The Blessing Jar

In April of 2005, our church's fellowship building burned down. The loss devistated us, because that building was a big part of our ministry. Wedding receptions for happy brides, baby showers for mothers-to-be, and a hot meal for families suffering a loss were just a few of the ways we reached out to others. Reconstruction of a new building is not just desirable, it's a necessity.
Our congregation, although very giving and committed to the task, is small. Rebuilding is much more costly than we could afford, but with God's help, we have raised money by raffling quilts, selling crafts, and we even held a garages sale. All these endeavers have been successful, but the most creative way our church has built our funds, is through the blessing jar.
The idea for the blessing jar came to our pastor's wife (also my cousin :D) while she was running errands. She noticed a penny on the ground. Of course, most of us would have kept going, but God spoke to her heart, that if she'd make the effort to reach down and pick up that penny, He'd bless it. When she shared her experience with the rest of the church, our blessing jar became a reality...
We now have a big water jug sitting in front of the altar. It contains all the found pennies and spare change, donated by church members, and many visitors. Having it there has inspired us, and changed the way we think. None of us can pass a lost coin without picking it up. Parents no longer have change in their cars' consoles, because the children have snagged it up to donate. Some people even put bills in it! We have emptied and refilled this jar three times, adding a good sum of money to our building fund. I have no doubt that we will begin construction on a new building soon, and it all started with a lost penny and a woman, willing to listen to and obey God's voice.
I'm thankful for every penny in our jar, and I pray for God to bless each and every person who has donated it.