January 10, 2006
“There was a lot more we could have done,” reflected Mark Pratt, youth pastor of Alliance Church in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, after his church hosted a 2004 Christmas dinner for less fortunate people in his community. His reflection brought to mind a U.S. outreach he had heard about. “The Goodness Project,” sponsored by a Texas-based organization, acquires merchandise from major manufacturers and then distributes the goods to churches that desire to meet the needs of their communities. “I wanted to do that for my neighbors,” said Pratt.
When he approached the Alliance congregation with his idea, Pratt was pleased with a unanimous commitment to raise $15,000 that would reach 300 Owen Sound families for Christmas 2005. Pratt explained, “With our money, The Goodness Project organization could provide more than $100,000 worth of toys and food for single moms and families.”
Families who wanted to participate in the giveaway had to register by calling the church, allowing our volunteers to enter their names in the church’s computer database. Each family would receive four bags of groceries and five toys for each child. “Our only intent as a congregation was to say ‘Merry Christmas’ to those who may otherwise not have one,” said Pratt.
Nearly 10,000 flyers were distributed, announcing two giveaway times, one at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. “Our phones began ringing just after 8:00 a.m. Monday,” said Pratt, “and by Tuesday afternoon, we met the goal of 300 families.”
Two hundred volunteers from the congregation participated in “The Goodness Project.” They signed up for their areas of interest and gifting, which included everything from children’s entertainment to intercessory prayer. “Everyone was encouraged to help clean after the event,” Pratt joked.
Chilly weather ushered in the big day, and by 10:30, volunteers handed out coffee and hot chocolate to those standing in line. The event was under way, and everyone was busy, “but it was the faces of the people and their stories,” said Pratt, “that caused us to weep and to celebrate with one another.”
A young mother with a baby who had pneumonia stood in the cold, because she had no other means of getting food that week. Her baby was immediately noticed by a volunteer, who brought them inside and ministered to them with love and compassion. A middle-aged mother, who had just been released from the hospital the day before, found her needs met in what we had to offer and was grateful for her bags of groceries.
One volunteer noticed another young mother sitting dejectedly on the steps. She had a baby in a stroller, and her five-year-old daughter was visibly upset because they were late for the 11:00 a.m. giveaway and thought they had missed their chance. The woman said that she had taken several busses to get to the church, and the last bus was late. They were getting ready to leave when the volunteer spotted them. “The mother and children were assured there would be a place for them for the 1:00 p.m. giveaway,” said Pratt, “and another volunteer took the family to the lunch area, fed them, and then returned them to the front of the line.”
But many of the blessings that day occurred in the parking lot. “As volunteers carried bags of toys and groceries out to cars, recipients of the gifts were visibly moved,” said Pratt. “Tears filled the eyes of fathers who had lost their jobs or had been unable to work because of job-related injuries. One volunteer commented, ‘They would look me in the eye and tell me how much this meant to them.’”
At the end of the day, Pratt reflected on the “success” of the outreach. “This was not a strategy for church growth,” he said, although 169 people made decisions for Christ and another 170 asked for follow-up phone calls. “I’d like to think we were obedient to Scripture, ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”