The mission of Pocket Full of Change Ministries is to fulfill the Great Commission by helping people, churches, and organizations embrace the Great Commandment, thus empowering them to fill their spiritual pockets so they are prepared for life and eternity. We accompliish our mission through:
Our Statement of FaithWe believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s only son and in human form was fully God and fully man. We believe the way of salvation is through Jesus Christ alone by repentance and faith in His death and resurrection. |
God began preparing for Pocket Full of Quarters decades ago when Cheryle had several family members grow critically ill over a few months. She spent extended time in ICU waiting rooms. In each situation, the outcome was losing a loved one. Here is how Cheryle explained the genesis of her signature catchphrase:
ICU waiting rooms are a sub-culture where people depend heavily on others. People talk to each other. They minister and pray with strangers. Family, friends, and church members visit and meet needs spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Often they minister to others in that same waiting room. In those rooms, we became willing to do almost anything for each other. We prayed, cried, and laughed together. We cheered when the news was good and grieved when the news was bad.
One surprising need we all had was for quarters. We needed quarters to call family members with medical updates (does anyone remember the days of pay phones?). Vending machines with needed food and drinks only took quarters. Our physical lives began revolving around quarters.
We constantly asked each other for quarters. We were willing to help with almost anything except giving away the coveted quarter. Most would part with them, but usually begrudgingly. Cafeteria visits included requests for quarters. If we found quarters, we were careful not to jingle our pockets and give the secret away.
I mentioned the need for quarters to my minister, Dr. Sam Wilson. On his next visit, he arrived with a roll of quarters. Suddenly I had a "Pocket Full of Quarters." I had enough to share. I laid these quarters out on a table. People used them as needed. When they came back from the cafeteria, they dumped their quarters into the stack. Sam’s gift grew, and we all had a “Pocket Full of Quarters.”
The last night I was there, only two patients were in ICU. My grandfather had experienced a serious heart attack. The other patient was the father of a young woman I befriended while swapping quarters. Around midnight, we heard a code called over the loud speaker. Crash carts noisily rushed down the hall. The ICU door flew open. My grandmother and the wife of the other patient were engrossed in dialogue and missed the commotion. The daughter and I knew that one of us was about to receive seemingly unbearable news.
We looked at each other, quietly stepped into the hall, and went to the door. People were running in and out. “Get out of the way!” a nurse demanded. Not wanting to return to the waiting room and face our relatives, we stepped together inside the phone booth where we had spent so many of those quarters.
Space was close and we grew self-conscious. One of us whispered, “Let’s pray.” We collapsed into each other’s arms. “God, give us strength to face what is about to happen. Help the wife of the person about to receive the worst news of her life. Give us your words of comfort.” We felt God’s peace in that phone booth. With tears rolling down our faces, we straightened. We were prepared to face our future. The ICU door slowly opened and the nurse walked towards me. God used those quarters to pave the way. I walked back to the waiting room to find my grandmother.
Pocket Full of Quarters became my metaphor for being prepared for life. The lessons I learned in that ICU waiting room prepared me for my future. My relationship with God grew closer as I began spending more time with Him. As my pockets grew fuller, I began noticing the pain of the people around me and longed for them to have a pocket full of quarters too. As I traveled with my job, I began talking to people everywhere about their relationship with God. I prayed for opportunities to share the love of Christ and was astounded by the doors God opened. I longed to spend more time with people and to share these experiences with others, but the time constraints of my high profile executive job kept me from it. When the technology industry collapsed in 2001 and I lost my executive position, my husband and I knew God had paved the way for me to fulfill God’s call.
As I travel across the country, I listen to people’s stories, talk about their relationship with God, get permission to write their story, and hand them a card with the address of the Pocket Full of Quarters website and my e-mail. These cards have a slot that holds a real quarter. Some try to return the quarter, but I refuse. I want them to have a pocket full of quarters. These free quarters are a symbol of God’s free grace available to everyone. The quarter also helps them remember the name of website where many go as a follow up to our conversation. Some e-mail that they keep the quarter as a reminder of God’s love.
People and churches open their hearts and homes as they share their spiritual stories and whisper their secrets. Most report that they believe in God. Many worship and some even serve Him diligently. Unfortunately, I also see many sagging shoulders and pain-filled eyes that desperately need a Pocket Full of Quarters.