I am writing this article about Christmas Missions and we have not even finished the Fall Festival or Thanksgiving! This is kind of a pre-Christmas announcement and alert. This past week I received a call from our missionaries Charles and Judy Dillon. They are currently living in a camp ground in Park City, Kentucky. He is serving as the volunteer Chaplain there. He is still in touch and working with the ministries from Greenville, Tennessee that are reaching out to Western North Carolina. The ministry Charles is working with is called “Hunger First Tri-Cities” Kingsport, Tennessee. They have a Facebook page if you want to see some of their mission work.
So, here is the BIG ASK. This ministry called Charles to see if he could help them provide Christmas for 300 children from Birth to Age 14 and for Elderly people. Three Hundred children! Sounds like a gigantic ASK doesn’t it? It is. But no more than 2000 pounds of Venison and 300 winter coats that God enabled us to donate to them. This sounds just like a JIBC Mission project. So, let me share the first details so we can start praying about how we can bless 300 Children and their families.
First, the 300 children live in Western North Carolina. Many will be the same families we blessed with food and winter coats. The toys can be “gently used” or new toys. We would include the toys as a part of our Advent Giving this year. Because of the volume, we would promote collecting toys for Western North Carolina, Jelly for James Island Outreach and a mission offering for International Missions. The hard date for having the toy to us would be December 7. We would pack them on Monday, December 8 and drive them to Greenville, Tennessee. They will distribute the toys collected on Friday, December 19. Now, that is the basics. What do you think? Can we do it?
You know me. I can’t leave that alone. I want to know if a couple of our JIBC folks could come up on December 19 and help distribute the toys. Is there a way we can come up and have a Christmas party with them? Those are my ideas not theirs so we will wait and see. By the way, Charles and Judy will dress up like Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus. You know that Santa will be preaching the Gospel about Jesus.
I will start with the details in November so we can take advantage of Black Friday sales! Question: Does anyone have a real solid hook up for someone who sells footballs, basketballs and soccer balls? Let me know please.
See you Sunday for the conclusion to “The Scariest Words in the Bible”.
Love you all,
Pastor Tom
