As usual, Lee Berti took her petition to God: "How do you want me involved in this year's Camp Meeting Evangelism Offering?" She and husband Jim had been part of the offering for years. Each year they would pray, seeking God's will. Then they'd share the amount each was impressed to give.
But 2006 was different; Lee was newly widowed. When she asked God in prayer what He wanted her to do, she was shocked at the number that kept coming to her mind. It was twice the amount she and Jim had ever pledged. And it seemed impossible.
A woman of faith and a student of God's word, this former educator believed she had been God's woman too long to ignore His leading. She wrote out her pledge, reminding God that He would have to provide the money from somewhere.
After camp meeting, Lee waited and wondered how God was going to provide the funds she had pledged. It took several months. While visiting a local ministry, she overheard that the ministry urgently needed a full-time employee. Lee offered to work part-time until they found someone else. As an active church leader, she didn't want to cut back on her commitments.
Her new employers agreed to part-time employment. With the extra income, she made regular pledge payments. And the moment her pledge was paid in full, the part-time job evaporated. "God will not let us down," she says. "His Word promises ‘My God shall supply all your needs.'"
"Surrendering to Jesus as Lord of all is an amazing, scary, personal, sobering, and humbling journey," says Jerry Page, president of the Central California Conference. "It's the journey on which God is longing to take each one of us. He wants us to trust Him."
For more than 10 years, the Camp Meeting Evangelism Offering has continually grown. "We see God providing resources before we know His plans," says George Johnson, church plant and special evangelistic outreach director for the CCC. "Seeing the lives of so many changed through their giving experience is an exciting part of this soul winning endeavor."
The Prayer Journey
The evangelism offering journey began with prayer 10 years ago when a few members asked God to give His people in Central California evidence of the power of united prayer. Several members who met weekly felt impressed to pray for the evangelism offering as the evidence.
First, the offering surpassed the goal. Then it doubled from the previous year. Then it continued to increase each year, usually far beyond the established goals. Some might wonder if people pledge more than they give, but in recent years the total amount received for the Camp Meeting Evangelism Offering has actually exceeded the original gifts and pledges.
This year's offering reached $3,342,133 in gifts and pledges, as many individuals stepped out in faith. The offering's goal was $1 million.
"We encourage members to ask God if or how He wants them to be involved," explains Janet Page, CCC prayer ministries coordinator. "We say, ‘Don't give a dime to this offering if God is not leading you.'"
The Trust Journey
"Whether it's $100 or $1 million, the faith and trust journey is the same," says President Page. "For so many members, the amount God asks them to give, whether by gift or pledge, looks humanly impossible. And we never take these monies for granted. We believe that each year God's plans and vision for His work in Central are the priorities. Our responsibility is to seek His will, not stepping forward until unified."
To that end, the Evangelism and Church Growth committees spend a few days each fall praying and studying God's word together.
"Surrendering all to Jesus' Lordship goes well beyond someone's checkbook," says Janet Page. "It's about seeking the desires of God's heart in each and every detail of a believer's life."
Reflecting on her own experience, Lee Berti says: "If we step out in faith and say ‘I'm going to trust You. I believe You can make all things possible,' He certainly will."
"That's the journey our Savior desires for us all," says President Page.
