It’s Sunday morning in rural Bangladesh, and women of all ages line the walls at Shambatti Church of the Nazarene – a tribal based local Church of the Nazarene, cradling bowls in their hands. The congregation sings as the women pause, one by one, pouring the contents of their bowls into a large sack at the feet of Karuna Pathara.
Karuna is South Asia Field’s Nazarene Missions International (NMI) president, and her husband, Ramesh serves as the District Superintendent in Bangladesh. The couple had traveled to encourage local churches to have a missional mindset as they shared their time and resources with the global church.
“You don’t need to give cash,” Karuna told the congregation. “You give what you have.” Those with chicken farms could give eggs, she said. Farmers could give a goat. What mattered was giving back to God from what He had provided.
Immediately, hands in the crowd shot up.“Can we give now?” One woman asked. Ramesh and Karuna said of course, and the women in the room got up and walked out.
Ten minutes passed, and they began to trickle back in during worship—this time clutching bags and bowls of rice. One by one, the women approached Karuna and poured her gift into the sack at her feet. Some gave large bowls of grain, some simply a handful. The message was clear: these women wanted to actively participate in the global work of Jesus however she could.
The community is small and under-resourced, and the congregation had learned little about giving back to God. But Ramesh and Karuna knew that biblical generosity doesn’t require wealth.
“We think poor people won’t give,” Ramesh says, calling attention to the misconception. “There is no poor man in the sight of the Lord.”
“The mission isn’t only a spiritual encounter but it is a physical sacrifice as well” ” he adds. “Intentionally, they’re sacrificing something to give.”
Now, the congregation sets aside one Sunday each month for missional giving. Throughout the weeks, the women go about their days cooking, harvesting, and managing their homes—setting aside a handful of rice each time they prepare a food for their family. At the end of the month, each household brings what it has set aside as an offering.
“Whatever they’re eating, they’re eating a little less because they’re giving, ” Ramesh says.
“So the mission is on their dining table.”
At the Sunday service, the church sings as they bring their offerings. “Lord, what can I give?” They sing, pouring out their precious resources. “For you, you give your son, and I’m giving you what I have.”
