Inspired to Give Sacrificially

by Ken Gonyer and Brian Charette

A teenage boy wheeled his almost new 26-speed bicycle to the front of Cornerstone Church and set the bike gently against the church altar.

Earlier in the day, a single mother walked to the front of the church and announced that she had decided to give all she had--her entire chequing account. In response, the people of the church flooded her with cash gifts until ones, fives, 10s and 20s were piled at her feet.

This unprecedented sacrificial giving occurred at Cornerstone Church's "World Harvest Festival" Sept. 18-20, 1998. Cornerstone is a Mennonite congregation of 100 cell groups comprising about 1,000 people.

During the mission conference, guest speaker Harold Caballeros spoke of the blessing experienced by his church in Guatemala. It had grown from a handful of people to become that nation's largest church. Caballeros told how people in his church had willingly sacrificed "till it hurt", giving financial gifts and personal items as a symbolic gesture of commitment to God and the church.

"When Harold began telling the stories of the unusual outpouring of gifts at his church, I had a sense that our people might respond in the same way," said Gerald Martin, Cornerstone's senior pastor. "However, no one could have predicted what ended up happening."

During the Friday evening message, Caballeros asked attenders if they would consider giving beyond what they normally give--not for any particular cause but as a pledge to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. The result was a five-hour Sunday morning service filled with sacrificial giving.

"We had originally intended to have two separate services on Sunday morning," Martin said. "But during the first service, people began coming forward in waves, laying their gifts at the front of the church and sharing their testimonies. There were guitars, journals, briefcases, wedding bands, cheques, cash and much more. The first service simply never ended."

Those arriving for the church's second service found the church still full. Inside the sanctuary, people told stories of how God had led them to give:

  • "I feel God has been calling my husband and me to be ready to move to a new area, perhaps to be in ministry," a young woman said. "But I love my job and didn't want to move. Today, I'm giving my new briefcase as a way of showing that I am willing to give up my job if God asks me to."

  • A pastor said: "My life has revolved around my laptop computer. Everything I do is on my laptop. On Friday night, I knew that a truly sacrificial gift would be my laptop. So today I am giving my computer."

  • A middle-aged woman said her first marriage ended in divorce. "After that, I became so intent on getting married again that I drifted from God. I eventually did get married. Now I feel God directing me to give something very dear to me--my diamond ring. At first, I didn't want to give it, but I know it's right. He means more to me than this ever could."

  • A teenager said: "I have been working really hard in school to get ready to go to college. I've always wanted to have a good job and be successful. But, to pursue my American dream, I've been neglecting my time with God. Now I know that God is calling me to spend more time with Him and even pursue full-time ministry. As of today, I am going to take all of the time and money I would have invested in college and put it toward God."

  • A young man gave up his CD player, purchased at a time of deep credit card debt. "The truth is, I wasn't trusting God," he said. "But God has been faithful to me, so I don't want that part of my life around anymore. My CDs and my music have become too important to me. I want God to be most important."

    Associate senior pastor Sam Scaggs, the church's mission director, said the service of giving was not a fundraiser. "The World Harvest Festival is designed as a training event for our church family. We believe strongly in maintaining our focus on world missions. This event is part of that focus. The giving was purely how God ended up touching us."

    Martin said news of the service spread quickly. "There have been churches in the past that have abused the notion of gifts and tithes," he said. "Yet, we can't deny that God moved on us in a powerful way Sunday."

    Caballeros said: "Something very, very powerful happens when people decide that God is more important than their things."

    At 1 p.m. that Sunday afternoon, with the church altar overrun with gifts, church members filed out of the church, hugging each other and talking about what God had done. The giving and testimonies continued during the evening service as Caballeros concluded the event.

    More than $30,000 in gifts were given, all of which will go to worldwide missions. Because someone gave something precious to them, something very precious will in turn be given to the people of Italy, Albania, China, northern Africa and beyond--the gospel and the hope of Jesus Christ," Scaggs said. "There is no gift as valuable as that."

    When the single mother collected all the cash that had been given to her, she had two tissue boxes full. Later that day, she gave one of the boxes to another single mom. She came to give all, and in return was given much more.

    This article is reprinted, with permission, from the Oct. 1, 1998 issue of Mennonite Weekly Review.

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