2025 Thanksgiving Offering to the Poor
Dear ANF Family,
During my Sunday message two weeks ago, I gave a message on how we can prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving in a biblical way that honors God. The Bible is very clear about what God wants us to do during Thanksgiving:
For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, "You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land." (Deuteronomy 5:11). "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce." (Proverbs 3:9-10). "And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 23:22).
One practical way I challenged you all to apply that message was to give one percent of your annual income as a Special Thanksgiving Offering to the poor, a challenge that I've made each year since 2022. I make this challenge to you all not because we are all in a good spot financially, or just because it's our annual tradition, but because I think it is important for us all to simply obey what God tells us to do.
Thanksgiving is a busy time of year for many of us, and it's easy to pass the day, the week, by without much reflection into what the Bible says about Thanksgiving or how we ought to spend our efforts as Christians during this time of year. I hope we can be different from the world in that respect, and that we can honor God by really reflecting on all that He has done for us this past year, sharing our firstfruits with those in need, and truly trusting that God will continue to provide for us and our families, just as He has so faithfully done for us every other year, through our small offering.
I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has already participated in this year's Special Thanksgiving Offering. Our Finance Team shared that 12 singles and 10 families have already come together to give a total of $23,961.00 as of this past Sunday, and we just have one Sunday left. Over the past three years, we have used the money collected to support a refugee school for children in Egypt, to support Refugee Services of Texas, to provide basic necessities for those indigenous people living in remote villages in Mexico, to support the relief and rehabilitation efforts after the devastating earthquake in Turkey, to provide financial support to various Ukrainian refugees, to sponsor an Afghan sister and her safe asylum, and to provide scholarships to many students through our ANF Scholarship program. Our hope is to continue supporting many others in need in this way. If you have any ideas or suggestions as to those who may benefit from our support, feel free to let me know, and I'd be happy to discuss anytime. Every dollar we collect will be set aside in a separate account to be used solely to support those in need, so we are open to your thoughts and prayers.
Even if you can't attend our Thanksgiving Sunday worship this Sunday, you can still participate in giving your Special Thanksgiving Offering through Venmo (@anfdallas) or Zelle (finance@anfdallas.org) from now until this Sunday, November 23rd. By giving one percent of our annual income to give back to those in need, I hope this can be one practical way we celebrate Thanksgiving in a more biblical, God-honoring way this year. I am confident that God will recognize and be pleased by our hearts and cannot wait to experience how God blesses us and our families further in the next year to come.
Happy early Thanksgiving, ANF.
Pastor Daniel
