The Christian Services Help Center was developed by local churches for local churches. It is a clearinghouse where people’s needs can be met and where churches work together to provide different services. Church volunteers answer the help line phones, listen compassionately to each other, verify information and connect them with the appropriate church or community resource.
One of their services that Eastminster participates in is Judson Baptist Church’s Love Clothing Center that supplies children in need with clothing. Each child receives new underwear and socks, new and used clothing, seasonal wear and winter coats by appointment. In past years we have provided volunteers; this year we donated money to help with their services.
This year, Eastminster also joined their Thanksgiving basket program, delivering Thanksgiving meals to 10 people.
What can a Thanksgiving Food Basket do besides help feed a family? One of our network Churches knows! They have been giving Thanksgiving Food Baskets and inviting families to their church for years. A young woman who was a recipient of a basket accepted the invitation and came to their Christmas service. She began coming on a regular basis, getting to know more people and getting involved in the church. She joined the church and began to work with the musical group. It seemed that this young woman was a song writer and had written songs for just such a group. The Church musical group is now singing her songs! How beautiful to see how God works and uses even a gift of Thanksgiving food basket to enlarge his kingdom.
Christian Services links people in need with the loving and generous hearts of people in your congregation. Christian Services provides the names of families requesting Thanksgiving help and the church, church member, or business then delivers the basket to the family(s) by the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week.
At the same time Churches sign up for Thanksgiving Baskets, they can elect to serve the same families at Christmas. This is helpful in developing a relationship with the families they are serving.
“From Christ the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in LOVE, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:16 NIV
The Christian Services Church Network includes more than 200 churches. Each church is involved in unique ways.
Many churches house Church Ministry Banks—resources that are given to people in need who are referred by the Help Center. Other churches support the Church Ministry Banks with donations of goods, money, volunteer time and prayer support. One church alone could not sustain the ministry housed in its building, so Christian Services brings congregations together through the Church Network to make a greater impact.