Shanirak Church Update September 10, 2015
I’m thrilled to report that last week we wired $41,700 to Shanirak Church of Astana. That’s $25,000 from our church savings and $16,700 in designated gifts from families and individuals in our congregation. The total will go toward the October 1 installment of $70,000 that Shanirak Church owes for the purchase of their own building.
Speaking for all the elders, I am so deeply blessed by your generous response to this need! It is such an honor to serve a church where the people are so willing to sacrifice, so eager to bless others, so oriented to Kingdom priorities, and so quick to follow the requests of the elders. Our hope was that, starting in July, we might be able to raise $25,000 by year’s end. But here we are, only a couple months into the 6-month pledge drive, and we’ve already raised two-thirds of our goal. That’s actual dollars received, not just pledged!
I want to say how profoundly grateful I am to all of you who have been faithfully praying about this need for the Bannikovs and their church. Your prayers are being heard. God is answering! So keep it up.
I also want to offer special thanks to all who have given. I’m reminded of Paul’s commendation of the churches of Macedonia, where many “gave according to their means,” and some even “beyond their means” (2 Cor 8:3). This applies to some of you, and so I say, “Thank you.”
To all, I’d like to say, “Let’s finish this task. Let’s reach that goal. Let’s bless the socks off our sister church in KZ!” What would happen if we blew right past that measly $25,000? Why couldn’t we? Why wouldn’t we?
Here’s the bottom line: How well we give shows how much we love. It’s just that simple. And the cross proves it:
I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:8-9)
Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, your heart will be also.” So… where is yours?