Kingdom Assignment, The [Hardcover]

Leesa Bellesi Denny Bellesi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2001

The parable of the talents says that if I take what I have, and give it to God, unlimited things can happen for others. Is this true and does it work today are questions that are being answered in southern California at the Coast Hills Community Church in a nationally recognized way as they give $100 bills to their church members and send them out to do good.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Late last year, Rev. Denny Bellesi preached an ordinary stewardship sermon to his congregation at the Coast Hills Community Church in Aliso Viejo, Calif. But he followed the sermon with an extraordinary call to action: he handed 100 members of the congregation $100 each. Bellesi told these volunteers that the money was not theirs, but God's, and that they needed to "invest" it in some way that would build God's kingdom. In February, the volunteers reported back to a standing-room-only church (and, via a Dateline NBC segment, to millions of viewers), describing how the money had been spent to transform lives, build churches, feed the hungry and comfort the sick. More than anything, this book hammers home the message that the volunteers saw their $100 bills being multiplied into thousands as total strangers offered more money to help them undertake their charity projects. As in the film Pay It Forward (which is what gave Bellesi the idea in the first place), one good turn generated another and another. The book, a collaboration with his wife, Leesa, is not elegantly written, but then it doesn't need to be; the story itself is front and center here. These invigorating real-life stories offer excellent examples of Christian faith in action, as church members were forced to leave their comfort zones and search for ways to bless others in the community. Readers will be inspired to go and do likewise. (Nov.)Forecast: During the summer, the Bellesis' inspirational story was featured in People, the Los Angeles Times and elsewhere, so the prepublication buzz for this CBA title is already significant. Dateline NBC has committed to following the story further.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover

Are You Ready for a Kingdom Assignment?

The resources are God's; the decision is yours. And as Pastor Denny Bellesi and his wife, Leesa, can tell you, the impact is bigger than you ever dreamed.

Following a sermon on stewardship, Denny Bellesi stunned his congregation by distributing $10,000 among one hundred volunteers and sending them on a "Kingdom Assignment" that has lit a spiritual blaze in their church, won the attention of the national media, and influenced hundreds of thousands of lives across their community and around the world.

There were three simple rules: The volunteers must recognize that the money was God's money. They must use it in ways that would extend his kingdom. And they must return in ninety days and tell what happened.

The results were astounding. The stories of how God blessed the creativity and faith of these kingdom recruits will move and inspire you. But that's just half the story. The Bellesis unlock the Scriptures to help you consider the possibilities for your own life. Whether it's money or abilities or life experiences, God has given you talents that he wants to multiply beyond your wildest imagination. The Kingdom Assignment will stir you to big dreams, big faith, big deeds . . . and a much bigger vision of how God can use you.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 109 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan Publishing Company (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310243238
• ISBN-13: 978-0310243236
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ... because He paid it forward !, December 22, 2005

By 

Gabriel E. Borlean (Odense, Denmark - birthtown of fairytale-writer H.C. Andersen) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kingdom Assignment, The (Hardcover)

This little 109 pages inspirational book is a very captivating page-turner. As a Christian you will not read it without being changed or having your paradigm on money and possesions changed. As a non-Christian you will understand the rich meaning of the "Parable of the Talents" (book of Matthew chapter 25 verses 14-30) and what, at the practical level, Christianity is all about and what it means to work for the Kingdom of God.

The closest analogy that I can think of is that this book is the Christian counterpart of the movie "Pay It Forward." Actually the idea behind the "Kingdom Assignment" that pastors Denny and Leesa Bellesi felt compelled to follow, was God's brainchild idea for the church that they served in. The Bellesis were inspired while watching the famed movie in a theatre, and then prayed about the seed that God had planted in their hearts.

The book not only tells the story of that seedy "Kingdom Assignment," but also discusses what Jesus taught about money and possesions. As a result of prayerful consideration, at the beginning of October in 2000, the church handed out $100 dollar bills to 100 people (a mix of volunteers and volunteered members). Then the pastor told them what their assignment is with their individual $100 bills:
1) the money does not belong to you, but it's God's money.
2) one has to use the money to further or to benefit God's Kingdom,
3) in three months all 100 of them were to come back and tell the church how they had put the $100 in God's service.

I will not spoil the results for you, but I will mention that this real event and the aftermath has been covered by Dateline, People magazine, and the Associated Press from which many national newspapers carried the story.

You will be inspired to always help your neighbor, in good and bad, and to think of material possesions and non-material talents as something to use, manage, and be a stewart of for God's Kingdom and the well-being of fellow mankind.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a call to action not another book to read, May 1, 2002

By 

"iodude122" (Belmont, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kingdom Assignment, The (Hardcover)

The Kingdom Assignment is a very easy read with lots of amazing stories. It's a call to not just learn about Jesus but to actually take part in building his kingdom by making the most of each dollar that we are entrusted with.

If you choose to buy this book and take the time to read it I beg of you to try the assignment!! 100$ is not that much money. Take the risk and see if God doesn't reveal himself to you and others in an amazing way.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Every Believer, January 6, 2002

By 

Annette Newcomb (Palm Desert, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kingdom Assignment, The (Hardcover)

Wow! What a great little book! Denny and Leesa take a profound biblical truth and put in very "doable" terms. Anyone can be involved in a kingdom assignment. Not only were the stories of what God was able to do with $100 amazing and moving, but also what He did in the lives of those given the assignment. Their lives were also forever changed. This has challenged me to look at how I spend money more carefully and also challenged my family to do our own kingdom assignment. This is a must read for every believer!