A church in Kansas made back to school shopping a whole lot easier for 300 students. They felt called to provide school supplies for every child at Hillsboro Elementary School. It was a huge undertaking but God paved the way for this amazing act of kindness!
With an average attendance around 290, Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church certainly isn't a huge church. But as influential pastor Mark Batterson says, a God-sized dream, by definition, is beyond our ability and resources.
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So, the idea of doing back to school shopping for all 300 students of Hillsboro Elementary School was certainly a God-sized dream. And those are the best kind!
Back to school shopping can be a daunting task, especially for families struggling to make ends meet. And as the hands and feet of Jesus, this is one way the church can serve their community.
When Tami Driggers heard of how the First United Methodist Church in Emporia, Kansas donated school supplies for every student attending Emporia Public Schools, it really touched her heart. The unexpected blessing meant the world to the local parents gearing up for the financial hit of back to school shopping.
"I wasn’t sure if I would have been able to buy them," parent Pamela Jordan said. "But now I don’t have to. Our family and I’m sure many others are grateful of the generous donation.”
Tami wondered if her own church, Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church, might be able to do something similar in their community.
“We just got to talking about what a cool thing it would be to try and do this,” she says.
So, Tami took the back to school shopping idea to the leadership at her church.
“I think within 15 minutes of it being presented, somebody said let's just do it,” Lead Pastor Tom Byford said.
Buying school supplies for an entire elementary school was no easy task. But Tami and her fellow church members welcomed the challenge.
“We were planning for about 300 kids, and I think we got it done for around $22 to $23 a kid,” she said.
By the time all of the back to school shopping was complete, the bill totaled more than $7,000. But our God isn't limited by numbers or dollars or cents!
“It is easy to look back on all the ways that God worked that out for us,” Pastor Tom said.
And now the congregation is planning a packing party to get all the supplies ready for the first day of school.
“Our hope is that it will help take off a burden and they (parents) will be relaxed about getting their kids ready for school,” Rachel Winter said of the blessing. She's worked at Hillsboro Elementary School for 40 years.
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And while the church is the hands and feet behind the incredible act of kindness, all the glory goes to God.
“I feel like God just provided,” Tami said.
It's a beautiful reminder that nothing is too big for our God! He will always see good deeds like this through.
h/t: KSN News
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