Every year since 2011, Radiant Church has held Big Give, where we ask our Radiant family to give above and beyond their regular tithe to impact our local and global partners though Kingdom Builders.
Today, there are roughly 3.2 billion people that do not have access to the Gospel. Our obedience to the Great Commission requires us to innovate and find creative ways to spread the truth in new ways.
Our Big Give Offering is now open. Thank you for your investment in the Great Commission and believing with us that there are no closed countries to the Gospel.
Featured Partners
Kindness Acts
In the first half of 2023, Kindness Acts led a Kingdom Builders Impact Trip to Malawi, Africa. Their commitment to sponsoring a camp for orphans has spanned over three years and, having completed this trip, a vision for their future global impact was born. Kindness Acts has purchased land and plans to establish a camp that will enable the ministry to go beyond serving just orphans, extending its reach to families, married couples, and local children. Furthermore, the site will serve as a training and equipping venue for ministry leaders across Africa.
In the future, the camp will provide opportunities for Impact Trips, Construction Teams, Radiant School of Ministry Expeditions, and training and equipping conferences.
Safe Families for Children
Safe Families for Children has a mission to ensure that children stay secure and families remain united. Rooted in faith and fueled by hospitality and generosity, Safe Families for Children aim to construct a network of caring, compassionate volunteers that support families grappling with social isolation. They seek to be an alternative to foster care where appropriate.
Our goal is for 100 families from Radiant to sign up and become a Safe Family as immediate needs arise.
Will you be 1 of the 100?
Radiant Apostolic Ministries
In the Bible, the Kingdom of God expands through local churches, which God utilizes to influence their regions for Christ. We see examples in churches like the one at Antioch, which God used to expand His kingdom through ministries launched from the church. We call these apostolic ministries because the word “apostle” means “sent one.” They are ministries sent from the local church to expand God's kingdom.
Radiant is a church with an apostolic influence that extends beyond our local region. Pastor Lee is recognized as an apostolic leader, and the divine calling on his life extends beyond the four walls of our church - it resonates and makes an impact well beyond Kalamazoo.
Letter from Pastor Joel
Pastor Joel, Missions Pastor at Radiant Church
At Radiant Church, we value the urgent responsibility and privilege given to us by God to proclaim the Gospel to all people, tribes, and nations. We believe that the Great Commission in Matthew 28 was not just written for a small group of men thousands of years ago – it is for us now. It is a mandate for every follower of Jesus.
As a church, we are engaged in the Great Commission in our community and across the nations of the world. We are going, we are sending, and we are surrounding the work with prayer.
Over the last 200 years, faithful laborers have made incredible progress in spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom around the globe. Despite all the effort and commitment, roughly 3.2 billion people today do not have access to this great news. Many live in a land where the Gospel is unwelcomed, prohibited, and forbidden. It is difficult to determine for sure, but we estimate there are around 60 nations like this in the world today.
These places have been called “closed” nations for decades. When Jesus gave us the Great Commission, he did not offer any exceptions or exemptions for parts of the world that restrict or prohibit typical Christian ministry. We believe we are living in some of the most exciting times of Christian mission. For the first time ever, we can confidently say that there are followers of Jesus living in every country in the world. With significant technological advances and multiple organizations unifying around a strategic goal, we believe the Bible can be translated into every language in the next ten years. No generation has been able to say these things before.
WE BELIEVE THERE ARE NO CLOSED COUNTRIES.
Our obedience to Jesus’ command requires us to innovate and discover ways to spread the truth in new ways. Access may be greatly limited or prohibited altogether, but it is not impossible. It must be CREATIVE. We serve a creative God who gives us the ability and wisdom to evaluate situations and find creative solutions.
We are not discouraged by the current challenges to the Gospel in our community or these restrictive nations. We see them as exciting opportunities to see what God can do. We believe that we have some of the best frontline strategic partners in the world, and it is an honor to join them in carrying out the vision God has given them to reach the lost.
Creative Access is not just about making a cover for covert activities. It begins with establishing a legitimate, credible presence in a region. These creative access platforms are viable, God-given means for Christian workers to have relationships and communicate the Gospel to those around them with a sense of integrity. They come in all shapes and sizes, add value, and contribute to the communities being served. Our partners have created access through worship, art, translation, humanitarian aid, business, education, tourism, medicine, sports, and more.
The apostle Paul gave us a model for the mission that has survived the ages. He was a tourist, philosopher, lecturer, fund-raiser, prisoner, and tentmaker. In 1 Corinthians 9:22, he said,
"[we] become all things to all men so that by all possible means [we] might save some."
As I spent time praying ahead of this year's Big Give season, I felt God highlighted this idea of "creative access." Not long after writing those thoughts down, some of our amazing partners began to share the creative visions God had laid on their hearts.
For many of these partners, this calling requires a lot. It is a calling to a long and difficult road where small gains sometimes come at a high cost for all involved. The love of Jesus compels us to take the path less traveled to reach the lost, knowing He is truly worthy of it all.
We greatly value the safety and security of our partners and do not want to do anything to create unnecessary risk. This means there will be particular projects we can communicate with much more detail than others.
I cannot express my gratitude enough for your participation in this year's Big Give! Your generous sacrifice is making a tremendous impact.
Pastor Joel
What is Big Give?
As a church, we have a mandate to expand the Kingdom of God and continue to remember the poor and those in need in our community.
Through Kingdom Builders, Radiant’s strategic initiative focused on the local and global expansion of outreach, evangelism, and mercy ministry, you are actively participating in the Great Commission and helping us be RADIANT to our city and across the globe. Every year since 2011, Radiant Church has held the Big Give, where we ask our Radiant family to give above and beyond their regular tithe to a specific focus. YOU are making a difference, and this year is going to be special.
