Word from the Wieland House
OCTOBER 2026
The Greater Blessing Program
The Fuller Center supports the Greater Blessing Plan, which encourages beneficiaries of lower-cost home repairs or renovations to repay that cost over time on terms they can afford but without a loan agreement. Gift “payments” are made monthly, providing the beneficiary the opportunity of receiving the greater blessing of giving, not just receiving.
The Lord taught that it is more blessed to give than to receive. He didn’t say that receiving was wrong, but that giving was more blessed. This is one of the reasons that we write mortgages on the houses that we build.
Some of our rehabilitation/renovation work, typically done for health and safety reasons, is done at a relatively low cost, and the imposition of a mortgage is unnecessary. In such cases, we suggest the Greater Blessing Plan through which the cost of repair is “repaid” as a donation in pre-agreed monthly installments. The beneficiary family is provided with a Greater Blessing Box containing pre-addressed envelopes equal to the number of months that the family needs to “repay”. Each month the family makes its donation, receiving the blessing of giving.
There is no note or lien with this plan and the “repayment” depends on the good will of the beneficiary family. The gifts are dedicated to the rehabilitation or construction of other houses.
SEPTEMBER 2026
We do not build with government funds
The Fuller Center does not seek and will not accept government funds for the construction of houses. The Fuller Center welcomes partnerships with governments that include accepting funds to help set the stage for construction, provided that doing so does not limit our ability to proclaim our Christian witness, and does not create dependency or undue control on the Covenant Partner. Setting the stage means the donation of land and/or houses for rehabilitation, providing infrastructure for streets, walks and utilities, and assistance with administrative expenses. These limitations do not apply to government funds coming from third parties who have sole discretion over their use.
The Fuller Center supports government housing initiatives and appreciates the important role government plays in the overall goal of eliminating poverty housing. But, we feel that caution is needed in defining the role of government funds in the work that we do. Government funds always come with extensive paperwork, creating a diversion of time and talent to complete. Some government funds carry restrictions that impact our Christian witness. And government funds are fickle—organizations that depend too heavily on them are subject to financial instability. So we don’t directly accept government funds for house building. We will accept government funds that flow through a third party and come with no limitations.
We also accept government assistance in areas that lie within their natural scope such as property acquisition, infrastructure placement—those things that “set the stage” for house building, as long as that participation is not restrictive of our Christian ministry.
The real reason for not using government funds in our construction work is that we feel that there is a spiritual component to the work we do. Government funds are all mandated of the taxpayer—they are “taken” funds/ We want the funds we use to be ‘given’ money, donated to us by generous and like-minded people, churches, and other organizations.
AUGUST 2026
Tithing: A spiritual undertaking
The Fuller Center is a global partnership. In recognition of and commitment to that global partnership, each Covenant Partner is asked to contribute at least 10 percent of its cash contributions to The Fuller Center’s international work. Funds specifically designated by a donor for local work may be excluded from the tithe calculation.
The prophet Malachi made a great promise to those who pay their tithes: that the windows of heaven would be opened and blessings poured out upon them. Tithing is one of the basic, miraculous, principles of Biblical economics: by giving we are enriched.
All Fuller Center Covenant Partners are expected to raise their own resources to the extent possible. Some Partners, though, are working in places where local resources are more limited and the culture of charitable giving less developed. To assure that these Partners have the funds necessary to do their work, all Partners are asked to tithe of their donated income. Some donations come with specific restrictions on how they are used, and these are, of course, exempt. But Partners are urged to share the concept of tithing with their donors so that they know that their gifts will not only aid local families, but others in distant places.
Tithing should be a spiritual undertaking, and tithes should be given joyfully. The Fuller Center commits that all tithing funds will go directly to the house building work of other Covenant Partners.
JULY 2026
Zero-percent interest payments
The Fuller Center sells houses to selected families on terms they can afford, with no profit or interest charged. House payments are used for the construction or renovation of additional homes.
Fuller Center Partners can provide homeownership for families of limited means because (1) we build simple, decent and affordable houses; and (2) we don’t charge interest or profit. The Bible is clear in stating that we should not charge interest of the poor and, as a Christian ministry, this is counsel that we take very seriously.
However, we do charge families for the cost of their new or rehabilitated home for a number of real and compelling reasons:
- People naturally esteem what they sacrifice for and ultimately disdain that which comes with no effort.
- Important byproducts of helping build and then pay for a house are dignity and a sense of self-worth, attitudes that typical welfare and giveaway programs diminish.
- Making timely, regular mortgage payments, coupled with financial literacy training, can create disciplines that result in an overall improvement in the families’ economic condition.
- As all house payments are used for the construction and rehabilitation of additional housing, the beneficiary families become more than recipients of goodwill. They become donors, sharing their blessing with others.
It is important to note that the Covenant Partner has an obligation to the beneficiary family — and to the other families it serves — to not be too forgiving in the matter of collecting mortgage payments.
There are times when circumstances conspire against us all, making it difficult to meet obligations. The poor are especially susceptible to such situations. But families cannot be allowed to flout the program, and those who are willingly negligent in making their payments should be managed firmly, even if doing so results in foreclosure. It is unfair to other homeowners and to those in need who await our ministry, to do otherwise.
JUNE 2026
Sweat equity
The Fuller Center selects homeowner families according to criteria that do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, or ethnic background. All homeowners contribute “sweat equity”, meaning that they work hand-in-hand with the Covenant Partner and its volunteers to build or renovate their home.
Sweat equity is a fundamental part of the homeownership equation. Through it, the new homeowner gains a significant stake in the process. By their willingness to contribute to the actual construction or renovation of their home, the family demonstrates a commitment to it. Additionally, essential skills are acquired that will help assure the proper maintenance of the structure.
The number of hours required varies from place to place, as does those who can contribute, but it should be sufficient to make a meaningful contribution to the project. In cases where age, illness or disability prevent the homeowner from actual physical labor, there should be other contributions they can make, such as office work or volunteer support.
Another benefit of sweat equity is that it gives the homeowners and the volunteers an opportunity to get to know one another. Too many times, I’ve heard volunteers say that they wished they’d had a chance to know the homeowner. While we see sweat equity as a true benefit to the homeowner family, the benefit to the volunteers is significant and can help assure their continuing support. More than just building houses, the work we do builds relationships, and that’s what much of life is about!
MAY 2026
Simple, decent and affordable
The Fuller Center and Covenant Partners build, renovate and repair simple, decent and affordable houses with people who are living in conditions that are inadequate and who are unable to secure decent housing by conventional means.
The Fuller Center works with families who have no other recourse to homeownership. They are, by definition, the poor. What they need are simple, decent and affordable homes. Covenant Partners are asked to build homes with these principles in mind.
It is likely that most of the Covenant Partner’s leaders, committee members and volunteers will be of greater economic means than the families they serve, and it will be their natural tendency to build houses that reflect their own needs and wants.
This can result in incremental increases in the cost of the homes they build, which will then result in houses that require “wealthier” buyers. The extra costs will also limit the number of houses that the Covenant Partner can afford to build.
The families we seek to build with, those who live in decrepit, unsafe, unhygienic or overcrowded conditions, are greatly blessed by having a simple, decent and affordable home.
By containing costs, the Partner Organization avoids building houses that the poor can’t afford or that become burdens to them. Each dollar so saved is one that can go towards helping another family in need.
APRIL 2026
Bringing people and communities together
The Fuller Center is a people-to-people partnership that brings families and communities in need together with volunteers and resources to build decent, affordable homes. The Fuller Center is committed to the development and uplifting of families and communities, not just the construction and rehabilitation of houses.
One of the miracles of a Fuller Center work site is how people come together for a common good, putting aside their differences of religious doctrine, politics, race, social standing, age and gender. The inclusive nature of the Gospel is dramatically demonstrated as a Fuller Center house is being built.,
But the result of a thoughtful project is more than just improving the material well-being of the beneficiary family. The house itself provides a place of refuge in which the family can grow. If the family is properly nurtured and taught, the discipline of the house payment will result in a general improvement in the family’s financial well being.
But a decent home in an unwelcoming community becomes a fortress. The Fuller Center seeks to rebuild communities, creating a safe, clean and healthy neighborhood for its families to call home.
MARCH 2026
Expressing our Christian beliefs
The Fuller Center seeks to demonstrate the love and teachings of Jesus Christ to all people. While The Fuller Center is a Christian organization, it invites and welcomes volunteers, donors and others who are actively committed to The Fuller Center’s Mission, Method of Operation and Principles.
The Fuller Center seeks to demonstrate the love and teachings of Jesus Christ through our actions. To this end it is important that The Fuller Center and its Covenant Partners not be shy about our beliefs, rather that we assert our Christianity in our publications, signage and public presentations, that we let our light shine brightly.
The Fuller Center is a servant of the church, but not a church in its own right. It has no proprietary theology and is not an evangelical movement. The Fuller Center welcomes people of all creeds and beliefs to be part of its ministry and does not discriminate on the basis of religious belief in the selection of beneficiary families.
In order to preserve its Christian character, The Fuller Center urges its Covenant Partners to seek people who are willing to fully endorse its Christian principles to serve as directors and in other leadership positions.
FEBRUARY 2026
Method of Operation
The Fuller Center promotes the development of housing and homeownership by building and rehabilitating modest, adequate homes. The Fuller Center seeks to work with other organizations whose purposes are consistent with those of The Fuller Center for Housing and its Covenant Partners.
The Fuller Center is dedicated to providing decent shelter, and we know that this is best accomplished by local organizations that have access to resources, know the area and can develop personal relationships with the beneficiary families.
The Fuller Center seeks level, rather than top-down, relationships with local partners who are committed to this important cause and prepared to take a leadership role in their communities to help eliminate poverty housing.
Partnering with other organizations expands our resources and develops new sources of volunteers and donors. It is important, in establishing these partnerships, that they don’t infringe on our Christian identity or impose restrictions that would limit our basic principle of providing no-interest, no-profit loans.
JANUARY 2026
The Mission Statement
The Fuller Center for Housing, faith driven and Christ centered, promotes collaborative and innovative partnerships with individuals and organizations in an unrelenting quest to provide adequate shelter for all people in need worldwide.
The Fuller Center for Housing is an unashamedly Christian organization, dedicated to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through our ministry of creating decent, affordable housing for God’s people in need. Our goal is the elimination of poverty housing.
This requires that we boldly state our Christian character. We don’t have to preach, but we should do things that make our Christian identity clear, putting the statement that “Every home we build or restore is a testament of God’s love” on our signage, for example. In these days of Christian renewal, the time is right for us to be proudly and openly Christian!
ABOUT THIS SERIES
The Fuller Center’s international headquarters building was donated to us by John and Sue Wieland, so we call it The Wieland House. Each month of 2026, we’ll share A Word from the Wieland House, looking more closely at the Partnership Covenant.