New Children's Church Endeavors

Superbowl Sunday, we went to a friend's house to watch the big game. During the game, the wife & I were talking about our town and the dynamics of the town. She said there were kids at school that you knew lunch would be the only meal they got that day. That statement wouldn't let me sleep that night. I started praying for God to bring me those kids. I wasn't quite sure what I would do with them once I got them, but surely I could do something.

That Monday, Gary C. brought an article to our staff meeting about people in Haiti who are making cookies from mud. They are adding shortening to mud, baking them, and eating them because they are so hungry. The price of rice is so high that people can't afford it. I shared with the staff what had been on my heart and I just started crying. Again, I asked God to send me the hungry kids. I couldn't do anything about people in Haiti right now, but I wanted to do what I could for kids right here under my nose.

Fast forward a week. Pastor Bryan challenges each department to find a way for our departments to get outside the walls of our church. I have a team meeting and I asked my team what they thought we should do. Joel says, "Why don't we ask the kids?" Genius idea. . . next item on the agenda. This is where we got interrupted by a huge fire in town! It was crazy!

But as we regrouped and kept talking, I was able to share the above story with my team and really share my heart about what I wanted to do. This is when things started to fall into place. Joel (a guy on my children's church team) knew about a program at the Food Bank in A-town that gave backpacks to hungry kids on the weekends. It was their own stash of food so that when they got hungry, they had something they could eat. As we sat around that table, ideas started to flow. Money actually started to flow -- or ideas on where to get it. I got home and couldn't sleep because I was so excited about the thought of being able to see hungry kids with food in their stomachs.

The next morning I woke up totally overwhelmed. How in the world am I going to do this? How can I throw one more ball into the air among all of the other things I'm juggling? I have so many things going on. How am I going to go meet with the Food Bank and the other places I will have to go? I called Krissy (my friend and partner in children's ministry) and had a little "meltdown". She encouraged me and told me to just take a step back and look at it without the overwhelming feelings. I got off the phone feeling better and just asked God to make a way.

Wednesday morning, Joel calls me and tells me that he wants us to get on this. He said he would go meet with the Food Bank and at least get the information for me. I was again so thankful that God has put my team together for a reason!!

So, Joel met with the Food Bank yesterday (Monday) and got the information. He also got us a meeting at the elementary school tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon to introduce the idea and just let them know what we want to do. I am so thankful for him!! I'm so excited that this is happening!! God has been so faithful in this whole thing. I feel like it's a whirlwind and it's happening so fast. But, we have a plan.

It will take $1445 to feed 100 kids on the weekends for a month. We aren't going to start out with 100 kids, but that's our goal. It costs $3.61 per child per weekend to send them home with a backpack of food. $3.61. . . not much at all. Here's how good God is. The first person that we told about it said he would give me $1000 to get it started!! Last Wednesday, I mentioned the idea to my life group and they were ready to jump on board asking what they needed to do to sponsor some kids. Just this past Sunday, someone told me they would give me the money every month to feed 100 kids!! I think I'm finally learning that money is no object.

I'm not going to totally depend on the adults though. We are ordering some banks for our kids to collect change for this project. This is going to be their project. They will have the opportunity to put the food bags together. They are going to help find the money to fund this. The cool thing is that every child will have an opportunity to participate hands on with this project. I know they will, too!!

Anyway, that's just part of the plan. There are a few more things to be worked out before I reveal it all, but please pray for us! Pray that we will have favor with the school system tomorrow afternoon. Pray that I wouldn't be nervous, but confident about what God has called us to do. I'm so excited that our kids are going to make such a difference in the lives of their peers!