I must confess, I have an issue with the so-called prosperity preachers and Christians. Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to set myself up as a “judge and jury” against anyone, but my view of Christianity is a life of giving away and serving others rather than a life of obtaining and prospering. Jesus himself said, He did not come to be served, rather He came to earth to serve.
I really feel like Christmas came early this year. Nicki and I are not getting each other anything for Christmas. Honestly, we don’t need anything, and if we did there is a good chance we will get it as we need it throughout the year. However, our church did something different last month, I know some other churches that have done a similar project, but there are none in our area that I have heard of. During our “Bling” series we started the “Bless Back Campaign” where our church handed out free money to everyone in the congregation. The church took the equivilant amount to what we receive in a week in tithes and they divvied it up in envelopes, some people got $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, and even $500. Now I have heard of churches that did a similar project, but the goal was for people to multiply the money and bring it back to the church for a building campaign or similar, but our goal at TCAG is to redefine church, so we simply gave it to people and asked them to bless someone else. Someone could simply take a single mom for coffee or help buy someone groceries, the ideas were totally left up to the individuals. (You can read the stories HERE under the “Celebrate” section). (Keep Reading its worth it…)
Our Community Group put our money together. It ended up being around $700 total. My mother-in-law knows a lady that fosters kids, and the one’s that she currently has have never had a Christmas. The lady picked up a second job just to try and earn enough to buy them some presents. So yesterday, the ladies in our group took the lady the $700 in cash and in a gift card plus a Wii and controllers that another family wanted to pitch in to help. That made my Christmas. These kids have had horrible lives up until their current Foster Home. A 6 year old girl has cigarette burns down her neck and back (Shane wants to adopt her and is trying to convince Diana to pursue it), a 7 year old boy is considered “un-adoptable” because he has to take 5 insulin shots a day (His name is Tristan and I want to adopt him…I never thought I would say I want to adopt a child so soon after Hailey, but how can you say someone is un-adoptable? Plus he would be a great playmate for Gavin), that’s just 2 of the 12 children in this home. Sure $700 won’t go real far with 12 kids, but at least they will have more of a Christmas than they would have. Just to hear the stories from our wives when they got home got me more excited than opening a gift for myself this Christmas. All day, I felt like I had experienced Christmas…and…Christianity for what it really is…giving away, not obtaining and not prospering because I named something and claimed it. (Keep going just a little more…)
I wish you could see what has happened in our church within the last 2 months. Our students did a 2 weeks of sacrifice and raised enough money (along with matching gifts) to buy right at 6 clean water wells with Blood Water Mission. Our church committed to purchasing 25 of 61 meals for Christmas through a local ministry center, our people bought over 40 of the 61 meals needed, and to cap it off, we adopted 4 families in our county who would not have a Christmas with gifts unless someone were to help them, and our church stepped up to the plate big time providing gifts for each family member plus enough food for a Christmas dinner. Here’s what gets me though, two of the families we helped lived in a city that is growing by the thousands, Grovetown, GA. God is going to be doing some awesome stuff in Grovetown in the coming months, but…One of those families was living right next door to a church. These people live in what was described to me as “filth.” They are just dirt poor, yet a church who claims to follow Christ, has done nothing to assist this family, and probably any of the other families around them. It just leaves me to wonder, what kind of Christianity is this? Am I saying that every church has to do a Bless Back Campaign like our church did? No, but can God even trust us or trust our churches to do what Hes already told us to do? Some churches may look at what we as a church did and say its extreme, but I would say, its really just us doing what we’ve been called to do, but American Christianity has become so shallow it makes genuine obedience look “extreme.”
So, Join the Conversation, Can God really trust us or trust our churches to live life trying to serve and to give rather than to obtain and prosper? What are your thoughts?
Billy Wilson says
Nick,
Man this has been my heart for a while now…… As you know from my blog I have been pursuing helping the poorest of the poor around the world but I am terrible at helping the needs right in front of my face…. Seree and I did make an effort recently by involving our lifegroup to adopt a family from our church for Christmas. I heard this quote recently by a pastor in Dallas named Matt Chandler “the church started as a small pocket of believers changing culture but has become this massive impotent movement” We both know there are so many “Christians” that aren’t living the gospel….. I love reading how these small pockets are now emerging up and doing kingdom work especially in the local capacity…… keep living as an example, you’ve been an influence……
Rachel says
that’s awesome! That’s the real way to show the love of Christ to those who’ve never really felt loved. I’m sure your message came in loud and clear to them. That’s what it’s all about.
kb says
you had the tender little hearts of your neice and nephews pricked today… they just couldn’t understand kids not having their own families… they prayed for them and asked a lot of questions that run deep. They really hope you adopt a child too! 🙂 ((your Babyland General days will have come full circle if you ever do!))
This is awesome what is happening at your church… always good to be where God is allowed to speak, move and change His people from what they think He wants into what He truly desires. I feel good “inviting” people to your church–though I’ve never visited and don’t live in town. I really hope Clay’s cousin will give you guys a try soon!
Margaret W Jones says
Hi,
What a great way to observe Christmas. We had a foster son from the Sudan for almost a year. Foster parenting is hard. It is great you helped out. In addition to material goods foster parents need a lot of support. It isn’t easy taking in children from abusive backgrounds. They act out. Are difficult to discipline etc. People often think foster parents are greedy people making a mint off of foster children. Think how they are portrayed in the media.
I myself have been scaling down Christmas for the past decade. Now I need to take it to the next step and do something similar to what your church is doing.