box of love Archives - Mission Network News https://www.mnnonline.org/tag/box-of-love/ Mission Network News Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Christians hand out love in a box this Thanksgiving https://www.mnnonline.org/news/christians-hand-out-love-in-a-box-this-thanksgiving/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=christians-hand-out-love-in-a-box-this-thanksgiving https://www.mnnonline.org/news/christians-hand-out-love-in-a-box-this-thanksgiving/#respond Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0000 https://www.mnnonline.org/news/christians-hand-out-love-in-a-box-this-thanksgiving/ USA (MNN) — Here's Life Inner City has
spent two decades sharing the celebration and gratitude of God's bounty with the
poor in the United States. 

Here's Life's Ted Gandy says their teams
assembled thousands of boxes of donated food, across 15 cities. "A 'Box of Love,' of course, is intended
to go to a family of six, where they can celebrate Thanksgiving in the sanctity
of their home. It'll have everything they need for that meal as well as the
Book of Hope. It's a wonderful piece
that communicates the Gospel very, very well." 

Volunteers do everything from collecting
the food and packing it, to delivering it door-to-door.  It's the first touch point. Churches in the area have identified families
who are in need, and that personal encounter often becomes a heart-to-heart
exchange between a Christian care-giver and a needy family. 

That first exchange forms the beginning
of a friendship, then a spiritual connection, and maybe a life-long
relationship.

This year, the Boxes of Love includes a
Book of Hope, the pictorial harmony of the Gospel.  Gandy says the love of Christ is
transformational. "That's what the
'Box of Love' campaign is all about: to connect with people who have real needs
and say to them, 'We're here to help you break the cycle of poverty, to connect
with you beyond Thanksgiving to the rest of the year where we can provide some
things and help you grow spiritually.'"

Gandy shared this story of a man named Issa. Pastor Isaac, from north of
Minneapolis, was surprised when he offered a Box of Love to Issa, a man who had
recently moved to his neighborhood.

Issa was at first suspicious, then vehement: "I don't want to receive food
from you. You must leave!" Pastor Isaac left the home, but he left the Box of
Love outside the door, knowing Issa needed the food.

Issa's idea of Christianity was distorted, but he later admitted that the
huge amount of food really impressed him. This generosity began to expand his
view of Christianity.

Ahmed, a relative of Issa and a believer, began to talk with him about
faith. Over time their conversations deepened; Issa also reconnected with
Pastor Isaac. Ahmed invited Issa to join him at church, but he resisted.

Finally he agreed, though he promised he wouldn't respond to the
message. "I might even leave early," he added. Yet by the end
of the service, Issa had opened his heart to Christ. He is now an active member of his church and
eager to share his joy with others. One box, one touch, one heart.

Even though Americans are getting ready
to celebrate Thanksgiving in just a few days, there's still time to get
involved. This year, HLIC wants to
minister to a minimum of 16,925 families, in addition to Boxes of Love given
through other initiatives. It costs
just $36.71 to provide a Box of Love. Click here to find out how.

]]> https://www.mnnonline.org/news/christians-hand-out-love-in-a-box-this-thanksgiving/feed/ 0 Americans “Box Out” hunger for the poor this holiday season. https://www.mnnonline.org/news/americans-box-out-hunger-for-the-poor-this-holiday-season/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=americans-box-out-hunger-for-the-poor-this-holiday-season https://www.mnnonline.org/news/americans-box-out-hunger-for-the-poor-this-holiday-season/#respond Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://test.mnnonline.org/news/americans-box-out-hunger-for-the-poor-this-holiday-season/ USA (MNN)–Poverty often serves as a depressing foil against the backdrop of the holidays.

Here’s Life Inner City’s Ted Gandy says this weekend, volunteers are assembling more than 18-thousand ‘Boxes of Love’ for distribution in 20 cities in the U-S.

Each box holds the ingredients for a full classic holiday meal for a family of six. The boxes are filled with turkey or ham, stuffing, potatoes, canned vegetables, bread, juice, and desserts, as well as faith-based reading materials.

“It’s designed, not for the homeless, but for the working poor, the people who are struggling, but have a place to cook a meal.” He says it’s not unusual for a needy family like this to stretch such a meal out for up to four days.

That means the impact of this program keeps growing. This year, more than 111,300 of the U-S poor will have a special reason to give ‘thanks’. “It’s been a wonderful program all these years because it gives churches an opportunity to reach out people who are struggling in their communities.”

Gandy says this outreach makes personal connections for the church and future evangelism. “Often, this is the first touchpoint with a family. They can then begin working with them on a regular basis, get the kids in an after-school program, help the parent if they don’t have jobs, or if they’re under-employed. It’s our whole concept of ‘Connect, Empower, Develop.'”

HLIC partners with more than 1,000 inner-city churches and organizations to reach out to America’s poor with the resources they need not only to survive, but also to succeed and overcome the challenges of poverty.

Gandy says there’s still time to sponsor a box for the American Thanksgiving holiday or Christmas.

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