That is the bravado of some sports teams and athletes. They are going all in, going for the prize, holding nothing back, looking for the win. GO BIG OR GO HOME! The Atlanta Braves had an outstanding year and certainly could live up to that slogan. They played an outstanding covid season and gave their fans a great season. They played big all year and ended their season in a spectacular 7 game series.
What would you think of a church family adopting that same slogan “GO BIG OR GO HOME”? I feel like that is the exciting challenge we have with collecting food for the James Island Outreach. We are going after the largest food donation in our history to meet the largest need in the Outreach’s ministry. Pastor Scott went BIG, really BIG. He ordered 1000 bags for us to fill. That is right, 1000! If each bag holds 20 pounds of groceries that comes out to 20,000 pounds of food to help the underserved. TEN TONS of love! That fits the goal of GO BIG OR GO HOME and then some.In the past we have done an outstanding job when we would collect over 1 ton of jelly from our JIBC family. Really, think about that. We have on several occasions, for several years, collected over 1 ton of jelly and other food items. That is fantastic. In addition JIBC always gives an offering to James Island Outreach and has volunteers that serve. Now this challenge and opportunity may be the biggest I have ever seen. How will we do it?
Two families used their Neighborhood Association to announce the project and invited neighbors to come get the bags and then return them with food. One person took them to her work and explained the project. Co-workers bought in and took 10 bags. Pastor Scott’s neighborhood was having a chili cook off so he set up a tent to pass out bags. With this kind of creativity, I believe there is a real shot at a record breaking grocery offering to meet a record breaking need!
It reminds me of the miracle when Jesus multiplied the fish and the loaves. I am praying that the result will be the same, that this Thanksgiving everyone will have enough to eat and there will be groceries left over to bless others.
I love a challenge, so Janie and I, because we are so blessed, will take ten bags and commit to filling them. The goal of 1000 bags of groceries sounds like an impossible goal…for us. It is not impossible for the Worker of Miracles. W still have several weeks to get the bags out and the groceries in!
See you Sunday with the bags around the stage!
Pastor Tom
