Winter Digital_2_2019

GIVING BACK
How to Serve Local
and Go Global
BY SHERRI JOHNSON
Daniel and Becca Zeidman volunteered a total of 22 hours serving the homeless through the Charlotte Dream Center and sorting food at Second Harvest Food Bank. “Coach
Daniel” and Becca earned A&B reward to go to Haiti where they led sport camps. While on her global assignment, Becca and her husband connected with a family, and the
Lord laid it on their heart to pay for school uniforms for two children in the family, so they could attend school. Without a school uniform it’s impossible for a child to attend
school in Haiti. Becca says, “I’m not sure why God put this family in our path, but I appreciate the opportunity He has given us to pour into them.”
Have you ever been asked to donate
dollars to help send someone on a mission
trip? Maybe a church member, a
neighbor or a family friend has asked
for financial assistance? Now there’s
a Charlotte-based non-profit that’s
changing this one-to-one proposition.
Above & Beyond, a faith-based
organization with the purpose of eradicating
spiritual poverty, started with
a mission of its own as part of Grace
Covenant Church in Cornelius. Founder,
Michelle Hoverson, had a simple idea
that today has helped 885missionaries
travel to 76 nations serving 13,275
hours at local non-profits. But before
a passport is ever presented, each missionary
earns money by volunteering
locally.
“We wanted to see a paradigm shift
in how mission trips were funded,”
says Hoverson, who after 24 years in
pastoral ministry leading more than
50 outreach trips knew there was
a way to make a greater impact.
“Instead we reward and foster volunteerism
in the missionary’s backyard,
because mission work always begins
at home.”
Serve Local, Go Global
Here’s how it works: Missionaries
who face financial obstacles can earn
funding by volunteering in their local
community at faith-based organizations.
Every volunteer hour is rewarded
with $25 dollars toward their global
mission trip. The average grant is
between $350-450 dollars, or 14-18
hours of service.
56 | CHARLOTTE L I V I N G
Karin Conroy served 24 hours (twice her
required service) serving snacks during
Calvary Church in Charlotte’s community
Vacation Bible School in order to earn
rewards to serve in Jamaica. Karin shares,
“finances caused me to hesitate making
the commitment to serve in Jamaica, then
I found out about A&B’s program. It was
the boost to my faith that I needed.“
After 24 years in pastoral ministry leading
more than 50 outreach trips, Michelle
Hoverson knew there was a way to make
a greater impact and started Above &
Beyond, a strategic response to the
Great Commission.
“Before the recipient leaves their
home base, they have already impacted
lives and prepared their heart
for their mission,” says Hoverson. “We
want them to have some skin in the
game by earning their trip in a way
that will make a difference long after
the trip is complete.”
In Charlotte alone, 385 individuals
have invested nearly 6,000 hours serving
organizations like Samaritan’s
Feet, Boys & Girls Club and Loaves &
Fishes, to name a few. Nationally, more
than 380 local organizations have benefitted
from individuals working their
way toward global mission trips.
“Our only requirement is that they
volunteer where they can freely share
their faith,” says Hoverson. “Our focus
goes beyond one program or one place,
touching hundreds.”
The Multiplier Affect
Traditional giving to fund mission
trips is typically a single gift to one
person for a specific trip. By contrast,
Above & Beyond supports multiple
missionaries as well as tomorrow’s
missionaries for generations to come.
The organization relies on private
donations, which in turn serves as rocket
fuel for several. Every contribution
to Above & Beyond gets invested in
two ways – in a GoToday fund and a
GoTomorrowFund. Fifty percent of every
donation is put in the GoTodayFund
and 50 percent is put in an endowment
fund to grow the investment.
“Our goal is to give today and to
multiply tomorrow, multiplying the
impact exponentially,” says Hoverson.
“We are committed to being smart
stewards of our supporters’ investments.”
Changing Lives
Through the Serve Local Go Global
program ambassadors serve local community
needs before serving people in
other nations. Hoverson has seen the
affect first-hand. “People come back a
better servant here at home and continue
to impact with a renewed heart. I
have seen God change so many people
through the power of a mission trip.”
Daniel and Becca Zeidman earned
their reward to go Haiti by volunteering
at the Charlotte Dream Center, serving
the homeless, and by sorting food at
Second Harvest Food Bank. “I love that
an Above & Beyond reward isn’t just
money given with nothing expected,”
says Becca. “I was blessed to be challenged
to serve in our community, and
through a Haitian family that we continue
to support, we can serve the
people of Haiti, while we serve our community
week in and week out.”
“Eradicating spiritual poverty and
solving problems of the human spirit is
what I’m laser-focused on every day,”
added Hoverson.
Want to Help?
Visit aboveandbeyondmissions.org
to learn more. ■