Some Wesleyan churches have participated in a “Reverse Offering” in this Christmas season, choosing to bless countless people.
12Stone Church, the largest within The Wesleyan Church, celebrated its “Reverse Offering” during its December 6 worship services in campuses throughout the Atlanta, Ga., suburbs.
According to Dan Reiland, executive pastor at 12Stone, each household in attendance that Sunday morning received $100.
“The purpose was to express intentional acts of kindness across the northeast Atlanta area,” said Dr. Reiland. He reported that, “Nearly $800,000 was distributed back into the hands of 12Stoners and will likely translate (as people add to it) into $1.5 to $2 million of good will being poured out. The options are limited only by our imagination and the prompts of the Holy Spirit!”
Families were given suggested expressions of kindness. Some ideas offered included:
- Pay for a family to have a family night out, such as dinner and a movie.
- Pay for someone’s gas while at the gas pump.
- Pool money with others to pay for a major car or home repair.
- Tip extravagantly.
To read more about 12Stone’s “Reverse Offering,” visit Dan Reiland’s blog. To view a video interview with Dr. Kevin Myers, senior pastor of 12Stone, click here.
Churches, as well as a university, in South Carolina also participated in giving reverse offerings this holiday season. These are examples among hundreds of Wesleyan churches that give in special ways to their communities at this time of year.
- Pastor Richard Hall of Eden Wesleyan Church, Chesnee, S.C., and the leadership team decided to give away $1,500 to some folks in their congregation, missions, and district ministries (Including FOLLOW scholarships for church plants). After the service a member gave a check for another $1,500 to be added to this fund and Monday morning someone else brought in an additional $1,000. Their generosity grew to $4,000.
- ALIVE Wesleyan Church in Central, S.C., held a Stop Hunger Now offering. Enough money was raised to pack 30,000 meals for those in need.
- Providence Wesleyan Church in Summerville, S.C., gave away a total of $2,370 to a family working hard to save for a car, a single mom forced to change jobs because of an injured back due to severe spouse abuse, a single mom who has been out of work because of an injured back, a teacher from our local high school who survived a vicious attack at home, and a waitress who picked up an extra shift to pay for a car repair. Two weeks ago we gave $2,000 to equally important needs. In one month the church gave $4,370 of extreme generosity blessings.
- Southern Wesleyan University President Todd Voss reported that he spoke with a female track athlete while picking up an Operation Christmas Child box to fill with toys. “I thanked her for her spirit of generosity, but then I heard the rest of her story. She was from a poor family in Jamaica. Due to her athletic ability, she was able to rise from that experience and eventually chose to be part of the SWU track and field family. I asked, ‘So, you are paying it forward?’ She said yes, but more than that. You see, when she was a child in Jamaica, she was blessed by receiving an Operation Christmas Child Christmas Bo–and now it was her turn to bless another child the way she was blessed.
