Goodness of God on Display at Amplify’s July Gathering

More than 200 business and nonprofit leaders gathered on Tuesday, July 29, to amplify two Minnesota-based nonprofits in an evening filled with collaboration and impact.

Dinner was provided by Grace-Filled Table, a returning Amplify partner and nonprofit that fosters connection through shared meals. More than just a meal, it offered a tangible taste of their mission and a reminder of how Amplify continues to cultivate long-term partnerships that drive meaningful change.

Andrea McMaster, Amplify’s President, opened the evening by inviting everyone to reflect on and embrace the goodness of God. She shared scriptures pointing to His mercy and goodness actively pursuing us, even in seasons of challenge and uncertainty. Her words set a tone of hope and gratitude, preparing hearts to hear powerful stories from nonprofit leaders who have witnessed God’s faithfulness and goodness firsthand.

Guest speaker Jean Abbott then shared her moving testimony of living 30 years with a medical misdiagnosis and the miraculous restoration that followed. Her story, featured on national television, inspired more than 30 people to discover they too had been misdiagnosed, some even walking again after years in wheelchairs.

Abbott encouraged the audience to embrace their God-given gifts and to say “yes” when God nudges, reminding us that “your encouragement, your expertise, your yes can be the exact answer to someone else’s prayer.”

With hearts inspired, the evening transitioned to the featured nonprofits.

Tanveer Gulzar, founder of Rejoice Apparel, shared his vision to help Christian women in Pakistan escape abusive working conditions by providing dignified employment and job skills training through an apparel manufacturing facility. Reflecting on the heartbreaking story of his own mother’s experiences, Tanveer said, “I couldn’t change the past for my mom, but I can help shape a different future for my daughter and the next generation.” As a growing organization with capacity to produce more merchandise and support more women, he invited Amplify partners to help generate awareness and drive merchandise sales to expand their impact.

Andrea Ratfield, founder of Hope Filled Café, shared her dream of providing meaningful employment and a sense of belonging to young adults with autism and cognitive disabilities. With a newly acquired mobile café and a vision to employ hundreds of individuals, she invited business leaders to help imagine possibilities for scaling operations to reach even greater impact.

Amplify partners responded with action. Through facilitated brainstorming, they offered ideas, connections, and solutions to help both organizations overcome current barriers and step into new levels of growth and influence.

To close the evening, Amplify partners and guests lifted their voices together in a powerful rendition of Goodness of God, led by musical guests Taylor Bongard and Erin McMaster. The room was filled with heartfelt worship, leaving a lasting impression on many attendees. One guest shared, “Loved, loved, loved singing together at the end. I couldn’t have imagined an Amplify meeting better than it was, but you did it with that!”

A special thanks to Open Book Communications for generously sponsoring this event and Randy Hoepner Photography for sharing his gift to capture the energy in the room!