OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
We received 550 boxes during Collection Week!
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love to children in need around the world. The main way they do this is by providing a shoebox full of Christmas gifts for kids who may not otherwise receive one. Beyond these gifts, these children also hear the good news of Jesus and are taken through the "Greatest Journey" discipleship course . Along with donating a shoebox of gifts, we could also use help processing and packing the boxes since Ridgepoint is a regional collection center.
GIVING TREE
Starting Sunday, November 19, we will have a special Christmas tree setup in our Commons with ornaments ready for you to take home. Each ornament has an item for you to purchase or a dollar amount to donate to help us support one of our community impact partners. NOTE: Several of the gifts this year have a specific deadline, so please check the dates as you choose your ornaments.
Here are the organizations we're supporting this year:
Here are the organizations we're supporting this year:
- Lighthouse Community Church: purchasing toys for their annual toy sale (deadline December 8)
- Supplies For After-School Bible Clubs: providing supplies for our clubs that meet at Cessna Elementary & Vermillion Elementary (deadline December 10)
- Downtown Breakfast: donating funds for practical gifts for guests (deadline December 10)
- Multiply: donating funds for the Thai Girls Juvenile Detention Center Ministry (deadline December 17)
THE BIG OFFERING
Every year around Thanksgiving, we give away 100% of a weekly offering outside of our budget to make an impact on our city and around the world. This year's Big Offering was on Sunday, December 3, and we'll share the grand total soon!
This year we're excited to partner with three great projects:
This year we're excited to partner with three great projects:
Learn about this year's recipients:
Watch this video to learn more about Jesus Loves Wichita, HumanKind, & LCC International University, or read more below.
- Jesus Loves Wichita. This year our church purchased billboards with a simple message: Jesus Loves Wichita. We want this theme to be much larger than simply a marketing campaign, so a portion of this offering is going back to you to bless your neighbors and strengthen our community. Throw a block party to get to know your neighbors. Prepare a meal for Hope Is Alive. Repair a fence in your neighborhood. Buy items from a teacher's Amazon wish list. The details are up to you. Fill out an application, we'll give you the money, and then you can go bless our city.
- HumanKind. For more than 135 years, HumanKind Ministries has served the most vulnerable in our community with an emphasis on poverty and housing. They provide outreach, shelter, and affordable housing to those experiencing homelessness and living in poverty in south-central Kansas. Our gift this year will help support their Operation Holiday program, providing kids' coats, food, pet food, blankets, and other winter items to more than 15,000 people in our community. We will also help fund HumanKind's programming during the coldest months of the year.
- LCC International University. Located in Lithuania, LCC is a Christian liberal arts university offering a North American style of education for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. LCC has 750 students from over 60 countries. LCC brings students from Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, and other war-affected nations to study together in a Christ-centered, peacebuilding campus community in order to prepare a new generation of young leaders who will carry a message of hope to a messy world. Our funds will go toward need-based scholarships to aid students whose financial need is the greatest.
Give toward these projects online between November 19 - December 11, (select ‘Big Offering’ from the drop-down menu), or by designating a check to the Big Offering and mailing it in or dropping it in an offering box at the back of the Worship Center.