Becoming a Cheerful Giver
Amy Balkenbush has been attending Pathway Church for almost three years. About a year after her mom passed away, Amy's family felt like they needed to start going to church. They decided to go to Pathway for their first church visit. Amy says, "We were going to try other churches, but this is where we were meant to be. I thought it was really different; it was not what I was expecting. I was expecting it to be an old-fashioned church. But I walked in and it was completely different. I was so surprised that a church would show movies* in the message. It was interesting and I liked it."
Prior to the Unfinished series last year, Amy thought that giving to the church was just helping it get by. After Unfinished, she began to realize that generosity brings you closer to God. "Before I made the commitment, I asked my Dad what he thought about it. He said, 'You don't have to, but if you want to you can.' It felt like an adult decision. After the first week of the series, I knew after we prayed that I needed to do this."
Amy stepped out in faith and made a commitment to God, even though she was only baby-sitting at the time. When that job ended, she was without a job for almost three months before finding another. She said, "It's really hard to keep the commitment, but I think it's really good to show me that money isn't everything."
Amy's outlook on giving wasn't the only thing that changed since she began coming to Pathway. She has become more confident and outgoing. She has discovered that she really likes volunteering with kids in The Neighborhood.
As Amy continues to grow in her generosity, she says she is excited to become a cheerful giver. "I wouldn't say I'm a cheerful giver yet, I would say I'm still trying to be a faithful giver. I think it makes me more aware of Him when I'm giving every week."
"Unfinished means that I can change. I can be a better person and with God it's possible. He's not done with me yet."
*Referencing the At the Movies series