Hello, BRN Family. It’s good to be with you today. I just have to tell you how amazing our God is. He is so faithful!
When the full force of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our lives, the BRN leadership team had to take some drastic measures to ensure our viability and our ability to support our 330+ churches. Right away, we initiated a spending and travel freeze, we furloughed some employees, and we reduced our expenditures to 40% of what we would normally spend.
But we desperately still wanted to support our churches, so with less staff and less funds, we prayed for God to provide creative ways to continue effective ministry.
And boy, did He! To the tune of $1,320,720 in products and resources! Let me explain.
Over the last four months, our disaster relief team, headed by Kenton Hunt, has worked tirelessly with government agencies and private industries to accumulate and share much needed resources that churches could use to reach their communities.
We acquired and distributed over 50,000 masks and 55,000 pairs of latex gloves, valuing around $109,000. That doesn’t include over 500 masks made by church members in Pennsylvania and South Jersey!
We also acquired and distributed over $750,000 worth of food rations and kits that have been shared with neighborhoods all over our region. That is in addition to partnerships that we helped facilitate between churches and SYSCO Food Systems, who provided food, at low cost, for those willing to distribute within their communities.
And more recently, we acquired 8,000 gallons of concentrated surface sanitizer, which ultimately translates to 512,000 gallons of product worth $400,000!
Altogether, through BRN Disaster Relief’s efforts, nearly $1,250,000 of products have helped our churches reach into their communities in order to share the Gospel!
But that isn’t all! Through the generosity of gifts from Send Relief and churches and individuals who have given to the Global Hunger Fund, the Pastor Crisis Fund, and the BRN State Missions Offering Fund, we’ve been able to use another nearly $62,000 to minister to our churches.
All in a pandemic. All when budgets are restricted. All when it appeared everything was falling apart.
I am here to tell you that GOD IS ABLE! He shines His light into the darkness and He provides.
Philippians 4:19-20 puts it this way: “19 And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Now, with God’s grace and with your continual giving to the Cooperative Program, we are now operating within 20% of where we were before the pandemic began.
We truly give God all the glory for His love and His provision. May this be a sign of hope for all that is ahead as we continue to walk through these difficult times. Please know we are praying for you!
