It blows my mind that we are already nearly through the first quarter of 2023! It was just a few months ago that we launched into the Shaken initiative. Like the believers asked of God in Acts 4, we are asking our Heavenly Father to shake the ground where we stand, the places where we meet, and to shake up our lives for the sake of others coming to full life in Jesus! I am so thankful that hundreds from our White Oak Family took deep steps of trust asking God to shake them up.
Last fall we said that our PRIMARY goal for Shaken is 100% engagement. We want everyone at White Oak to take a step of obedience and trust as it relates to your generosity. We’re asking God to do something so big in us. Our SECONDARY goal is trusting God for $6.2 million over the next two years. We’re asking God to do his work through us. Since December of 2022, the total number of committed and expected gifts for Shaken is $5,821,700. I praise God for his faithfulness. I am humbled that he hears our prayers and moves in and through us for the glory of his name and for the sake of those who don’t yet know him.
In the first few months of Shaken, we have seen God do just that. We asked God to move us to take three BOLD moves. First, Bold Impact. This is our general budget for the next two years. Since the beginning of Shaken we seen 8 people baptized into Christ, and we sent a team to Senegal to see the work of our mission partners where people are coming to know Jesus in towns and villages in West Africa. Second, Bold Hope. We want to make our Colerain facility a space that serves our community and instills hope to the hopeless. We are making some exciting plans and look forward to taking our first steps with this project soon. Third, Bold Stewardship. We will pay down the debt of the Ross facility so that we can keep pointing every dollar God provides toward changing lives. So far your generosity has allowed WOCC to make payments on the loan saving us $595,800 in interest.
Thank you for your generosity. I am so grateful to partner with each one of you in the work God is doing in our city and around the world. This is just the beginning! He’s not even close to being done shaking us. I am praying for you to continue being bold. Let’s be Shaken!
Nathan Hinkle
Lead Pastor
White Oak Christian Church