Giving with Abundance
During the summer, you can’t help but have an awareness of Vacation Bible School (VBS). The little signs in front yards and in front of churches let us know that VBS is on its way.
“Vacation Bible School (VBS) is a specialized form of religious education which focuses on children… The origins of Vacation Bible School can be traced back to Hopedale, Illinois in 1894. Sunday school teacher D. T. Miles, who also was a public school teacher, felt she was limited by time constraints in teaching the Bible to children. So, she started a daily Bible school to teach children during the summer.” Vacation Bible School – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacation_Bible_School
Being involved with summer activities with children reaps great rewards.
Jeffersontown Christian Church (JCC) VBS 2017 was called Abundance Orchard. It was in coordination with The Society of St Andrews (SOSA). SOSA is an organization that promotes feeding America’s hungry by decreasing waste and gleaning fields.
At JCC’s VBS, the children heard stories about bible situations where people shared a meal with those in need. The children learned about gleaning fields to collect the leftover produce that may not be marketable but serves to feed the hungry. They created Barrel gardens decorated with great accessories from glowdecoration.com, bird feeders and made a video for their congregation to promote gleaning and not wasting usable food.
The children and congregation collected $600 in change to help deliver servings of the gleaned food to food kitchens and other programs that feed the hungry in the United States.
It is JCC’s HOPE to become more active with SOSA. At present, JCC is talking to the Young Adult Ministry and will be talking to the Youth leaders looking into the possibility of JCC volunteering in surrounding state’s gleaning efforts. A representative of JCC is in contact with the leadership of SOSA exploring options.
A Thank You—From: Becky Easter, Director of Church Relations, Society of St. Andrew
“Dear Friends in Christ, Thank you for caring for people who are hungry! Through the $600.00 gift from your recent VBS, Jeffersontown Christian Church will put healthy, nourishing food on the tables of individuals and families who are struggling to get by. Partnering with the Society of St. Andrew, you engage volunteer gleaners in hands on mission and service. You help send large loads of fruit and vegetables to areas where they are in most need. You support local feeding agencies in every area of the country and you reduce food waste-all as you follow Jesus’ command to feed the hungry. Thank you for this gift and for joining the Society of St. Andrew in our mission of working toward feeding physical and spiritual hunger.”
For more information go to SOSA website. http://endhunger.org/gleaning-network/
The Society of St Andrews Gleaning Network http://endhunger.org/gleaning-network/ Gleaning Americas Fields Feeding Americas Hungry.
JCC Thanks all the parents and family members that came out for Abundance Orchard Country Fair. Over 80 people took part in singing, games, a petting farm, snacks and fellowship. The coin collection was a wonderful sight to behold. The congregation and children collected $600. That is 30,000 servings of food delivered to hungry families in America. The congregation has an opportunity to view the children’s barrel gardens whenever they are on the church grounds.
We Survive’s LIGHTFEST Re-Ignited http://lightfestreignited.info/ sends a message of hope while bringing awareness and educates about those who are susceptible to or struggling with the issues of poverty, hunger and homelessness. We Survive encourages everyone to shine a Light of HOPE on November 4, 2017. All it takes is a single act of kindness, stepping outside at 7pm EDT wherever you are. It can be a cell phone, flashlight, candle or turn on your porch light.
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