A couple of years ago we said goodbye to a wonderful couple who had been a part of the Hebron family for more than 25 years. At a lunch to celebrate their tenure at Hebron and the future in Florida, the man spoke of a radical change that Christ had made in their giving over the years. Here’s an excerpt from how he would later describe it in writing.
“We struggled with giving back in the early 90s. In 1988, after losing my job I started my own business. The first 4-5 years were very tough. Not only did I use up almost all of our savings, but I put us in significant debt…
“Prior to 1990 we had no specific church affiliation. We called ourselves Christians; but I, in particular, had disavowed organized religion...Around 1988 our kids got involved in the Hebron youth program. We started volunteering as cooks and kitchen helpers. We also occasionally attended Sunday services. Sometime around 1992 we became members. As far as giving, we only gave what we thought we could, when we could. It wasn’t until 1994-1995 that we filled out a pledge card, although it was well below 10%.
“In 1994 we got involved in Bible study groups. We began to learn how to deal with our struggles by giving them to God. To be honest, it was not a 100% leap of faith. Actually, at first it was more guilt-driven than faith-led. Seeing the needs all around us in the lives of others prompted us to give to Jesus. Still in debt, and with two children headed to college in a couple of years, we decided to up our giving by 20-25% each year until we reached our true tithe within ten years. By the grace of God we did it in less than eight years!
“By the late 90s my business finally began to take off. By 2005 we had put two kids through college and we were debt-free. Yes, there were many other issues involved… but I believe that it was God’s guidance and listening to His Word that not only helped us out of our financial troubles, but more importantly, led us to a much closer relationship with Him. One can only wonder where we would be if we had made that step of faith back in 1994!”
“We struggled with giving back in the early 90s. In 1988, after losing my job I started my own business. The first 4-5 years were very tough. Not only did I use up almost all of our savings, but I put us in significant debt…
“Prior to 1990 we had no specific church affiliation. We called ourselves Christians; but I, in particular, had disavowed organized religion...Around 1988 our kids got involved in the Hebron youth program. We started volunteering as cooks and kitchen helpers. We also occasionally attended Sunday services. Sometime around 1992 we became members. As far as giving, we only gave what we thought we could, when we could. It wasn’t until 1994-1995 that we filled out a pledge card, although it was well below 10%.
“In 1994 we got involved in Bible study groups. We began to learn how to deal with our struggles by giving them to God. To be honest, it was not a 100% leap of faith. Actually, at first it was more guilt-driven than faith-led. Seeing the needs all around us in the lives of others prompted us to give to Jesus. Still in debt, and with two children headed to college in a couple of years, we decided to up our giving by 20-25% each year until we reached our true tithe within ten years. By the grace of God we did it in less than eight years!
“By the late 90s my business finally began to take off. By 2005 we had put two kids through college and we were debt-free. Yes, there were many other issues involved… but I believe that it was God’s guidance and listening to His Word that not only helped us out of our financial troubles, but more importantly, led us to a much closer relationship with Him. One can only wonder where we would be if we had made that step of faith back in 1994!”
