CALLING ALL PETHEADS!!!!!!!

[sue d.]

Thank you, Terry, for your donation!

[RockOn]

My pleasure Sue!

Thanks for doing all the organizational stuff.

[sue d.]

And thank you to the one who started it all - Julie!

Way to go!

[sue d.]

Thank you, Shell, for your SECOND donation. It's much appreciated!

BTW, plans are moving forward for the acoustic concert with John & Bob on New Year's Eve in WI....! I'm also working on adding other dates throughout the Midwest, so please pray that we get other promoters on board with this special happening.

[74CAPethead]

Tale of Stone Soup

There was once a traveler who came to a small village, tired and weary from his long journey. The traveler did not have anything to eat and hoped that a friendly villager would be able to feed him. He came to the first house and knocked on the door. He asked the woman who answered if she could spare just a small bit of food as he had traveled a long journey and was very hungry. The woman replied, "I'm sorry, I have nothing to give you. I can barely feed my own family."

So the traveler went to another door and asked again. The answer was the same: "I have nothing to give you." He went from door to door and each time was turned away.

Undaunted, the traveler went to the village square, took a small tin cooking pot from his bag, filled it with water, started a fire and dropped a stone in the pot. As he boiled the water, a passing villager stopped and asked him what he was doing. The traveler replied, "I'm making stone soup. Would you like to join me?"

The villager said yes and asked if carrots were good in stone soup. "Sure," said the traveler. The villager went home and returned with carrots from his garden to add to the boiling water. Soon another curious villager came by and was invited to join them. She went home and returned with some potatoes. A young boy passed by and soon joined the group, bringing his mother and dinner plates from their home.

In time, a crowd gathered with everyone offering their own favorite ingredient: mushrooms, onions, salt, black pepper, acorn squash. Everyone wanted to be part of the creation. Finally, the traveler removed the stone and declared, "The stone soup is ready!" And the whole community joined in a feast where there was none before.

The story of stone soup celebrates the importance of engaging and organizing resources for the common good. It's amazing what can be achieved when people are inspired and motivated to bring their resources together.

[sue d.]

Thank you Matt - and thank you Ms. Musica!

Every donation is much appreciated...

[74CAPethead]

Hi Everyone,

I�m sorry, but I have to admit that maybe I was wrong when I said in one of my previous posts that:

��who else would have more of a desire to be a sponsor than us PETHEADS!!!�

And I have to admit that I am quite disappointed�SAD really! I honestly didn�t think that $1.00 per month was asking too much from all the Petheads�especially since I thought that this ministry has been such a life changing ministry for all of us and that it�s still an important ministry to help support! There are many more thousands of lives in this world that can be reached by Bob & John that we can�t ever reach! Lives that will be changed forever!!!!

It�s very sad to me that Sue has to turn away these churches that are emailing her and calling her because they can�t afford to have Bob & John! And there�s that $1.00 in your wallet that can make all the difference! Out of over 2,000 views about the Pethead Sponsored Concerts their ministry could already be receiving $2,000 per month! I know some of the views are repeat views but you get the point. But instead Sue is receiving very faithful donations from only a handful of Petheads! So what will it take to motivate the rest of you? We can be part of the solution!!! This is a vital ministry that impacts real people�think about it!!!

I know I might be taking the risk of your anger and misunderstanding of me for this post! But who else is going to support them if we don�t do it? Is RADIO? We already know that answer, don�t we? Who other than Petra�s fans should support this ministry? Come on you guys�we can do this!!! We can help change lives!!! We�re not spectators we�re players!!! We should be the first ones to step up to the plate in support of them! And why wouldn�t you want to support them? �Actions speak a little louder than words!!!� We need to see some vital signs...commitment!!!! PLEASE!!!!

Sincerely,
Julie

[Shell]

I'm with Julie...A little from each of us would add up to a lot. Let's forget the biz and forget radio and sponsor some concerts.

[sue d.]

You certainly are one who puts their money where their mouth is... I publicly thank you, Shell, for being so supportive every month.

[sue d.]

And thank YOU, 74CAPethea (Julie), for your continuing support.

A little from each of us would add up to a lot

It would... OR alot from a little bunch of us would work too!

[sue d.]

And thank you AGAIN, Shell, for you ongoing support.

[Tutor23]

Sue, can't this be set up as a non-profit? After all, this is a religious ministry, mostly at churches, right? If so, it can be made into a tax deductible gift. More will be willing to give if it can be done this way. And people (i.e., John & Bob) are allowed to be paid for their services out of the not-for-profit organization's funds.

I'm going to be up front about my own hesitations in the hope that perhaps some or all of these can be alleviated. Please don't take any of this the wrong way, but I don't know you personally and have little to go on besides your posts here. And there may be many other petheads out there who have the same issues but don't voice them; perhaps they can be brought in if these are addressed...

1) I need assurances that the $$ is actually going to John & Bob for concerts and that I won't end up hearing months or years later that it was a fraud.
2) I need to know just how much $$ is actually needed to put on a typical show (including extraneous expenses, such as travel).
3) I would like to know how likely it is that the concerts will actually happen (i.e., if I donate $$ and there wasn't enough $$ to even do an event, then what?).
4) I would like the extra tax deduction benefit and sense of security of donating to an IRS-recognized non-profit organization

I don't have a large income, and I am the sole breadwinner for my family. But these guys have ministered to me BIGTIME. I am willing to donate what I can. Bottom line - I want to have some assurances that my donation is actually going to do some good here.

Respectfully,
Andy

[Shell]

Those are valid concerns, you're wise to be cautious. I can vouch for Sue and say I know the money is being used for the concerts. She'll have to answer the rest of your questions though, actually putting together a concert isn't something I know a whole lot about.

[sue d.]

Hi Tudor, you have some legitimate concerns, so let me address them for you.

Sue, can't this be set up as a non-profit?

When you say "this," are you referring to my booking, or John's ministry? In either case, sure, it could be set up that way as a non-profit. But there is plenty of paperwork, including forming a Board of Directors, business plan, plus legal fees to set that all up. I myself am not in a position to tackle that, and I don't believe John is either. There's a lot more to it than just filling out a paper and sending in the fee.

1) I need assurances that the $$ is actually going to John & Bob for concerts and that I won't end up hearing months or years later that it was a fraud.

I can say that I'm honest and would never rip anyone off on this, but what good is it if I vouch for myself? I'd have to have others vouch for me, as Shell did.

I can tell you that over the years I have arranged and given gifts to John for his birthday, for Christmas, etc. from people on the Zone. He would vouch for me if he was online. He even gave me his credit card number once to get something for him via the net.... if that isn't trust, I don't know what is.

Have you visited johnwschlitt.com or johnschlitt.net? The domain registrar and host server is paid $180/$18 a year by donations that I collect from fans; otherwise that site wouldn't exist. In truth, I also own thepetrazone.com domain name too $8/year - again, paid for by donations. Both sites are alive & well, so that in itself should be an indication of honesty.

2) I need to know just how much $$ is actually needed to put on a typical show (including extraneous expenses, such as travel).

It varies by location... for John and Bob, we're asking $4000, plus air, lodging, food. John is less... $2500. Then you have venue rental, advertising, poster printing... all kinds of things. I can't give you a cost because it really varies by location. Let's just say it's not cheap to put on a show. There definitely is an investment.

3) I would like to know how likely it is that the concerts will actually happen (i.e., if I donate $$ and there wasn't enough $$ to even do an event, then what?).

We'll keep building the pot until there IS enough to pay for the honorarium, or at least a partial amount in order to help a church sponsor a show in part. If the time comes that John retires for good, and the money is still sitting there - then we would just give John the cash with a "thank-you for all your years of service... from the Petheads." I certainly wouldn't keep it myself.

4) I would like the extra tax deduction benefit and sense of security of donating to an IRS-recognized non-profit organization

Well, it would be nice, but it's not going to happen any time soon. Petra itself has never been non-profit, and I don't see John going that route at this point. Plus there's no guarantee that just because you have a piece of paper from the government that your donation is going to be channeled in the proper way. Many heads of non-profits reap a huge salary....

I understand your concerns and such; I really do. You don't know me or who I am. All I can say is that I've been on the Zone for years now, before it ever WAS the Petra Zone. I was just a fan, and the Lord has taken me froma nobody in WI to a position of booking agent and 'right-hand-man' (can't say manager!) for John.

I've met many of the people that hang out here in person; some have even slept over at my house during out "Pethead Conventions."

But aside from that... if you really want to do something as an outreach directly, then I would suggest looking at the list of promoters on the tour sched on John's site, and making a donation directly to them.

I can tell you one group that really could use the help, and that is the concert in Joliet. I've met the promoter, Denise Unland, in person at a John solo show in May... she and her family paid for the entire concert out of their own pocket, and is going to do the same in Dec.

I've been to their house... it is just a regular house, with no frills attached. They're not rich by any means, but they see the need and have the vision to do something for their community - and they're seeing the results from John's visit in May. BIG time.

Again, it's not a church that's sponsoring this, but an individual. But if ever there was a person who I would donate to, she would be it.

I am already donating a big chunk to my own church to host this show too... if we all donated SOMETHING, even to our own church to get a show going... imagine how many concerts there could be!

If there are any other Petheads with concerns or questions like Andy - come forward and ask.

As Julie said, if we all would pool just ONE dollar per month.... it all adds up.

[brothertom]

I will also vouch for Sue. I've had her to my house, and travelled to shows with her. I've also been to her house, so if anything untoward happens with your donation, I can go exact revenge. As could anyone willing to travel to the Sheboygan show she is promoting. You couldn't put your trust in a better Pethead.

Sue, thanks for the info on Denise. I provided a small honorarium for the May show to help them defray the csts of having Teri & me there. If they are struggling for the December show, I will consider doing so again - well ahead of time to help prevent any potential impact to the show nearest to me.

Tom