Sara Wierman of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas says, “God downloaded a new ministry idea into my brain.”
Ten for Him
Sara had an encounter with a man and his disabled son who were $10 short at the checkout counter at the dollar store. She awkwardly offered him $10, but later wondered why she hadn’t mentioned God or Jesus, or been “less weird.” Wondering, as it turns out, often gives God a cracked door through which to supply solutions. The next day, while on a walk, the idea came to her in full:
- 10 people get together 10 times for 10 minutes.
- They each bring $10 each time.
- The $100 is put in an envelope with Philippians 4:19 inside: “My God shall supply all your needs according to —His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.”
- A group member’s name is drawn and that person gives away the $100 as led by the Holy Spirit.
- That gift is shared at the next meeting.
- The process repeats until all 10 group members have had a turn.
She started a group in Coppell, Texas, and got a friend to start one in Lovington, New Mexico. Gateway’s Women in Leadership Development (WILD) encouraged her to develop the program. Ten for Him currently has 50 groups, which means 500 members giving out $50,000 annually.
The first international group just started in New Zealand. Sara says the Holy Spirit leads them to people who need encouragement, or sometimes, exactly $100, as in the case of a father who needed $100 that day for his toddler daughter’s funeral.
To start a group or read more giving stories, visit TenForHim.com.
Open Yourself Up to Radical Ideas
Besides wanting to spread Sara’s idea, we’ve sharing her story to encourage you to listen for and follow-through on radical downloads God may be trying to give you or your members. Organic church growth is at its best when we ride the wave of the new thing God is already doing, rather than trying to copy other church’s ideas or put expected programs into place.
The formula is simple: Wonder. Pay attention. Be radical.
