He Needed a Job. God Was Preparing a Calling.
Ask Michael Richards what first drew him to Children’s Hunger Fund, and he will give you a straightforward answer:
I needed a job.
There was no dramatic moment of calling. He and his family had just moved back to Los Angeles from Houston, they were living with his in-laws, and he was looking for work. So, in May 1999, he joined Children’s Hunger Fund.
What he didn’t realize was that God was already preparing him for something much bigger.
A Calling in Indonesia
Today, it would be unusual for the president of Children’s Hunger Fund to invite the newest employee on an international trip. But CHF was a much smaller ministry in 1999. The organization hadn’t even reached its 10th anniversary, and there were only seven other employees on staff.
Just a few months after joining the ministry, Michael traveled with CHF Founder and President Dave Phillips to Indonesia. What might have seemed like a simple work trip became a defining moment in his faith and purpose.
“My ministry call started in Surabaya, Indonesia,” he said. “I understood I was put on this earth to serve.”
Saying Yes to the Next Assignment
When he returned from Indonesia, Michael understood a little better why God had him at CHF. Over the years, that calling would take him far beyond a single job description. As the ministry grew and evolved, Michael found himself serving in volunteer operations, international logistics, ministry expansion, leadership, and relationship development, often stepping into unfamiliar territory along the way.
Michael summed up his experience with a phrase he heard often at church: “The Lord doesn’t call the equipped. He equips the called.”
Seeing the ministry from such an early stage helped Michael develop what he describes as a trailblazer spirit. Each new assignment brought its own challenges, uncertainties, and opportunities to grow. Rather than waiting until he felt fully prepared, he learned to trust that God would provide what was needed for the season ahead.
It’s been fun to put myself in uncomfortable situations and trust that the Lord is going to give us the tools, resources, and opportunities we need.
When God Prepared the Way
There have been many opportunities in Michael’s time at CHF for God to prove His faithfulness. One of those moments came when Michael returned to Texas to help launch CHF’s San Antonio location. As the team prepared for a new season of ministry, he found himself standing in an empty warehouse, asking God to use both the facility and the people who would serve there in ways they couldn’t imagine.
Not long afterward, the Haiti earthquake struck in 2010. The warehouse that had once stood empty quickly filled with relief supplies as CHF mobilized aid for families affected by the disaster. For Michael, it was a powerful reminder that God often prepares the answer before anyone recognizes the need.
The Ministry of Relationships
Over the years, Michael has served in volunteer operations, international logistics, expansion efforts, leadership, and relationship development. While the responsibilities changed, one thing remained constant: relationships.
After nearly three decades at CHF, Michael has seen how God works through relationships. From the child receiving care through the local church to the supporters who make that ministry possible, he sees people, not programs, at the heart of the ministry. The goal is not simply to meet practical needs, but to help local churches care for families while sharing the hope of the gospel.
We don’t ever want it to feel transactional.
Because of that, Michael has never viewed ministry impact as just a collection of statistics. While he can often recite key ministry metrics from memory, he sees each number as representing real people, families, and communities. For Michael, numbers matter because they offer a glimpse of what God is doing through local churches around the world, even if they can never tell the whole story.
“I don’t look at the numbers to be impressed,” he said. “I look at the numbers to be encouraged.”
A New Opportunity
Recently, Michael and his wife, Carrie, moved from San Antonio to Dallas to help launch the new Prosper facility. Once again, Michael finds himself at the forefront of a new chapter in CHF’s ministry. As he looks toward Prosper, he sees opportunity.
A large facility in North Texas is about much more than a building. Michael is excited about the volunteers who will come to serve, the churches that will be equipped, and the impact that Poverty Encounter will have on the next generation.
It’s going to position us to do more things around the world than we could ever possibly imagine.
Learning to Pay Attention
God’s faithfulness is a theme that runs throughout Michael’s story. From Indonesia to San Antonio to Prosper, he has seen the Lord open doors, provide resources, and create opportunities no one could have planned. And God’s not done yet.
While there is still much work to be done, Michael doesn’t want to miss what God is doing right now. Every day, God provides healing, restoration, and salvation through local churches around the world. For Michael, those moments are worth noticing.
I want to take it all in because it’s pretty amazing.
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