Bethel Church

Nebbe -

Peg and I married right before our senior year at ISU. After we graduated, Peggy got a job as a sixth-grade science teacher and I was an engineer at Bourns Inc. in Ames. We tithed our wages from the start.

A few years later I was talking with one of the other engineers and it came up that we tithed. He told me we were fools. But, we continued tithing, for we chose to follow God’s word.

In the early 1970’s, we moved back to Ogden with our three little boys. We started our own business which took off very slowly. We joined a church in Ogden, and felt we couldn’t afford to tithe. Times were hard, but we squeaked through with help from our families.

In the early 1980’s, we joined Bethel and it was apparent to us that we should start to tithe again. After a few years of tithing, Peg and I agreed that we should increase the tithe by 1% each succeeding year. As we increased what we gave to the Lord, he blessed us in so many ways. Our business grew and each year brought another surplus in our bank account.

Malachi 3:8* uses the term “tithes and offerings”. I take this to mean the tithe is 10%, with offerings being anything above that. I believe it is true that we can’t out-give God.

Doug Nebbe

*^{8 “}Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me”. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.” ¹⁰“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it.”

-Malachi 3:8&10

Mallicoat - 

Following God’s Plan

Trent and I faced a financial change in our household in January of 2007.  I made a job change which took my income to 1/2 of what we were accustomed to.  Recognizing that God was guiding our decision for me to change jobs, we stepped out in faith immediately unsure of how things would all pull together.  Trent and I had been accustomed to running our household on a monthly budget, but we were not prepared for the limited resources in which to begin working with.  As we sat down together to go through each expense and determine if this was an expense that was set as is, could be trimmed back, or could be eliminated we had to face the amount which we were giving to the church each week.  We understood the importance of the tithe and had worked hard within our household to honor that.  However I was just sure this would be the area we would trim back.  As we began Trent said that we would continue to tithe what we were bringing in to the household.  He shared with me the importance of continuing to be obedient even when we couldn’t see how things would all pull together. 

Our family had the practice of setting the budget and then I was the one who would pay all the bills and determine what was left for extras.  This practice had to change immediately, because it was obvious that we both needed to pay bills together and see together what was or wasn’t left.  Through out this painful process I would start out subtracting the bills from the income and the tears would start in.  I would doubt my decision to leave my former job and question why things had happened this way.  Trent over and over would assure me as to the whys and he would support our decision encouraging me that things would all work out.  Throughout this process I would become more defeated and Trent would be more encouraged.  Finally one night as we lay in bed, Trent asked me why we weren’t giving this area of our life to God.  I asked him what he meant by that.  Trent went on to explain how we had sought God in prayer prior to me leaving my job, how we had prayed for a new job, and we had trusted God to guide us as we worked through that process.  However we were not laying out our financial struggles and asking God to guide us and give us wisdom in how to work through the financial needs.  We needed to turn this over to God and allow him to show us his ways, not our ways. 

We began our bill paying night by first praying together as a couple.  We would then start in determining what was going to be paid and what money would be set aside for expenses later in the month.  We began to find joy in the weeks when a small surplus was accumulating.  There were the insurance checks that came at just the right time to fill in a gap, there was rebate money we had sent in 10 weeks prior and we had forgotten about, and there were extra hours in a work week that filled in the gaps at just the right time.  Yes I know those things would have come, however the important thing that we recognized in this was our ways are not God’s ways.  God does things at the exact time.  Trent and I both feel he was waiting for us to recognize the power of prayer, to let loose of our control, and give it to him through our prayers.  We could not do this in our own strengths; it had to be done through God’s.  Yes you are right; one of the verses which carried us was Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me”.  This verse hangs on a plaque in our home.  Coincidental that this was the verse that brought us strengths, maybe…After all a coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.  – Trent and Jean Mallicoat

 Hascall

We are unable to accomplish anything by ourselves.  When the congregation voted to obtain Ministry Campaign Services to raise funds, I was skeptical.  We serve a big God.  Why pay someone to raise money?  Shortly after that meeting I was riding in the car with the radio on and a message that I will try to relate.  Everyone loves automatic doors.  The next time you go shopping stop and think.  They only work when you go toward them.  Once you walk away they will not be there when you need help.  You can stand at a distance and talk about how great they are, but nothing happens.  Now think about God in those same terms.  If we make a decision in our life to walk away from God, or try standing at a distance and just think how great God is what will be done in our lives.  Remember Micah 6:8 “He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  When a church enters into a capital campaign, it does so specifically to build the Kingdom of God through facilities which will help reach the needs of the people.  God can and will do beyond what we can imagine.
 
Donald Hascall – Campaign Chair