Annie Armstrong

Written by Elizabeth Marshall on April 15, 2022. Posted in Missions. No Comments on Annie Armstrong

If you have spent any amount of time within a Southern Baptist church it is very likely you have heard the names of two women who helped to change the face and nature of how missions work is done. Charlotte “Lottie” Diggs Moon made the bold decision to set aside her life of comfort, tradition, and status for the sole mission of bringing Christ to the people of China. Each year at Christmas Southern Baptist congregations take up an offering collection that is designated for the international missionaries that are sent out by the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board. Through this offering as well as other specially designated funds the missionaries on the international mission field are fully funded and are given the opportunity to pour their lives into the mission God has called them to without having to worry about coming home and raising their own funds.

Another woman that Southern Baptist’s focus on is Annie Armstrong.

Annie Walker Armstrong was born in 1850, just ten years after Lottie Moon. She professed faith in Christ at the age of 19 and devoted herself to the support of mission work around the world. While Annie did not leave the country to bring Christ to those abroad as Lottie did, she did find herself devoted to mission work here on North American soil. Annie’s heart for mission work, her letter writing and fund raising campaigns, and her ability to speak to a group of people ultimately led to her becoming a co-founder and first corresponding secretary for the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) in 1888.

Annie Armstrong, through the establishment of the WMU and her letter writing campaign collected the first Christmas Offering for international missions, a total of $2,833.49 that was sent to Lottie Moon to aid in the mission work she was doing in China. Throughout Annie’s time as the head of the WMU she traveled extensively, all on her own dime, never taking a salary from the organization. Her travels put her in the path of missionaries all through the United States where Annie would hear their stories, take those stories back to congregations and share the ways they could continue to support those doing the hard work.

In 1906 Annie stepped down as the head of the WMU, but she remained faithful and active to her devotion to mission work as she served in her local church in Baltimore, MD. In December of 1938, the same year the WMU celebrated it’s 50th anniversary as an organization, Annie Armstrong celebrated her own homegoing and was embraced by the arms of Jesus. Although the Easter offering had been established in 1895, the Women’s Missionary Union recognized and honored Annie’s lifetime of work and dedication to missions by naming the offering taken up for home missions in her honor in 1934, just four years before she died.

Each March-April Southern Baptists now come together and collect offering monies to be used for North American Missions through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. Just as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is used to help international missionaries do the work God has called them to do in countries all around the world, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering helps to provide funs for North American Missionaries supported and endorsed by the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board. These are the missionaries who are planting new churches in our densely packed urban areas, missionaries who are working hard to replant/revitalize dying churches, and sending the next generation of called individuals into the mission field on summer trips to aid in the work that is being done.

So this year, as you gather for Easter to celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, take some time to pray for the missionaries scattered throughout North America and consider donating to this special offering so that they may continue to do the work God has called them to without the stress of paying the bills, putting food on the table, or wondering how the ministry will get off the ground.

For more information about the Annie Armstrong Easter offering or to donate online visit: https://www.anniearmstrong.com/

Women at the Well-H. E. A. R Journals and Scripture Memory

Written by Sharon Holmes on February 20, 2022. Posted in Women at the Well. No Comments on Women at the Well-H. E. A. R Journals and Scripture Memory

Good Sunday afternoon Ladies,

Do you have your beverage of choice and a comfy place to sit for a little while? I’m so happy to have you here. Let’s jump right in.

Did you have some time in the last week to think about the definition of disciple? Where do you see yourself at on this journey?

This week we are going to talk about Bible Reading and H. E. A. R. Journals. A HEAR journal is a simple way to help you read the Bible with the intention of applying it. By asking four simple questions, you can understand and apply any passage. In addition, journaling is a great discipline because it helps you retain three times more of what you read. Our goal is to pick a Bible Reading Plan. There are probably hundreds of them out there, so you are welcome to choose one for yourself, continue using the plan you are already using or join me in the one I am using. This year I will be reading through the Foundations New Testament – A 260 day bible reading plan for busy believers. If you would like to use this one along with me, just let me know I and I will get a copy for you. It is designed to be read 5 days a week, This week we will start with the book of Luke and the readings will be Luke 1, Luke 2, Luke 3, Luke 4 and Luke 5. There honestly are no set amount of HEAR Journals you MUST do each week but the goal with this discipline as with all the others is to improve as time goes on. Consider how often you currently journal and do +1 of that. So, if you have never journaled, just try to do a couple a week. If you occasionally journal, try to do three times a week. The hope is that as you get more comfortable with this discipline and the experience its benefit, you will want to increase this number throughout the year.

As you read through your reading plan this week, create a HEAR Journal by using these four questions.

H (Highlights): What is a verse(s) that stood out to you in what you are reading?

E (Explain): What is the author’s intended meaning in the context of the passage?

A (Apply): What is the principle to live by today?

R (Respond): How will i respond to the application in my relationships and or situations this week?

I have to say that in the few days I have been practicing this method I am noticing things that I have read in a different way.

Let me show you a sample HEAR Journal

Read: Philippians 4:13

Feb. 6, 2022

Title: Secret of Contentment

(H) I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

(E) Paul was telling the church at Philippi that he has discovered the secret of contentment. No matter the situation in Paul’s life, he realized that Christ was all he needed, and Christ was the one who strengthened him to persevere through difficult times.

(A) In my life, I will experience many ups and downs. My contentment is not found in circumstances. Rather, it is based on my relationship with Jesus Christ. Only Jesus gives me the strength I need to be content in every circumstance in life.

(R) Lord Jesus, please help me as I strive to be content in You. Through Your strength, I can make it through any situation I face.

This may be something you have several things in the passage you read for the day jump out at you. You might take only one for the day or you might spend some more time journaling several of the things that catch your attention. For instance, as I was reading Luke chapter one and found some pretty interesting things about the Holy Spirit so that is what I journaled about for that day.

(H) Speaking of John by the angel Gabriel: 15 He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. Then in verse 41 when Mary went to visit Elizabeth: ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And in verse 67 we find that when John’s father was asked what they were to name the baby and he told them John and his voice came back: ⁶⁷Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.

(E) During this time in history, the Holy Spirit was bestowed on specific people at specific times for specific reasons. For John, the Holy Spirit was bestowed at conception it seems. When he was in his mother’s womb, we have all heard the story, I’m sure, about how the baby lept in his mother’s womb when Mary greeted her, but I had never noticed the part saying that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit at that time. Then when Zechariah was asked for the baby’s name, and he did what he had been told to do his voice was restored. He was then, also filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy.

(A) What I see is that, during this time, there was a connection between the Gift of the Holy Spirit and faith and belief in the message from God. I know that now we are given the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when we accept Christ but my faith response and belief in God’s ability to take care of me in all circumstances is also part of my response to make it easier for the Holy Spirit to work in my life.

(R) Lord Jesus, please help me as I strive to trust and believe that you can care for all of my needs. Help me allow the Holy Spirit to work in my life. Through you I can handle any situation that I face.

Women At the Well: Disciples Needed

Written by Elizabeth Marshall on February 16, 2022. Posted in Women at the Well. 1 Comment on Women At the Well: Disciples Needed

Ladies, grab a cup of tea, or coffee or just water for that matter and come closer for a few minutes while I tell you where my heart is

woman at the well

. Over the last few months, I have felt a growing burden for women of God. Hopefully, we all feel a burden to reach the lost in our area but my specific concern at the moment is those of us who call themselves disciples.

In Matthew 28 Jesus gives us our marching orders. Verse 18-20 tell us Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on the earth. GO, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age. Then Jesus’ final words to us in Acts 1 in verse 8 he tells us; ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

This means that when someone goes forward in our church to make a profession of faith, to say that they are turning their heart to Christ, that is not the final step. That is taking the FIRST step toward a life of discipleship. OUR God given JOB from that point forward is to make a disciple out of that person, yes partly by witnessing their baptism but also teaching them everything WE have been commanded and should be living by. This is OUR job because Jesus, himself, told us that we will be HIS witnesses in Alamogordo, Otero and Lincoln County, and Dona Ana County and New Mexico and the United States and to the ends of the earth.

But here’s the problem for me, and maybe for you. I have never BEEN discipled truly so I have no idea how to pass that along to make another disciple. This is not a somewhat random thing that happens by someone in church saying “hey, welcome to the family of God, now go read your bible when you feel like it, show up for Pastor Dusty’s sermons and sing some great songs every Sunday and you will be a great Disciple.

I’m going to give you a definition of what discipleship is.

Discipleship is Intentionally equipping believers with the Word of God, through accountable relationships, empowered by the Holy Spirit, in order to replicate faithful followers of Christ. In other words, in other words, Disciples intentionally know the Word of God, share their lives deeply with a few other disciples through prayer and study in order to make more disciples who make more disciples.

So let me begin. Hi, my name is Sharon, but I also go by Sherry. I was fortunate to live just a block from Calvary Baptist Chruch here in Alamogordo. I came from a Christian home, but we were just not the people who were in church every Sunday. Calvary was in walking distance for me as a kid. When I was 8 years old, I was in the Sunday school class taught by Mrs. Harrell. I remember the Sunday morning when things began to click for me. Every time I didn’t do what my parents asked of me, I was committing a Sin. Every time I did things without permission it wasn’t just my parents who were concerned and hurt by my actions. Jesus was as well. Mrs. Harrell had taught us a love for Jesus so I was suddenly struck with how could I continue to disappoint HIM? I remember feeling completely heartbroken that I could be that person.

After some deep conversations I understood that i needed to commit my life to Christ and did so. I was baptized and continued to attend church and go to Sunday school all the way through High School. I can’t say I ever had any “in the gutter type moments” I was just not that person. I went to college, got my degree, got married to someone I believed to be a Christian because of the words he spoke. He just had problems with “organized religion” because of some deep wounding done by a particular church. It took me a while to understand what was really going on but by then I spent 10 years in a marriage where I was not allowed to go to church, take our children to church or for the most part associate with anyone “churchy”. I believed in my vows and believed that regardless of anything else, no one could prevent me from believing and praying so that’s what I did.

One day, he decided he didn’t want to be married anymore so he moved out and moved on. I sat down that day and just prayed, ” God, I can see where I really messed this one up, so for my own sake and the sake of my two daughters, I’m not doing this again. If you ever want me to be in another relationship YOU are going to have to just throw him in my lap” ( if you are interested, sometime ask me and Jonathan how our relationship began). From there life has been a pretty amazing rollercoaster.

One day I was asked by someone at the church we were attending at that time if I would be willing to share my testimony. All I could think was nothing horrible has ever happened to me, I really HAVE no testimony!!!!!!

So, as I talked to this person about my “problem”. She told me that she could give me a lot of cliches about how maybe I didn’t know what God had saved me from at such an early age… or that someday I will see the other side of the tapestry that God is sewing for me that I now only see the messy side of…. but she believed that sometimes God doesn’t save people FROM things.. He saves them FOR things so maybe I needed to start looking to see what I was there for.

That made a lot of sense to me, and I have spent the rest of the time I have been on this planet looking for what God wants me to be doing to serve His Kingdom. I, now, believe that with true proper discipleship that quest would have been much easier and that is what I want to help others find. As Pastor Dusty tells us, our salvation is not for US, it is for the salvation of the world. So, our job is to become disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples, who…….

Next week we will begin talking about keeping a HEAR Journal. So grab a notebook to go with your warm beverage.

If you would like to share your personal testimony, please contact me.

If you would like to schedule a time to get together with me in a group of 3-5 of us to begin to share our lives more deeply, study the bible together and begin to learn about what true discipleship is, give me a call, send me a message or just come see me.

My question for today is this: What is one thing that you are excited or intrigued by right now? I would love to hear your answers.

Our Sense of Joy

Written by Elizabeth Marshall on December 15, 2021. Posted in Advent. No Comments on Our Sense of Joy

I was recently scrolling through social media and I came across a silly video about a conversation between a mother and her child in the year 2040. The mom asked how things were at school and the child responded that the day went fine but then asked the mother if she knew anything about the events they had studied in history that day. When the mother asked what the events were the child simply responded with “The year 2020.” The short video ended with the mother looking shell shocked in the camera at the mention of the year.

As I watched the video I chuckled to myself a bit but then it really did get me thinking. It is no secret that the last two years have been anything but easy to endure. Pain, trials, struggles, and affliction have riddled not just our town, state, or country but the entire world. I have come to the conclusion I really never want to hear the phrase “living in unprecedented times” ever again.

For many people all the hardships have brought along with it a deep sense of despair, fear, and heartache. I will be honest when I say that for quite a bit of time I really struggled with feeling like perhaps I was some kind of heartless robot as we went through the journey that the last bit of time has been because while I felt some concerns and some uncertainty I just didn’t feel the same level of being shaken to the core as many individuals I came across did. I questioned my own reactions and responses to the events taking place.

Joy

The third week of the advent season represents Joy. It’s also known as the Shepherd’s Candle. This week’s focus is on the joy that the birth of Christ brings. This week, as I have spent time thinking and reflecting on joy preparing to write this post I have come to realize that perhaps my actions and responses to the events of the past two years have less to do with happiness in our circumstances and more to do with the joy that Christ brings.

Joy in the Bible

Joy is defined as “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.” While that may be the “textbook definition, the biblical definition of joy, the true deep meaning of joy is so much more.

Biblical joy is not simply momentary happiness.
Biblical joy is not controlled by our circumstances.
Biblical joy is an expression of godliness
Biblical joy is permanent.
Biblical joy is always available

Elizabeth George, in her book titled A Woman’s Walk with God, says “True biblical joy shines brightest against the darkness of trials, tragedy, and testing.” Joy is something that is permanent. It’s always there, but we have the ability to allow our circumstances to rob us of our sense of joy. Rather than allow that sense of joy to be buried by the trials and struggles if we redirect our focus to Christ then true biblical joy will shine through just as a brilliant diamond sparkles and shines against a black background.

Joy this Christmas Season

The birth of a baby always brings joy, hope, and excitement. When baby Jesus was born angels appeared to the shepherds and told them not to be afraid but rather to rejoice. Rejoice takes the noun joy and turns it into a verb. They were told not just to have joy but to express it. And they did. They raced to the place they were told to go, they saw the baby, and they spread the news.

We are told to do the same thing. Paul tells us to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all circumstances. This Christmas season, as we turn our joy from a noun to a verb, from an idea to an action, we can also be like the shepherds and spread the word. We have the ability that even though things may not seem like they are the best circumstances we can still rest in our joy, the joy that only God can provide, and only through the sacrifice that was given, all put into action that dark, cold, night when a baby was born, wrapped in clothes, and placed in a manger.

Prayer

Father, thank you for providing a joy that can’t even properly be put into words. No matter what our circumstances, we can rest in the knowledge that your joy does not rely on the good times being good. Our joy is in the hope and salvation that only you can give. This Christmas season help us to spread that joy in our homes, in our workplaces, in our neighborhoods, and in our communities. This season, help us to turn our joy from an idea to an action as we share with others the reason we celebrate this season.

SCRIPTURES TO REFLECT ON THIS SEASON ABOUT THE JOY WE HAVE IN CHRIST

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

And World Peace

Written by Elizabeth Marshall on December 6, 2021. Posted in Advent. No Comments on And World Peace

Miss Congeniality is unapologetically one of my very favorite movies of all time. It is one of those movies that my mom, my sister, and I find ourselves quoting to one another on a fairly regular basis. One of the funniest parts of the movie is when “Gracie Lou Freebush” undercover FBI agent Gracie Hart has to participate in the interview portion of the Miss United States beauty pageant. As the film shares clips of several of the contestants answering their question the response is always the same:

“World Peace”, “World Peace”, “Oh that’s easy, world peace”

That is until Gracie gets her turn. She actually provides an answer that she feels answers the question, however, she is met with silence until she adds “And World Peace” to the end of her response.

I have always found that part of the movie amusing because the idea of “world peace” truly does seem like a foreign concept. For as long as I can remember there have been soldiers at war in one place or another, we have studied countless battles and conflicts dating back to the time when Adam and Eve were cast from the Garden and Cain took action against his brother Abel. World peace, at least in the way that it has been portrayed, seems more like a pipe dream than an actual possibility.

Peace

When you look up the word peace on dictionary.com there are several different definitions that pop up.

“A state of tranquility or quite”

“Freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions”

“A harmony in personal relationships”

Several of those definitions have subcategories that often link back to a relationship between a people and their government. The idea of peace is that there is no civil, political, religious, or any other type of unrest among everyone. This is what the Israelite people were waiting and watching for as they prepared for the coming Messiah.

Peace in the Bible

The word peace is found anywhere between 250 and 450 times in the Bible depending on what translation you are reading. Biblical peace is a peace that goes far beyond the ideals of the ending of governmental unrest. True Biblical peace is rest and tranquil faith in the good times and in the bad. In the easy days and in those days you are just doing good to get out of bed and put your clothes on the right direction.

Biblical peace guards our hearts, provides deep joy despite our circumstances, assists us in times we are struggling, and is a blessing when we learn how to truly lean in and embrace this peace that only God can give.

Jesus is Our Peace

This time of advent is a time of reflection. It’s a time to soak in the wonder that was the birth of Christ. Luke tells of the announcement of Jesus’ arrival as well as that of his cousin, John. In both of these stories the most unlikely of mothers are chosen. It would be easy to see how both Elizabeth and Mary would give into anxieties, fears, and possibly even anger at these miraculous announcements but instead they rested in the peace and perfection in the God they served.

Jesus brought peace in ways that were not what the people were expecting. The Jewish people were waiting for a revolution, a rebellion against the Roman government but instead Jesus provided something different. Jesus brought peace with ourselves and peace with others. He provided us our assurance of salvation and he provided us unity with other believers. He gave us all one common goal: spread His love and His message to the world.

This year has continued to be filled with questions and uncertainty. This season, rather than focus on the questions and the unknowns, take some time to focus on the peace that God provides through the birth of his Son. Be reminded that the world’s definition of peace and God’s definition of peace aren’t the same thing.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the peace you provide. It is no secret that we are living in what many have called unprecedented and uncertain times, but we know that we can have a peace of certainty that You are on the throne and You have all things under control. As we reflect on the peace that Christ brought when he was born we are humbled that You loved enough to provide the ultimate gift, a gift we don’t deserve and a gift we can not earn. This advent season help us to reflect on the peace that the season brings rather than focusing on the fast paced race of the season.

Scriptures to Reflect on this Season about the Peace We Have in Christ

A Thrill of Hope

Written by Elizabeth Marshall on November 22, 2021. Posted in Advent. No Comments on A Thrill of Hope

A Thrill of Hope

“I really hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.”

“Goodness, I hope I get that toy I wanted for my birthday.”

“I hope I can get some better sleep tonight.”

Hope, it’s a funny word that we all tend to use when we find ourselves wishful thinking. Generally it finds its way into conversations as we discuss events, circumstances, and desires that are just out of our own control. Sure, if we had it our way we know how things would play out but we all know that isn’t how things work in reality most of the time.

A Case for Hope

Hope is a word that is found in the Bible as well. When we consider the concept of Biblical hope it is less about an anticipated outcome and more about intentional waiting.

The word hope is found in the Bible somewhere around 129 times.

In the Old Testament it is seen used by the prophets as they encouraged the Israelites to persevere through isolation, captivity, and rebuilding. Prophets such as Isaiah continually reminded the Israelite people that they had a hope in a coming Messiah( Isaiah 40:31) . The writers of the Old Testament conveyed the understanding of hope not only as a period of waiting for the coming Messiah but of a time of eager, yet patient anticipation as seen through many of the writings (Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 71:14) .

The New Testament brought with it an understanding not of a hope we are anticipating but a living hope (Titus 1:1-2). Christ came and conquered sin and death. The anticipation of the coming Messiah had ended. But then Christ ascended to heaven and left the apostles and the early church to continue sharing the message of the Gospel (Romans 5:5).

A Time of Reflection on Hope

As we move ourselves into this season of Advent the first candle that is lit on the Advent wreath is the one that represents this hope. This season, the time we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus represents an in between time. As Elizabeth and Zachariah prepared for the coming of their own miracle child and Mary and Joseph were preparing for the birth of Jesus, the rest of the Israelite community was still in the season of eager anticipation for the coming Messiah. Little did they know that he was well on his way, that God’s rescue plan was being set into motion. Sure, that eager anticipation would continue as Jesus had to grow and mature and develop into the man he would grow to be, but the bridge between the eager waiting and the living hope was here on Earth in the form of an infant born in less than ideal circumstances.

The first week of Advent is a time for those of us in this time of living hope to look back on that season of eager anticipation and seek to be reminded that our hope, true Biblical hope, isn’t wishful thinking for things or circumstances outside of our control. Christian hope, the hope that we can cling to day in and day out, is a bold hope. It is not a cautious optimism as we bet on the odds but rather it is a triumphant cry as we eagerly wait and watch for humanity and the whole of the universe to be redeemed and rescued from evil and death.

And it is a reminder that for us this is a hope for a future that has yet to be seen but that we know is coming. (Romans 8:24-25) It is a reminder that true perseverance brings stronger hope and a development of Christlikeness (Romans 5:3-4).

So this year, as we enter into the advent season, take some time to reflect on the people and things you have been placing your hope in. Are you placing your hope in people and circumstances beyond your control and just waiting to see if the odds land in your favor? Or are you placing your hope in Christ, knowing that the war has already been won, all we have to do is trust and believe that in His time it will all come together the way He intended it to be?

Prayer

Father, thank you for the hope that you provide. As we rest in the hope you provide, waiting and watching in anticipation for your creation to be fully redeemed give us the strength to continue to boldly proclaim the Gospel of Christ. Help us to share your love and your hope with a lost and dying world this season as we celebrate the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

Scriptures to Reflect on about the Hope We Have This Season

An Invitation

Join us at The Well on Sunday November 28, 2021 at 4:00 PM as Pastor Dusty begins our Advent Sermon Series.

Feed the People

Written by Elizabeth Marshall on May 3, 2021. Posted in Outreach. No Comments on Feed the People

Close your eyes. Think back to a time when you felt like you were starving. Can you think of it? Do you remember the hunger pains in your stomach? Do you remember only being able to think about what delicious thing you were going to chow down on as soon as you were able? Do you remember the satisfaction of taking that first bite?

All of us have probably had a time where we felt ourselves getting hungry to the point of feeling those stabbing pains in our stomach. For some its because we rushed out of the house in the morning without grabbing breakfast and by lunch time we were just famished. For others it might be a scheduled medical procedure that required fasting prior to the appointment. And then there are those times when work, life, and other stressful things get in the way and stopping to eat just isn’t really a possibility in that moment. No matter what the situation may be hunger is something we have all experienced at one time or another. But for most of us it isn’t a long term problem. Hunger is a mild inconvenience at best that will quickly be remedied.

However, this isn’t the case for everyone in our community. According https://www.feedingamerica.org/ 1 in 7 people in the state of New Mexico struggle with food insecurity. Breaking that down even further 1 in 4 children struggle with hunger. Almost half the state population that is is on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) have children in the home. For most of these children the best nutrition the receive comes from the free breakfast and lunch they are provided in school. The problem is even with the assistance and the free meals provide it often times still isn’t enough.

When the Covid-19 health pandemic shut down business and jobs were terminated the hunger problem in our state and local communities only grew. Through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act the USDA partnered with local growers, dairies, and other producers to purchase more than $6 million in quality food. These food items were then packed in family sized boxes and distributed to local food banks, community and faith based organizations, and other non-profits serving the communities.

We here at The Well had the opportunity to be one of those faith based organizations that was able to come along side those in our community that were in need to provide these family sized boxes. The program began in May of 202o. We began with 10 boxes of fresh produce to give to the members or our small congregation. Within a month we were acquiring 150 boxes to distribute to our community. The program has continued and with it the number of families we have been able to help and support has only grown. Just in the month of April alone our small congregation distributed close to 2000 boxes of produce, dairy, and protein to people in need in our community.

I will be one of the first people to tell you that this has not been the easiest community outreach program but boy has it been one of the biggest blessings we have ever been a part of. The program has been continued through the end of May and we will be distributing food to those in need until then.

Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me”