In 1991, four families decided to start a church in Springfield,
Missouri. I didn't think that Springfield needed another little
church, but about six months later my wife Estella and I felt
God would have us join them in their effort.
When the church was just a little over a year old and in their
second location, it grew to 150 people. This was the maximum
they could accommodate since every nook and corner was filled
to capacity.
A deal was made to purchase nine acres of land for $37,000.
District denominational officials, however, couldn't allow the
church to go into debt since the district would be responsible
for any debt made while the church was under their supervision.
To move ahead, the land had to be paid for.
The church had saved $7,000 to pay on the land, and the district
gave $2,000.
The Lord impressed me to give $5,000 and to invite several people
from the congregation to do the same.
I asked them one at a time in their homes. I simply said, I
am going to give $5,000 toward the purchase of the land for
the new church, and I wondered if you would like to join me
in giving.
With their help, we raised the remaining $23,000.
The closing was on the last day of February 1992. The church
had the $37,000. They paid cash for the land, and the district
allowed them to become a sovereign church able to function on
their own.
The church was growing so fast the board members and pastor
asked me to conduct a capital fund campaign for the building
in the first part of April 1992. We had thought we could wait
until fall, but the need to start building was urgent. They
thought they could raise $50,000, but I knew they would need
at least $100,000 if they were to borrow any money.
The church had no history of operation to give to the bank.
I knew this would be a hindrance unless we could show real success
in fund-raising. The bank usually asks for financial reports
for the past three years, and this church had only been in existence
a little over one year.
As I prayed the Lord impressed me that if I would give $10,000
and let the people know what I was giving that we would raise
at least $100,000.
I told the pastor and the people we needed that amount.
At the fund-raising dinner meeting on Friday night, I spoke
on the topic of "key people" and their part in a project
and the rewards that come to such people.
In the Saturday leadership meeting, I spoke for a few moments
from 1 Chronicles 29 about David's giving for the building of
Solomon's Temple and how his leaders gave. Then we passed out
pledge cards, and I said, I want you to write, without signing
your name, what you would give if you were pledging right at
this moment. We are giving $10,000.î
The total pledged was $62,000.
This was more than I expected. Since the leadership usually
gives at least half of the final total, there was a strong possibility
that the pledging would go over $100,000 the next day.
On Sunday morning I spoke on giving. Then the ushers passed
out plain, white cards.
Simply write the amount you feel God would have you give during
the next year and sign your name,I I instructed the congregation.
Then I told them what I was giving and what the leadership had
pledged the day before.
As the ushers brought the cards up, I asked for several subtotals.
At one point, when I asked for a subtotal, it was $102,000.
We now have $102,000 in pledges, I told the congregation.
Spontaneously, people all over the sanctuary got out of their
seats and began to praise God. The final total was $122,000.
The sooner you can start paying on your pledges, the easier
it would be to pay them, I told the people. I then invited them
to pay any or all of their pledge and sent the ushers to collect
the money.
About $30,000 came in that morning.
When the bank heard we had pledged $122,000 and that $30,000
had come in on Sunday morning, they were amazed. As a result,
the bank told the church board they would loan the money they
needed as soon as the church had $50,000 in the bank toward
the building.
Immediately after this fund-raising effort, giving toward the
churches general funds increased 100 percent. In addition, attendance
moved up so fast the church had to rent a skating rink for the
Sunday morning services.
Steps of Faith
When the time came to begin construction, the church decided
on an all-purpose building with about 17,000 square feet of
space. Once completed, that facility was quickly filled, and
two services were held on Sunday mornings to accommodate the
growing congregation.
The church decided to hold another capital fund campaign in
order to raise money to build a sanctuary. I was asked to lead
this fund-raising effort during the last week of January 1994.
I think you should get somebody else, I suggested. After all,
I am a member, and it is much more difficult to raise money
in your own church.
When the church leaders insisted that I do it, I felt I could
not refuse.
When I met with the church board and the pastoral staff, they
felt we should have a minimum of $500,000 pledged.
That being the case, we need several people who will give $50,000
toward a project this large, I told them. I think we should
pray about what God would have us give.
I was prepared to give $10,000, but I did not feel that Estella
and I could give more than that.
Before the special fund-raising dinner meeting, the pastor came
to me and said, ìMy wife and I have made up our minds to give
$10,000.î
This was a step of faith since the pastor was getting less than
$50,000 a year and has a family of five.
One of the board members also approached me and said he would
give $50,000.
On Friday evening, a large and happy crowd of people from the
church attended the dinner meeting. At that time, the congregation
was challenged to pray and consider what the Lord would have
them give toward the new sanctuary.
During the leadership meeting on Saturday morning, with the
pastors consent, I told the people about his pledge. I explained
that he was on a small salary, due partly to the fact that the
congregation was trying to pay off the church as quickly as
possible. Actually, they had paid it down to $200,000, which
is another miracle.
Someone else is pledging $50,000, but I am not at liberty to
give that persons name, I told the church leaders.
That Saturday morning, the pledge from the leadership, with
no name on the cards, totaled $420,000.
As I looked through the pledges, I saw that another man had
pledged $50,000, probably as a result of knowing that someone
else had already done so. People follow leaders.
Another man who had previously said he could give only $5,000
pledged $25,000.
One of the church staff members pledged $12,000, which, I knew,
was another great step of faith.
On Sunday morning we had a record-breaking crowd, with over
1,900 in attendance. The pledge for one year from the congregation
that morning totaled $675,000. The late pledges that came in
made a total of almost $700,000.
In addition to this tremendous amount pledged for the new sanctuary,
once again another miracle took place. The general income of
the church immediately increased 100 percent.
Miracle After Miracle
Aside from the miracle of building a church sanctuary, miracles
started happening to people all over the congregation. People
who had obeyed God in making the building possible were seeing
impossible things happen in their personal lives.
The first man who pledged $50,000 was in the process of selling
his business at the time. He told the real estate agent to list
the property at $800,000. The agent said, I think we should
list it at $850,000.î
The businessman agreed, and the first client who looked at the
property bought it for $850,000.
An insurance man who pledged $25,000 saw God move miraculously
in his life, too. He told me, two deals that had previously
fallen through were renegotiated, and they more than paid my
pledge.
As for Estella and I, $13,000 came to us in a miraculous way.
The money wasn't given to us, but it was a real miracle. Then
one wonderful thing after another has happened in our lives.
We have been well repaid for all we have given to the three
campaigns in our church.
The staff member and his wife who had pledged $12,000 later
revealed that they had considered giving only $3,000. That's
what we felt we could budget out of our family income,I they
said.
At the Friday night fund-raising meeting, however, they felt
led to double their pledge. Then at the Saturday meeting they
were strongly impressed that they should give more.
Without mentioning an amount to one another, the husband and
wife privately filled out a pledge card, indicating what they
should give. Both had written $12,000.
In the intervening months, this couple had skimped and saved
and paid $3,000 on their pledge. Then a miracle happened that
changed their whole future. As a result, they were able to pay
the $12,000 pledge and were still better off financially than
they were before.
Another couple who made a substantial pledge on the building
were both working, yet at the end of the month when the bills
were paid they were out of money.
He told me, we had never made a pledge by faith before so we
really didn't know what to expect. They were having trouble
paying the pledge so they decided to put all of the wife's paycheck
toward the pledge and live on what the husband made from his
business.
Since my wife started using her paycheck to pay on the pledge,I
the husband told me, my business has prospered until we have
money left over at the end of the month. God performed a miracle
for us!
I am sure, if I would talk to other people in the congregation,
I would find many similar stories of God's blessing on those
who gave.
Today church attendance averages 3,000 with new people visiting
each week. People are coming to Christ in nearly every service.
The pastors now hold two services on Sunday morning. The congregation
is already looking for a new, larger location to accommodate
the crowd.
The church cost over $2,000,000. They are going to try to pay
it off in five years.
God has done so many wonderful things for the people who went
into partnership with Him to build a sanctuary as a place to
worship Him. I know I haven't heard all of them yet.
I just can't see anyone losing anything by making an investment
in a project like this.
Our church had to have a financial miracle to move ahead in
God's will, but this story is not unique. In the pages that
follow, you'll read many accounts of people who have learned
how to be happy giving their money away.
Dr.
Clark has been very careful to outline proven steps and ways
that will cause resources to be available to meet the needs
for the expansion of the kingdom of God.
General
Superintendent of the Assemblies of God
This
is not a get-rich-quick-scheme - quite the contrary. Dr. Clark
takes the revealed Word of the Lord and clothes it in the nuts
and bolts of life.
North
Carolina District, Assemblies of God
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