In-Step with the heart of the body of Christ
December 17, 2008
We have an awesome small group! We’ve only been together since “The Call” series but everyone gets along so well that you would think we’ve been best friends for years! Everyone is flexible in last minute get-togethers, fun to be around and serve with, and has a heart for spiritual growth and outreach.
Here’s our story.
I have a son who was brain injured in a car accident when he was a toddler. He lives in a nice group home with two roommates and 24-hour caretakers. About five years ago while at a Christmas party with him and other physically and mentally challenged adults Bill and I noticed that not everyone received a gift at the party. However, when another group home’s name was called for receiving the door prize gifts, the others clapped with excitement for those that won, even if they didn’t. We wanted to do something to make sure everyone received a gift at the next party but time got away from us until this year.
Last year one of our group members said that she thought we as a small group should take gifts to my son’s group home. This year we all took action and decided to collect gently used or new re-gifted items (nice gifts that were received but not wanted or useful and that may just be sitting in storage), wrap them and go as elves to give the gifts and serve at the party. The morning we shared our idea with Dan Henry was the morning the Vineyard announced their outreach that was similar to ours. It was exciting to see that our small group was “in-step” with the heart of the whole body of Christ!
Shortly after Thanksgiving lots of nice donated items started coming in. Soon our living room, dining room, kitchen and guest room was so full that I doubted that we could get them all wrapped in one evening and wondered how we’d ever get our home ready for Christmas with the “mess”. The evening before the party we set up “wrapping stations” at the kitchen table, breakfast bar, dinning room table and a folding table in the living room plus a folding table for our chili dinner before wrapping. Because I am a planner and one that functions better in an organized environment, the clutter of wrapping paper, ribbon and boxes and bags of stuff looked overwhelming. However, seeing how calmly and well everyone was working together made the task look easy! In less than three hours over 100 gifts were wrapped, the scraps of paper picked up and folding tables put away with the help of many hands!
I say all this to encourage those who may think such an outreach is too much when in fact, with God’s people working together to serve in any way, it becomes a great blessing!
The next evening our small group plus four other Vineyard volunteers put on our elf and/or Santa hats and served drinks and dinner to each table. The people were so excited and wanted pictures taken with us. It is difficult for one or two caretakers to carry drinks and help take each of those in their care through the food line, especially if they are in wheelchairs and/or using walkers in the crowded room so they were very happy to be served! Our volunteers then mingled with and danced with those with disabilities and helped everyone pick out a stuffed animal from the two tubs full. There were enough wrapped gifts and stuffed animals and new gloves for every single person, including the caretakers!
It was so much fun to serve these special people and we are looking forward to doing it again next year!
God is great!
Sue
