Stories discover life change

Glenn

In 2020, during COVID, Glenn’s IT company was able to remain open because of their ongoing relationship with hospitals and medical offices. As finances tightened, Glenn and his business partner sought guidance from God, finding encouragement through a story in 1 Kings. They determined to lean on God, to continue working even as jobs and orders piled up, and to make tithing a priority. Hear how God provided for Glenn and his company because of their diligence to stay faithful in giving their firstfruits to the Lord.

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Stephanie

Stephanie loves serving at CityRise and is grateful to be a member of our Executive Council, being able to provide care for the families here. But it’s her work as a nurse practitioner in neonatal ICU for over twenty years that has given her a wealth of experience in providing that care, many times helping families through situations that seem extreme. Stephanie felt a nudge to commit an amount that seemed extreme at first, but God showed her how much she can trust Him with His provisions. As Stephanie says, “Listen to the gentle nudgings of God . . . He will fulfill all His promises to you.”

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Pamela

Pamela’s understanding of the Scriptures truly came alive when God asked her if she loved Him. He pursued her because He loved her and wanted her to know Him. After that, she couldn’t get enough of His Word, because He had answered her prayers to reveal their meaning. As Pamela says, “He is a God who answers anybody who asks.” He calls us to love Him, not out of obligation, but because He first loved us.

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Ed

Ed has seen God provide for him and speak to him all his adult life. From God’s clear direction about where to live, to God’s generous provision when Ed’s dear wife passed away, God has never left Ed nor has He forsaken him. Hear Ed’s story and see how God built his faith, teaching Ed that He will always be there when he needs Him.

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Jeff

Jesus told his disciples they’d be judged according to how they helped people and that “whatever they did unto the least of these,” they did to Jesus. One late night in a dark parking lot, Jeff got a chance to learn what Jesus meant by this.

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Robert

Robert took Jesus’ instruction to “Go make disciples of all nations” to heart. But as he considered those words, Robert knew Jesus was calling him to start right in his own household. Since then, Robert has looked for ways to connect with people who don’t go to church and invite them to know Jesus. Hear why Robert doesn’t at first invite them to a Sunday service, but instead to a community group.

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Jennifer

Jennifer didn’t feel connected at first when she and her family began attending Crosspoint. But joining a small group changed that. As Jennifer slowly got to know people, she realized they were becoming a family. They prayed for each other, supported, and cared for each other. This really made a difference when Jennifer’s sister was going through a tough time. See what happened when the small group committed to faithfully praying for her.

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Karen

Years ago, Karen was asked to lead the fourth and fifth grade boys Sunday School Class. Having no idea how to do that, she said “Yes” and then stepped out in faith. As she did that, God gave her the passion, the love, and the wisdom to serve in this area discipling the next generation. If you will say “Yes” when He calls, He will equip you for the work.

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Milton and Kathie

Milton and Kathie are no strangers to capital campaigns, Milton having been a pastor and church consultant for many years. So when they started attending West U. Baptist, they fully expected for the Lord to use them in this area to help the church. But the Lord had bigger plans than they could have imagined. Hear a story of cheerful giving as Milton and Kathie describe how God made a way for them to cheerfully and joyfully get on the same page to give far more than they had initially intended.

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Christy

Christy and her family have been members of Crosspoint for 12 years, but everything changed for them the day after Christmas of 2020 when they experienced a horrible tragedy. At times like this the prayers and support of a small group become vital. Hear how God has helped their family get through this trial through the generosity and prayers of His people and how being a part of a small group made so much difference in their lives

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Hubert

Hubert and his wife found that if they were generous to open their home for Bible study and provide a meal, nonbelievers would feel more comfortable and show up when they are not ready to go to a church service. God will use you when you make yourself available to Him.

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Jason

To say that Jason and his family have had a tough season would be an understatement. If it wasn’t for the Body of Christ stepping up to be generous with his family during a hard time. Hear about the “army of people” in the church who have lifted them up in this time. Imagine if the whole body responded to God in prayer for those who are hurting.

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Jill

Jill struggles sometimes to share her faith, but she was blessed to share Christ with her children and see them come to the Lord at an early age. Now, Jill hopes that they will go and share Jesus with their friends.

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Rob

Rob tells about a trip to Honduras where service to the community, evangelism and worship and prayer came together to accomplish a major task of generosity with the strength that God provides.

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Darryl & Jane

Darryl and Jane Anderson have attended West University Baptist for a long time, for Jane, it’s been since she was a child. Now, though they live in Florida and stay connected through the City Rise digital platforms, God has called them to a new level of serving and trusting Him. As Darryl says in this video, if God is not in it, it is impossible, but if God is doing this, it cannot be stopped.

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Barbara

Barbara Reed was a little tired before going to the Stakeholders Summit, but she was so glad she did. God impressed upon her the idea of leaving a legacy of generosity. Barbara was blessed to realize that we can leave a legacy of generosity, because no one was more generous than God, who gave His only Son. 

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Lorraine

Lorraine shares her heart and some of the vision and values behind one of our partners in ministry, Casa El Buen Samaritano. See and hear how powerful it is when believers share their time, their skills, and their resources to meet a massive need for, not only healthcare, but spiritual care as well. Hear about the lives changed by this wonderful ministry.

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Jerry

Jerry and his family got into a terrible car accident. Through that ordeal they saw the power and love of the City Rise community. In Jerry’s words, “Generosity is in our church DNA…this is our family.” God moves through His Church to help people when they need Him. As we seek to be generous with our time and resources, God is using us for His purposes.

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Nancy

Nancy has been at CityRise since joining West University Baptist in 1998. She has served in many capacities at the church as both a volunteer and as part of the administrative staff. Giving her time in service has meant a lot to her, especially lately serving in the seniors’ ministry. Nancy says she gets as much as she gives when she serves at City Rise, “just a great church.”

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Loyda

Loyda has traveled a lot for all kinds of reasons, but until she traveled on a mission trip to Ecuador, she had no idea about the power of a connection with people from another culture.

To say that Loyda was changed by the experience doesn’t begin to describe it.

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Diana

Diana is a testament of the power of the prayers of God’s people at City Rise. See how Diana was prayed into the church, into salvation and baptism, and then into the prayer warrior that she has become. Diana has an infectious love of Jesus’ Church at City Rise and her story will inspire you to persist in bold prayer for others.

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Pete

Pete was hesitant to go on the mission trip to Ecuador with the youth, but he said yes, and his whole life has been changed. Hear first hand of the impact of this trip on Pete and how his perspective has shifted forever.

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Jean

Jean and her family have been at City Rise since starting at West University Baptist in 1969. Jean has had a front row seat to the impact of the spirit of generosity that has permeated the City Rise network. In this video Jean makes a heartfelt case that you cannot give without God throwing open the floodgates of heaven and blessing you even more than you can bless others and that sometimes in the body of Christ, you too must be the recipient of the generosity of God and His people.

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Christy

When God called Christy Sylvester to serve at Casa El Buen Samaritano she had no idea that she would become the Executive Director and oversee the expansion into free dental care on top of the quality medical care that was being given absolutely free. Hear how hundreds of lives have been changed by the ministry teams and medical teams at Casa.

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David & Denise

When David and Denise Glenn first got married, they thought they couldn’t afford to tithe. But God gave them the grace to start, and soon they understood they couldn’t afford not to tithe. Since then, they’ve been blessed to start an international ministry and have been able to increase their giving year after year. See their story and how God continues to bless them, use them, and how they’ve been able to help other people in the church to grow in generosity.

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Tricia

Tricia wasn’t so sure she had the time or energy to even join a small group, let alone lead one. But when Pastor Robby at the West U campus asked Tricia and her husband to lead a group, they considered that God may be nudging them to do just that. Read about how Tricia’s mindset shifted from “how will I get through the day,” to “this is such a blessing that I get to serve!”

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Harry & Sandra

Harry and Sandra have learned not only about being generous with their finances, but also with their time. They have both volunteered in dozens of areas in the church and the community. Read more about their story.

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Christy & Charlie

God has been growing Charlie and Christy Sylvester in their generosity since they were first married. First, they learned to give, then to give a full tithe. Every step of the way God has been growing and stretching them to be more and more generous until most recently, when Christy obeyed the nudge to leave the financial services industry and become the executive director of one of our CityRise network partners, the medical clinic, Casa el Buen Samaritano. Read here about their amazing journey.

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Keith & Savannah

Like a lot of newlyweds, Keith and Savannah Brennings started out just barely paying the bills. After finding a church home at the Crosspoint campus, they met David and Denise Glenn and learned some powerful lessons about giving from a couple who had been where Keith and Savannah were. Read about how the Glenns challenged them and what God has done to “supply every need” as they’ve grown in the grace of giving.

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Bobby

83-year-old Bobby was a member and treasurer of CityRise long before it was called CityRise. This faithful man has seen it all, and one thing he’s seen over and over again is God’s faithfulness to CityRise and His will to bless the church in its calling to lift the city and “do bigger and bigger things” for God.

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Doris

Doris Eby’s generosity story started long ago. Read about an amazing journey of God’s faithfulness to provide for Doris and her family through the years. When God tested her through her husband’s insistence that they give to God even when money was tight, He showed her that she should never be afraid, and that He would provide for their every need.

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Brandon & Sara Beth

Brandon is the CEO of Attack Poverty, one of our City Rise Network partners. But before that, Brandon and Sara Beth Baca were learning how to be generous with what God has given them. They share what it feels like to cling to your stuff and live in a scarcity mindset but also what it means to release everything to God and trust Him completely.

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Shannon & Derek

Crosspoint was a rock for the Zerbers when they were struggling with a fertility battle. When Pastor Chris suggested that they join a new small group that was forming, it came at the perfect time.

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