CHRISTmas Blessing

This Saturday, December 21 from 9am-noon our church opens up the doors to bless the community with our CHRISTmas Blessing baskets. This is the 7th year we will be hosting this event. We serve breakfast, hand out large baskets of non-perishable food items, give a ham and some fresh produce. All the while we try and make it a festive atmosphere as we provide live Christmas music.

Often life does not allow people to step outside of reality and enjoy a little extra time together or even allow them to fulfill the basic need of food. When everyday life is hard it is almost impossible to be joyful or celebrate. We want to help some families be able to step outside of their reality of wondering where food will come from and step into the joy of Christmas, even if just for a morning. Our CHRISTmas Blessings is not just about having a party for people or even about supplying basic needs. It is about sharing the love of Jesus with everyone.

This Advent season we have focused on Jesus being Immanuel, God with Us and coming into our homes. As we have explored the idea of Home for Christmas we have seen Jesus travel and prepare to be with us, He has invited us to have hospitality for all, and He has said in the middle of the confusion of everyday life He is with us and promises more. We want to live out these truths in our lives. CHRISTmas Blessings is one way that we as a church help you live these truths out in your life. And I bet that as you live these out you will be blessed by them as you bless others.

Here are some responses from the previous years CHRISTmas Blessing events and how people were blessed through the event.

"When we went out to give the invitations for the Christmas Blessings baskets, we wondered who we would meet. Our first contact was a lady who said, "Thank You, but please give the basket to someone who really needs it. I'm fine." The second lady immediately began crying and said, "I wondered how I was going to feed my family for Christmas.Thank you so much!". And we hugged and cried for joy!! Our third contact asked if she could give the invitation to someone at her church who really needed help. When we returned to our car, we sat and cried and prayed - how wonderful it was that God had led us to exactly the right people! We were thankful to be part of a great mission project!” -Pastor Joseph & Shirley Fabry

“Beth shared with me that she has a 17-year-old son and when I said we need to get a big box for a growing teenager she began to cry. Hugging me she explained he is her stepson and they are trying so hard to put his life back together after living with mom who was very dysfunctional....she continued to hug me as she thanked us over and over again for our help.”- Sandy Keil

“Another amazing Christmas blessing basket program! It was wonderful to see some familiar faces and hear how God is present in their lives. One familiar comment said by many was "what a blessing" this program is to them and their family. It is a joy to be a part of this type of outreach, especially to see how far Christ's message is reaching.” - Ellen Hoyer

“I had a great opportunity with a lady & her son named Noah. I was talking to her about our church services on Christmas eve & Christmas day. She said she was going to try to make it. Just making small talk & such. I was about to say goodbye to them & I asked what her son's name was, to see if "Noah" has been good this year. I asked him if he knew what was so important about his name. Noah had no clue. So, I continued to drop clues that a kid would be able to guess. Obviously, building an ark to save the animals from the great flood. I found out that Noah, really was an animal lover & made a connection of the importance of his name. His mother was behind us. I was unaware that in this time that I was talking to her son that she had started crying. I can only guess that she was overwhelmed with joy from all the blessings that WE ALL brought to her & her son. Without notice she stole a heartfelt hug & exchanged a sincere thank you. Even if only for a short time, we all have the opportunity to make a difference in somebody else's life. This had me thinking about the true meaning about human kindness and generosity without strings attached. Sounds kind of like the love that Jesus has for all mankind. I hope that we all never forget the true meaning of Christmas. I will admit at times vision can get clouded bit. I think that it is these kind of moments that can humble a person and bring them back in check. Merry Christmas!!” - Jason Ulrich

“A mom with two young boys shared with me that they've been coming for Christmas Basket Blessings since her older son, who is six, was one. She said this breakfast each year is one of their favorite Christmas traditions. She then said that she thinks, even if they get to a point where they don't need the baskets anymore, that they'll still come for breakfast because they so look forward to it. What a blessing it is for me, to be able to be a part of something that seems so simple to me, yet it means so much to others!” - Carrie Young