God-Sized Dreams

When Brad and Janet Childers moved to Houston 25 years ago, they were in search of a new church home. What immediately drew Brad in was a sermon series, kicked off by a message titled, "Get Real." The core message was simple and profound: "come to church as you are. This is not a place for perfect people. This is a place for people that need Christ.” That authenticity I what brought them back the next Sunday—and they have been here ever since.

A Community That Becomes Family
The defining factor that rooted the Childers was how much the church embraced them. Brad remembers Pastor Landrum randomly showing up at their house to visit and others calling them after Bible study to let them know how much they enjoyed meeting them. When their second daughter was born, the number of people that showed up at the hospital made them feel incredibly loved and welcomed.

This love laid the foundation for deep spiritual growth. Brad notes the church has been the place where their "walk with God has gotten so much closer.”  As a result, they can worship, serve, and share the good news of Christ with others on mission trips, which has been incredibly fulfilling for them. Furthermore, the community Janet found with other mothers, particularly when raising their young daughters, was priceless.

The Lesson of Unstoppable Generosity
For the Childers, generosity is a generational lesson. Brad's father, a steelworker who raised nine children, was his first inspiration, faithful in how he tithed, how he gave and how he served. Janet's grandmother similarly offered a foundational example, always keeping an "open door and a full table" for anyone who came over after church.

Brad now offers a powerful challenge to others: "you cannot out give God.” He distinctly remembers when they decided to tithe faithfully, and the amount of his pay increase that year was close to the amount of their tithe increase; this was a message he believes was God saying, "you’ve got to do better if you're going to out-give Me.”

This belief in God's reciprocating grace anchors their commitment. Brad’s giving philosophy is summed up by this profound truth: "What you give away, you get to keep forever. What you keep, you can't keep forever. But what you give you can.” Janet further believes that too often, we limit God-sized dreams in human-sized boxes. She has been amazed at what God has done through their family when they trust Him.