Part of our mission as a church is to care for people in tangible ways. This past Saturday we were able to do just that. We thank God that we could be part of helping so many people. We gave out just about 200 bags of groceries to people who really needed them here in Germantown, MD. The whole day just came together. As part of our church-wide 40 Days of Community, our small groups put together a Community Kindness Outreach near the Germantown Regal Theater, our meeting place for Sunday service.

Through prayer and some connections that God gave us, we were able to get food that would have been thrown out from some local stores. One of those key connections is the local Christian ministry called Celestial Manna (CM) - celestialmanna.org. We’re excited about our connection with CM and look forward to building a relationship with them to love and care for people. We were blown away at how God led us to CM who then connected us with the stores. But, there was no guarantee as to how much food we would get. We were told that it could be a couple loaves of bread or 2 - 3 van loads of food. We ended up with the latter - incredible! We picked up 2 - 3 vans of fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, pastries and more. Our team even drove to DC to pick up food at one store.

The day began at 8 am with a number of volunteers putting the grocery bags together in the back parking lot of Panera Bread here in Germantown. We wanted to give two bags of groceries to each family or person. It was great to be part of something where everyone pitched in and the whole assembly line of putting the bags together went so smoothly. We ended with prayer and headed out.

I had made a connection with the management and staff at a local apartment complex earlier. So they were ready for us at about 10:30 am. We set up in their parking lot and then started delivering bags to the people and families in need (i.e., shut-ins, etc.). Then, people started coming over and we were able to give them food and also share Christ’s love with them too. People were so thankful and grateful. We made some great connections right there in the parking lot. It was really something!

It was amazing for us to experience God working through us and making a way for this to happen! One father came over for some groceries who was out of work with a number of small kids. He was so thankful for our kindness.

It took about 1 ½ to 2 hours to pass out all of the bags. Nothing was wasted. We left the remaining extra bread in the management office for people to take after we left.

Some of the people came to church on Sunday too! We’re just a couple of blocks away. One person mentioned that she enjoyed the service and all of the love at our church, so she’s going to invite more people from the apartment community to join us next Sunday.

I went back over to connect with the management and staff this week - and thank them for giving us the opportunity to serve their community. They were grateful and mentioned that everyone enjoyed the food! We’ll do it again in December and we sense that this is just the beginning of building a relationship with this community and others in our area.

I want to say thanks to everyone who made this possible!

Click on some pictures from the day below:

Getting 200 Bags of Food Ready	Lots of Bread and Vegetables
Packing the SUVs With Grocery Bags	Some Volunteers
Prayer Before Heading Out	Getting Things Ready On Site
Some Volunteers Helping Out

It’s been an interesting few days getting ready for our Community Kindness Outreach tomorrow in the Germantown area. We have been amazed at the amount of food that local stores have given us to hand out to those in need! We serve an amazing God who cares for people! Our prayers and reflection tonight are on the people in this community who are in need - not only physically but spiritually too. I pray that tomorrow, we will live out Christ with the people that we come in contact with - as we go into communities to show God’s love in practical ways with simple acts of kindness. It’s only the beginning of what God wants to do through us as a church to touch this community with His love and the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

If you want to grow spiritually and experience life to its fullest, this is a key principle to practice. Being fluid means denying self and allowing God to have His complete way in our lives and in our daily actions. You never know what opportunities are there for you - often just around the corner!

We are just about out the door for our trip to PA for Thanksgiving … but what an amazing day!!!!

As I’ve shared, for quite a while I have been praying – as well as many of you – as to how we can not only help those in need but connect with them relationally too.

The theme for the 40 Days of Community this week if Reaching Out Together … and … God helped us make some connections today. I truly believe that when we step out in faith and trust God — and just move out in the community for Him, things happen – e.g., this Saturday’s outreach!

GOD AT WORK IN A LOCAL GERMANTOWN APARTMENT – PREPARING THEM FOR OUR SATURDAY OUTREACH

As some of you know, we have gone out and connected with people living in the local Germantown Apts. And, God has given us a special heart for those in need in these communities.

Just today, I prayed and then went over to one of those apartments to meet with the management about giving away some food to needy families there. They were so excited that someone would do this!!! Then, some of the other staff came over in the office and about 4 or 5 staff people were there as I just shared our hearts to help as a church and how I believed that God had led us to them to help. I also had a chance to share about our church and Christ’s love too.

One of the staff persons – with tears in her eyes said this … “Pastor, in 16 years of me working here, I have never experienced anything like this …” I was speechless … and just so overwhelmed with a sense of God at work … When I left, one the workers said that she can’t wait for Saturday! She’s also coming to our church with her three little kids! She didn’t know we were there at the Regal.

ONLY ONE APARTMENT – IMAGINE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH ALL OF THE APARTMENTS HERE — JUST IN GERMANTOWN!

You guys … this is only one apartment!!! Can you imagine what we can do as we reach out together to all the other ones — and not just once … but develop and ongoing relationship!!! There’s virtually no limit in what we can do — people are not only physically hungry – but emotionally hungry, relationally hungry, educationally hungry and so on and on and on … And, perhaps more than anything else — they’re spiritually hungry and need Jesus!

GROCERY STORE CONTACTS US EARLY – AHEAD OF SCHEDULE - WITH FOOD

I got home to get ready to travel for Thanksgiving and the phone rang. It was our ministry partners that are connecting us with local grocery stores to get food. We were supposed to connect with him about getting food this Friday night. But, one store is calling now for a pickup. That’s incredible. So, immediately I got on the phone here and connected with our team of people picking up food and one of our teammates is going right now to get the food. I called the grocery store and the manager was so happy to help and give it to us! I shared with her about the apartment here and what happened. She was thrilled!!!!! God is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE LOCAL FOOD BACK MINISTRY CHALLENGES US

The Ministry Coordinator that is working with us from the local food bank ministry said this to me today … “Dan, this is going to mushroom …” It will grow … as we step out as a church … God is looking for those who will trust Him and be willing to help the needy. Remember what we talked about during Sunday — we just need a little bit of faith … when we have a little bit of faith in a big God – big things tend to happen! (Hebrews 11:1,6)

CLOSING THOUGHTS

This is the first time for us doing this. It’s so encouraging to be in the middle of experiencing God at work already – and it’s not even Saturday! I wish that all of you could have been there to see the faces of these folks at this apartment. It would truly encourage you to step out and give of yourself to help others — who not only need it — but are appreciative of someone living out what Jesus did here on earth - with them!

We love you all! See you Saturday morning at the Germantown Panera Bread – at either 8 am to help bag groceries or at 10 am to head out!!!

Love in Christ,

Dan & Laura

We have had a heard to reach out to the community. And, the Lord gave us a great connection in Clarksburg with a community center there. We’re nor hosting a special Christmas Party and Christmas Eve service that will be open to the community. As we step out and trust God — He opens doors for us! They are letting us use the center for free too!