A Place of Restoration
The Rev. Dennis D. Grant, senior pastor of A Place of Restoration in Tamarac, Fla., is a man on fire. No time to waste, he’s a blur of activity, literally working against the clock. He’s counting the days to Jan. 11, 2009.
“That’s when my boss gives me a review,” he says. “That’s when I account for myself with respect to the project that he has assigned me.”
Grant’s project is daunting, not for the feint of heart. But it is, he says, a directive from God, and do it he must: Find a building that will accommodate the church’s growing membership and community outreach pro-grams, and buy it, debt-free, in 99 days.
“I am confident that I will not be alone in this,” says the firebrand pastor. “Others will step into faith with me, and we’ll bring this task to glorious fruition.”
Grant already has found a building. With a $4 million price tag, “This means that I must find 4,004 faith-filled individuals who will sow a seed of $999 each into this project on or before Jan. 11, 2009,” he told his congregation of mostly working-class, faith-filled believers at Sunday service.
The 57-year-old minister, noted for his impassioned sermons on love, unity and generosity, teaches the biblical principle of “seedtime and harvest.” According to the principle, “sowing a seed” — that is, giving a specific amount for a specific cause — especially under less-than-ideal circumstances for the sower, is an act of faith that will yield abundant rewards (the harvest).
Grant has launched an all-out fund-raising campaign to get him the more than 4,000 seed sowers he needs to achieve his goal.
“It’s a hard, uphill climb,” Grant conceded to his flock, pointing to a poster of the countdown to the deadline date. “Are we going to do it? Who stands with me?” he asked, beaming with pride as the entire congregation stood, clapping enthusiastically in agreement.
“Let’s build God’s house, and he will build ours,” the pastor assured them.
Currently, A Place of Restoration leases space in a complex that houses a banquet hall and several small offices. A permanent, debt-free home will provide badly needed room for the church’s growing membership and for its helping programs that serve hundreds of poor and working-poor people in South Florida.
It’s God’s plan, says the indomitable Grant. “God wants us to be ready, willing and able to serve even more people in these hard times,” he says.
At Sunday services, people with no gas in their tanks, no food at home, no working utilities or no working appliances find ready help at A Place of Restoration. The church also reaches out to people living with cancer and other serious illnesses, and offers counseling for at-risk youths, people in difficult relationships, and people crushed by debt or simply overwhelmed by life’s challenges.
Last July 4, Grant and his congregation celebrated “Interdependence Day” with a major gas giveaway to more than 700 drivers to underscore the point that “we all need each other,” and to set an example of generosity for other churches to follow.
To be a partner in Grant’s $4 million mission, call toll-free (866) 363-1999 or (954) 968-7335 to make a pledge or to speak to the pastor personally about the project.
Visit http://www.aplaceofrestoration.com to learn more about the church and its community outreach programs. Donations are tax-deductible.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
