From Pittsburgh-The Aug. 19 sermon at New Community Church in Pine began as a stock lesson on building God's kingdom, using Jesus' parable about a boss who gave each of his managers money to invest in his absence, rewarding those who increased it but firing a man who buried the sum to protect it. Then the pastor asked for volunteers, without saying what they were volunteering for. After they came forward, he handed 100 people a $100 bill.
He told them it was God's money not theirs, that they were to invest it for his work and report back in three months.
"It was risky. But it has so exceeded our expectations," said the Rev. Mark Bolton, senior pastor of New Community, an independent evangelical church with about 750 members.
Some recipients multiplied the money as much as one hundredfold. Someone launched a fund for adoption expenses, others raised money for water wells in Sudan, a man gave hoodies to the homeless in Pittsburgh.
The stories will be told at the 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday services today through Nov. 25.
Read more:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-north/pine-church-turns-parable-into-project-661585/#ixzz2Bul0uDv9
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