Releases

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JOSH ABERSON — ON THE HEART BEHIND THE GIFT
“Over time, God began placing a question on our hearts about whether we were truly stewarding our B&G store to its fullest potential. Our devotion to the success and growth of the store, its staff and our community of customers was never in question, but we continued to feel the Lord prompting us that our personal vision for what that success looked like was limited. Almost as if we were the roadblock between its current achievements and a far greater purpose.”

PASTOR NOAH ROLLINS — ON THE VISION FOR B&G
“Imagine families from across our city walking into a business where they are welcomed, valued and served well. Imagine young people receiving some of their first work experience in an environment shaped by biblical values. Imagine local organizations and important causes receiving meaningful support because people in our community decided to enjoy some ice cream together. We believe this store can become a place where ordinary interactions create opportunities for extraordinary impact.”

CHRISTIE ABERSON — ON WHAT SHE BELIEVES GOD WILL DO WITH STORE
We are expectant that God will use B&G as a platform to grow His Kingdom. When we opened the store, we wanted to create an environment to build community for our customers and our staff. We felt the world was getting busier and more divisive, and we wanted to provide a place of joy and connection. We wanted to teach staff the joy in working and serving others. Early on my friend told me, “You're serving Jesus in an ice cream cone!”. Imagine what God can do, when we intently be the church in an unexpected place, to meet people where they are, and to serve them with joy and love. 

JOSH ABERSON — ON SURRENDERING THE BUSINESS
“We kept coming back to Ephesians 3:20 and the promise that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power, that is at work within us. Eventually, those promptings led us to a reckoning: we believed God was asking us to give the store to Him wholly and completely and place it at the center of His church. For us, this gift became an act of submission and surrender—and an expectation that God can do far more through it than we could ever accomplish on our own.”

PASTOR NOAH ROLLINS — ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GIFT
“This is an incredible gift, but we do not see it primarily as a way for the church to make money. We see it as a ministry opportunity. This B&G can become another place where we serve people, build relationships, create meaningful employment opportunities and demonstrate the love of Jesus in our city. It gives us a creative new way to expand ministry beyond the walls of our church building.”

CHRISTIE ABERSON — ON WHAT SHE HOPES THE GIFT REPRESENTS
“It is an honor for our family to be part of this story, to return to God what has always been His. We are expectant that this gift is just the beginning of a story so much bigger. We hope it inspires all of us to ask how God might use us, with something He’s already placed in our hands. We believe this business is best used by God in the hands of the church, serving the community and helping people experience the love of Jesus in everyday moments of life, over an ice cream cone.  

PASTOR NOAH ROLLINS — ON WHERE THE PROFITS WILL GO
“100% of the profits generated by the business will be directed toward specific Kingdom Causes and needs within our community.  Our desire is to help make a tangible difference in the lives of people throughout our city and beyond. We believe God has placed Celebrate in this community to serve it, and this gift gives us an entirely new way to do that.”

PASTOR NOAH ROLLINS — ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GIFT
“This is an incredible gift, but we do not see it primarily as a way for the church to make money. We see it as a ministry opportunity. This B&G can become another place where we serve people, build relationships, create meaningful employment opportunities and demonstrate the love of Jesus in our city. It gives us a creative new way to expand ministry beyond the walls of our church building.”

CHRISTIE ABERSON — ON WHAT COMES NEXT
“B&G Milkyway has always been about having Good Food served by Good People. The store will continue to have the same great products and service, but now with a higher purpose. Our community and staff have been so giving to us, it’s exciting to see what we can give back in return.”

PASTOR NOAH — ON THE BIGGER PICTURE
“We believe the church should be present wherever people live, work, gather and build relationships. Now, by God’s grace, that includes a B&G Milkyway. We want to steward this gift carefully, honor the generosity and faith behind it, and then see what God can do through an ice cream shop that exists for something much bigger than itself.”

DAVID HYDE — OPERATIONAL IMPACTS
“For our customers, the B&G they know and love isn’t going away. We’ll still be serving the same B&G ice cream and food, with the same commitment to quality and hospitality, and our existing team will continue operating the store. What’s changing is the purpose behind what we’re doing and the potential impact every customer can help us make.”

DAVID HYDE — STAFF DEVELOPMENT
“A lot of young people get some of their very first work experience at B&G. We’ve always taken that responsibility seriously, but this gives us an opportunity to be even more intentional about developing them, not just as employees, but as people. We want them to learn how to work hard, serve others, lead well and understand that even something as simple as serving an ice cream cone has purpose.