Today all of our families picked up all the fixings for a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner at John Weldon. This yummy meal, as has been mentioned, was donated by Grace River Church. The families also received two boxes of Girl Scout cookies and a VERY full stocking for each child. These were donated by a group of Girl Scout leaders in our community.
Volunteers are packing right now and we've already counted for next week and we have everything we need to pack next week's bags! Thank you to everyone who donated this week!
I pray everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!
Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives. Titus 3:14
Monday, November 24, 2014
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Packing for Thanksgiving and THIS WEEK'S NEEDS
It's not difficult and it doesn't even take very long, working together to do God's will that is. Actually, that's not always the case. Sometimes it is difficult and takes what seems like forever but not this morning!
A group of people that included members of our Bear Necessities community, the John Weldon staff and the Grace River Church Family met at John Weldon to pack up Thanksgiving meals for the families from John Weldon. God provided leaders, liaisons, packers, decorators, donors, organizers, distributors and a place to store the meals until delivery. Sure, one person could have accomplished the task but it would have been daunting and exhausting. As Pastor Chris Highfill read in Acts before we began, I was reminded of how God had put that same scripture on my heart at the birth of Bear Necessities:
For two thousand years Christ has called believers together to share the blessings they've been given with those in need and the privilege of doing that work for the Lord in this community is great! From the beginning, God has provided enough for all and gives us the honor of working with him to distribute it within our communities. It is His way to provide for us... just as he provided leaders, liaisons, packers, decorators, donors, organizers, distributors, shoppers, a place to store the food and the food itself, He always provides. It may not be in the way that we expect. Sometimes we have to work together for it to happen but that's His way too. This whole community thing has always been His way because He loves us and He wants us to love one another.
Thank you to the staff at John Weldon, the people at Grace River Church and each of you within Bear Necessities for continuing to be the kind of community described in Acts 2. My heart swells with great joy and love that I get to join with you!
Don't forget that we still have needs for this week so that we can send food home with our kids on Tuesday. Our deadline for this is Monday:
12 cans of soup
26 ravioli
28 easy mac envelopes
I also went ahead and counted for the following week since I know we'll all be busy enjoying family next weekend and stuffing our faces with turkey!
The following week's needs are:
28 beefaroni
28 easy mac envelopes
28 cans peas
Have a blessed weekend everyone!
A group of people that included members of our Bear Necessities community, the John Weldon staff and the Grace River Church Family met at John Weldon to pack up Thanksgiving meals for the families from John Weldon. God provided leaders, liaisons, packers, decorators, donors, organizers, distributors and a place to store the meals until delivery. Sure, one person could have accomplished the task but it would have been daunting and exhausting. As Pastor Chris Highfill read in Acts before we began, I was reminded of how God had put that same scripture on my heart at the birth of Bear Necessities:
The Believers Form a Community
44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47)For two thousand years Christ has called believers together to share the blessings they've been given with those in need and the privilege of doing that work for the Lord in this community is great! From the beginning, God has provided enough for all and gives us the honor of working with him to distribute it within our communities. It is His way to provide for us... just as he provided leaders, liaisons, packers, decorators, donors, organizers, distributors, shoppers, a place to store the food and the food itself, He always provides. It may not be in the way that we expect. Sometimes we have to work together for it to happen but that's His way too. This whole community thing has always been His way because He loves us and He wants us to love one another.
Thank you to the staff at John Weldon, the people at Grace River Church and each of you within Bear Necessities for continuing to be the kind of community described in Acts 2. My heart swells with great joy and love that I get to join with you!
Don't forget that we still have needs for this week so that we can send food home with our kids on Tuesday. Our deadline for this is Monday:
12 cans of soup
26 ravioli
28 easy mac envelopes
I also went ahead and counted for the following week since I know we'll all be busy enjoying family next weekend and stuffing our faces with turkey!
The following week's needs are:
28 beefaroni
28 easy mac envelopes
28 cans peas
Have a blessed weekend everyone!
Friday, November 21, 2014
Needs for Thanksgiving Week
Tomorrow we will join together with Grace River Church to pack Thanksgiving meals for our families and I'm so excited to be doing so. I'll do my best to get some photos of the packing and post them. With Thanksgiving being next week, the kids only have school on Monday and Tuesday. That means that instead of a Wednesday deadline, we have a MONDAY DEADLINE for all our food. This is what is needed to serve our kids:
12 cans of soup
26 ravioli
28 easy mac envelopes
I also went ahead and counted for the following week since I know we'll all be busy enjoying family next weekend and stuffing our faces with turkey!
The following week's needs are:
28 beefaroni
28 easy mac envelopes
28 cans peas
Thanks to everyone that heeds the call to care for our community! I pray each of you is blessed by the Lord and grasps just how dearly you are loved by Him!
12 cans of soup
26 ravioli
28 easy mac envelopes
I also went ahead and counted for the following week since I know we'll all be busy enjoying family next weekend and stuffing our faces with turkey!
The following week's needs are:
28 beefaroni
28 easy mac envelopes
28 cans peas
Thanks to everyone that heeds the call to care for our community! I pray each of you is blessed by the Lord and grasps just how dearly you are loved by Him!
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Thanksgiving Update and This week's needs
Thank you to everyone for the wonderful response for the Thanksgiving meals. The volunteer positions filled quickly. Donations are still being received and may be made online (recommended) or mailed:
Grace River Church
This coming week we will need the following items to be able to fill the bags for our students:
Ritz cracker sleeves- 12
easy mac envelopes- 28
green beans 28
The earlier we can check this off the list, the sooner we can look at the next weekend as, with Thanksgiving, that will be a very short and busy week.
Grace River Church
PO BOX 1031
O'Fallon MO 63366
Online at
This coming week we will need the following items to be able to fill the bags for our students:
Ritz cracker sleeves- 12
easy mac envelopes- 28
green beans 28
The earlier we can check this off the list, the sooner we can look at the next weekend as, with Thanksgiving, that will be a very short and busy week.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Thanksgiving Needs
The last month has held several bits of news and excitement, some personal and some for our community, but too many to get to in one post. The most pertinent item is Thanksgiving!
From the beginning, we have been working together with local churches to provide meals for the families enrolled in Bear Necessities. Grace River Church is new to the area but they have set themselves to serve the community from the beginning. Over the summer they held outdoor (and indoor in the rain) movies with popcorn, cotton candy and many other fun activities for anyone who wanted to come. If there's been a community event, they've had a table set up to greet people and offer a church family to them. I've had the privilege of speaking with the pastor, Chris Highfill, and his sweet wife, Sarah, and they strike me as incredibly genuine and kind. I believe that Grace River will be a great asset to this community… and they already are!
Grace River has a team of people who are working to provide Thanksgiving meals to our Bear Necessities families. They are still receiving donations and welcome our already established Bear Necessities community to participate with them. I explained to Chris that the Lord has brought together people with a heart for sharing Jesus through sharing food with local children and we're both excited about this partnership opportunity.
You don't have to attend Grace River to help but if you're looking for a church to try, they are currently meeting at John Weldon the second Sundays of the month at 10 a.m. but will begin meeting EVERY Sunday January 11, 2015.
If you've already got a church home but feel connected to the kids at John Weldon and Bear Necessities, this Thanksgiving thing is for you too! Just because many of us go to different buildings on Sunday mornings to worship does not mean that we are not a part of the same church family. The church belongs to Jesus and so, we're all one family through him!
I just love when we get the opportunity to be with family!
UPDATE: 11/15- VOLUNTEER POSITIONS HAVE BEEN FILLED. tHANK YOU!
Packing will take place NEXT SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22 AT 9 A.M. in the JW CAFETERIA.
You can contact me or Chris to help out: dorinda_peyton@yahoo.com or Chris@graceriver.cc
From the beginning, we have been working together with local churches to provide meals for the families enrolled in Bear Necessities. Grace River Church is new to the area but they have set themselves to serve the community from the beginning. Over the summer they held outdoor (and indoor in the rain) movies with popcorn, cotton candy and many other fun activities for anyone who wanted to come. If there's been a community event, they've had a table set up to greet people and offer a church family to them. I've had the privilege of speaking with the pastor, Chris Highfill, and his sweet wife, Sarah, and they strike me as incredibly genuine and kind. I believe that Grace River will be a great asset to this community… and they already are!
Grace River has a team of people who are working to provide Thanksgiving meals to our Bear Necessities families. They are still receiving donations and welcome our already established Bear Necessities community to participate with them. I explained to Chris that the Lord has brought together people with a heart for sharing Jesus through sharing food with local children and we're both excited about this partnership opportunity.
You don't have to attend Grace River to help but if you're looking for a church to try, they are currently meeting at John Weldon the second Sundays of the month at 10 a.m. but will begin meeting EVERY Sunday January 11, 2015.
If you've already got a church home but feel connected to the kids at John Weldon and Bear Necessities, this Thanksgiving thing is for you too! Just because many of us go to different buildings on Sunday mornings to worship does not mean that we are not a part of the same church family. The church belongs to Jesus and so, we're all one family through him!
I just love when we get the opportunity to be with family!
UPDATE: 11/15- VOLUNTEER POSITIONS HAVE BEEN FILLED. tHANK YOU!
Packing will take place NEXT SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22 AT 9 A.M. in the JW CAFETERIA.
You can contact me or Chris to help out: dorinda_peyton@yahoo.com or Chris@graceriver.cc
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)