Still Counting

“It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” ~Philippians 2:13

Allow me to update you here with the latest numbers from our first ever Missions Month / Missions Sunday here at Central. The money continues to trickle in this afternoon, but the current grand total offered is $344,421.84! And counting…! Before you pull out the calculator, that’s almost $95,000 more than our really ambitious (I thought) goal.

As you know, my initial reactions to the tremendous generosity of our church family ranged from disbelief and wanting to ask for a recount to grateful praise and worship of our forever-giving Father. Since then, several more thoughts have been churning in my brain, among them, that we all should have known this wasn’t going to go in any other way. This is the way it had to happen for God to get all the glory which, by the way, only he deserves.

If we had just barely reached our goal — oh, I can hear it now: Those videos were perfect. The guest speakers were an inspiring touch. Using the kids the way we did was genius. Kevin’s songs were brilliant. The plan was explained in wonderfully clear language. The timing was just right. The beautiful brochures made it so easy. Allan’s sermons were breath-takingly irresistible.

But, no. Nobody heard any of that, nobody said any of that Sunday, yesterday, or today. Mostly, we were all driven to our knees in humble gratitude or compelled to our feet in joyous praise of our Father in heaven who is the ONE who make this happen — the only ONE! It’s too big, too indescribable, too over-the-top, too everything! To God be the glory! He did this! Amen and amen!

We’ve already wired $50,000 to Alara to finish out the brand new permanent school building for the orphans in Kenya and another $50,000 to Great Cities Missions for the continued training, sending, and supporting of Latin American missionaries and the churches they’re planting. The rest of the original goal is already ear-marked for exciting missions endeavors in 2014. The fun part now is figuring out how we’re going to spend that other $95,000.

I thought the quarter-of-a-million dollars goal would challenge our church to the limits of possibility. I may have underestimated our God and his plans for our group of Christians here in Amarillo. It’s happened before.

Peace,

Allan