Happy New Year! As we enter into a new year, here’s a great reminder by Worship Pastor Justin Kolean about how God uses our faithfulness in big ways! Check out what’s been happening with our Fearless Kids at Cultivate:
For the past few years, our Cultivate Kids have been learning to give generously and care for those in need through a program called “Fund-a-Farm.” When our kids give to Fund-a-Farm, they partner with one of our Global Mission Partners, Hope of the Nations, in Kigoma, Tanzania!
The funds they raise help purchase farm animals for impoverished families. Gifting animals to these families allows them to provide food for their families and generate income. Did you know the kids can even choose to give in 4 different ways? They can choose to give towards a rabbit farm ($50), a chicken farm ($100), a pregnant cow ($875), or a fund designated for tools & other farm needs.
In November, Cultivate Kids raised enough money to purchase a second cow! The gift of a pregnant cow is a blessing for TWO families because after the calf is born, it is gifted to another family, so the blessing continues to grow and spread through the community in Tanzania! This is a huge milestone for Cultivate Kids because their gifts are typically small, often just loose change, so it is so encouraging to see what happens when their finances come together! A great example of God’s faithfulness within our small gifts is in Matthew 14 where Jesus takes five loaves of bread and two fish but then graciously multiplies the amount to feed 5,000 people!
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. – Matthew 14:17-20 (NIV)
As we enter a new year, don’t forget that God can take our small acts of kindness (as well as our finances) and do something BIG with it! Our God is still in the business of blessing His people and providing in ways we may not know about or often cannot see. Keep being faithful (just like our Cultivate Kids have been!) and trust Jesus with the outcomes.
