JESUS’ Birthday Offering
VICTORY FAMILY CHURCH 2024
CONTENTS TABLE OF
Victory Family Church
WHY WE GIVE WHY WE
We give because...
Jesus gave and still gives to us. He gave Himself up on the cross for us. Therefore, we give back by investing our time and finances into His Kingdom and His people.
The topic of giving is mentioned 921 times in the Bible. As we give, we are spreading the Gospel to our community and all around the world. Giving is seen as an act of worship and a result of trusting Him with our lives and finances.
Generosity isn’t about how much we give, but rather the condition of our heart towards God when we give.
Every Christmas season,
we come together as a church family to celebrate what God has done over the past year, and to dream about what God can do in the coming year as we share His love and message. It is a reminder that we serve a generous God who gave us the greatest gift we didn’t know we needed - the peace and hope of Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus’ Birthday Offering, every dollar given on the Sunday before Christmas Eve, and throughout all of our Christmas Eve experiences, will make a difference in continuing our global and local impact . Any donations that exceed our promised contributions will go toward local mission partners and community outreaches next year.
THE
VISION
"Every Christmas, our church family celebrates how we were able to help advance the Gospel the previous year and looks ahead to the possibilities for the coming year. Jesus’ Birthday Offering is not just any offering; it will make a tremendous impact in our communities and all over the world.
Because of your generosity, kids in Haiti will eat, orphans in South Africa will have a home, foster kids in Oklahoma will have support, alcoholics will find hope, and Bibles will be smuggled into Iran!
This Christmas, as we celebrate and enjoy all that God has given us, let’s make Jesus’ Birthday Offering a priority that will help people we may never meet on this side of Heaven.
I am so excited about what God is doing in and through all of you!"
- Pastor Adam Starling
We look back at 2024 and recognize the faithfulness of a God that provides. Through each of the organizations that we partnered with, lives were changed, and people came to know Jesus.
In partnership with World Compassion, we assisted in refugee relief, leadership conferences, and Bible smuggling in Iran.
Through our local partnership with Chosen, we will continue to help build support groups to come alongside foster parents and provided them with meals for their newly expanded families. We hope to help develop Chosen’s foster care initiatives for more families throughout Oklahoma in the years to come.
In continued partnership with the local organization Hope is Alive, we witnessed men and women find freedom from addiction while fostering a community that embodies peaceful recovery and hope in Jesus Christ.
Through two of our new 2024 partnerships, Onthatile and SunHive Collective, we helped lead long-term relief through housing. These homes have provided a safe space and accessibility for children in South Africa and young adults with special needs in Norman to receive proper care and assistance for each of their unique needs.
In partnership with Mission of Hope, we continue to be among the first on the ground, bringing hope amidst disasters through mission trips in the year ahead and feeding over 210,000 students in Haiti. We plan to explore and aid additional projects with Mission of Hope in the coming years.
Through our partnership with Missionary Alliance, we provided resources so that spiritual mentorship and business training could continue. We believe these missionaries have been called to pursue their purpose and to spread the Gospel throughout Northern India.
2024 IMPACT
MISSION OF HOPE
Haiti Nutrition
- $60k packing meals
WORLD COMPASSION
Bible Smuggling & Refugee Relief
- $24k towards bible smuggling and $24k towards refugee relief
WIN FOUNDATION
Addiction Recovery
- $12k towards recovery care
CHOSEN
Foster & Adoption Care
- $12k towards care needs
HOPE IS ALIVE
Addiction Recovery
- $12k towards the Healing Center
ONTHATILE
Orphanage & Rescue Homes
- $50k to build a new building
SUNHIVE COLLECTIVE
Enrichment For Young Adults With Disabilities
- $12k to assist building needs
BUT WE AREN'T DONE YET...
In fact, we want to do MORE in 2025.
We feel like God is moving in our church and through our giving, specifically since last December. Going into 2025, we want to be a part of more: more organizations than before, more projects, more giving, and more people coming to know and grow in Jesus.
Because of this, we plan to partner with three new organizations in 2025. We are also increasing the amount of donations we give to two of our current organizations in hope of providing greater financial aid to new project developments in Iran and to be able to help current food assistance programs in Haiti.
In 2025, we have already promised to donate $54,000 more than we did this year. This will include the organizations in the pages to follow.
• MISSION OF HOPE, INCREASING GIVING BY $15,000 2025 ORGANIZATION DONATION CHANGES
• WORLD COMPASSION, INCREASING GIVING BY $2,OOO
ORGANIZATIONS WE ARE PARTNERING WITH IN 2025
NEW ORGANIZATIONS
• INVOLVED INTERNATIONAL
• 1040i
• REEVES INITIATIVE
• MISSION OF HOPE
• WORLD COMPASSION
• WIN FOUNDATION CONTINUED PARTNERSHIPS
• CHOSEN
• HOPE IS ALIVE
WATER WELLS INVOLVED INTERNATIONAL
Burundi is considered the poorest country in the world by several GDP indices. Life is not easy in this central African country, where electricity and clean water are scarce. Most people survive on the crops they cultivate around their homes. Yet, Jesus promised that He would build His church in each and every corner of our world (Matt. 16:18). And He is doing it!
A robust church planting movement is well underway throughout this beautiful mountainous country. As more and more healthy churches are planted, tens of thousands of Burundians are coming to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
The vision is for healthy churches to be able to serve the felt needs of the surrounding community. One of the most extensive needs is clean water. Digging a well on the local church property provides an immediate solution for clean water. It also allows the local church to share the good news about Jesus and invite people to enter into a relationship with Him.
With your generous giving, we will be able to partner with two existing healthy churches to help them dig a well that will serve the clean water needs of the surrounding community. The first church community is located in Matongo, Central Burundi. It is a farming area. The church serves over a hundred people through their ministry. A well on the church property would directly impact many more hundreds of people living in the community.
The second church is in Giheta also located in the central part of the country. This community is also agriculturally based. The church currently serves hundreds of people and a well would directly impact several thousand people living in the area.
Victory Family Church
Family Church
1040i
TRANSPORTATION FOR CHURCH PASTORS
1040i is a nonprofit dedicated to improving lives in impoverished West African communities by providing clean drinking water, healthcare, and education. Through initiatives like their medical mission trips, water filter distributions, and a bilingual school in Côte d'Ivoire, they offer essential resources to underserved populations. Their work has positively impacted tens of thousands of lives by addressing urgent needs and empowering communities.
1040i’s focus is always to point people to Jesus. Each year their team of volunteers provide over 100 life changing surgeries which can become a segue where they point people to Jesus. Our Christian school (the only one in the Northeast corner of the country) has grown from 19 students ten years ago to 550 students in 2024. The Bible is a core part of our curriculum. Over the past 8 years, our 16 church planters have planted 108 churches with approximately 6,000 people coming to Christ.
Each year we have between 30-50 volunteers coming to serve with us. Over the past 15 years, our vehicle fleet has become exhausted, unreliable and even dangerous; leaving us stranded in very remote areas. Therefore, our project focus this year is to replace our transportation fleet.
“The support from VFC is more than just funding; it’s a lifeline for 1040i to continue reaching one of the most isolated regions of Côte d'Ivoire. With these new trucks, 1040i can safely and effectively mobilize their team, deliver critical medical care and share God’s love where it’s needed most. Mike Cousineau has dedicated his life to this mission, spending months each year in Africa, reaching people who otherwise have little to no access to medical support or spiritual guidance. 1040i’s work truly embodies faith in action, taking hope and healing to places where Christianity isn’t openly embraced but where lives are being transformed physically and spiritually.”
1040i Advocate
REEVES INITIATIVE FOSTER AND ADOPTION
The Reeves Initiative is focused on empowering foster families, supporting adoption processes, and enhancing opportunities for foster youth. By providing financial aid for adoption expenses, foster home essentials, and church program participation, the initiative removes financial obstacles that foster families often face. The organization’s goal is to strengthen family bonds, create stable environments, and open doors for foster youth to engage in positive, faith-based activities. Through these efforts, they create nurturing spaces for growth and development, helping children thrive.
On average, a family spends around $1,000 to purchase everything needed to be ready to receive foster placements. Reeves Initiative hopes to cover these costs for 30 new foster families in 2025.
The average cost to adopt a child in the United States is between $20,000 and $45,000. Many couples say they would be open to adopting but cannot afford that. Reeves Initiative also plans to assist at least 15 families in 2025 in finalizing their adoption without worrying about these costs or fees.
Whether it’s foster, biological, or adopted children, we know a growing concern for families having more kids in this day and age is money. We have been able to support over 50 foster families in 2023-2024 by providing all back-to-school supplies needed for the children in their homes (both foster and biological), all Christmas gifts for the children in their homes, and for some families, the cost to put their kids in summer camps and daycares! We hope to do this again in 2025 for at least 25 more families.
As of this coming year, the Reeves Initiative plans to help 10 families upgrade their vehicles to accommodate fostering and adoption. They plan to help 20 more churches start a foster care system, and are working with organizations such as AGFCN and Commission 127. Their 10 year goal is to see 500 families open their homes to foster care or adoption in some capacity.
“Taking care of children in need is the heart of our Father. There is no better ground to sow seeds in than into the church growing the family of God through adoption! Fostering and adopting is heavy lifting- we believe its our responsibility to make that load just a little lighter by taking away the stress of finances for families who have said YES to this”.
Peter Reeves Founder of Reeves Initiative
MISSION OF HOPE HAITI NUTRITION
Last year, our church community came together to pack over 210,000 meals for students across the country of Haiti, and this year, we are preparing to pack even more. Over 7.3 million of the 11 million people in Haiti still do not know where their next meal will come from, and we want to help as much as we can.
Mission of Hope uses the meals we pack to provide for students’ physical needs, while also ensuring the kids are having repeated opportunities to see, hear and respond to the Gospel.
The Heart Behind Mission of Hope
• As of this year, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. 65% of the population lives below the poverty line, and 24% fall below the extreme poverty line.
• Despite these challenges, the hope in Haiti is evident. The joy of the people of Haiti is humbling, and God is moving in incredible ways throughout the country. We invite you to experience it for yourself through your giving.
“Thank you for investing in the people of Haiti. Most of the world has given up on that country, and for them to have someone who says, ‘We believe in you’ and ‘We will invest in you’ is life giving. You have fed and educated hundreds of thousands of children, funded multiple house projects, and supplied them with a place to live. In many ways, those houses will be the only thing they’ll ever own. So thank you for sacrificially giving so that the people of Haiti know that the Church of Jesus Christ is standing firm behind them.”
President & CEO of Mission of Hope
In an impoverished environment where the daily focus is primarily on securing food, shelter, and healthcare, the luxury of dedicating time and resources to spiritual or religious pursuits becomes a secondary concern. On top of this, practicing your faith may carry risks, as the governing authority may disapprove or pose a threat to those participating in religious activities.
Through our third-annual Haiti Meal Packing Outreach in June of 2024, a total of 1,600 volunteers came together to pack 210,000 meals for students in Haiti. Because of your generosity, not only will 1,200 children in Haiti receive food for an entire year, but they will get to hear and respond to the gospel every time they sit down to eat together.
Bible Smuggling WORLD COMPASSION
In places like Iran, underground house churches are in desperate need of the Word of God in their hands. Despite 6 of their leaders being arrested over the past year, 2 being sentenced to 2 years in prison, World Compassion continues to smuggle thousands of Bibles into the nation of Iran.
"We have helped put Bibles in the hands of 325,000 people over the past few years, bringing the total number of Bibles moved into Iran close to half a million! Our goal for 2025 is to move an additional 500,000 Bibles into the nation of Iran Each Bible is given by a local church member which provides them a one-on-one ministry opportunity to pray, connect, answer questions and invite nonbelievers into their church.
The Bibles we help move into Iran reach far beyond World Compassion’s partners alone. Networking with other ministries working in Iran, we get to serve as one link in the chain by smuggling Bibles into the country, simultaneously serving thousands of other Christians who help distribute these Bibles in a personal way every month - empowering the local church in an evangelism movement.
On top of Bible smuggling and because of your generosity, 75 pastors in Iran were able to attend a leadership conference to better equip themselves, and others, to preach the Word of God. As of this year,150,000 people were reached through underground house churches and World Compassion was able to assist in a church planting project by sending in medical teams and supplies".
People all over Iran are questioning their beliefs and turning away from their Islamic faith. Iranians are hungry for the Truth, and their hearts and minds are open to a new way. As of today, the Iranian Church is one of the fastest growing ethnic churches in the world today.
In addition to this work in Iran, World Compassion is currently sending 50 key leaders to a safe location outside of China to host a Leadership Conference.
These leaders play key roles in their communities as they are responsible for building up the next generation of leaders and the 4,000+ students who are studying in China and Myanmar currently. Over the past few years, 14,000 students across China have benefitted from over 280 lessons of systematic and comprehensive Bible teaching!
This conference gives Church leaders a place to worship, rest and build community free from any restrictions or government regulations! This is something that they rarely, if ever, have gotten to experience in their nation. The stakes are high, but these men and women have a resilient faith.
WIN FOUNDATION
ADDICTION RECOVERY
The WIN Foundation exists to walk with individuals and families in addiction recovery. WIN serves the Norman community and stretches legal and recovery resources across the state of Oklahoma. They seek to be involved in the complete continuum of care through rescue, resources, & recovery. Proper placement in Christian resources can change a struggling addicts’ trajectory in life, and WIN stands ready to assist when an individual is ready for true change.
The Win Foundation ministry focuses on people. In 2025, their organization will be able to serve over 200 families in some capacity Many of those will enter counseling for the first time, need medical detox or possibly residential care. "The possibilities are endless when true recovery is achieved" says WIN board director.
“Every story we hear about the reach and persistent love of WIN reminds us of Jesus leaving the ninety nine to chase after the lost one. Individuals and families are met right where they are in arguably the hardest and lowest moments of their lives and they’re given a lifeline. WIN has changed, and continues to change family trees by being rooted in Jesus. The relationship we have with Victory Family Church makes it possible for WIN to extend amazing support into lives across Norman, the metro, and beyond.”
WIN Foundation Board of Directors
THE HEART BEHIND CHOSEN
“Thousands of children are removed from their homes each year due to neglect and abuse. Even more are left in less than ideal situations because there are no homes to place these children in. Children are left in offices for days while trying to find placement due to the lack of available foster homes. The reality is we, the Church, can make an impact. Christ has called each of us to dive in and to care for the hurting, to meet the need, to open our homes, and to live sacrificially as we serve. We must continue to help shine a light and to be a voice for children and families! We have to help activate families to get involved in the foster care process and we must help mobilize the people and resources that are available to support our current foster and adoptive families. Foster families and children in care need each one of us to help take some of their load so that we can see them thrive in their ministry to children and families in crisis!"
Chosen Executive Director
CHOSEN FOSTER & ADOPTION
MEETING COMMUNITY NEEDS
Chosen exists to mobilize the Church in supporting families engaged in foster care and adoption. We have been able to come alongside many families this year, whether it was their first foster placement, a difficult case, or supporting them through the adoption process.
Currently in Oklahoma there are 5,900 children in our State's care. A majority of these children are being cared for by foster families. Over 90% percent of these families quit after the first year due to the burden it has placed on them physically, financially, and emotionally. We believe that we can have a direct positive impact on this and see this number drastically decreased by ‘wrapping around’ our foster families. We do this by providing financial support for new placement needs such as clothing and school supplies. Meals, groceries, birthday gift cards, helping pay for daycare, needed swim lessons, summer camps, sports participation fees and equipment are some of the other ways that we are blessing our foster families and the children in their care so that they can continue to serve these children in their time of need.
CURRENT 2024-2025 PROJECT
"Move In Day" (when a foster child is placed into a new family's home) can be scary. A child most likely is being removed from all that is familiar to them and placed into a complete strangers house. Even if this is needed for their safety and well being, this process is traumatizing. Everything they own is packed into one blue bag. This is all they bring with them. Many times, they don’t even have this. They come empty handed, in need not only of safety, love, and protection, but also many times, diapers, wipes, formula, clothes for the next day, undergarments, bedding, etc. These basic needs are a must, but it also is so important that each child not only has what they ‘need’ but also receives some things that may help make this transition a bit easier. This may include some stuffed animals, new outfits for school so they don’t stand out, games, arts and/or crafts. As well, it is vital that the foster family receive some immediate additional support for groceries, as the soonest they might get a stipend from the State is 30 days later. We are working to make sure that we can help fill in these gaps for the children and their foster parents.
HOPE IS ALIVE ADDICTION RECOVERY
Hope
Is Alive When We Answer The Call
As believers, we are called to embody the teachings of Christ, extending a helping hand to those in need. Your support for Hope Is Alive not only aids individuals in their recovery but also contributes to breaking generational chains and fostering a community of resilience and hope. In supporting this cause, you actively transform lives, demonstrating that hope is alive when we respond to the calling to uplift and support others.
Since 2015, Finding Hope, Hope is Alive’s network of support groups for the loved ones of addicts and alcoholics has grown from two meetings with a few dozen people to an astonishing 60 meetings helping over 700 people find hope in the midst of their loved one’s addiction.
Over the past two years, the fruits of this labor have been profound. Over 80 residents celebrated a monumental achievement—achieving and maintaining one year of continuous sobriety. 172 individuals embraced a new beginning by accepting Jesus as the Lord of their lives, experiencing a spiritual transformation that forms the foundation of their recovery journey. As a testament to the program’s success, a remarkable 91% of residents secured employment as of 2024, reinforcing the notion that meaningful recovery extends beyond sobriety—it encompasses rebuilding lives and reclaiming purpose.
However, our impact extends beyond individual victories. Families are being reunited, with 73 residents reconnecting with their children and stepping back into familial roles.
Over the last ten years, Hope Is Alive has seen:
• 10,000+ Inquiries for help
• 319 Baptisms
• 197 Graduates
• 750 Children Reunited with Sober Parents
• 3,000+ Years of Continuous Sobriety
This vital work resonates with the core tenets of our faith. As believers, we are called to reach out and uplift those in need, to be the hands and feet of Christ in a broken world. The impact of your generosity extends far beyond statistics; it is a testament to the power of collective compassion. By supporting Hope Is Alive, you are not only aiding individuals on their recovery journey but generational chains are being broken because of your generosity and support.
Together, we are transforming lives, one story of recovery at a time, because hope is alive when we answer the call to help others.
"We believe in Jesus,” said Lance Lang, co-founder of Hope is Alive and a former addict himself. “We believe the power to overcome shame, the strength to radically change your life, the passion you find when you realize you were made for a specific purpose, and the hope that fills your heart and will never leave you… we believe all of this is found in one man, and that man is Jesus.”
TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY GIVEN TO LOCAL AND GLOBAL MISSIONS
$6,812,375
• 16,271 people accepted Jesus Christ across all Victory Family Church locations
• Paid off 2.4 Million Dollars worth of Medical debt, affecting 1,582 people
• Given over $500,000 to assist people through benevolence & pastoral care efforts
• Distributed 11,300 backpacks throughout our communities
• Since 2023, served 1,908 incredible single moms
• Served 45 Schools in our communities
• Given away 23 cars to single moms
• Since 2024, provided over 28,000 Christmas gifts for 7,749 kids within our church and beyond
• Assisted with Relief for Local Communities after Devastating Tornadoes in 2013, 2015, 2021, and 2023.
• Partnered with Church Multiplication Network to plant 1,566 churches across the US
• Collaborated with Homeless Ministries in our Community to Help Hundreds in Need
• Served 257 Women at a Local Crisis Center
• Constructed and repaired 36 water wells in Malawi, Zambia, Liberia, and Kenya
• Purchased 33 motorcycles for Missionaries in the Ivory Coast and Cuba
• Smuggled 17,555 Bibles across dangerous borders
• Supplied 1,100 Iranian and Iraqi Refugees with food and household necessities
• Provided Emergency Relief to Haiti, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos
• Completed 31 Missions Trips all around the globe
• Supplied Families in Haiti with Goats
• Helped build and provide support to churches in Cuba, Myanmar, and Belize
• Provided 400 uniforms to students in Rwanda
• Helped a school in Brazil with materials, supplies, and technology needs.
• Provided 627 students in Guatemala with a Christian curriculum
• Discipled over 1,000 college students through an underground organization in China
• Sponsored missionaries in Peru, Wales, Ireland, and Belize
• Provided relief to churches affected by the bombings in Sri Lanka
• Sponsored a local school for 3 years in Haiti (200 students)
• Built 18 homes in Haiti for those affected by natural disasters
• Supported 20 young men and women as they transitioned from MOH’s orphanage to adulthood
• Packed and delivered 450,000 meals that were distributed through the Haiti Nutrition Program
• Funded disaster relief efforts after the 2021 Haiti earthquake
• Helped families who were displaced by ISIS by providing housing, food, and basic necessities
HOW TO BE A PART OF
JESUS’ OFFERING BIRTHDAY
PRAY about your family’s involvement in the Jesus' Birthday Offering and share this giving opportunity with those close to you. This is an opportunity to be a part of something so much bigger than anything we could do on our own. As you pray, seek guidance, and ask for discernment to understand the impact your contribution could have on our community and in some of the most impoverished communities in the world. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let us not forget that we are blessed to be a blessing to others. The Jesus' Birthday Offering is not just an annual tradition, but a reflection of our commitment to the principles that Jesus taught – compassion, love, and generosity.
GIVE towards Jesus’ Birthday Offering. Throughout the entire month of December, you can designate your financial gifts towards this year’s Jesus’ Birthday Offering. Every donation that comes in on December 22nd through the 24th will go toward our carefully picked, local and global partnerships described in the previous pages. We thank you for taking the time to partner with us at Victory Family Church. We know that God will use everything you provide to better His Kingdom.
