On August 2, instead of putting money IN the offering plate, our congregation each took $10 OUT of the plate with the assignment to use the money as we each felt God leading.

Enjoy these testimones on how God used them and their $10 to bless others in this unique way. 

"Just $10 to buy ingredients was enough to get me started on this project. I created a dessert menu, e-mailed it to friends and family and turned this reversal offering into a "bake-a-thon" in hopes I can multiply the $10 to several hundred for the homeless/at-risk youth. My goal is to help support "Rod's House" in their opening this fall. They will provide showers, laundry facilities, food and a place for teens, who have nowhere else to go, to come and receive community resources. Within 12 hours of my e-mail, I made over $100 in orders and have at least four others trying to decide which goodies they want to order."

~ Jennifer Wolman

"I want to thank you for your generosity. I am a single, currently unemployed 53 year old who just lost my unemployment benefits. I plan to go back to college this fall to get my nursing degree, but in the mean time, I have no health insurance and I am trusting God that He will care for me. I had come home from my church this last Sunday and went back to bed. I have been depressed, even though I know that God is in my circumstance; it has been hard to stay up-beat. At about 1:00 pm, my friend, Bernie Cole, called me and asked if I would come to her house. I told her I was just too tired and went back to sleep. Not more than an hour later, she was in my driveway calling me from her cell phone. When I went out to talk to her, she handed me $150.00 and told me the story of your reverse gifting. (She also brought a bag of food, which is much appreciated!) Ric and Bernie Cole have trusted God and added to your gift. I cannot thank all of you enough! This is truly an amazing blessing and I pray that God will bless you and the Coles as much as you have blessed me. Thank you again for your generosity.

~ In Christ, Jan

"Since the reverse offering, I'd been praying for God to show me to whom I should give the money. The past 3 days, I've visited with a man who has lung cancer with brain metastases who has a young wife and 3 beautiful young children. He has an optimistic yet realistic attitude and has lost his job due to his illness. It was very clear to me that he was the one! God led me to add $100 that's been sitting in my drawer since I received it as a birthday gift over a month ago. I was able to tell the man that any money and resources I have actually belong to God and I am just supposed to manage it well; that God has provided all my real needs and blessed me so much that I just hoped this could bless him and his family is some way. He and his wife were very appreciative. I got so much joy out of the whole thing!"

~ Name Withheld

"I stumbled upon a co-worker in need. Her family has been displaced from their home due to gang violence and the fear of retaliation in their neighborhood. She moved her family (2 children) to Prosser to be closer to extended family and thus has been commuting to work in Yakima each day and paying for her mortgage and an apartment. She was stunned and very humbled to receive the funds. I explained that God is at work in her family and although there is fear, He is in charge and always watching over them."

~Kelly Groth

"I didn't feel right taking the $10 out of the offering plate. But, I did. I put $30 more with it and sent it to the Aguilars to help pay for their air conditioner."

~ Roger Cantrell

"There was a firefighter/paramedic with the Seattle Fire Dept. that used to work at the fire department I work with. He had left for Seattle prior to my arrival. He had been fighting with some physical ailments the past several years and had been unable to work for some time. Because of this, his family has been struggling financially. A little over a week ago, he died leaving behind his wife and children. This is obviously very tragic in and of itself, however, the financial struggles and broken family compound this exponentially.  We have decided to give to the Steve Lohr fund through Key Bank. More than money, I would also ask that you keep this family in your collective prayers; that they would have peace and healing and somehow see Jesus in a situation that one would not think to look for Him."

~ Doug Weller

"In the reverse offering, I blessed my mother who recently finished a grueling seven week round of chemo and radiation for lung cancer. She loves the Lord with all of her heart and loved hearing about the reverse offering. Even though it was a small blessing, it brought great joy during this difficult time in dealing with her disease."

~ Juan Herrera

"When we were presented with the reverse offering, the Lord put into my heart and that of my son, Mario Herrera, a young mother (with three young daughters) who was attempting to escape domestic violence. Part of her home was destroyed by her abusive husband. She is now staying at a secret shelter until she can find housing. The small gifts brought a smile and a light in some of her darkest days. She says she is overwhelmed by the love that God has shown her through others' prayers and blessings."

~ Anita Castellon

"I prayed for two weeks that God would show me who I should give the reverse offering to. It was while at work that God impressed upon me who it was. My heart jumped when I discovered that it was a person who has persecuted me for many years. 'Oh Lord, not my enemy!' I knew that I must do it. I prayed for courage and wisdom and yesterday approached this person with the money and a salvation pamphlet. That evening I was filled with doubts, fear and prayed that God would protect me.  Did I really hear correctly?  Was this the person that I should have approached? The next morning, what do you think my devotional and scripture reading was on? Jesus serving His enemy - Judas! It was the confirmation that I needed. May Jesus Christ be praised!"

~ Name withheld

"The Reverse Offering was expanded and sent to the Gideons for Expansion of the Word. 'Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.'"

~ Wilma Coffman

"The reverse offering stimulated my desire to send a 5-fold gift to a very faithful servant of the Lord, Joyce Perry, with Chaplain Ministries."

~ Wallace Coffman

"I saw a young mono-lingual Spanish family man unable to pay for his presciption for high blood pressure. I was able to pay for this man's medication. Love and God's word didn't need a Spanish interpreter. It was awesome."

~ Randy Matthews

"Thank you Westside Baptist members. God knew that I needed help and he sent you to help me. There is truly a God in Heaven. Again, I say thank you and bless West Side. Lisa Matthews, my social worker at the dialysis center where I have my treatment gave me money to help with transportation in the name of GOD."

~ Greg Williams

"I am 8 years old. I gave my money to a girl that we sponsor though Compassion International. Her name is Marjorie Cholanco and she lives in Ecuador. I wrote her a letter too. I can't wait to get a letter back."

~ Name withheld

"We made our reverse offerings part of a donation to Mike Silva Evangelism."

~ Forrest & Debbie Fisher

"It was hard for me to decide how I should give away the $10 from the reverse offering. At Yakima Federal Savings Bank I saw a sign about the Julie Reed Benefit Fund. Julie is five and survived a plane crash near Rimrock Lake on June 28. The crash killed her father and step-brother. Julie has multiple fractures on both legs and the family has no insurance. I may never get to contact the family, but three bank employees heard how God provided the money through the church."

~ Larry Perrigo

"When I first got the money I immediately thought of a person at church who I know is having hard times and could use it. So why haven't I given her money before?? Do I just rely on the church to do it for me? Do I give to my usual groups (and to all of the children of friends who need money for missions) and then call it good? Am I too self-focused on what I want to spend it on for me?? Do I really believe it is God's money and not my own to worry about? What a wake up call."

~ Name Withheld

"I kept waiting for God to show me someone really in need but when that didn't happen I felt He was directing me to share the $10.00 with the friend of a friend whose name kept coming to mind. She is a hard worker with many expenses & never seems to have enough money to cover all the bills at the end of the month."

~ Name Withheld

"This is the first time I have had the experience of a 'reverse offering' and though I was intrigued by the idea, I must admit that I was also a bit hesitant in taking money OUT of the offering plate! I prayed that the Lord would show me where and how to use this gift--and trusted Him to guide me. That week, our daughter Megan invited me to attend "The Leadership Summit 2009" with her and hosted in Yakima at the Stone Church. This 2-day seminar is focused on the development of faith driven leaders from a variety of voices and disciplines: from corporate CEOs, leaders in academia, leaders within the church, and from those working in the non-profit sector. We had the opportunity to hear from leaders around the world and how they were using God's gift of leadership. Toward the end of the seminar was a feature on Compassion International, an organization that partners with Willow Creek Church in Chicago to serve under-resourced people in the communities of our world to fight against extreme poverty. I began to feel God nudging me to use our 'reverse offering' money in support of this ministry. I saw the impact that this church-to-church approach is having on the lives of those in extreme poverty while connecting Christians together as the body of Christ. It was moving to see how God uses His work in the body to bring good out of all circumstances."

~ Pam Ansingh

"I know I am late, but I want to share that I gave the money plus added to it, to a young woman that picked pears, working very hard in our orchard last week. I also gave Charlene Taylor's money to another woman that was picking here. I told them that I have been very blessed and I wanted to pass this money on to them."

~ Betty Peterson

"I added some money to the $10 and gave it to a non-profit organization that provides hair care to ladies who cannot pay their own way."

~ Name Withheld

"After church at the Safeway deli, I was waited on by Sheryl, a lady whom I talked to while she and her husband were at the Union Gospel Mission. They had not been to West Side because their truck was down. She appreciated the $10."

~ Butch Neubauer

"My $10 went to a family whose house burnt down. The office where I work not only collected money, but food, clothing, etc., for this family. The mother was crying tears of joy."

~ Name withheld

"We donated our money and extra to a family who recently lost their mother and the father is extremely overwhelmed with the care of their two daughters."

~ Name withheld

"PJ and five children were given notice to move out of their home. Last Thursday, 10 days ago, they moved a camper trailer with no power/water into our yard. Last week was very hot. Wife and girls stayed at the Mission. They're looking for a home but he's not working right now. PJ and boys sleeping in my home nights until Sunday - 10 days! Dad and I gave our $10 and added to it."

~ Bonnie Ferrell

"We met a single mom who was struggling to make ends meet so we added $30 to our two $10 and gave her the $50 to help her out. The whole idea to reach out as individuals to help others
has been such a blessing.
What a great idea!"

~ Don and Jean Macy

"In early August I went on vacation to California to see my family. It seems God uses all of our bad habits as I was deeply wanting a diet soda one night. I stopped in at a McDonald's and there was a homeless man who asked if I could buy him a hamburger. I went to the stand and spent the $10 on an Arch card and sat down with the man. I said I was with a church in Washington (he had never heard of Yakima), and we wanted to bless others in the name of Jesus Christ, and so I handed him the card and told him that even though we may never meet again, there are lots of people in Yakima, WA that love him. I thanked him for his time, and as I left with my large Diet Coke, I was reminded that this project of generosity goes with us wherever we are."

~ Judson Guerino

"I have been visiting Westside for a few weeks now. I am attending UW in Seattle. I took part in the reverse offering and was anxious to see how God would use the $10. I didn't have to wait long. When I got to class on Monday, I learned that one of our classmates had to make an emergency flight back home to be with a dying family member. The class was asking for donations to help absorb the cost of the pricey plane ticket. They were only asking for $5 dollars. When I gave the person collecting $10, they were very impressed. However, I was able to tell them that this wasn't my money but God's and this was a chance to let God touch someone through this gift. They were very appreciative and one of my classmates even asked me about how it was being a Christian!"

~ Scott

"My wife had a chance to talk with a woman on Sunday. Her husband almost died in June. She thinks he's hanging on. She's working to pay bills. They've sold their camp trailer and had yard sales to pay monthly expenses. It seemed like they would be good recipients for a gift from Jesus. We doubled what we got and sent it anonymously."

~ Name withheld

"First of all, I thought this was a wonderful idea and exercise... very creative! As soon as the "reverse offering" was explained, I knew exactly what I was supposed to do with it. Immediately before the service started, the Lord had a woman share with me how God was providing month by month for her and her husband. They had recently had a garage sale and also sold a large item, both of which the Lord used to provide for their needs. What a blessing to pass the ten dollars along to her with an added gift that the Lord told me to include!"

~ Name withheld

"After church on Sunday, my daughter and I went to Fred Meyers to get gas. She had received $2 from the reverse benevolent offering in Sunday School. When we left the parking lot we saw someone on the street corner asking for help. We drove back around and parked so that we could talk to her. Jacqueline wanted to know why this person wanted money. The woman said that she needed food. She lived down by the river and only had one pair of pants. So, Jacqueline gave her the $2 and said "Jesus loves you." The woman replied "Bless you."

~ Tim

"I thought it was an awesome idea to hand out money last Sunday. I donated my money to the Memorial Foundation Children's Village. Donations are used to help children with acute and chronic heath care needs. The work of God is truly seen through the eyes of the children here. "

~ Kat Temple

"I took my 10 dollars and gave it to a homeless man who comes into my workplace. I told him that it comes from our Lord and not from me."

~ Michael Coffman

"After Sunday's service, I had a few ideas about how to use the $10.00 I received in church. But, when my daughter shared a story about my granddaughter (5) and grandson (3) painting rocks and selling them at Super 1 Foods in Ellensburg, I felt compelled to add my $10 to the $23 they had already collected. They were earning money to send to missionaries, Skip and Ruth Sorensen, in Uganda, Africa, to buy "flip-flops" for the boys and girls there who didn't have money for them. Little ones--how precious they are in God's sight!"

~ Betty Cantrell

"The Lord brought to our minds a single mother with two teenagers, who has had some very serious, life-threatening illnesses, but is now recovering. She was off work for several months, and now is only able to be back at work part time. She says she is a believer and is grateful to the Lord for His support. We were able to help with some needed funds."

~ Name Withheld

"The day after the reverse offering was distributed, I learned about a long-time friend's loss of work. I promptly invited her to lunch--my treat! Once we were at the restaurant, another couple came in with whom our friend knew from several years before; she shared her job loss and asked for their prayers. We continued with our lunch. My husband and I had already decided that we would expand the reverse offering gift and provide some financial support for our friend to pay some bills or buy groceries, so I had our "expanded" gift ready to give to our friend at lunch. Before this other couple left the restaurant, they came to our table and presented our (mutual) friend with a check to help her out also! So, the Lord was able to doubly bless this friend through our expanded reverse offering gift as well as the gift from the other couple whom the Lord directed to the same restaurant at the same time on the same day as we were meeting!! How perfect are God's timing and provisions for His children!

~ Name Withheld

"Two young girls at our elementary school lost their mother to heart failure days before the reverse offering opportunity. They now are preparing for the upcoming school year and life without their mom, and it has left them and their now single dad devastated. This was an obvious choice for our family to share God's love with a family in great need."

~ Name Withheld

"I found out about a young couple with a baby whose home burned down, leaving them with nothing. I was able to double the offering and give it to this family."

~ Name Withheld

"I gave my $10 to my older neighbor who has lost her husband and son and is struggling. Then someone gave me their $10 and I added $40 to that and gave it to a woman who is struggling through a life crisis. What a great idea this was."

~ Judy Morton

"My husband and I prayed individually over what to do with the offering. God gave us both the same answer, which was to match the amount and purchase food for a single father with four children. Four grateful children hugged us and happily carried the groceries to their apartment. We shared how it was God, not us, who had given them this gift and how He loves them."

~ Lynda Derrick

"When the Lord Jesus called my wife home to Him, I donated most of her clothes to others who can use them now. However, she had heavy sweaters, fleeces, coats and jackets I kept because I have a daughter and daughter-in-law from warmer climates and I wanted them to look at these for something to keep here for their own winter visits. They did so in July, and now I needed to give to someone else these warm clothes that will be useful in winter for someone else whom God also loves. I need to add that it has been over long, and in my way of thinking I should have done this long ago, but God had a better plan. With West Side's offering in my hand, He has shown me that someone whom the Union Gospel Mission can assist with a coat should also find a little help of this nature in their new pocket, so I doubled the amount. After all, it all belongs to Him. Then I wrote an explanation of West Side's gift of the Lord's funds and celebrated God's great multiplier by putting a note and $20 in the pocket of each of the fleeces, coats and jackets with pockets. Praise that the church also has the Union Gospel Mission barrel in the west hallway. I've been blessed to use the church's offering to bless others in His greater glory, and to praise Him, who will select the recipients of His gifts!"

~ Name Withheld

"I was wondering what to do, when I discovered that a large organization I belong to invited someone from "Planned Parenthood" as this week's speaker. Having decided not to attend, God reminded me that I had missed last fall's "Life Choices" banquet. I sent the money to them along with more of my own!"

~ Mike Judy

"A member of our Christian Motorcyclists Association in Yakima was seriously hurt in a car/motorcycle accident on Nob Hill over a week ago. He was stablized in Yakima then airlifted to Harborview in Seattle. He has had several surgeries, so far, and is still in harms way so when the "hat" was passed at the chapter meeting Monday, we put the money into the hat, along with more that we added, to help with the large amount of expenses that they are experiencing."

~ Jim & Alicia Shreve

"I decided to multiply the $10.00 by 5 and give it to a non-profit hospital in Portland in the name of Our Lord. He has seen to it that doctors of great talent have been about to help children with many physical difficulties at no cost to their families---thanks to the Good Lord & His followers."

~ Karen Jackson

"Hi. I am 7 years old. I used my offering money (from Kids' Time) to buy school supplies for a girl who is starting kindergarten. We bought a backpack too and I wrote her a little note and drew a picture. It made me feel good to help another girl. Note from Mom: We contacted Union Gospel Mission to locate a child who was hoping to receive school supplies. Union Gospel Mission was very helpful, even telling us which specific supplies were needed, and the favorite colors of the little girl. It has been very special to see my daughter's excitement to help another child. We will do this again!"

~ Name Withheld

"We gave the two tens plus extra money to the Abundiz family. Mrs. Abundiz is the survivor of the jeep accident that killed three of her sons. Rosie took the money with an explanation of West Side's "reverse" offering along with condolences to the funeral home to give to Mrs. Abundiz."

~ Mike and Rosie Saunders

"I did this with my two sons the first week. I couldn't find anywhere I felt led to give, so I increased it and put it in the offering plate; but the boys and I were looking for what God wanted. Then my uncle, one of our Selah members, is the homeless vet representative and there are so many needs not met by the programs. Dave, when he can, pays out of his pocket. So I talked to the boys and they agreed to give him $40 for hair cuts, a hamburger, whatever. They are 7 and 9 and they got it."

~ Steve Walker

"I am 8 years old. I gave my money to another girl that we sponsor through Compassion International. Her name is Wendy Munoz and she lives in Peru. I hope she writes back soon. "

~ Name Withheld

"I gave my $10 from the reverse offering to a friend that I knew needed it. I thought he could use it for a haircut or food or something."

~ Name withheld

"My daughters and I were at the grocery store a few days after the reverse offering and saw some teens sitting in a large crate. The girls were curious of course. They gave us a letter as we entered the store explaining what they were doing. It was connected to the West Valley Nazarene church. They were collecting money to help kids in Africa. We gave them $20 without even thinking about the offering, but when I got I home I realized that I had given away my $10 plus $10."

~ Tina Silvey

"We are giving our reverse offering money plus some extra to Tara Hinze, a 25 year old daughter of a family that used to attend West Side. She is currently in a fight for her life and has medical bills piling up."

~ Dale and Jackie Panattoni

"I used my $10 at Wray's to buy bottled water after hearing about a program that gives bottled water to the senior citizens in Yakima who are in need. All I had to do was buy it and Wray's would have it delivered to where it was needed!"

~ Name withheld

"I am using this  $10.00 toward a subscription to Decision magazine for a young neighbor man who has come off drugs and is trying to make something of his life. In a conversation with him, he said he has accepted Jesus as his Savior. I am sure they don't have good reading material in the home, so hopefully they will all read it and be blessed by it."

~ Kermit Nelson

"After almost three weeks of praying, I finally felt God directing me to give the $10 as I entered the parking lot at a large department store in town. A couple stood at the side of the road with a "Please Help" sign. I was able to pull into the parking lot and ask what help they were looking for. It seemed that they needed some gas money to return to Moses Lake. The circumstances allowed me the time to explain about taking money OUT of the offering plate and waiting for God to direct how we were to use it. The lady's eyes got big. "I ain't ever heard of a church doin' that before." We talked a little more and then she allowed me to pray with her before I gave her the money plus some. Thank You, Lord."

~ Belinda Caldwell

"Joan and I discovered there was a Selah man who needed transportation to a Seattle hospital for major surgery involving a life threatening problem. Our son wanted to take him but needed money for gas, etc. We added money to the $20.00 from the reverse offering and gave it to our son who took the man to the hospital and ministered to him as they travelled."