USMB invites donations on Giving Tuesday

Thanks to Giving Tuesday donations, USMB was able to assist Redemption Church with remodeling expenses after they purchased a church building.

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Redemption Church, planted in 2019 in Owatonna, Minnesota, had a good problem. They kept growing, moving from the basement of church planting couple Christian and Erica Kohs’ home, to a Seventh Day Adventist church building and then to a vacant building in a strip mall.

“We grew significantly during the pandemic,” Kohs says, adding they had roughly 40 members when they first moved to the strip mall, and by the time they were ready to move again, they were pushing 100. “We had chairs set up in the lobby and around the outside of the sanctuary; our kids’ rooms were bursting … We needed something.”

Redemption Church pastor Christian Kohs sees the light in the steeple of their church building as a symbol of their commitment to being God’s light to their community. Photo: John Langer

And then they learned that First Baptist Church, located in downtown Owatonna, was closing its doors and selling its 132-year-old building.

“One of our members happens to be neighbors with someone from First Baptist,” says Kohs.  “When they heard they were selling a church, they responded that we wanted to put in a bid.”

The Baptist congregation wanted their building to continue as a house of worship and so awarded the bid to Redemption. Funds for the purchase and building renovation came from a variety of sources, including USMB. USMB sent 2021 Giving Tuesday funds to help with renovation costs.

Individuals and churches will have opportunity to support USMB on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. Giving Tuesday is a global day dedicated to generosity that falls on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Donated funds will be used to support USMB mission and ministry, including the new Church Planting Council, Leadership Pipeline and other leadership development projects and LEAD initiatives.

“You can make a kingdom difference by donating to USMB on Giving Tuesday,” says USMB National Director Don Morris. “Thank you for prayerfully considering investing in our mission and ministry through church planting, leadership development and LEAD initiatives for MB pastors and churches. Together, we are increasing impact.”

In the eight years USMB has been part of Giving Tuesday, donors have contributed more than $235,000, including $21,465 last year. In 2021 18,265 was donated for church multiplication and evangelism, $3,075 for leadership development and $125 for disciple-making.

For more information about USMB’s Giving Tuesday campaign, visit www.usmb.org/GivingTuesday. USMB invites donors to use the hashtag #increasingkingdomimpact.

The Giving Tuesday movement, begun in 2012, raised $2.7 billion in online gifts in the U.S. last year, fueled primarily through social media and collaboration.

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