TAPPAHANNOCK, Va. — Has your pastor ever given away $5,000 in cash following a Sunday worship service? It happened on Sept. 30 at Beale Memorial Baptist Church in Tappahannock, Va., when 50 volunteers were handed a crisp $100 bill by their pastor, David Donahue.
Donahue had just preached a sermon on the biblical parable of the talents. While Jesus’ message to his disciples in Matthew 25 is often used as a sermon on stewardship, Donahue had chosen the passage to focus on the need to “build the Redeemer’s kingdom.” He challenged members to consider the possibilities of what God could do when they stepped out of their comfort zones and put their talents into action.
Congressman Rob Wittman (left) joined Richard and Sharon Bristow and Richard’s mother, Priscilla, (right) at a skating party to benefit the Brain Injury Association of Virginia. |
Following the message Donahue extended a surprising invitation. He asked for volunteers willing to accept an assignment to do whatever it took to advance the kingdom in the community or around the world. Some people he called by name, others came as volunteers. In all about 100 people made their way to the front, he said.
Donahue explained a few simple rules. Those accepting the Kingdom Assignment would be given $100, but the money was not theirs. “This is God’s money,” he said. None of the money was to be put in the offering plate, Donahue explained, and each volunteer was to report back to the congregation, telling how the money was spent and how it helped change lives and advance God’s kingdom.
Many did not know what to think, said Donahue. But 50 people left that Sunday with a $100 bill and began to search for ways to multiply it to bless others.
According to Donahue the inspiration behind the challenge came from a breakout session he attended with Denny and Leesa Bellesi, authors of The Kingdom Assignment. Bellesi had issued this call to action following a sermon at Coast Hills Community Church in Aliso Viejo, Calif., and the impact was bigger than he had ever dreamed. As in the film Pay It Forward, which gave Bellesi the idea in the first place, one good turn generated another and another.
Eight years ago Donahue led Amherst (Va.) Baptist Church, where he was pastor, in the Kingdom Assignment, resulting in raising about $20,000 for mission causes.
Sydney Elliot admits that she went to the front on Sept. 30 not knowing what to expect. After Donahue explained the assignment, she said it didn’t take long to decide on a mission. Her daughter and son-in-law, Len and Susan Eastwood, are missionaries to Kenya where millions of residents suffer from water-borne diseases such as cholera due to limited access to safe drinking water. Elliot wanted to raise money to aid missionaries in bringing purified water to Kenyans.
Her project: a barbecue dinner. Elliott describes it as “a family affair.” Her son-in-law cooked the barbecue while other family members helped provide the other fixings for the meal. They sold tickets for $12 and raised $2,400. “We just all worked together and God blessed our efforts,” she said.
Sharon Bristow felt in her heart that God wanted her to go forward that Sunday. Her children, Cole and Kayleigh, went with her and she wanted a project that was fun and the children could be involved in, too. They chose a roller skating party.
Over 200 people attended a fashion show planned by Jean Ball to raise money for building and repairing homes in Essex County. |
Several years ago her husband, Richard, was involved in an auto accident, leaving him paralyzed and with brain injuries. Sharon has been involved with the Brain Injury Association of Virginia and she and the children chose this organization which serves people with brain injuries, their families and those who care for them.
“We printed flyers and put them everywhere,” Bristow said. “My 10-year-old daughter actually got up in front of her class and told the story of the Kingdom Assignment,” she said. “We had actually tripled our money before the skating event.”
The skating party brought in over $2,000 and will be used for education on the prevention and awareness of brain injury, legislation for more funds for programs for brain injury survivors and the BIAV’s partnership with the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program. “We have never had the opportunity to do something that could not only honor God but give back to an organization that had helped their dad,” said Bristow.
Bruce Thomas turned the $100 he received into more than $2,000 and plans to continue his assignment into 2013. Thomas recruited runners to participate in the Marine Corps Marathon. The donations will be given to Jacob’s Ladder as tribute to Andrew Reabis, a 21-year-old from Beale Memorial who died as the result of a hunting accident two years ago. A student at Virginia Military Institute, Reabis was a counselor for Jacob’s Ladder, a summer enrichment camp that focuses on providing guidance to intellectually gifted, at-risk children. Thomas also plans to sponsor a golf tournament in March, and hopefully, another 10K next year.
At age 82, Jean Ball thought she had done most everything she would be good at doing. But then Donahue called her name and gave her $100. “Many people were coming up with all kinds of food fundraisers and I’m not much into that,” she said. She awoke one night with the idea for her project — a fashion show.
With clothing from Peebles department store, 34 models from ages 4 to 94 modeled the latest fashions to a crowd of over 200 at the show held at Beale Memorial. There was also a silent auction and over $2,500 was raised. Ball has chosen to give the proceeds to a group of retired men who help in repairing and building homes in Essex County.
“We have been celebrating the creative ability of different people working on their Kingdom Assignment projects,” wrote Donahue in a Facebook post on Nov. 8. “We have literally raised thousands and thousands of dollars.”
“One woman took her $100 and made 107 quarts of soup and sold them throughout the community, raising money to purchase mosquito nets in Ghana,” reported Donahue. Another raised $700 to assist women caught in the sex trade in Thailand by selling spaghetti sauce. Beverly Thomas, the church’s top fundraiser so far, will use the $5,000 she and her son raised by writing letters to friends to go on a medical missions trip to Haiti next summer.
More than $1,700 was raised by one person to purchase a walker for someone with mobility issues. A woman with sewing skills purchased supplies and sold handmade items to benefit the Salvation Army.
Through the passion and creativity of those accepting Kingdom Assignments, more than $35,000 has been raised for ministry needs in the community and around the world. And reports are still coming in, said Donahue.
“What I think this has done is not necessarily given people more awareness of missions,” said Donahue, “but has shown them where their passions are and what they can do with them. Every person can make a difference and do something to advance the Redeemer’s Kingdom.”
Barbara Francis ([email protected]) is on the staff of the Religious Herald.