for the glory of God | for the good of Columbia | for the generations to come |
for the glory of God | for the good of Columbia | for the generations to come |
“Remember me, O my God, for good.”
OUR GOALS
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We are asking each person and family at Anthem Church to be part of For Good as we seek to glorify God and broaden our reach for the good of Columbia and for the generations to come. Together, we want to be fervent in prayer, active in commitment, and uplifting in speech. We desire to step out in faith to pursue what God has for us as a church body.
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We are encouraging everyone who calls Anthem their home to prayerfully partner with us as we seek to grow in generosity. We want to leverage our current ministries, our missional reach, and a new space for good. We believe that, by God’s grace, Anthem can be a long-term outpost for the kingdom of God in the heart of Columbia.
What is For Good?
For Good is the two-year generosity initiative of Anthem Church.
Everything in this vision rests on one conviction:
You cannot form long-term disciples with short-term space.
If we want to build a church that stands strong for decades — rooted, faithful, equipping, sending — we must build a permanent ministry home designed for deep formation and long-term mission.
For Good aims to accomplish just that.
A Letter from Pastor Matt
Anthem family,
As we enter this For Good season together, I want to personally invite you to lean in with us—heart, mind, and spirit. God is doing something significant in our church, something far bigger than a building, a campaign, or a moment. He is forming us into a people who build, pray, serve, give, and love for good—for His glory, for the good of Columbia, and for generations to come.
The book of Nehemiah shows us that when God rebuilds something, He always does it through His people, shoulder to shoulder, each one taking his or her place on the wall. No one is overlooked. No one is unnecessary. Everyone has a part.
And that includes you.
My prayer for this journey is simple:
that as one body, we would discern together what God is asking of each of us in this season. What is your section of the wall? Where might God be inviting you to trust Him more deeply, give more joyfully, serve more sacrificially, or step out more boldly?
Church family, I am grateful for you. I am humbled to be your pastor. And I am eager to see how God will use each of us, together, to build something that lasts.
For His glory, and for good—
Matt Dennings Lead Pastor, Anthem Church
THE IMPACT
This will resource our week-to-week ministry activities for the next two years.
We will consistently work to help people know, love, and obey Jesus within our ministry areas—Anthem Kids, Anthem Youth, community groups, and more. We will continue to promote a sense of undistracted excellence on Sunday mornings and foster spaces throughout the week for equipping, discipleship, and mission.
We will continually look for new and better ways to reach our city with the gospel—working to confront every person, place, and profession in Columbia with the good news of Jesus.
Ministry Expansion
Total = $1.25M
This will resource our “here, near, and far” ministries and mission partners to reach nonbelievers.
We will set aside this portion to fund our Salt Company ministry to college students, as well as leveraging our resources to serve our current and prospective international missionaries, church plants, and local advocacy partnerships.
We will continue to practically meet the physical and spiritual needs of those that the Lord places in front of us.
Missions and Sending
Total = $200K
This will fund the purchase, renovation, and expansion of a 24 acre property off of Discovery Parkway in southeast Columbia.
We want to invest in reaching the community around Columbia with the good news of Christ, and our current facilities are limiting our ability to expand our connection. We will leverage this space to considerably expand our kids’ ministries and classrooms, allowing for a more welcoming experience for families. We will construct a 12,000 square foot sanctuary with capacity to hold 800 people. We will also renovate foyer areas and offices for gathering.
Building and Facilities
Total = $1.5M
JOIN THE JOURNEY WITH US.
Frequently Asked Questions
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First and foremost, we are asking that you pray and seek God’s direction on what He is asking of you. Prepare your heart to hear Him and then listen to what He says. Take your next step. Engage in personal reflection with God in your For Good guidebook. Talk with your spouse, your family, or others about what this commitment will mean for this next exciting season of your life.
We are asking that you make a sacrificial commitment to gospel-centered generosity—whatever it is that God leads you to do. Follow His leading.
Finally, we ask that you be expectant. We serve a powerful, all-sufficient God who works all things for His glory and our good. We anticipate a great impact from our collective For Good commitments—something only God can do. Please mark your calendar for Commitment Sunday, March 15 and prepare to experience a service that will forever be remembered as a defining moment for our church and our own faith.
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We are more focused on everyone at Anthem seeing their giving as an integral part of the discipleship process and then being challenged by God to take a next step. The bulk of this notebook is focused on helping us dig into some key Biblical principles that guide us in this area as we follow Jesus. This is our first priority—100% participation in the process. Even if someone wrote us a check today for our secondary goal of $2.95 million, we would still do this initiative. Whether we’re just starting in our giving journey or we’re very committed givers, we all have a next step to take and room to grow in this area.
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Our current giving has grown to just over $600,000 per year. Based on the annual growth that we have seen—if nothing changed—our giving would equate to approximately $1.4 million over the next two years. So, in essence, we are believing God to grow our resources by a little more than $750,000 per year for the final total of $2.95 million.
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Be creative as you explore ways you and your family can give toward For Good. You might have some stocks, property, or other items of that nature. Or you may have stored resources that God has blessed you with in the past that He just might be calling you to give during this time. Please let us know if you need assistance with facilitating gifts of property or stock, and we would be happy to help you. Nathan De Penning, our financial manager, is able to assist with all such gifts. (nathan@anthemcolumbia.com)
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For Good was crafted specifically with you in mind. For Good is a “one fund” generosity initiative. It’s different from a traditional capital campaign where you are called to give an extra gift above and beyond your normal giving, thus creating two steps for people who aren’t yet giving. For Good is a call to sacrificial, gospel-centered generosity for absolutely everyone at Anthem. If you have never given before, this is your chance to get in the game with a committed sacrifice. We really hope you will.
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We are asking that everyone make a two-year (24-month) commitment. The fulfillment period for your commitment will begin with Celebration Sunday and our Big Give offering on Sunday, April 12, 2026 and it will culminate in April of 2028.
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For Good is about the vision for our church and our personal discipleship in giving as followers of Jesus. We believe that the local church is one of the most compelling missions to give toward—and we would love for you to make Anthem your home and join us in For Good. If you are ready to take your next step, this is a perfect time for you to put a stake in the ground and make this your church home. The best way to get connected is by reaching out to info@anthemcolumbia.com.”
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For Good is about your total, radical, sacrificial generosity to God’s mission at Anthem Church. We believe that God calls us to action in times of hardship just as much as He does in times of abundance, yet that looks different for every person. For Good is about a heart change—one that is only accomplished by complete surrender of our lives to a trustworthy and faithful God. This may mean that you will be challenged by Him to sell things, to pick up odd jobs, or even to—in faith—make a commitment that you don’t quite know how to fulfill right now but are trusting God to provide for as you seek ways to work toward it. We would like for 100% of us to be part of For Good so that we can be supporting, loving, encouraging, and praying for one another through this spiritually-stretching season at Anthem.
