You Add, God Multiplies

“As people called by God, the Christian Reformed Church gathers to praise God, nurture each other in faith, love one another, commit to serve and tell others about Jesus, and pursue justice and peace in God’s name.”

The statement above is a paraphrase of the mission statement of the Christian Reformed Church.

When was the last time you actually did any of those things?

Last Sunday, we gathered to worship and praise God, and we practiced hospitality and love in many ways. Check.

We occasionally share the good news with our neighbours and friends, and as a local church we sometimes participate in evangelism. Check.

Locally we are trying to do all these things, but what about the denomination? How do we together make a difference for God?

I did not have a good answer to that question until about six months ago. Today I have a much better appreciation for the term “You add, God multiplies.”

In our own strength we are two-dimensional, flat, and linear. But through God’s touch our gifts take on shape and substance far beyond what we ever thought possible.

Last month a missionary from Asia explained what your Ministry Shares giving is accomplishing. A church of about 4,000 members holds three baptism services each year. At each service, 450 people are baptized.

Ministry Shares help to answer “Trudnye Voprosy” (Difficult Questions) each week on a call-in radio show broadcast in Moscow and St. Petersburg, where a leading Russian author answers questions from a biblical point of view.

In Jenison, Mich.,  a young woman from a broken home came to a church plant. “I came here because I was tired, and I couldn't carry on any more,” she said.

All these things, and so many more, happen through Ministry Shares gifts from dedicated people and dedicated churches working together to build God’s kingdom.

Lives are being changed every day, here at home and around the globe.