New Hope Christian Church |
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“Find Your Way Home at New Hope!” |
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Kingdom Assignment Testimonies |
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On the weekend of March 3 & 4, New Hope Christian Church embarked on a massive “Kingdom Assignment”. Pastor Kerry Jech concluded each service by sharing one special way in which those attending could be Jesus’ hands and feet to the world. For those that chose to participate, there was a “Kingdom Assignment” book and $100 to use for furthering God’s Kingdom. Participants were instructed to remember that the money was God’s and they were stewards. They would also have the opportunity to report back over the next 90 days and share how God used that money in some remarkable ways. We wanted to share some of those testimonies with you…
The Challenge After reading the book, The Kingdom Assignment, and receiving $100 of God’s money, this brother felt called to bring others into the process of investing the money for the Kingdom. He took $100 of “his own” money and asked his lunch group from work (small group Bible study) to decide together how the money would be invested in God’s Kingdom. Then, he challenged his wife to do the same with a “Moms and Daughters” group that she participates in. But it doesn’t end there. He even challenged his kids to come up with a matching $100 to add to the original $100 received from New Hope and use it for a family project. They are still praying about what God would have them do with the money and urged us all to read a few Bible passages as each of us seek God’s will: Matthew 25:14-46; Mark 8:34-38; John 6:1-15; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
The Broken Rear Window Shortly following being given his Kingdom Assignment, this brother looked at the van sitting across the street. The van had a broken rear window since he had moved in last December. Yet, even with temperatures below freezing, he watched his neighbor take her children to school in this van everyday. He wanted to do something to help her, but he was having his own financial difficulties. When he and a friend decided to put their Kingdom money together “to do something really great for someone,” they prayed for God’s guidance in how to use the money. All the next day, he couldn’t stop thinking about the lady across the street with the broken window. He talked with his friend about it that day, and they decided that this would be their Kingdom Assignment. A couple of days later, there was a new window in the van across the street with a very happy neighbor in the driver’s seat. She said, “I think maybe this is God’s way of telling me I need to go to church…”
Floodgates of Heaven The couple was baffled. They just couldn’t begin to understand why this was happening. Their son had a drug and alcohol addiction. As a result, he had been incarcerated. How could this be happening to him...to them? They struggled as any Christian parents do, to make sense of what they were going through. Then one Sunday morning at New Hope they drifted into a class called “Celebrate Recovery.” It was advertised as a class to help you with things in your life that were out of control. Soon they realized that it wasn't an accident that they had come into that class, but that God had a very specific plan. Through the class, this couple learned love, acceptance, and how to give their son the love and support he desperately needed at this time in his life. At the same time, they learned to show that love, acceptance, and support to others with the same struggles as their son, when perhaps in the past they had been intolerant of such people or their actions. Partly in response to God’s blessing in providing for them in their time of deep need, the couple was led to support the very class that had helped guide them through. For their Kingdom Assignment, they decided they would do three things: 1. They would return to the church the $100 they had received 2. They would add an additional $100 to it 3. They would use $200 of their tax return money to purchase copies of the book The Purpose Driven Life for the Celebrate Recovery Class
Infectious Love Right after the Kingdom Assignment was given to the congregation, this sister began to share her excitement with others. She shared about the Kingdom Assignment with several friends, and now some of the friends are taking the idea to their churches. She shared it with her daughter, who is now buying The Kingdom Assignment books and presenting them with $100 a piece for each of her six pastors! She wants each of the pastors to experience the blessing before taking the Assignment to their congregation. She shared it with a co-worker, and the co-worker promptly matched it with another $100! The co-worker shared it with her daughter who was so inspired that when she saw a poor, elderly couple on the street, she went up to them, gave them $30 so they could go out and eat, and told them to enjoy the day. The sister who first received the Kingdom Assignment says she is so excited about seeing God work that she plans to keep a journal to remind her of all the things God is doing!
Help for the Homeless “Suzanne” works in Ames, where she recently met a homeless man. God moved her to help him out, and this inspired her to use he Kingdom Assignment money to provide personal hygiene kits for people at homeless shelter in Ames and for needy persons in Marshalltown. She explains: “For our Kingdom Assignment, we took 10 hygiene bags to the homeless shelter in Ames. My husband thought we should take the bags directly to those in need, so we had a discussion about this. We didn’t personally know any homeless people and giving bags to them personally meant we would be talking to them, which meant a major step out of the comfort zone. My husband suggested we give a bag to a man whose life was changed after the Swift raid and I agreed. After telling the man what our mission was, he offered many names of people who were not necessarily homeless, but definitely in need. The man’s wife led us to home after home of people hurting, desperate, and in need of a caring touch. We have more bags to deliver and in the process of this assignment, I have seen great changes in the lives of everyone involved. My shy husband is now willing to talk to people and get out of his box. He is excited as he shares God’s love with others. He tells the recipients that we now have Spanish translators and radios so they can participate in New Hope’s worship services. I have a new set of “eyes” to see strangers and their problems with.” God is so good!
Helping Kids “Missing Out” The Kingdom Assignment continues to transform the lives of those who accepted it. God impresses upon each of those who use His resources a different vision for serving Him. Listen to this story from “Laura.” “Laura” wrote, “Having this assignment has been one of the best projects I ever undertook. I think about this every day!” She places the unopened envelope of money at the top of the stairs on a shelf next to an angel, so that each day when she comes us the stairs, she looks at both and is reminded of her assignment. Laura’s concern for some time has been for the needy children in her community who cannot afford tickets to school activities, such as sporting events, theatre performances, and other special events. It bothered her that some kids were missing out on social time with friends, fun time with family and friends, and school spirit just because their parents didn’t have enough money. When the Kingdom Assignment came along, Laura saw this as a means of helping these kids. Her goal as she shares her enthusiasm about her assignment with others, is to triple the amount and buy school activity tickets for those who need them. She says, “I am still in the process of doing all this, but wanted to let you know how God is inspiring me in this journey. I will keep you updated on my results! With God, all things are possible.”
Needs on Our Own Doorstep When we think of missions, often we think about the needs of other people on the other side of the earth, especially in third-world countries. But needs are all around us! These people chose to invest their Kingdom Assignment money right on their own doorstep. “Len and Brenda” chose to match and invest Kingdom Assignment money in the House of Compassion, a homeless shelter right here in Marshalltown. Along with their friend, “Marie”, they thanked the Lord and prayed together for Him to bless their gift and multiply it. Is it any surprise that over the next week $400 more came in? They have been sharing the story of God’s Kingdom Assignment and the gift keeps growing.
This Side of Heaven “James” was not usually one to enthusiastically hand out money to the needy. However, when the Kingdom Assignment came along, it made him think about the fact that none of what he called “his own” really was. He took seriously the challenge to invest the money for God, but didn’t immediately know what he should use it for. Then one day, while he was on a trip to Columbus, “James” came across a man in his hotel who was down on his luck. He needed money to get to his destination. Usually “James” would have written this off as another “panhandler”, and walked away, but this time, “James” figured it was God telling him to step out on faith. He gave the man enough money to drive to his destination and enough to feed his family on the trip. James’ buddy even matched the gift. The man was so grateful, there were tears in his eyes as James said “God bless you.”
Care Baskets and Concerts One couple in the church had a vision for providing care baskets for parents with children in the children’s hospitals in Des Moines and Iowa City. Realizing that the project would require more than the $100 “seed money” from their Kingdom Assignment, they began looking for ways to multiply their gift. God provided just what they needed. Two Christian bands, Roads to Rome and Over Ashes, were going to be in the area in between shows and were willing to schedule a concert at New Hope. They agreed to come for a love offering that they would split, with half of the money going to the care baskets and the other half covering the bands’ expenses. The concert occurred on March 19, and over $1,500 was raised as a result of this step of faith. God is so good!
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OVER ASHES |
