Stories will be posted here as they come in!  Have you shared yours?

"Our kids prayed and brainstormed ideas Monday morning regarding the challenge.  The kids each bought 5 items from the dollar store like food, soap, toothbrush, candy and put them into zip lock bags.  Then we went out into town and passed them out to people in need.  My kids were encouraged to put love into action.  People who received the bags were very thankful.

"The challenge was so timely for us because Sunday night a friend had a domestic violence situation and her husband left.  Her family of 7 is depressed, sad, and sick with the flu.  I took the money and was able to buy them a nice dinner, flowers, and extra goodies.  They received the dinner with thanks and I was able to pray with them. Without the financial gift, I probably would have been only able to buy them a small meal, but with the gift I could bless them more.  I told them that God gave me this money, I gave him the glory and the credit for blessing them.  I was able to witness TRUTH into their lives verbally and physically!"

"I'm heavily involved with the Christian club at my school. We had a raffle in the lunch cafeteria, where we asked Biblical questions and the person doing the answering had 30 seconds to answer as many as possible. It's a secular school, so this is our way at generating more interest in what we do, and ultimately, of course, leading people to Jesus.

"Anyways,  the winner gets 25 bucks at the end of this upcoming tuesday, the first Tuesday of November, and I gave the money I had received to the raffle.

"Before I had joined the table, which puts me more up front about my faith at my school, I had been praying to God to see if He wanted me to do this. He held me off for a bit, but when I received the money and listened to some other parts of the sermon, I felt like God was giving me the go ahead, and it was great."

"I gave a portion to the Rose family to use to purchase toys for the Help One Child Christmas party that is given for foster kids."

"After prayer and consideration, we decided to use our talents to share God's Word with those living in very un-Christian places around the world.  We took a step of faith and joined BIBLES UNBOUND and sent 5 Bibles to our Brothers and Sisters in China.

"Bibles Unbound is a part of VOM (Voice of the Martyrs) and we have dedicated, as a family to sponsor sending Bibles to our oppressed and persecuted family overseas.  Now how is this growing our "talents" the Lord only knows, however, we know it is through the Holy Spirit and God's Word that we grow in Godliness.  We may never know the impact of serving God's Kingdom until we go home to be with Him in the place He has prepared for us!  Keep Giving, Keep Loving, and Keep Serving!"

"My husband and I each received $30.  After prayerful consideration, we decided to pool our gift, and purchased formula for a family with a new baby."

"A few months ago we brought our elderly neighbor to church.  She doesn't go to church now, but I think she was raised Catholic.  While waiting for the service to start, she looked through my Bible, which has commentary at the bottom of the pages, and commented on how nice my Bible was to have the commentary there.

"I decided to use my 'talent' money to buy her a Bible with commentary.  She was really happy and touched to receive the Bible and says she reads it.  I am looking forward to future conversations with her."

"I am very late in telling you what happened with the gift I was given.  I have been mentoring a homeless young woman on a off for about 10 months.  She is now pregnant and was in desperate need of clothes and she needed some special food for her Type 1 diabetes.  I knew right away that I would spend my $25 helping Tamara*.  What I didn't know was how God was going to work in MY life.  Tamara had ended up at a homeless shelter near Curtner and Monterey. I had not been there before and as I drove up to get her to take her to Target for our shopping trip, I was absolutely overwhelmed with horror to see this huge group of homeless people coming from all directions to line up at 3pm at the doors of the shelter to see if there would be a bed for them that night.  There were young, old, crippled and sick people.  Some asked me for money, a few helped me find Tamara.  I could go on with my story but God has put such a concern for the homeless in my heart.  In the past I was hardened to their distress, thinking they were all on drugs or alcohol.  I was wrong.  I thank God and this church for my Christian growth."

*Name was changed for privacy.

"I used my money to buy Bibles for some people I knew that didn't own one. One of the people I gave a Bible to was very excited and said he was very excited to read it. I checked in with him a few weeks later and he said he had been reading it on a regular basis!"