Baskets of Hope reached a new level in Lebanon in December. Three services were held simultaneously for over three hundred families! We praise the Lord for His goodness because we know that without Him, this would not have been possible.
Under the direction of Kristy Purkey, our new BOH leader and her teams, two hundred and seventy-five families received Baskets of Hope at our UBC Christmas event on December 18. Registration team leader, Nathan Coates, reported that families started arriving well before 5 PM for our 6 PM service. The registration team handled the increased number of recipient families with efficiency, enthusiasm and warmth. Thanks, registration team, for your attitude of service!
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| Over 300 families attended Baskets of Hope services on December 18, 2011. |
BoH guests and UBC members came together in our Worship Center to sing Christmas praise-arrangements with our choir and praise team led by Pastor Dave Bickers. A new, added dimension to our BOH service was the baptism of two people from our Thanksgiving BOH event. We all witnessed and celebrated the change that Jesus Christ has made in their lives!
After Pastor Tom shared a brief Christmas message from God’s Word, five guests came forward to pray with our counselors who were led by Sandy Huddleston. They invited Jesus into their hearts and lives, truly receiving the Gift of Christmas found only through trusting Christ!
After the service, Melanie & Rob Pritchard and our assembly team set a record time of getting all 275 families through the receiving process in 35 minutes! This included the gift area, overseen by Jessica Copenhaver, where over 400 age-appropriate gifts were distributed through the generosity of families at Urbancrest.
Thanks to everyone who stepped up to donate gifts, monies or to help wrap the gifts!
Thanks to everyone who stepped up to donate gifts, monies or to help wrap the gifts!
Hispanic BOH families met separately at UBC for their own service in Spanish. We assembled a bilingual team from UBC that served by sharing their testimonies, reading God’s Word, presenting the Gospel and praying, etc. in Spanish! Our Bible study leader Ruben also shared about our plans to begin Bible studies. Ruben hails from Cuba so he is fluent in Spanish and culturally relevant with the Hispanic community. The initial stage in our Hispanic Ministry strategy is to begin Bible studies in homes or apartments in order to develop connections and nurture Christ-like disciples.
Our third BOH service was at a second location in Lebanon, Living Word Bible Church, a church plant that began in September 2011. Their BOH format was very similar to the others with distribution to many families that live close by the 500 West Mulberry Street location. Exciting news: When Pastor Chris Straw gave the Gospel invitation, several guests responded by giving their lives to Christ!
Thanks to all participants for your service and partnership in our Baskets of Hope ministry which is helping so many families and changing lives for eternity as they find the true hope in Christ.
We look forward to our next BOH celebration for Easter, Sunday evening, April 1st! Please mark your calendars now and make plans to serve and join God in His mission as we share the Gospel with our neighbors in need. To serve, please contact Kristy Purkey at ppkp90@embarqmail.com.
Our third BOH service was at a second location in Lebanon, Living Word Bible Church, a church plant that began in September 2011. Their BOH format was very similar to the others with distribution to many families that live close by the 500 West Mulberry Street location. Exciting news: When Pastor Chris Straw gave the Gospel invitation, several guests responded by giving their lives to Christ!
Thanks to all participants for your service and partnership in our Baskets of Hope ministry which is helping so many families and changing lives for eternity as they find the true hope in Christ.
We look forward to our next BOH celebration for Easter, Sunday evening, April 1st! Please mark your calendars now and make plans to serve and join God in His mission as we share the Gospel with our neighbors in need. To serve, please contact Kristy Purkey at ppkp90@embarqmail.com.
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| Each Basket of Hope included ham, two cans of green beans, two cans of corn, a gallon of milk, butter, salad, salad dressing, boxed potatoes, cookie mix, sugar and other trimmings for a family Christmas dinner. |
