Beyond: Couple gives stranger a home for her birthday

When Jean and Jason Signor thought about how they wanted to celebrate their 40th birthdays, they didn’t go the traditional route. They didn’t spend money on a lavish vacation or exchange expensive gifts. Instead, they went beyond themselves to give a stranger a home. 

But they didn’t stop there. The Signors volunteered to help build that home through Carpenters for Christ. They gave up Saturdays to hammering nails, working with sheetrock, and adding shingles to a new roof. They got to know their homeowner, LaNita and built a friendship with her. And they were there when she received the keys to her brand new home, sharing a hug and a few tears of joy.

Rev. Paul Rasmussen says, “The key to a blessed life is a generous heart.” The Signors have taken this message to heart. They recognize God’s ability to use our generosity to do extraordinary things through the church.

Last January, Rev. Rasmussen shared the vision behind the Beyond Campaign, a $65 million capital campaign designed to usher in a new era of ministry at HPUMC. Beyond calls us to go beyond our limits, beyond ourselves, and beyond our walls to share the Gospel in ways only God can fathom.

The Beyond campaign provisions the construction of a new Family Activity Center, including a world-class facility for families with special needs as well as an innovative space for youth ministry. It also allows HPUMC to engage in many local and global mission initiatives and to develop a leadership institute for the next generation of Christian leaders. 

To date, the congregation has raised $58 million in cash and pledges with roughly $7 million to go, which will support initiatives including launching three new church campuses, housing more than 500 families by partnering with Habitat for Humanity, and fighting poverty in Dallas.

To bring this vision to fruition will take every one of us. If you have not pledged or given to the Beyond Campaign, please consider helping us cross the finish line by giving online.