For years I have jokingly said one of the great benefits of working with Gospel Patrons is “free discipleship.” With every film we make, interview we share, or passage of Scripture we teach, the truth challenges us first. The stories shape us before they go out to anyone else.
This week I want to introduce you to my team and give you a window into how Gospel Patrons has personally impacted their lives. I’ve asked each of them to write a few sentences and below you’ll find their answers.
Our aim is to be authentic messengers who practice what we preach, and as James 1 highlights, are doers of God’s word, not simply hearers. I hope their stories inspire you to continue stepping out in faith and giving generously to help the world know Jesus.
Brian Peterson
Getting to serve as a filmmaker in the Gospel Patrons movement has been a joy, and a constant reminder of God’s grace to me. I’ve seen with my own eyes villages in India and Africa that have put their faith in Christ. I’ve visited deaf churches that have received their first Bible. I’ve watch as the Word of God through the Gospel has saved those lost in sin. I’ve stood in awe at how businessmen and women have understood their role in God’s Kingdom to fuel and fund global movements of God.
In passages like Titus 2, I’m reminded how the grace of God appeared bringing salvation for all people, and as I await the return of Christ I am zealous for good works. God is loving beyond measure, the greatest giver, and any part of my outward expression of giving flows from what my Savior has done for me.
For our family, this process of Gospel Patronage has become part of our family mission as we continue to sacrificially give toward missionaries in Asia, Gospel centered media in places like Ethiopia, and have focused to eradicate Bible poverty for future generations. My wife creates and sells art projects to help others have access to the Gospel, and our children are giving to organizations like the Jesus Film as they take on work like mowing lawns and farming with hard physical work. It’s not always an easy process. Tears and pain have been companions along the journey. We’ve had to trust God for daily provision. But what a joy following Jesus has been as we continue to make disciples of Jesus among all nations. May God receive the glory for that.
Renee Shaeffer
My generosity journey started as a kid, growing up in a home where gathering family, friends, and neighbors was the norm. It seemed we, or my grandparents next door, were regularly hosting parties for one reason or another. We loved sharing and giving, but connecting generosity to the heart of God was not something that would come until later. In God’s kindness, He was already fashioning my family and I to reflect His generous character to the world before we even knew Him personally.
Soon after getting married, my husband and I were moved to invest in what God was doing through our church, our friends, and around the world. By God’s grace we had a season when we were giving up to 34% of our income. Even when we went down to being a zero-income family, Jesus had all sorts of creative ideas for how to lead a generous life. Trusting Him and leaning into an abundance mentality has completely reframed how we live, pray, and give.
Being on the Gospel Patrons team has sort of injected our aspiring generous life with supernatural nutrients! It has kept generosity on the forefront of our minds and hearts, which has been such a good gift for both me and my family especially in a world that relentlessly pulls us toward providing for ourselves and scarcity outlook. I have a built-in practice of generosity because of my work – how cool is that? We take generosity seriously on our sweet team, and I am privileged to both give and receive with joy, seeking to grow in my capacity to yield to Holy Spirit movements and promptings even when it’s hard.
Catherine Muthey
The story of generosity starts from the beginning, when a very young baby came to this world, was born in a manager to die for us. The baby had no sins, yet He gave His life for us. That is the beginning of all beginnings. That is the reason why we are called the followers of Jesus. Jesus has saved, forgiveness and given us eternal life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish but have everlasting life.” Some people learn to give at home and others learn to give at school and others learn to give or to be generous during their grown up years. However we learn how to give, it blesses us and the people receiving the gift.
My giving story started in grand school, I could take some girls (it was a boarding school) from school and I could invite them to my home. Since that time, there was always someone coming to my home for midterms. This continued through high school and college. My college mates would see someone who was behind in rent and we would chip in and pay their bills or books. It taught us a lot about giving even in our meager funds. By giving someone something, some people would ask why we were so nice. We would tell them about Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation.
Some received the Lord, but others had all kinds of questions. I had a humbling experience when I finished college and got my first job. After working for four years, we heard that a widow and her kids were living in a house that had fallen, and by the grace of God we built a house for them. The generosity of Jesus causes us to love people, to introduce them to Christ, and to help them where needed.
I met John and Renee Rinehart a long time ago, at a conference. We prayed together at the conference as they were on their way to England. After some time in England, they came back and someone reintroduced them to me . They were starting a ministry (Gospel Patrons) and they asked me to join them. I have been with the ministry ever since and God has taught me a lot about giving through their organization. I have learned to surrender control about money, I am learning daily that it all belongs to Christ. And the learning continues, until we get to heaven.
Josh Wilson
When my wife and I got married right after college, we faced the typical financial worries most young couples experience. We believed that careful budgeting and growing our incomes would eventually ease those anxieties. But we soon discovered that true peace isn’t found in control and financial security. Instead, we were surprised to find that practicing generosity toward others brought a deeper sense of security and purpose to our lives. Generosity doesn’t flourish in isolation—it thrives in the context of community. I’m especially grateful for the early influence of Gospel Patrons in shaping my understanding of generosity, both in my career and my marriage.
Kelli Trontel
To be honest, I was intimated to join the Gospel Patrons team at first. It had nothing to do with John Rinehart- I knew after our initial phone call that I wanted to learn from and be lead by a leader like him. It had nothing to do with the Gospel Patrons book because I literally could not put it down once I began reading it. What I quickly discovered was that somewhere along the way I began to believe lies about money, which resulted in me not feeling that I “fit in”…. in the generosity space.
Gospel Patrons has radically changed my life and my perspective of money, resources and provision…. but most importantly how I view the Lord as my provider. I allowed my story as a “single mom” to disqualify me. I allowed my circumstances to create a fear and a scarcity mentality. As John often reminds us on our team zoom calls- we don’t have to grasp for what the Lord has for us. The foundation of generosity is understanding that our money is not our own. Taking hold of this truth will inevitably impact what we do with our time, talent and resources. Gospel Patrons has taught me that we ALL have a part to play and the Lord often aligns our interests with opportunity. Generosity is worship!
Luke Hamilton
“Generosity is at the heart of the Christian faith”—a truth I’ve heard throughout my life. Jesus exemplified ultimate generosity by giving His life for others: “Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). For years, I understood that living generously reflects God’s character and puts faith into action. Yet, my mindset often reduced generosity to a theological ideal, a sensible way to live that could wait for the future or be once a year, rather than a call to longterm immediate joy filled action.
Over time, I’ve learned that biblical stewardship invites us to be caretakers of God’s kingdom: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10–11). Scripture reveals generosity as a defining posture for a Christian’s entire life. Everything we have is a gift (1 Corinthians 4:7), and in response, we’re called to give our money, time, talents—our whole selves—to glorify God. God’s generosity serves as both the model and roadmap for our own (1 Timothy 6:17–18). Recognizing how infinitely generous God has been, is being, and promises to continue to be has transformed my perspective. I now embrace generosity as a joyful, immediate, and wholehearted response.
A small yet powerful reminder of this is engraved on my AirPods case: “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Every time I see it, I’m reminded to steward every aspect of my life generously and purposefully. Paul’s vision of stewardship is beautifully integrated—there’s no divide between sacred and secular, public and private. Even seemingly insignificant acts have the potential to glorify God. What matters most is the heart and motive behind our actions, not how grand they appear. A faithful steward seeks to love and serve others with all they have, bringing glory to God and offering a glimpse of eternity.
My journey with generosity has shifted from a principle I was taught and postponed for “someday” to now a personal heartbeat of risk, trust, faith, and real deep joy – that my family are walking in today, using all God has graciously given us, not only tomorrow but today. Working for Gospel Patrons is the honor of a lifetime, my family are excited to see where God takes us and what he teaches us next on this lifelong journey of generosity.
Erin Riddell
“God is the greatest giver.” That is the quote that has stuck with me since I began working with Gospel Patrons in February of last year. I’ve always felt a deep, almost overwhelming sense of joy when I give. And I’ve also always known my purpose in life is to serve others. What is new to me is the generosity that has seeped into all areas of my life. My generosity journey began when I first tithed at 28 years old, but I can’t say I truly understood why generosity was so important until last year.
It has been a bumpy road changing my mindset from tightly holding onto income for retirement, trips, preparing for the “what ifs” in life to slowly releasing my grasp. I was raised to invest so I could maintain a certain lifestyle. The ‘unlearning’ of this concept is difficult and I have felt a great deal of passion to bring the idea of gospel patronage to young adults because of my personal experience. Imagine where we’d be to understand God’s provision and generosity from an early age!
Giving as a family is new for me as well. To be honest, it’s taken much prayer and conversation to get on the same page about generosity with my family, but God has worked in our hearts and we feel more excited for opportunities to give to further God’s kingdom than ever before. Our eternal perspective affects our earthly behavior and I now know nothing is worth more than knowing Jesus. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal” (Matthew 6:19-20).
The best feeling has been blessing others with absolutely no expectation of return or reward. The elation and tears we’ve had in moments of generosity surpasses any salary, investment or gift for ourselves. God gave us the greatest gift of all – eternal life with him. If he can do that, why wouldn’t we give everything he blesses us with back to his kingdom?
