resource Freak for any Amazon purchases.