Beyond the Sanctuary: How Our Church’s Compassion Fund Extends God’s Love Through Bibles
A Special Message from Dr. John Freeland, Lead Pastor of Prayer, Care, and Worship
I wanted to take a moment to let you know about something amazing that God is doing through our church for our community. For those who attend worship in the sanctuary, you know that there are Bibles placed in the seat backs of the pews. While they are there for our congregation’s use, we also encourage our visitors and guests to take one with them as we want to ensure that everyone who worships has a copy of God’s Word.
Not long ago, a member contacted one of our pastors with the following story, which shows the incredible impact this effort makes on visitors to our church:
“We recently had some extended family members come and stay with us, and they attended church with us at Mt. Bethel while they were here. One was a family member from Eastern Europe who has never owned a Bible before. When she learned she could take one of the Bibles from Mt. Bethel to keep as her own, she was so excited! She’s since been telling everyone how grateful she is for access to God’s Word.”
Last year, 400 Bibles left our church pews making their way to the homes of our guests and visitors. That’s 400 people who likely didn’t realize they needed (or wanted) a copy of the Living Word in their homes until we extended the invitation.
Every first Sunday of the month when our church observes communion, we invite our Mt. Bethel family to give to our Compassion Fund, which is a special offering above normal tithes that our Church uses to bless families and individuals in our community who are in need. Starting this Sunday, we will use a portion of our collection to ensure the Word of God continues to get in the hands of those who are pursuing a life with Christ.
Thank you, Mt. Bethel Family, for giving above and beyond your normal tithes to ensure the message of Christ’s love is accessible to those who need it.