Over 100 churches around Atlantic Canada have set aside the week of October 2nd to 9th to show the love of God to our communities through acts of service and generosity.
This is the week!
As a congregation, we are encouraging you to intensify your spirit of service and generosity and to prayerfully look for opportunities to bless others this week.
Here are some ways people have been participating already:
Paying for people’s coffee
Sitting with a senior for an afternoon
Helping with fall yard clean up
Finding and delivering furniture for newcomers
Giving out gift cards to coworkers
Hosting a Thanksgiving meal for people who have no family in the area
Writing notes of encouragement to people
One of our families who have a booth at the Queen Square market is designating a portion of their sales to our Thanksgiving offering (find more info here)
How will you be participating this week? Share your stories here.
Remember, the goal is for someone else to feel loved and cared for through your act of kindness. So, as you bless others, pay attention to conversations that may result, be ready to hear their story, and listen for ways you can pray for them. The “win” is not our action, but others feeling cared for and connecting it to God’s care for them.
Our Thanksgiving Offering
Love Atlantic will culminate when we, as a congregation, take an extra offering this Sunday - our Thanksgiving offering. We will send these funds to support a local church in PEI, Cornerstone Baptist Church, who are serving their community in three different locations.
Here in Saint John, we have largely moved on from the hurricane, but Prince Edward Island continues to deal with the impact. Consider that, as of today:
12,000 homes are still without power, meaning thousands of people still have no heat, or access to running water
most Island schools have been closed since the storm, many reopening this week
many have severe property damage
The losses and impact on people’s lives are overwhelming. Your generous gift will allow this local church to meet the immediate needs of its neighbours in an area severely impacted. A reminder, as you give this “above and beyond” gift, that you need to clearly designate which portion of your donation is for regular ministries and which is for Thanksgiving. You can find ways to give here.
