Thanksgiving Blessings
On a Sabbath morning at New Life Adventist Ministry in Fife, Wash., members were talking about how they were going to collect food items, pack them into boxes and determine what families would appreciate the holiday gift.
During the discussion, it came to the members' attention that the church they rent from had been collecting food items — canned food, bread, stuffing and so on — and had too much to use for their ministry.
Suddenly, everything the church needed to fill 10 large boxes with food for families in need during the holiday season was there. In addition to the food stuff, God had been generously blessing through the children’s offering to provide a $75 Visa card for each family.
In the end, these members watched the blessing of receiving, the blessing of working together, the blessing of giving away and the blessing of people willing to be the deliverers of God’s bounty.
— Gayle Lasher
Neighbor to Neighbor
Kent Church's Neighbor to Neighbor ministry volunteers provided 76 Thanksgiving dinner meals, with all the trimmings, for members of the Kent community the day before Thanksgiving.
Twenty church members and community volunteers from elementary age to senior citizens pitched in to set up, cook, serve and clean up for this special meal.
For more than 25 years, the Neighbor to Neighbor community meal program has provided hot dinners and sack lunches each Sabbath and Wednesday to anyone who is hungry, fulfilling their Matt. 25:35 mission to feed the hungry. The program provided more than 7,400 meals to the community in 2017.
— Willie Iwankiw
A Community Family
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all you’re thankful for, but more importantly a time to give of yourself. At Tacoma Central Church, people from all walks of life served God daily during the holiday season. I can attest that for me personally, Tacoma Central is a family. For some it’s all they have, and for others it’s an extended family.
At Tacoma Central we’re thankful every day by serving God daily in our continuous outreach and evangelism programs, and the holiday season was no exception. During the Thanksgiving Sabbath and Thanksgiving community dinner, Tacoma Central chose to contribute their gifts from God to the community in need by providing a dinner and coming together like a family.
The love, time and resources that are given continue throughout the year here at Tacoma Central. You always feel welcomed and know this is your home, and I know I can always rely on my church family.
— Belinda Laju
Members of the Kent Church help feed the community over the holiday season.
Tacoma Central Church opened its doors for a community Thanksgiving dinner.
Kent Church members serve the community over the holiday season.
Kent Church members of all ages provided 76 Thanksgiving meals to community members this year.
