Ordinary Acts. Astonishing Impact.
“When they saw Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13
On Tuesday, August 8, Caring for Kids, in partnership with Fostering Love, Alicia’s Closet, and Stitched Together, held their annual Back to School Bash at Goodale Park. Together, we passed out over 300 new book bags filled with school supplies to help Central Ohio children in foster care have a great start to the new school year!
Westerville Christian was a key community partner in this endeavor as they filled seven kiddie pools with school supplies! The generosity you have consistently shown has been incredible. Multiple times I have had the opportunity to share with the Caring for Kids directors how WCC has shown up for the children and families in our agency. When they hear about the generosity of the church, they are floored.
Their reaction reminded me of the above verse—that ordinary, everyday people who have been with Jesus can do things that leave others astonished, flabbergasted, and amazed. I love it when the Church lives this way. Admittedly, when we are at our worst, the church can do some shocking, head-scratching, and astonishing things, but I love when people take note of the church because their expectations are blown away by the goodness and generosity of God’s people!
Because of your kindness, every child in our agency will start the year with the supplies they need and a new backpack to carry them in. For kids who have often felt forgotten, neglected, or like all they get is the leftovers, this small act has a big impact! For families who are often on a tight budget to make things work, not having to worry about the expense of back-to-school shopping is a tremendous gift. And for our agency which depends on community partnerships to help go the extra mile with the kids we serve, it is a breath of fresh air to have you come through in such a significant way!
Thank you, Westerville Christian Church, for your living and active faith.
Ordinary acts. Astonishing impact. Let the world take note.
Ben Thompson