It’s Friday!
It’s Friday in Buffalo and we all know what that means…MORE SNOW! Good grief what a January we have had! Feel bad for the folks in Arkansas…over a million w/o power and it could be a couple of weeks before they get it back!
Just finished up writing a letter to all of our partners at Renovation who have contributed financially over the past 6 months. I am just blown away by what I have been able to see God do in and through people at Renovation. This past September when we were still The Chapel at Elmwood we as a group of about 250 adults committed to God that we would give just over $300,000 above and beyond our normal giving (tithe) for the next two years. We set a goal that God would allow us to commit to and give $500,000 over those two years toward our Love Revolution Campaign.
This was a huge goal seeing how we were just 17 months old as a congregation. I had my dad come in and talk with us about his journey over the years and how he had seen God “come through” over and over again. He challenged us to think and dream way beyond our ability or our “financability” so we committed $301,000 on September 7. The Chapel at Crosspoint (thanks you guys!) GAVE us $100,000! That is just crazy!! So that put us at $401,000 toward our goal of $500,000.
We said all along that Love Revolution was not just about bricks and mortar. We new that part of that money would need to go toward the purchasing and the renovation of our new campus but we said that it was going to also go to other like minded churches and ministries who are pursuing the mission of God. We want to create a Culture of Generosity at Renovation so we know that we must create margin in our finances both personally and corporately to give to others. So we have committed to give away $100,000 of the $500,000 that we trust that God will provide us to give.
We have already committed to several ministries.
- Help to launch Restoration Church … sending and commissioning the Adema’s (they rock!) to join the Restoration Team… also monthly financial support
- Help to launch Missio Church in Syracuse with monthly financial support
- partnering with Pastor’s Angel, Alberto and Jose and their congregations to help provide resources… computers, book bags, food, Christmas gifts…
- Partnering with Jericho Road Ministries an incredible ministry in the West Side who are doing the hard work of loving and caring for refugees and other under-resourced families.
- Partnering with Russ Kingsbury and Youth Advantage... impacting hundreds of kids every week through sports
- Partnering with Buffalo City Mission… helping them as they help men, women, boys and girls get their “legs” back under them
- Partnering with Peace of the City… helping them fight the root cause of poverty… Illiteracy in our neighborhood and in the West Side.
We are about to extend another partnership to Northgate Community Church that will be launched in August of 09. Pastor John Hasselback has formed(ing) a launch team that will be reaching the UB north campus. That will be out third investment in a Church launch which jacks me up!
Here is the flip side to committing to people/ministries/launches… after we commit we must follow through! So when you/me write out that Love Revolution check – we must remember for who and to WHOM it is really going toward. I have been encouraged that even though our economy has tanked we have stayed pretty close to actually giving what we committed to. We said that if God gives it to us we will give it back. Renovation I am proud that we are following through on that faith promise! God will honor that in your personal life and us collectively.
Let the Love Revolution Roll On!
