Special Missions
Blanket+ Program
Blankets+ (formerly called Tools & Blankets), a part of Church World Service, is a special mission opportunity that can involve all ages. Some 8,000 congregations and groups across the U.S. hold Blankets+ events, providing funds to help people in need around the world, including the U.S. For over 60 years, Church World Service has worked in partnership with local communities to identify their needs and access the resources they need to build the foundation for a more viable future, including:
- Blankets, tents, food and other emergency supplies in the wake of a disaster
- Tools and seeds for refugees returning home to replant their fields
- Wells for families living in drought prone areas to provide clean, safe water to drink and to irrigate crops and gardens
- Literacy training and microcredit for women struggling to realize their potential.
Operation Christmas Child (OCC)
880 shoeboxes were packaged, collected, and shipped in 2011. We had a goal of 700 boxes—thank you to everyone who participated in making this year's mission project a huge success!
The Power of a Simple Gift. OCC brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love. Since 1993, Samaritan's Purse has packed, shipped, and delivered more than 61 million shoe boxes across the globe. People of all ages can be involved in this simple, hands-on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ.
Want more information:
Program details, stories, instructions, and videos are available at their website:
Operation Christmas Child
How to get started with a shoe box:
Download
complete instructions for creating your shoe box (including necessary box labels). You will be able to drop your box off at the church in November. Watch the video to the right to learn how to pack a shoe box.
You can track your box — EZ Give:
Samaritan's Purse asks you to donate $7 or more for each shoe box you prepare to help cover shipping and other project cost. If you choose, you can make this donation online with EZ Give. EZ Give is a simple, convenient way to make your donation online by using a credit or debit card. With your payment, you will receive a barcode to be placed on your box. This allows you to track the box to its destination.
Food Pantry
Staff from Empty Tomb contacts church organizations who deliver a one-week supply of groceries to needy families. Our Team Leader has a list of delivery teams and a schedule. The team comes in and picks up the food that has been donated by the congregation, and supplements it from designated grocers in the community with the funds that are donated by the congregation. They deliver the groceries to the appropriate family.
Want to help by donating needed food items? A complete list of needed items is posted at the church. Just bring any of those items to the Information Desk or the church office.
Love Gift
American Baptist women show their thankfulness for God's blessings through a simple offering called Love Gift. This offering supports the full range of American Baptist missions in this country and around the world. Love Gift is distributed to our mission efforts that also receive United Mission funding. It supports the work of Regions, Educational Ministries, National & International Ministries, and the Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board. Over $1 million is raised each year through Love Gift!
Look for the Love Gift table in The Crossing every Sunday morning.
Church World Service Kits
Church World Service Kits are small packages of supplies assembled by volunteers and shipped to people in need around the world. The contents of each Kit have been selected with care based on years of experience to make them as useful as possible, wherever and whenever they are sent. Examples of Kits include: School Kits, Hygiene Kits, Baby Kits, and Emergency Clean-up Buckets.
Kits may be sent to Church World Service all year. Your continuing support of this program is very important and helps to ensure Kits are available for immediate response after a disaster in another part of the world or here in the U.S.
Visit the website for the Church World Service Kits.
