This weekend marked the biggest weekend so far in our Angel Food Ministry. A family that we've been giving to since we started giving away boxes in November, came to our church for a baby shower we threw for them. It was so great. The whole family came, the couple of course, both grandmothers, and a sister in law. (the brother and grandfather were watching the kids)
For the past week, members of our congregation have been bringing gifts for the shower. We didn't make the shower open to all so we wouldn't overwhelm the family. But lots of people brought gifts even though they weren't coming to the shower. I was so excited by how many gifts the family got. They were overwhelmed by it all. They couldn't believe the church would give them so much stuff when they don't even attend. The family seemed so open to us.
One of the verses Angel Food tries to embody is Matthew 25:35 and 40. It says (Matthew 25:35) "For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in." When they challenged Jesus and asked when did they do this for their God, the answer is "To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me (Matt 25:40)." I believe we are doing this through AF and I love it! I love it because I feel we are doing exactly what God wants us to. It feels good to be right in the center of his will and feel his blessings on what we're doing.
Showing posts with label Angel Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Angel Food. Show all posts
Monday, April 26, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Angel Food
One thing I meant to include in my "catch up" post was this... Angel Food is going really, really well. We are up to about 60 boxes this month and most of our volunteers are still helping. But I have to say the most exciting outcome of this ministry was one that I didn't even see coming but totally fits with the vision God gave me for the launch of the ministry. (that really shouldn't surprise me) People in our church AND other churches are buying boxes to donate to needy families. I think we have 10 or so this month. That is beyond exciting! I really thought this ministry was going to help us help those needy families by stretching their money dollar. That would have made me happy. However, God obviously had bigger things in mind!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Angel Food is Launched!
Wow, what a morning! Angel food had it's first distribution day (at our church) today. It's exciting to see it off the ground. We had a good turn out of volunteers. Not everyone who signed up showed up but that's ok. People probably had conflicts. It was fun to see people getting excited about the ministry. A lot of our volunteers couldn't wait to take menus out to their friends, neighbors, and coworkers. And several "customers" (people who bought boxes) were excited to share with those around them too. It is so neat to see God spread this around. One woman who had bought a box, works with a lot of shut ins and people like that and she sees some of them buy precooked meals for $7.50 a pop. Well Angel Food has a "Senior Meals" box that is 10 meals for $28 and she can't wait to tell all those people about it. She said ours even looks better-tasting. Also, we have a volunteer that just can't wait to deliver to the elderly and handicapped so that will work out wonderfully.
We (CJ and I) have been praying since we got here that God would show people a new way of doing things. A new way to be the church, the body of Christ. And people are starting to catch the vision! It is exciting to see. I see so many new ideas flowing out of people and we are just trying to keep up. I told a friend of mine, Kathy, (who has tons of great ideas) that she just needs to write them all down because every time we talk she has 10 more! At least it seems that way.
I know God has been working behind the scenes, so I'm not going to say he's "finally" showing himself or coming through for us now, but it is exciting to see how our prayers really have made a difference over the last 2 or so years. People seem so "ripe", so hungry for this kind of ministry direction. It's exciting to dream about what God has in store.
However, I can tell that we are meeting resistance. Not so much from people in the church but from Satan. He is attacking some new christians that I was starting to talk to and minister to. We were going to start a new small group that would allow them to learn the basics of the Christian faith and help them get to know the person of Jesus and his vision for life. However, Satan is attacking their marriages pretty hard. It is hard to see this happen. I still think God could turn things around but one has to be open to it first and they seem pretty closed. So I'm dealing with this right now. I don't quite know how to proceed. One of the drawbacks to immersing our lives in others without putting on a happy mask, being real and vulnerable is that life gets messy. We don't always know what to do. We don't know how to help those that are making "messy" choices.
It's easy to greet someone in the hall at church with a smile and ask how they are doing. They will answer "Fine" or "Good" or something along those lines. We have this exchange enough times each Sunday and we feel we've connected with people. That we've invested in someone. That we've made someone feel welcome. That is CRAP. C.R.A.P. We need to be willing to go to the needy, the hurting, the outcasts and downtrodden of society. Those that are divorcing, homeless, poor, hungry, oppressed and hurting. But that makes for a messy life.
What happens then too, if we actually reach these people? What if they decide to check out our church. Will someone be welcome if they walk in hand in hand with someone of the same sex? Will someone dressed in a Marilyn Manson t-shirt, and black lipstick be welcomed in (without being stared at). What about a man who smells bad that won't stop talking to you. What will we do then? Will we be Jesus to those people? Jesus hung out with the outcasts. He built relationships with them. They liked him so much, they invited him to their parties! Does it sound like he felt the need to point out their sin right away? To tell them what they were doing wrong and needed to change before they were welcome in his presence? Who would invite someone like that to a big ol' party of all their sinner friends? I wouldn't! The fact that the very people that were shown nothing but contempt and disdain by the religious leaders of that day would want to party with Jesus shows us that he LOVED first. He talked to them like they were more than just the sum of their sin. That they were people that God loved and longed to have a relationship with. Jesus saw them as worthy of respect and compassion. He built a relationship built on love and respect first and then showed them that there was a better way of living. He called it the Kingdom of God. God's way of living. Living by the ways of his kingdom instead of the ways of the world around them. And the greatest attribute in God's kingdom is Love. Period.
So as we launch Angel Food and hopefully more ministries in this direction. I hope we think about how we can be a part of the Kingdom of God. How we can be the hands and feet and mouthpiece of Jesus. Love first. Period.
We (CJ and I) have been praying since we got here that God would show people a new way of doing things. A new way to be the church, the body of Christ. And people are starting to catch the vision! It is exciting to see. I see so many new ideas flowing out of people and we are just trying to keep up. I told a friend of mine, Kathy, (who has tons of great ideas) that she just needs to write them all down because every time we talk she has 10 more! At least it seems that way.
I know God has been working behind the scenes, so I'm not going to say he's "finally" showing himself or coming through for us now, but it is exciting to see how our prayers really have made a difference over the last 2 or so years. People seem so "ripe", so hungry for this kind of ministry direction. It's exciting to dream about what God has in store.
However, I can tell that we are meeting resistance. Not so much from people in the church but from Satan. He is attacking some new christians that I was starting to talk to and minister to. We were going to start a new small group that would allow them to learn the basics of the Christian faith and help them get to know the person of Jesus and his vision for life. However, Satan is attacking their marriages pretty hard. It is hard to see this happen. I still think God could turn things around but one has to be open to it first and they seem pretty closed. So I'm dealing with this right now. I don't quite know how to proceed. One of the drawbacks to immersing our lives in others without putting on a happy mask, being real and vulnerable is that life gets messy. We don't always know what to do. We don't know how to help those that are making "messy" choices.
It's easy to greet someone in the hall at church with a smile and ask how they are doing. They will answer "Fine" or "Good" or something along those lines. We have this exchange enough times each Sunday and we feel we've connected with people. That we've invested in someone. That we've made someone feel welcome. That is CRAP. C.R.A.P. We need to be willing to go to the needy, the hurting, the outcasts and downtrodden of society. Those that are divorcing, homeless, poor, hungry, oppressed and hurting. But that makes for a messy life.
What happens then too, if we actually reach these people? What if they decide to check out our church. Will someone be welcome if they walk in hand in hand with someone of the same sex? Will someone dressed in a Marilyn Manson t-shirt, and black lipstick be welcomed in (without being stared at). What about a man who smells bad that won't stop talking to you. What will we do then? Will we be Jesus to those people? Jesus hung out with the outcasts. He built relationships with them. They liked him so much, they invited him to their parties! Does it sound like he felt the need to point out their sin right away? To tell them what they were doing wrong and needed to change before they were welcome in his presence? Who would invite someone like that to a big ol' party of all their sinner friends? I wouldn't! The fact that the very people that were shown nothing but contempt and disdain by the religious leaders of that day would want to party with Jesus shows us that he LOVED first. He talked to them like they were more than just the sum of their sin. That they were people that God loved and longed to have a relationship with. Jesus saw them as worthy of respect and compassion. He built a relationship built on love and respect first and then showed them that there was a better way of living. He called it the Kingdom of God. God's way of living. Living by the ways of his kingdom instead of the ways of the world around them. And the greatest attribute in God's kingdom is Love. Period.
So as we launch Angel Food and hopefully more ministries in this direction. I hope we think about how we can be a part of the Kingdom of God. How we can be the hands and feet and mouthpiece of Jesus. Love first. Period.
Monday, September 21, 2009
brushfire??
Yesterday was an interesting day at church. Some of the very issues CJ and I have been praying about for almost 2 years now were testified about after worship. I didn't catch everything that people said but I heard enough and things like "loving people to Jesus, not the church" were central themes to several people's testimonies. I was so excited! With starting this new Angel Food Ministry I hope to talk about these ideas with our volunteers and share a vision that I've had for a long time.
People are starting to get excited about AFM and so am I. I had a lot more volunteers sign up yesterday and we start taking orders this week. I think this is going to be bigger than we had originally thought. I originally had planned on not advertising this until the month of November but I didn't think to tell the congregation that. I've had so many people come up and tell me that they are telling friends and family and their coworkers etc etc. It's going to be interesting. :)
CJ and I were up talking last night after reading together (we are reading a book called "They Love Jesus But Not The Church"-fascinating) and really hope that the attitudes expressed yesterday catch on and spread through our church, much like a brushfire. Hopefully, AFM can play a role in that.
People are starting to get excited about AFM and so am I. I had a lot more volunteers sign up yesterday and we start taking orders this week. I think this is going to be bigger than we had originally thought. I originally had planned on not advertising this until the month of November but I didn't think to tell the congregation that. I've had so many people come up and tell me that they are telling friends and family and their coworkers etc etc. It's going to be interesting. :)
CJ and I were up talking last night after reading together (we are reading a book called "They Love Jesus But Not The Church"-fascinating) and really hope that the attitudes expressed yesterday catch on and spread through our church, much like a brushfire. Hopefully, AFM can play a role in that.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
"Mommy, Wow! I'm a big kid now"
Do you remember those commercials for pull ups? With the song "I'm a big kid. Look what I can do. I can wear big kid pants too." Well tonight if Dani could form a sentence she'd be singing it. :) Actually, tonight was the first time she peed in the elmo potty chair we bought 6 months ago. She acted very proud of herself but I couldn't quite tell if it was all her or just her reaction to my reaction. I clapped and cheered and we called Daddy and Mimi. I didn't have any candy but CJ's bringing that home from work tonight. M&Ms for Dani, comin' up. Wow, I guess I need to do some research on a method to start potty training. I haven't the slightest clue how to do this. For the next couple days, I'll probably wing it. I've always kinda been that mom that just takes her cues from the kid. I never put her on a schedule (she put herself on one) and I've usually just gone with my gut for most things. It has worked well for Dani. She has never been one that you can push. She does things at her own pace and if you rush her she just digs those heels in and she's staying put. Her slow pace is still faster than staying put!
Other than our excitement tonight. Life has definitely slowed down this week. I've still been busy but it's not that RUSHED kind of busy. Just enough to fill the day. We've been really working on Angel Food stuff this week. We start taking orders really soon and we are still trying to figure this out. I made some big strides this week by actually getting a hold of our contact person and getting some questions answered but we need to go though all the training stuff and figure out how to take orders and place them on the website. That's the next biggie we need to learn.
Tomorrow CJ is OFF!!!! Yeah! Even though he sleeps in in the morning and after that I have to go clean the church but still the whole afternoon and evening will be ours. I'm supposed to go to this ladies thing at church but I really need some CJ time. We tried to find a babysitter so we could have a date but no-can-do. Couldn't find anybody! So it's family night for us. That's still great though. I love watching CJ with Dani and she'll go to bed by 8:30 or so...
Well, I'm off to bed. G' Night all.
Other than our excitement tonight. Life has definitely slowed down this week. I've still been busy but it's not that RUSHED kind of busy. Just enough to fill the day. We've been really working on Angel Food stuff this week. We start taking orders really soon and we are still trying to figure this out. I made some big strides this week by actually getting a hold of our contact person and getting some questions answered but we need to go though all the training stuff and figure out how to take orders and place them on the website. That's the next biggie we need to learn.
Tomorrow CJ is OFF!!!! Yeah! Even though he sleeps in in the morning and after that I have to go clean the church but still the whole afternoon and evening will be ours. I'm supposed to go to this ladies thing at church but I really need some CJ time. We tried to find a babysitter so we could have a date but no-can-do. Couldn't find anybody! So it's family night for us. That's still great though. I love watching CJ with Dani and she'll go to bed by 8:30 or so...
Well, I'm off to bed. G' Night all.
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