Benevolence is defined as “an act of kindness; a charitable gift.” It is giving with no expectation of anything in return, sometimes without ever knowing the impact of that gift.
The Faith family is known for dispensing these acts of kindness year-round. You give your time to help the sick and elderly clean their yards, your finances to feed orphans in Haiti, and your love to reach out to the lost. Occasionally, you respond to a special offering that helps replenish our benevolence fund.
We are all vulnerable to unforeseen circumstances like loss of employment, illness, or a traumatic
event. Sometimes these circumstances result in financial crisis. The purpose of the benevolence ministry is to help appropriately address the needs of those at Faith and in our community who find themselves in these situations. Typical requests include help with overdue bills, groceries, car repair expenses, medical bills and prescriptions, and rent. These may come directly from the person in need or from someone connected with Faith who is aware of an individual or family in need. We also receive requests from those in the community with no connection to Faith.
Many times, however, the financial request is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of someone’s need. Faith’s Benevolence Administrator seeks to understand what would be most helpful to the person in their current situation, what is causing the hardship, and how we can help the person or family spiritually and emotionally as well as financially. If in providing only financial assistance we enable someone to stay stuck in the situation, then we have hindered their ability to restore broken relationships with God and others and to be self-sustaining long-term.
Determining the best course of action when a benevolence request is received is a collaborative effort between the benevolence administrator and one or more individuals or agencies. Occasionally the requesting person’s family steps in to help. Many times, Stephen Ministry or small groups come alongside the individual or family.
Faith’s Benevolence Ministry also connects people to community agencies, such as United Way’s “211,” The Murphy Center, Fort Collins Rescue Mission, and others for specific care and assistance. Faith has recently partnered with a new organization in Fort Collins called “The Community Resource Center,” whose mission is to “share God’s love and resources to those in financial hardship and crisis.” This center is able to leverage the resources and talents of its partner churches and provides food and clothing, as well as financial care to those in need.
Without your acts of kindness, we would not be able to support these local organizations and assist those in our Faith family. Your generosity brings light to seemingly hopeless situations and helps others develop a thriving relationship with Jesus Christ.