The season of giving is almost upon us! Part of holy living is to share our resources with others. The Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons give us the opportunity to do just that. During the next few weeks at St. Peter’s, you can choose one or more of several ways to help people close to home and those around the world by participating in these various opportunities.
Updates, Nov. 9 – Village Harvest needs can of chicken broth, kleenix, packages shredded carrots for a Kale recipe.
ECM can use contributions from not just the men but women, too since it is a church project. They have collected 9 checks which will cover Thanksgiving but not Christmas.
Deadlines
Village Harvest – Nov. 16
Men’s Group- Nov. 23
Samaritan’s Purse – Nov. 23
UTO – Dec. 7
Here’s a preview:
Locally, two ways to share:
1. Village Harvest food distribution—This food distribution will provide fresh produce and other healthy food for local families. You can help by bringing needed food for this donation. Right now we are collecting soup and Kleenex. In the first few weeks in November, we will collect specific food items which will be announced. The distribution is Nov. 19, 4:30 PM-5:30 PM
We plan to include a recipe that will be helpful in preparing the fresh produce that we distribute. We need recipes for broccoli, kale and collards. If you have a recipe for any of these vegetables that you’d like to share, please let Catherine know this week! (540) 809-7489.
For more information about the program.
2. The Men’s Group will celebrate the season of giving by continuing their tradition of connecting with a local family here in the Port Royal District by providing a Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and Christmas presents for them. You can help by providing at $35 donation made out to St Peter’s and giving that donation ASAP to Clarence Kunstmann so that the men can purchase food and gifts. All men are encouraged to help with this project. For more information, please call Bill Wick, (804) 742-1218.
For more information about the program.
Internationally, two ways to share
3. The United Thank Offering helps The Episcopal Church Women help people in the United States and around the world. Thankfulness leads to generosity, and your donation will help with projects that provide new spaces for people to gather and to worship, transportation, playgrounds, education, medical services, hot lunches—the list is endless. Every little bit helps with God’s big work of love throughout the world, so take a Blue Box next Sunday, Nov. 2 and start counting your blessings by setting aside some money for this work. The boxes will be collected on Sunday, December 7. For more information, call Betty Kunstmann, (804) 742-5001.
For more information about the program. The UTO has a grant site.
4. Samaritan’s Purse provides children all over the world with a box of small presents at Christmas time, and even better, these boxes bring with them the Good News about Jesus and his love to children and their families. Choose a boy or a girl in a particular age group and fill a shoe box for that child. Information about logistics will be available next Sunday, Nov. 2. The shoe boxes will be collected on Sunday, November 16th and Sunday, November 23rd. You can also make financial contributions to this group to help with shipping the boxes. For more information, call Nancy Long (540) 226-4487.
For more information about the program. External site – Operation Christmas Child.
Prayer. The most important thing all of us can offer for all of these ministries is our prayer for those who will benefit from our gifts. Prayers cost nothing, and they release generosity into the world, so please offer your prayers for our efforts to share God’s love in the world in this assortment of ways.