THE LIFE WINTER 2017
A publication of Fountain of Life Church
testimonies
BROKE TO
BLESSED! Read how Kent and Candy Christmas went from financial struggle to financial freedom and breakthrough P. 10
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NEW AT FOL! The road to partnership is changing! P. 18
THE LIFE
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WINTER 2017
4 PASTOR HANS
Learn why giving makes you more like Jesus
6 DOUG ECCLES
A conversation with Evangelist Doug Eccles about his experience with financial sowing and reaping
STORY: 10 COVER SACRIFICING ISAAC
Pastor Kent Christmas gave 50% of his income to God and saw the biggest return of his life
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12 GIVING TESTIMONIES
Real stories from real FOL partners who were blessed through giving
16 WHY GIVE?
Learn the benefits believers reap when they’re obedient in tithing and giving
PARTNERSHIP 18 NEW PROCESS
Learning about FOL, getting involved, committing to partnership, and leading in ministry Discover the new track for Partnership
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The Life Magazine is published quarterly by Fountain of Life Church in Elizabeth City, NC. Editor in Chief/Hans Hess * Editor, Communications Director/Tiffany Harris * Editor, Layout Designer, Graphic Designer/Kristina Granstaff * Writers/Hans Hess, Jackie Davenport, Dayton Birt, Tiffany Harris. Proofreaders/Brenda Harris, Tina Kirkland, Tiffany Harris, Christy Wells, Courtney Taft, Kristina Granstaff, Chase Granstaff
Cover Photo: restingplacechurch.org, Lifegroups ad: lightstock
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a season of By: Pastor Hans Hess
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e just finished the Advent season. What a wonderful time Christmas was! Historically, the Church has called the holiday season Advent because the term “Advent” comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming.” This is the season when we celebrate the coming of Jesus, the Son of God, to earth. The capstone of Bible verses that unveils the why of His coming is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
For God so loved… that He gave… God’s love compelled Him to give His very best. If we look at several 3:16 verses in the bible, they tell an interesting story of God’s self-giving. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. (1 Tim. 3:16)
photo: shutterstock, Lu Mikhaylova
God gave His very best in that He gave Himself! He was manifested in the flesh. His mission was to give all even his life. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16) His self-giving becomes the model for our lives. We are now to live extravagant lives of giving. Our giving can be categorized into three areas: Time, talent, and tithe. We give of our time in making space for God in our daily lives. We should take time to pray, read the Bible, attend church, and meditate on God. We give our talent in using our gifts and abilities to serve the Lord. This could mean volunteering in a church ministry, in a small group, or in an outreach ministry. We also utilize our gifts and talents in our jobs or by starting businesses, writing books, or in music, art, etc. Finally, we honor God in giving tithes. The term tithe means a “tenth.� This is the minimum standard of our giving to God (Malachi 3:8-11). However, we are to give above and beyond the tithe when we have the opportunity and resources. In our extravagant giving, we model the extravagant giving of our Lord. In this issue of The Life, you will read stories of people who learned the power of generosity and saw many amazing results from their giving. Let’s make 2017 the year of extravagant generosity!
and with by: Jackie Davenport
When did you first learn about giving? In 1987 I was a youth pastor at a large Assemblies of God Church. I knew God had called me to evangelism. I started getting invitations to preach, hold revivals and do youth camps at various locations. I had a few meetings, but it was not easy. I took a night job loading trucks at UPS and during the day I was substitute teaching. Even with multiple jobs, paying bills and eating came with great difficulty. I went as many as four days at a time without eating because of lack. I did not have a major amount of money, but I was making it; I had a decent car and clothes. This was new to me. As I grew up, I do not remember a time that my needs were not supplied. My dad had pastored successful churches and had always provided well for the family. During this time I began to study what the Bible said about provision, prosperity and giving. I was amazed [at] what I found. It became clear to me that I was the problem. While studying the Bible, I read Hosea 4:6: “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” What I lacked knowledge in was destroying me. I then read Psalm 35:27 that states “Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” As I read, I realized if God is pleased when His servant prospers, then He must be displeased with my lack thereof. It became clear from John 3:16 (For God so loved the world He gave...) and Mathew 7:11 ('If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?') that God is a giver. If I want to be godly, I must give. We give because we love and giving is an expression of love. God is a giver, so if I am not receiving, the problem must be on my end but never with God. During this time Ephesians 6:8 became a life verse for me: “Whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord....” This was the beginning of a new season.
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Talk about a time you had to wait or stand on faith because of a money-related issue. I had a crusade coming up in Pakistan and had made a deposit of thousands of dollars on the stadium, sound equipment, and advertising. I was believing for the rest of the money to come in but nothing was happening. I went to [my wife] Laurie and told her the situation. I said, “I have to ask you something big. Can I sell my wedding ring to help pay for the crusade?” She said, “Sell mine too, but you have to promise to get me a bigger one.” I was able to go to Pakistan and see over 25,000 people come to Christ. We told no one about the rings. Laurie wore a ring that belonged to her mother and I had a ring I bought for $20 at TJ Maxx. I had always heard you cannot out-give God. We know that is true now. I was at a church and a lady came and gave me a ring. She said, “Give this to your wife. I do not need it. I’ve been divorced a long time.” Someone else gave me another ring for Laurie. We took those rings and melted them down and made her a ring better than the one she gave away. I still had not gotten a nice ring. I was content with the cheap one from TJ Maxx. One day in Indiana a man came to me with his pastor. He said, “Tomorrow I go to court. I could lose my cars, house and business. I have nothing to give except this ring.” It was a wedding band with diamonds all around it. It was worth several thousand dollars; more than the ring I had sold. I went and had it resized and wore it for several years until I put it in the ministry, too.
photo: Doug Eccles
What would you say to those who ask why we should give money to, or go to foreign lands when there is so much to do here in the US? First of all, Mark 16:15 says, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” Just going into my area would not fulfill that. All the world needs Christ. The Word of God in Matthew 24:14 says, “And the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.” We must reach those who are unreached. Personally, I cannot go everywhere, but I can go somewhere. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. We have seen over one million people respond to Christ around the world. I am sure those who heard the Gospel and accepted Jesus are glad I did not just decide to reach those in the USA. Sometimes we value “our” people more than others outside the USA. But, Jesus died for all. People need to be saved. People need to hear the Gospel. Preachers need to be sent. And, people need to give to see this happen. Romans 10:14-15 perfectly combines the theme of giving and spreading the Word of God:
'How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!' When Laurie and I began to pursue missions around the world we sold our home and moved to my parent’s basement. It was a six and half year sacrificial seed to reach the lost, but if we had not done this who knows what the outcome of our dream would be today. We have now seen over a million people come to Christ in over 40 nations, but at the time we had been nowhere with very little results. Sometimes giving is not convenient and may even be irrational. Look at the woman at Zarephath in First Kings 17. She gave beyond reason and the results were phenomenal. There was supernatural provision because of her sacrificial seed. Laurie and I live our life with everything being about sowing and reaping. If you do not like what you have going on in any area of your life, check what you have been sowing. Wherever you are in your life, begin today sowing the kind of seeds you would like to reap a reciprocating harvest. If there is lack, purposely sow in that area in the measure you would like a harvest. A seed of nothing produces a season of nothing. A seed of abundance produces a season of abundance. A seed of significance produces a season of significance. Your best seed will produce your best season.
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SACRIFICING ISAAC
The incredible testimony of how an evangelist gave 50% of his income to God and received the greatest return of all. By: TIFFANY HARRIS
K
ent Christmas was a young boy when he first learned about tithing. He performed odd jobs mowing lawns and turning soda bottles in for money. When he acquired his meager income, his father used that opportunity to teach him about tithing. “I got upset,” Kent says with a chuckle. “I threw [the money] on the floor and said, ‘Take it all.’” As he grew older, tithing became a normal way of life. He married his wife, Candy Christmas, and the pair travelled together for speaking engagements. In 1991, he preached at a church in San Francisco. Seven people in the congregation were dying of AIDs. Afterward, he asked God to perform a healing miracle. “Son, that takes faith,” he heard the Lord say. “Will you give me 50% of your income until I tell you to stop?” He felt like he could, but he needed to talk to his wife Candy about this new commitment. She agreed, and Kent thought that because of his obedience God would help him be debt free within three months. Three months passed, and his situation remained the same. Their electricity got cut off, and they were due to lose their home in six months. During this ordeal, he preached at a church in Columbus, Ohio. The last time he spoke at that church, they gave him $300. At other places, he usually received around $600-$700, but none of those amounts would cover half of his bills. Before the service at his hotel room, he put his Bible on the ground and stood on it. He told God he needed $3,000. That amount would cover his bills while allowing him to give 50% to God. He preached to a crowd of about 200 people that day. At the end, the pastor gave him a check for $6,500 and said it was an unusually big offering for their church. Kent started weeping. He realized at that moment that God heard his prayer in a time when he did not feel like God was listening to his cries. He drove 300 miles home and said to his wife, “I really believe this is broken off of us.” It wasn’t.
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The electric company disconnected their power again. Pastor friends even visited them while the power was off, and they tried to play it off, so their friends would not suspect the truth. In fact, Kent and Candy never told anyone what they were going through. When people asked how they were doing they would simply say, “We’re blessed.” They reached another trying time with their home. The Bank of America told them they were foreclosing. Soon after, they preached on a Sunday and received $3,500 which was really unusual. When they received that big check, the obvious choice was to make their house payments current. At the time, Kent was studying in the Bible about Abraham and Isaac. So, he decided to give that check, his Isaac, to God. “I told the Lord, I’d give him my Isaac – my credit rating, my house, my reputation,” Kent says. About two weeks later, He told Kent he didn’t have to give 50% of his income anymore. He went back to giving 20% (10% tithe and 10% offering). Two weeks later, a business man took him and Candy out to lunch. Afterward, they went to his office. The business man spoke to his secretary, and she came in with an envelope. He told them that whatever was in the envelope was for them to pay off their house. The man didn’t know their financial situation and didn’t know they owed on the house. He gave them $125,000. They owed $98,000, but God gave them enough that they could still give 20% off the income and completely pay off the house. Soon after, when Kent and Candy travelled to San Francisco to speak, a pregnant Candy went into labor with their son, Nicholas. She birthed him three months premature. He weighed two pounds. The doctors told them he wouldn’t live, and that he’d be blind and retarded if he did. Kent stood outside of the hospital room and cried. The Lord spoke to him and said, “Since you gave me your Isaac, your son is going to live.” Still, the situation seemed bleak. They had to stay in California at the hospital until his due date. The fee for that added up
to a quarter of a million dollars, and they had no insurance. Every day the doctors gave them bad news about Nicholas’ condition. Candy would cuddle Nicholas and sing “Great is thy faithfulness,” and the Lord would heal him of each medical issue that arose. He never needed an operation. To take care of the finances, Kent resorted to going to a local assistance facility in San Francisco thinking his home state of Tennessee could possibly help. Though he felt dejected asking for money, he waited for three hours with transvestites and drug addicts as company. He finally went back into the office to see if he qualified for financial aid. They told him he made too much, and they couldn’t do anything for him. Kent started to leave when the lady said they could do something for their son, Nicholas. They could pay for his medical bills. That was the financial aid he needed! Today, Nicholas is a strong, healthy, 23-year-old college student and every October 15, on his birthday, they celebrate the fact that he’s not in the grave. Throughout this entire time period, Kent figured they gave $25,000 in total to God. In return, God gave them back $250,000 as well as the life of his son. “I knew looking back that that whole thing wasn’t about giving God money,” he says. “It was about faith.” He fully believes today his son wouldn’t have been alive had he not obeyed God in his giving. Kent believes that God’s not after our money; He’s after our heart, but our hearts are tied to our money. “If you can’t give him your money, you can’t give him your heart.” He says that tithes always belong to God, but offerings come out of sacrifice. Kent and his wife Candy remain a living testament of sacrificial giving, tried faith, and miraculous provision. They pastor a church in Nashville, Tennessee called The Resting Place; conduct a large, weekly homeless outreach; and continue to believe God for the impossible.
photo: restingplacechurch.org
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GIVING TESTIMONIES From Our FOL Partners By: Tiffany Harris
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he first year Wayne Cooper and his wife Trena decided to go on a mission trip at Fountain of Life, they did not know how they were going to pay for it. They held a few fundraisers and some people gave to their trip. Eventually, though, they became fully funded. When they came back from that trip, Trena’s sister told them a few people had backed out of a vacation trip to Cancun and wanted to know if Wayne and Trena would replace them. The trip was free.
Wayne felt uneasy going on a vacation when he and Trena fundraised and received financial support for their recent mission trip. “To me it’d be like a slap in the face,” he says. They forfeited the vacation that year. The next year, they prepared to go on another mission trip. They ended up receiving much more from their tax return than usual. It completely provided for their mission trip and a vacation for them to go to Cancun. “Ever since then, we’ve never lacked,” he says. “It seems the more we give, the more we get.” Wayne grew up in a giving family and notes that giving and paying tithes has never been an issue, though they do not boast in this. They’ve been able to go on around 15 missions trips altogether, and about 10 of them have been through Fountain of Life. Since that first year, they never had to asked anyone for support. God continues to provide for them in abundance.
12 all photos: Paige Old Photography and Tiffany Harris
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rom 2000-2001, Larry and Denise Gunther prepared to go on the mission field. They gathered funds and organized their life in preparation for their transition. They were in the IPHC denomination under the Redemption Ministries Conference which resided over Eastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. At that time, Pastor Hans Hess was the Missions Director over the conference while he pastored a church in Virginia. Pastor Hans interviewed Larry and Denise and helped them set up speaking appointments around different churches, so they could begin raising financial support. There was a conference meeting for pastors approaching, and Larry and Denise were asked to speak. They looked at that appointment as an opportunity to network with local IPHC pastors. At this time, Larry had quit his job and the couple itinerated from church-to-church full time. But, they hit a plateau. They raised three quarters of their support and could not raise anymore, though they felt ready in all other regards. At the conference meeting, a pastor friend of theirs asked if he could take up an offering. He felt to ask the pastors to give large amounts, so that the Redemption Ministries Conference did not have to cover the expenses of the meeting. “I feel like we need to be bold,” he said. “I want some pastors from these large churches to give $500.” If they gave, the expenses would be covered. Larry and Denise sat next to each other, and Denise didn’t think the call to give applied to them. Larry leaned to her and said, “We’re supposed to give $500.” At the time, they had five kids, were without jobs, and without money, yet Larry felt impressed from the Holy Spirit to give. The preacher taking up the offering waited on oral responses of commitment from the pastors. Larry looked up and said, “I’ll give $500.” The pastor looked at Larry and said, “Brother, you’re poor! You don’t even have a job!” Some other people pledged to give, and the meeting continued. Though Larry acted in sacrificial obedience, he saw an immediate return. By the end of the day, the rest of their financial support needed to go to the mission field was raised. They look back on that day as a turn-around day- the day their plateau stopped. And, that divine intervention allowed the Gunthers to become missionaries to Morocco for over a year.
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n October 2015, God spoke to Phyllis and showed her a vision of a backpack with the word 2017. She said, “Lord, wherever you want me to go, send me.” In March 2016, she started receiving confirmations from God that He was transitioning her. She learned the Missions Outreach Team was going on a mission trip to Haiti in January 2017. She knew that was the trip God wanted her to go on.
God spoke to her in multiple ways during this time. One day she and her husband Rickey were in the car and an 18-wheeler pulled in front of them. On the back of the truck read the words, “It’s my season.” She knew God was telling her it was her season to give. “He began by taking me out of my comfort zone,” she says. She felt the Holy Spirit tell her to write support letters to people for her Haiti trip. That made her uncomfortable as she usually paid for the trip herself by Rickey working overtime and saving the money. But, she chose obedience. God directed her when to send the letters out and who to send them to. After she sent the letters, she immediately saw blessings. Someone who received a letter left her $200. Another person (who remained anonymous to her) gave her $1,000. Knowing this was the season to give, Phyllis gave to people who were trying to fund their own mission trips. She was in a women’s retreat and God told her to give every woman there a $2 bill. She obeyed. She went to Chick-Fil-A and paid for the meals of the people behind her. She paid her usual tithes then gave above that amount in many ways as the Holy Spirit guided her. “I knew it was my season. I was being obedient and being faithful,” she says. “It’s been flowing ever since.” In return, she was blessed often. In November 2016, Phyllis’ trip became fully funded. Through this season of giving she learned to give as if she was giving to God and learned to listen to the Holy Spirit, so she would “sow” financially in “good soil”. She feels blessed by God’s faithfulness during this time in her life and looks forward to going on the trip that God provided for her.
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GIVING TESTIMONIES
n September 1995, Lois Hassell started sponsoring a child named Nilupa Khatun from India. Each month they sent money to the sponsorship organization that provided for the little girl across the globe. This little girl was special to Lois as she birthed six boys and only one girl. She always thought girls from India looked beautiful, and she looked forward to getting a picture from Nilupa each year and seeing how she grew. Eventually, as the girl aged, she phased out of the program. At that time, Lois started supporting a People to People child with the IPHC. Though her husband Linwood and her lived on fixed incomes as senior citizens, they set aside money every month, along with their tithes, to send to their new sponsored child. They made this commitment, because they felt strongly about Luke 12:48: “…For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required…” Lois thought about the children she knew at the church. All of them wore clothes and were dressed appropriately for the season. When she thought about the need overseas and the children who were not as blessed as the children in America, she knew she could help. “It’s not right for a child to have to live that way,” she says thinking of some of the poverty stricken areas overseas where People to People children live. Because her one daughter is handicapped, she realized that those children, too, were handicapped. They were handicapped by their social situation and inherited circumstances. Now, Lois sponsors a 15-year-old girl from Sudan named Namana Lokai. Namana has no source of electricity or proper sanitation. She and her mother walk up to two miles every day in extreme heat for water. Namana attends the local IPHC school in Kapoeta, and the Hassell’s monthly support provides for her health, nutrition, clothing, and a place to feel safe. Lois encourages others to give by telling them to put themselves in the situation as a parent. “It could be me and my children,” she says. “I can’t imagine what a mother goes through knowing her child is hungry or sick and can’t do anything about it.” Through her support, Lois impacts a family in Sudan and allows them to hear the Gospel and receive nutritional and provisional care. For more information in sponsoring a People to People child, visit iphc. org/ptp/sponsor or call the Fountain of Life office at 252-335-4198. Sponsorship costs $25 a month, $150 bi-annually, or $300 annually. There are currently over 2,000 unsponsored People to People children.
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efore they attended Fountain of Life, Cliff and Tina Kirkland frequented Calvary Revival Church. Their son, Harrison, who was in 10th grade at the time, looked to his future after high school.
One Sunday at church, a pastor on staff, Minister Bell, gave his testimony about receiving free education for his college and law school. He was also on-staff at Harrison’s school which was also associated with Calvary Revival Church. Bell asked the congregation, “How many parents have high school kids in Calvary Christian School System? How many parents believe God to pay for their college tuition?” He proceeded to have those people stand up and give an offering by faith. Cliff and Tina stood and gave an offering. “With Harrison being the first person in our family to go to College, we never paid attention to what it would cost to go to school until he mentioned it," Tina says. The next year, Cliff lost his job in the medical field. For eight months he was unemployed and started seeking the Lord for direction. Harrison started applying for various colleges and Virginian Wesleyan College hosted an open house. Cliff attended the open house with his son and felt led of the Lord to ask if they had any job openings. They said they had a security position opening, so he applied. Months before Harrison graduated from high school, Cliff accepted the job as an officer not knowing that it meant free tuition for Harrison for five years until he graduated. After realizing this, the couple realized God had answered their prayers. Harrison graduated in 2015 with a major in Communications and Media and a minor in Business. They never had to pay for tuition. Tina adds that her older son, James, went into the military for five years then decided not to reenlist. One year later, he went back to school. Now, he’s in college studying Computer Science for free due to the GI Bill. Cliff and Tina are grateful for God’s creative direction in providing free schooling for both of their children.
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By: bishop dayton birt
Tithing, Giving, and Generous Living
Generosity: Giving to Live “Tithing”,”offerings”,”giving to the Lord”, “generosity” and other words or phrases that indicate sharing our possessions with others often stirs a flood of either positive or negative emotions! In fact, many good Christians find it difficult to practice tithing and generosity. So often, we have been influenced by society’s attitude that we live in direct opposition of being generous! We are bombarded with an endless stream of marketing and advertising that focuses on “earn all you can, can all you get, and sit on the lid!” (Stan Toler, Give to Live, 2012, p5). God Owns Everything To develop our perspective on giving, let’s first see what the Bible says about ownership. God’s ownership of the world is clearly stated in Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (KJV). This principle of God’s ownership is based on the truth that in the beginning God came from nowhere, because there was nothing to come from. When He created the earth and all that is in it, He stood on nothing because there was nothing to stand on. He creat-
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ed everything, because there was nothing around to use. He is God! He certainly owns everything for our use! So, we should ask ourselves this question: Am I making decisions and living as if things belong to God or me? Because the way we live unmistakably declares the answer! The Holy Scriptures teach that we are to be faithful “stewards” of all that God made. He has given us basic principles to help us be faithful in this stewardship. One example is Luke 19:12-27 where Jesus teaches stewardship with the parable of a “master” (or “a man of noble birth,” NIV) who went on a long journey and left his assets in the hands of ten servants. When the master returned he called for a reckoning of his assets. Each servant replied with what they did with the master’s money. All had some level of return, except one. The master strongly rebuked him, because the servant was afraid and held on to the money but never received any return even simple interest! If entrusted with something that is not theirs, be faithful to steward the master’s money. God, the Master, is the owner of everything, the controller of all events, and is our provider. Our responsibility is to be a “steward” (manager or supervisor). In Scripture the position of a steward is one of great
responsibility. They have supreme authority under the master and have full responsibility for all the master’s possessions and household affairs. Scripture affirms that God, as Master, has given us the authority to be stewards. “You (God) made them (people) in charge of everything you made. You put all things under their control” (Psalm 8:6, New Century Version). I know that God has dominion over the earth, so I will use my resources wisely! As followers of Christ, our expression of giving is found in two acts of obedience: The giving of tithes and the giving of offerings. Notice in these verses “our part” and “God’s part:” Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day. “You ask, ‘How have we robbed you?’ The tithe and the offering—that’s how! And now you’re under a curse—the whole lot of you—because you’re robbing me. Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams. For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers. The Message of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies (Mal 3:8-11, MSG). The tithe is the tenth part of anything. It is the first part of our income, of all that we earn. And, it already belongs to the Lord. Giving tithes is our responsibility; it is a biblical minimum in our financial commitment. It does not limit our giving; tithing opens the door to a genuine life of financial stewardship and generous giving! Proverbs 3:9, 10 says, “Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best” (MSG). Consistent tithing and giving teaches us to rely on God’s riches, not our own ability. My experience with tithing began when I was about six years old. My parents taught me to give 10% of my weekly allowance to the Lord by placing my offering in a giving envelope and putting it in the offering plate each Sunday. When I began to deliver papers at 12 years old, the tithing got larger and larger. My tips would be amazing especially at Christmas! I was so excited to bring my tithe to the Lord on Sunday! When I was working in the grocery store at age 14, I tithed; when I worked for the auto parts store I tithed; even when I was struggling in my faith during my later teenage years, I never stopped tithing. All through college, I continued the discipline of tithing. I grew to become a cheerful, generous giver. As a result, the Lord has blessed my family in so many ways! Begin to develop a lifestyle of generosity by devoting yourself more fully to the Lord!
the amount we trusted the Lord for and each year the final amount was within a few hundred dollars. When I look back, I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Lynn and I would have believed the Lord for a greater amount! Generosity benefits us spiritually as well as materially! In fact, I think I could say without stretching it too much, that I have tithed on every dollar I have earned in my life! That didn’t earn God’s love or his special favor, but I have seen my finances continue to grow my entire life! I find myself being thankful in all things – in time of lack and prosperity; in times of sickness and health; in times of stress and rest; in times of joy and sadness. I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself in. A giving lifestyle brings joy, contentment, and peace! However, this is not about getting richer, buying more things, or even saving more money because on two occasions the Lord has asked my wife and I to empty our savings account and give everything we have saved into the ministry or missions. This was not easy, because it took us several years to save even $5,000. Both times it was when I was pastor and the church was raising money for projects. On the first occasion we were raising money to buy a church building for the Christian School I started. We were about $6,000 short and the giving seemed to just stop. I couldn’t understand why so close to our final goal and within days of needing the money to buy the building the donations seemed to stop. Then in prayer time I felt the Lord impress upon me to give the last amount from our saving to complete the project. It was actually very liberating. “This is not my money,” I told the Lord. “And if you need me to give it here then it is yours!” When it happened a second time it was more difficult to empty our savings account, because we were saving for our first house. But we obeyed and again we had a huge release. We prayed, if the Lord wants us to own a house he will provide one! And he did about 2 years later with another amazing financial provision. The journey goes on and on. The freedom of being generous with our life - is the courage to let go!
Consistent tithing and giving teaches us to rely on God’s riches, not our own ability.
When Lynn and I were married in 1980. We were both 23 years old at the time. I was just beginning full time ministry with my father, the founding pastor, at Liberty Christian Church in Greensburg, PA. I served as Associate Pastor from 1980 until we moved to Virginia Beach to attend Regent University in 1985. During those years my father and I agreed to an unusual way to be supported in the ministry; we would receive a percentage of the offerings as our salary. It was the way my dad structured the church from the beginning. This way the ministry staff and the congregation would be partners in ministry. The church was only a few years old and offerings were not large. Several families traveled south during the cold winter months, so the offerings would be really small! The weekly offerings were not consistent but we entered into the ministry with a full understanding we would be living by faith! Lynn and I prayed over the situation and we agreed that we would begin tithing on what we were believing the Lord for in salary and not just on what our weekly check was which was usually very small! So, we asked the Lord for an annual salary of $15,000, and began to tithe weekly in the beginning of the winter months when the offerings were the smallest! It was an amazing journey of faith. We saw answers to prayer almost weekly in our lives. Our two oldest daughters were born in a Catholic hospital with no insurance and no debt! We found an apartment for rent just a few blocks from the church for only $150 a month. And when we received our W-2 Form the next year the amount in the salary box was within $50 our “faith tithing” amount! We did this for five years and each year we increased
I share our family’s journey not to brag about what someone else gave, nor to give the impression that someone should do the same, but simply to demonstrate that the principle of tithing and generous giving develops a lifestyle of generosity. I have heard it said that there are three levels of giving: 1. You have to (law demands it) 2. You ought to (obligation) 3. You want to (grace) My own family is growing through these stages and continue to be stretched until we can truly give back to the Lord out of a heart of gratefulness and love. These disciplines of giving teach us that everything is the Lord’s and we are “stewards” of all that is his. Begin to develop a lifestyle of generosity by devoting ourselves more fully to the Lord! John Wesley once said something like this: “Earn all we can, save all we can, and give all we can.” Generosity rarely happens by chance. Instead, you have to make intentional decisions that create opportunities and foster generosity. Start small, start now – you will be amazed how much fun it is!! What simple steps can you take to foster generosity in your life?
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THERE IS A NEW ROAD TO
PARTNERSHIP AT FOUNTAIN OF LIFE BY: TIFFANY HARRIS
T
his new year at Fountain of Life means change for the Partnership process – the way FOL receives new partners (members) into the church. Previously, those interested in joining attended a First Step Class (held monthly) then attended the Partnership Dinner. The dinner honored the partners as well as provided an opportunity for them to officially join.
This process sufficed for several years, but with the influx of new people to the church it became necessary to improve the method. This initiated talks how to better communicate vision with prospective partners and involve them in ministry more effectivity. The new route to Partnership is called Life Track. The first class Life Track, Connect, is an introduction to the church where participants will better understand Fountain of Life. Pastor Hans Hess says, “The new Connect class is designed to expose the newcomer to the core of Fountain of Life’s vision and heartbeat.” After Connect follows Serve. Serve helps those new to the church find their place at FOL. In general, serving gives people an affinity in the place they worship and helps them find purpose as they work with others toward a common goal. It’s also an organic way to make friends and build relationships. At the Serve class, people will learn about their gifts and their passions and how they fit with Fountain of Life’s serving ministries. After Serve, Partner helps participants understand what commitment means and why it’s important. At this step, those seeking church Partnership (membership), can make the final decision and officially join the church. The tradition of welcoming new Partners in front of the congregation will still be a time where we honor those who’ve gone through the process, however it is not required to join. This presentation of new Partners is designated on special Partnership Sundays throughout the year. Lead, the last class, was added to the Life Track after the staff recognized there was no ongoing leadership training at FOL. This bi-yearly class intends to solve that issue. Lead is for those established in serving who would like to lead others in ministry. This class is not required to become a partner with Fountain of Life. If you are already a Partner, it is not necessary to go through Life Track unless you feel led to join a class or specifically participate with Lead.
Why partnership? Partnership is a structure for how the church operates and how it
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raises up godly men and women to fulfill the Great Commission. It is a measurable system of accountability and leadership. It isn’t a social club where some people are “accepted” and some are “rejected”. Rather, it’s a commitment to live life a part of a local church and not separate from it. Practically, it’s a great time to dive into discussion of FOL’s belief systems and vision. One may not be able to raise their hand on Sunday and ask the speaker a question, but he or she may do that in the Life Track classes. Further, the Senior Pastor may not dive into the history of FOL or the church’s practiced theology on a Sunday morning, but in Life Track classes, those convictions are easily communicated. More importantly, church Partnership (membership) is biblical. Matt Chandler, lead pastor of Village Church in Dallas, Texas, mentions the following scriptural references in Is Church Membership Biblical?: • In Acts 2:37-47 – The early church tracks their growth by taking numerical records of those who accepted Christ as their Savior and been filled with the Holy Spirit. • In 1 Timothy 5:3-16 – The church provides instructions and guidelines for caring for widows in the church (pastoral care). • In 1 Peter 5:1-5; Acts 6:2-6;1 Timothy 3:1-13– The Scriptures talk about elders (leaders) being installed to care for those in the church body as well as qualifications for leadership. • In 1 Corinthians 5:1-12 – Paul tells the church in Corinth how to handle Christians living a lifestyle of sin within the local church and how to correct them. Above are just a few examples of the biblical support for a church structure. Chandler adds: When you begin to look at these texts it becomes clear that God’s plan for his church is that we would belong to a local covenant community of faith. This is for our own protection and maturation, and for the good of others. If you view church as some sort of ecclesiological buffet, then you severely limit the likelihood of your growing into maturity. “I’m really excited about our new partnership process,” Pastor Hans Hess says. “Because it will help the new person at Fountain of Life be better equipped to serve.” The leadership at Fountain of Life agree and hope that the new Life Track will help new people feel more connected, flourish in their abilities, and grow in faith with other like-minded believers.
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CONNECT
At Connect Class, we introduce you to our church. You’ll learn why we do what we do, and why we believe what we believe. More importantly, we’ll get to know you!
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SERVE
At Serve Class, you’ll discover your gifts and how they fit into the body of Christ. God made you the way you are for a reason, and we want you to serve in the specific way you were designed. Serve will help you find purpose at FOL.
PARTNER
Partner takes on a different form from the other classes. Though you’ll still learn about the covenant of Partnership at FOL, we will honor you with a catered dinner. At this dinner you can decide whether you’re ready to commit with us in your faith journey or not. As a family of believers, we want to be committed to one another, and at Partner, you’ll find out how to do that.
FOR ALL THE DATES FOR THESE CLASSES CHECK OUT www.folchurch.com/events
LEAD
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(Not required)
At Lead Class, you’ll go from a disciple to a leader. You’ll be equipped to minister the Gospel, work with people, and more!
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Valentine’s Steak Dinner and Cake Auction February 11th at 6 pm $15 per person Buy Tickets at the fol Welcome Center