[lead dropcap="yes"]Have you ever wondered what it’s like to serve at one of our monthly I LOVE MY CITY events? Always wanted to participate but haven’t taken the leap yet?[/lead]There’s one more opportunity this year. Join us this Saturday as we host one of our biggest community outreach events of the year – our annual toy drive.Read on to find out what happened at our last ILMC and what you can expect at the next one.
It Starts With An Invitation
Preparations for an I Love My City event start way before Saturday. For our Thanksgiving outreach, servant leaders went door to door in the surrounding area to invite people to come. Their invitations were met with surprise and joy when residents realized they’d have enough food to feed their families on Thanksgiving.Not only was an invitation extended to local residents for Saturday, but we also invited them to Sunday services. They were enthusiastic about our presence and our impact on the community with our outreach programs.
A Day For Families
Over 200 servant leaders showed up on Saturday to be a part of I Love My City. Reusable bags of groceries were neatly arranged on tables, each containing a complete Thanksgiving meal for families - mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, rice, corn bread, green beans, gravy, pumpkin pie and even a large turkey.Families got there as early as 8 a.m., two and a half hours before the official start time. When the doors were opened, each person was cheered and celebrated as they made their way through the line to pick up their food.After families picked up their food, they were invited to spend time in the arts and crafts area, get their faces painted, play flag football and basketball, and jump in bounce houses.Servant leaders, visitors, neighborhood residents, adults, children, even babies were all smiling. And the smiles were lasting smiles, not fleeting moments of happiness. This event was a manifestation of the power and greatness of our loving God.
It is more blessed to give than to receive
As we say at VOUS Church, it’s a blessing to be a blessing. People in our community can experience the love of Jesus through their interactions with us, the body of Christ.Each and every servant leader who participates in these community outreach events can say, "I Love My City" in the truest, most pure sense of those words. This love comes from the depths of our hearts and souls as we perform tasks that are sometimes difficult and tiring. But we enjoy every second of it because we know our actions are making a lasting impact on our city.Servant leaders who worked directly with community residents described the experience as "amazing", "rewarding", "fulfilling" "joyful", and "heartwarming". There is no feeling like helping others.
I LOVE MY CITY THIS SATURDAY
This Saturday, VOUS Church is hosting one of its largest outreaches of the year - our Christmas Toy Drive. You can bring an unwrapped toy for kids ages 6 months to 12. Some of the toys you can bring:
For Boys
- Action heroes
- Legos
- Remote-controlled cars
- Sports-themed items
- Musical sets
- Models Nerf toys
For Girls
- Dolls
- Make-up kits
- Robotic pets
- Craft and sewing kits
- Kitchen play items
- Stylish journals
- Barbie and Bratz styling busts
- Board games
- Painting kits
- Character-themed bedding.
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