1 Peter 4 Blessings for Children

1 Peter 4:10 - "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others...."

Through this church family's generosity and support, Blessings for Children strives to meet the many needs of the children in our community by providing limited clothing, diapers, personal care items, and school supplies, along with receiving prayer concerns that our church's prayer team lifts up to our gracious Heavenly Father. As much as we would like to, we cannot meet every need a family may have. However, scripture tells us in 1 Peter, "each of us should use whatever gift we have received to serve others…." and while this takes place daily throughout this church, I want you to know how those gifts were shared recently at our ministry. Two women came to the Blessings for Children house to see what our ministry could do to help the eight children they were struggling to provide for together in one home. While we were able to assist in the ways we could as a ministry, there were other needs we had no idea how to meet. They had no air conditioning in their home and a broken refrigerator. But because this church family is deep in gifts and skills and willingness to serve and share, we called Pastor Brad to see if there were other ways our church might help.  He came right over to the house to talk with the women, heard their situation, and prayed with them while offering to reach out to others in our congregation with specific skills and gifts that might help with their particular needs. And did they ever help!  Ed Keller, John Foeller, and William Schenck went right over to their home. They identified and repaired the problems with the air conditioning. Then went above and beyond in providing a replacement refrigerator!  The rest of verse 1 Peter 4:10 goes on to say, "....as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms."  Blessings for Children is so grateful to all in our church family who are faithful stewards in sharing their gifts, skills, and time to meet needs wherever and whatever they are!

If you would like to join with us at Blessings for Children in sharing your gifts, skills, and service, please consider any of the following:

• Please pray for the ministry and all who participate
  
• Consider donating items we distribute to the children: Diapers and pull-ups, wipes, school supplies, children sized t-shirts, socks, underwear, children's toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash or soap, and toilet paper. A complete list of items we distribute is on our website at shalimar-umc.org/blessings-for-children. You can donate items by stopping by the #10 2nd Street house behind the church any Wednesday from 11:30 am - 3:30 pm.
  
• Children's bibles and bible stories and activity books are also a joy to receive and distribute! Spanish language Bibles are always needed!
  
• A financial gift designated to Blessings for Children allows us to shop for needed items            
• New volunteers are always welcome! There is no regular commitment required.

For additional information:

• Mary Jane Robertson
• Email: mjr53@cox.net
• Visit: shalimar-umc.org/blessings-for-children
• Phone: (850) 499-6173
• Open every Wednesday 12 - 3:30 pm