Illinois pastor describes challenge that multiplied mission offering to $37,000

Bloomington, Illinois

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

(Engage Magazine) Editor's note: On January 17, a few days following the 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti's capital, Bloomington First Church of the Nazarene in Illinois, USA, sent its 250 attendees home with envelopes of cash varying from $5 to $100.

The leadership team challenged the congregation to ask God how to invest the amounts each had received to bring back a larger return. What everyone brought back on January 31 would be given as an offering to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries' Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund.

On January 31, the congregation celebrated what God had done. What started as $5,000 in seed money returned $37,403.94. Nearly 300 were in attendance. Senior Pastor Scott Sherwood describes what happened to Engage magazine, a product of Global Mission.

Engage: How did the church gather the return and offer it to God?

Sherwood: While our band sang their original song entitled "Ravaged," congregants approached one of five baskets spread out along the front of the room. As each person placed their offering in a basket, one of our leaders spoke to them the words of Matthew 25:23: "'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'"


To read the rest of Pastor Sherwood's interview with Engage magazine, click here.

To read the original/pre-offering story, click here.

 

< back to USA/Canada

next article >