Your Stories

What did you do with the money you received from Christ Church?

I know we support St. Francis Center as a church - thanks to Give. Tell. they will received a bit more. Their efforts directly improve the lives of some of the least fortunate in our community. - Annonymous

I took my $20 (added $30 of my own) and donated it to Metro Caring. Not stopping there, I utilized my company's generous corporate matching program which turned my $50 donation into $100. Voila! - Katie Smith

I was one of the people who received a $50 bill! Wow! I knew right away exactly what I was going to do with it. We help support The Third Story, an inner city Christian organization that provides meals and Christian education to inner city children in the Baker District and surrounding area. So we got in touch with Amy Beth, the founder of The Third Story and asked if we could come by as we had a gift for her. She was quite touched at the generosity and said she would think about what she would do with it. A day later she got in touch with me and said she would be giving it to a young mother with four children who had just recently got a place of her own. She knew the $50 would come in quite handy to this young struggling mother. Thank you for the opportunity to help someone as we did. - Jackie Barnes

The week before we received the cash at church, our daughter felt God telling her to provide shoes for kids who don't have any. That next Sunday our family of five received a total of $120, so we asked the social workers at our kids' school if they knew of any kids who needed shoes. They gave us the measurements for three different children, two of whom also needed some warm clothes. Tammie Sawicki gave us the money she had received as well, and we went shopping at Target! We were able to provide three pairs of shoes, two sweatshirts, two pairs of pants, and three big bags of socks. We dropped everything off with the social workers on Monday. Because of this nudge from God and from Christ Church, we are also in talks with the school about funding a "shoe bank" so staff who identify a need for shoes among the students will be able to immediately meet that need. - Heidi Farr

On October 1st, I received money in an envelope to be used for the Glory of God and to be of help to another person.  As I was leaving for a trip, I prayed that God would show me the person He intended to bless with His money.  I placed the bill in my Bible and continued on my trip.  I spent that night in a hotel room.  During my devotions that evening I again prayed over the money asking God to show me the right person He wanted me to give His money to. Upon leaving my hotel room to check out I saw the cleaning lady pushing her cart toward me.  She stopped right in front of me.  I asked her if she had been the one who cleaned the room I had stayed in.  She said that she had been the one who cleaned my room and asked if there was a problem.  I told her that I found the room very clean, and I appreciated her hard work in preparing it with great attention to detail.  I explained that I travel a lot and this room was the best I had ever occupied because of her.  I told her that I thought she had a great desire to do her job well and I just wanted to compliment her on a job well done.  I pulled out my Bible and took out the $20 dollar bill.  I handed it to her with a final thank you.  She looked up at me, tears dripping down her face, with a toothless smile said one word, "WOW!" - Anonymous

We were visiting Christ Church the Sunday that we we given actual cash to serve the world. I took my $10 from Christ Chuch and added $10 more and gave it to a teacher in the very rural small town of Deer Trail and asked her to find a family that could use it. She found a family who could use winter hats, gloves and scarves. They were grateful. Thank you for pushing me forward to help others. - Anonymous

Once a week I look forward to volunteering at the Set Free Prison ministry in Sheridan where we correspond with inmates in the jails and prisons in the region. Each inmate has signed up for a free Bible study course where he or she reads a booklet, such as "The Greatest Man Alive," and fills out a questionnaire that is mailed back to Set Free. In it are personal responses to the study. We read their responses and write back to them, guiding and encouraging them in their study. Each week we hear testimony from several inmates who have acknowledged Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! We celebrate their new life in Christ right then and there! Others express their love for God and how their lives have changed by knowing Jesus. Even though they are incarcerated, they are set free in the Spirit. At times, when I read their stories I feel like I am in church with the saints who volunteer there. It truly demonstrates how the last shall be first in the Kingdom of God. It's the most rewarding outreach I have ever done! Gordon enthusiastically supports me in what I do every Wednesday and has joined me in giving our gifts from Christ Church to Set Free whose modest budget barely covers expenses. - Vee Henderson

I took my gift of $20 and added to it. Several of my fellow parishioners combined our moneys to give to a fellow parishioner who is currently struggling financially . - Graham Kolb

Like many others, I labored to find just the right use of the gift I had received from Christ Church. I thought about it every day as I put the $5 bill into my pocket. Maybe today I would give it away to bless someone.

After about 10 days, it dawned on me how easily I spend money on myself without thinking about it. What if I gave the same attention and thought to how much I give to Christ Church to share God's love in the world? For me, God used this lesson to transform my thinking about giving to His work through His church to serve His people in His world.

What did I do with my gift? I gave it to a dear friend who had fallen on hard times. Simply to show him he is loved. That he is not alone! - Michael James

My wife and I received $10 each at a recent Sunday service to use to bless others. We were thrilled and excited. We multiplied it by 20 and spent it all at the St. Francis Gala to benefit the homeless. Thank you for the opportunity to bless those less fortunate in our community. - Anonymous

I was blown away that Christ Church gave money out like that-what a wonderful idea to pay it forward !!!! I have a friend who was one of the founding members of a fairly new non-profit called HOPE, which is located in the Broadway & Hampden area. It serves the under privileged in the Englewood area. They have a food pantry, a little gift shop and an area where folks can get clothing, etc. They also have a relationship with agencies that they can refer people to who are in tough times that may need shelter, bus tokens, or other needs. We have given our discards to them and recently given all of my mom's clothing after she passed away in March. So, yesterday we went to take some items and I also included the $10 that I received in my envelope. The staff is so thankful for anything that is given, money or goods. It is heart warming to know that what we did makes a huge difference to those who have little or nothing. We always walk away from there knowing that we may have made someone's life a little easier. - Margie Johnson

Dear friends of ours retired to the US Virgin Island of St. Croix a few years ago. They were fortunate during hurricanes Irma and Maria - others were not so fortunate. Emelyn has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to help farmers who - after helping St. Thomas and St. John residents following Irma - then lost pretty much everything after Maria. Jim and I multiplied our gifts and gave to this fund. - Meg and Jim Stern

We have been overwhelmed with the news and stories of suffering in the areas impacted by this years' hurricanes. We donated what we could for Texas and then for Florida. We had lived in Florida and Texas and the news stories hit close to home. But we hadn't yet made any donation for Puerto Rico. We were moved to take our cash, multiply by 10 and donate a gift to help our Puerto Rico citizens recover. And our donation is also matched by my employer. We feel good that the small gesture from our church could result in something that will make a difference for someone in great need. - Anonymous

Our family received a total of $65 in our combined envelopes. On that day we felt a strong desire to donate to the hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico. At that time King Soopers/Kroger was matching donations to the American Red Cross for aid to Puerto Rico, up to $25,000. Unfortunately I procrastinated in getting the donation made, and when I sat down to do it about a week later the banner was gone from the King Soopers website :( Good news is that they reached the $25K goal. Now we needed to decide on where to send the money again. We still felt strongly that Puerto Rico needed to receive help from us. In addition, with wildfires raging in California the needs there were also heavy on our hearts. We ultimately decided to match the Christ Church money and donate to both causes. We donated $65 to the Global Episcopal Mission Network - Diocese of Puerto Rico Hurricane Fund and $65 to the Napa Valley Community Foundation. - Anonymous

Earl and I received a 20 dollar bill and a 5 dollar bill. We keep a supply of new socks in our car to hand out to the homeless on street corners. We spent $10 for a new supply and have given one of the four pairs to date. Also my Rotary is gathering grape jelly for a food bank. I purchased 13 jars of grape jelly and delivered them this week.
Thank you for promoting giving to the needy. - Mary Kay Hasz

I feel overwhelmed by the many catastrophes that have overtaken so many communities recently. One of these, where the needs seem especially immense, is the Rohingya refugee crisis. Maybe Christians here in the U.S. don't think as much about these refugees because they are so far away and profess a different faith.

This morning I came across a blog from a Christian relief worker named Grace, who describes the plight of the Rohingya.

I couldn't stand on my distant sideline any longer. I made a donation to Grace's organization, adding my amount from Christ Church to the donation I would have given anyway.

I pray that this collaborative donation will be at least a small blessing to Rohingya families. - Marcia Van't Hof

I was so blessed by this opportunity! I prayed that God would literally put someone in my path who was in need. Nearly a week after Christ Church gave me $50, as I was meeting a friend for coffee, a homeless gentleman approached me on the street sharing he was hungry. It was truly an honor to buy him something to eat and drink and hear part of his story. With the remaining money, I added some of my own and gave a gift to the Salvation Army to provide for Thanksgiving meals. Thank you, Christ Church, for the reminder to be generous, and thank you, Lord, for multiplying the work of my hands. - Nicole Sidebottom

I gave my $50 to a woman with several small children so she could have an evening or a day out with her husband. - Anonymous

I received $20 and donated this money to the Food Bank of the Rockies. Every $5 provides four meals for the homeless. So I hope that this will provide meals for at least 16 people. I hope this brings them some hope happiness. - Mark and Kaylee Hays

We are humbled by the opportunity to give this gift on behalf of Christ Church. We decided to pool the money received at church as a family. We were then able to purchase a goat for another family. This will help nourish them (with milk from the goat) and also provide an income source (selling the milk). Thank you so much for allowing us to serve through the blessings of the church. We are grateful. - The Farris Family

We received a total of $65 from Christ Church, what a blessing. Our daughters school was hosting a drive to collect socks for kids in need. We threw in another $40 of our own money and bought $105 worth of socks. Thank you for this great teaching moment for our daughter and giving us the chance to give more! What blessing Christ Church is to us all. - Anonymous

We shared our money as a family with a place and a cause that has our hearts: the libraries in Houston, Texas. Our hometown was devastated by Hurricane Harvey, and people kept asking us — aren’t you glad you aren’t there? In short: no. We felt helpless and far away in the face of so much heartbreak in a town we still love so much. One of the saddest things for our book-loving hearts were the photos of the libraries - water-logged books piled up on the wet grass outside, waiting for waste removal. Many children’s sections were completely destroyed, since children’s sections are often on the first floor. It may seem like a small, unimportant cause when people lost much more, but if you’ve ever had your life saved by a book, you can understand our choice of where to give Christ Church’s money. It often feels like a persistent tug on your heart is the Holy Spirit, urging you to pay attention. We are thankful to have been able to respond to the Holy Spirit’s nudge, and this experience has taught us to listen to those nudges more closely. - Anonymous

Julia used her $50 to buy four sleeping bags to give to homeless people. Jimmy is planning on making a few sack lunches and adding the $5 he received to one of the bags. I am going to use the $10 I received to add toiletries to the sack lunches that Jimmy is going to make. We are planning a trip downtown this weekend in order to execute our plans. - The Barlow Family

After praying for several days about giving the $5 I received, a mailing came to my home for an appeal by the American Bible Society. This appeal was motivated by many of our Military Chaplains requesting Bibles for currently serving men and women. For $5 a Bible, a provision could be made. So I tripled the amount and sent $15 dollars for three Bibles and asked God's Blessing in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. "Spread, O spread thou mighty Word, spread the Kingdom of the Lord"... - Diane Silcott

Five dollars. I would not think twice to spend this amount on myself. But somehow being entrusted to give it to someone else felt like a big responsibility. The five dollars in my wallet turned into a saga of missed opportunities, blessings, and a new awareness. 

The day I received the money, a man approached me and asked if I had any spare change. I said “no” and went into a movie theater with a friend. Convicted by my untruthful response, I told my friend that I would buy this man a meal if he was still there after the movie. She added $10 to my $5. The man was no longer there.

It seemed that everyone knew I had money to give away: fundraising volunteers outside the grocery store, the cashier at the pet store who asked for food for homeless dogs, the public radio campaign volunteer, a political activist. None of these seemed the right place to entrust the money I had been given. Mind you, I did donate my own money to many of these requests, just not the Christ Church gift.

Then I found $20 on the ground. Now I had $35 - seven times my original gift - to give away!

From this moment on, I started looking for people who might need my help. I engaged in conversations; I stopped looking at my phone when I was in line at stores; I noticed people in the parking lots. 

As I came out of the King Soopers on Colorado Blvd. near Christ Church, I was surprised by the sound of a solo trumpet. It was beautiful! An older man with a white beard played from his wheelchair. He was missing a leg - but didn’t miss a single note. I took the $35 out of my wallet and added it to his tip jar. I thanked him for sharing his talent and asked if he needed any prayers. “Oh no, I have everything I need. The tips are extra. I would play my trumpet even if I didn’t receive anything.” 

Now I have a new challenge: acknowledge that I have everything I need and share my talents generously with others. - Christi James

I was given $20 and I knew immediately what I wanted to do with it--give it to Patrick Lutalo and his ministry called "Teach Men to Fish." Patrick started this organization to be able to go back to his homeland in Uganda and teach young people building and construction skills (his area of expertise) so they can learn a vocation to support themselves and their families. He wants to provide them with hope and a future that is simply not available to many young people because their families don't have money for school fees. Education, even at primary levels, is not free in Uganda. Patrick has a heart to help his people and provide opportunities in the best way he knows how. - Cyndy McRae