SAYING THANKS TO SPECIAL CHURCHES OFTEN REQUIRES A SPECIAL LANGUAGE

Your missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, Rob Schenck, reporting:

There’s generosity, then—there’s GENEROSITY. After my annual visit to our long-time partner, Believer’s Life Family Church, in Gretna, Louisiana, I’m at a rare loss for words. I’m trying to figure out just how to say thanks to Pastors Randy and Cathy Cilluffo, their ministry team and all our extended family in this extraordinary community of believers who are just, well, EXTRAORDINARY. What they did this weekend takes the cake, but consider first their history with us:

First, it’s just how great they all are. These are some of the warmest, kindest, most hospitable people on the planet—and certainly in our universe. I’ve only ever known them as welcoming and gracious—and this is for the last 23 years! That’s right, I’ve been coming and going from Believer’s Life since 1985, and they’ve never grown tired of me!

Second, they’ve stuck with us through good times and bad—even, incredibly, in the weeks after Katrina. I went down in December of ’05 to check on everybody and to bring a special offering with me. I knew they were bearing an unbelievable burden taking care of the homeless and displaced, but they turned it around and insisted on blessing our ministry, sending me away with a $5000 gift!

Then, this weekend, after recently enduring Hurricane Gustav, they did it again—only this time it was a $14,000 offering for Faith and Action! This is why I’m struggling for words to express how deeply grateful I am to the Lord and to these EXTRAORDINARY friends.

(This happened, by the way, a week after another EXTRAORDINARY bunch of people did the same thing. The amazing Church on the North Coast in Lorain, Ohio, with Pastors Louie and Tina Kayatin, has seen its share of trials and tribulation. Lorain is a steel town and the economic downturn has devastated it. Still, the Kayatins and their dedicated family and ministry team have stayed faithful to their hurting community. They have always sown seeds of generosity out of their need. They did it again last Sunday when, after I preached for them, they took up a $15,000 offering for our ministry!)

I could go on and on listing wonderful churches that help us. We have many congregations around the country that support us financially, but these exceptional churches facing exceptional challenges deserve special mention. Believer’s Life Family Church and Church on the North Coast give added meaning to the term “selfless giving” because they do it out of their own need, rather than out of their abundance. These gifts are like the Widow’s Mite or the alabaster jar of ointment.

Many, many heart-felt thanks to you Pastors Randy and Cathy and Louie and Tina and all of our pastor friends and partners. You and the souls under your charge live out the Golden Rule and we are doubly blessed by it. We never, ever take you for granted. You are the gift of God to us and we are so much the better for it. 

Grateful to God for all our generous friends,

Rob

Rev. Rob Schenck

Faith and Action

www.faithandaction.org

109 2nd St, NE

Washington, DC 20002

202-546-8329