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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. ■
9 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
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Page 16: CHARLOTTE LIVING CONTRIBUTORS JESSI
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Page 27 and 28: community in the 1970s. The top gro
Page 29 and 30: TIMELESS TRADITIONS FASHION STYLING
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Page 33 and 34: TIMELESS TRADITIONS Alex Fernandes
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Page 43 and 44: STYLE STYLE FILE FILE Brooke McInty
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Page 47 and 48: STYLE FILE Styling by Hade E. Robin
Page 50 and 51: GREAT GETAWAYS TEXT BY JESSICA ANNU
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Page 54: GIVING BACK participate in helping
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Winter Digital_2_2019

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