Community 4:12

Merry Christmas!

My favorite night of the year with my three favorite kids.  Frances joined our annual family gingerbread house and cookie decorating night last year for the first time, and we are hoping she'll become a regular part of the tradition.  I thought I was the queen of icing eating, but I think she can even outdo me!  

First Steps

  This is a beautiful picture to me.  Obama has promised "change," and one of the greatest gifts he can give this country and this world is to work relentlessly to break down barriers--racial, cultural, economic, gender, political, social, religious--that prevent change from happening.   Inviting Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration is one illustration of Obama's commitment to unity and bringing all voices to the table.     

Christmas Kindness in Joliet

I am so proud of Bob Lowe and Myra Melanson and their whole team that put on our first Christmas Gift Mart in East Joliet this year.  Check out this front page article from the Joliet Herald on Sunday: http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1330465,4_1_JO14_GIFTSFORKIDS_S1.article

And here is a terrific email we received from a pastor of another church who volunteered at the Joliet Mart:

"My family and I (along with a couple of friends) helped out at the Gift Mart today in East Joliet. It would be an understatement to say we were blessed. It was really incredible to see all the toys that were donated and all the families that were blessed by what CCC did. Bob Lowe did an incredible job organizing everything. I participated in the Crowd Control team. I was stationed outside directing people into the parking lot. Everyone that was on my team was very helpful and friendly. I was freezing but it was the best (and most frigid) time I think I have ever had. The best moments were when people would come in to the parking lot and I would smile at them and they would smile back. Thanks for showing the love of Christ in East Joliet.  I look forward to partnering with CCC in future activities."

Thank you, Bob, for your vision and commitment to taking Community 4:12 "multi-site!"

Gift Mart Goes Multisite

I'll post more later, but a quick recap of a terrific day.  Our Gift Mart went multi-site, so we had simultaneous Marts going on in East Aurora and East Joliet.  We collected a combined total of 9,500 toys, had over 1,000 volunteers, served approximately 3,500 people, and raised almost $15,000 for our partner schools.  And fun and joy beyond measure! 

Lighthouse Open House

I think we will look back on tonight as the beginning of a new era for Community 4:12.  We held a Christmas Open House at our new Lighthouse office space in downtown Aurora.  Despite nasty Chicago winter weather that probably would have kept me home if I hadn't had to be there, about 65 people gathered in our new space to celebrate Community 4:12's first 5 years and dream about the next 5 and beyond.  I was so humbled by the wide variety of people who chose to spend this evening with us, despite the busy holiday season and the terrible weather---CCC staff and attenders; pastors of other churches; the mayor's chief of staff; school administrators; other non-profit leaders; a local author; our partner from Aspen Group; and passionate residents of East Aurora.  It is going to take ALL of us working together to fulfill this dream we all have of a restored and thriving and Christ-filled community.  Many, many thanks to those of you who joined us tonight.  I am very excited about the journey we will take together over the coming years!

Overwhelming Generosity

This weekend we will host our 6th Annual Christmas Gift Mart in East Aurora for Brady and Bardwell Elementary Schools.  We will also host our 1st Gift Mart in East Joliet for AO Marshall and Park Elementary Schools.  At these marts we will sell new toys to parents at a fraction of their original cost.  This is our strategy for providing a "hand-up" to low-income families during the holiday season.  It is a double win, because we then donate all the money we raise to the schools.  Last year that was $10,000.

Given the challenging economy, it was a real leap of faith to decide to host a 2nd mart and depend on donations to provide at least 7,500 toys to minimally stock the two marts, which will serve 2,500 children. 

Well, thanks to Community Christian Church, Orchard Valley Community Church, and countless businesses, organizations, and individuals in the community, it appears as though we are going to make, and very possibly exceed our goal.  We are still counting on some more donations coming in this week, but things are looking very promising.

A huge THANK YOU! to everyone who contributed!! 

Shaving heads and throwing pies

We are in the midst of our annual toy drive for our Christmas Gift Mart (this year we are doing two--one in East Joliet and one in East Aurora).  We have a particularly challenging feat this year, since we aim to collect 7,500 toys in these difficult economic times.  I just love how CCC folks are thinking of the most creative ways to bring in toys.  One new attender has challenged her office to donate 200 toys.  And look at the incentives she has concocted if her colleagues come through . . .

If we collect 50 toys:  Jerry will dress up as a lovely Christmas Elf.
If we collect 75 toys:  Tom will also let Jerry shave his head.
If we collect 100 toys:  Carol will also get a pie in the face.
If we collect 150 toys:  Brent will also sing a beautiful Christmas solo.
If we collect 200 toys:  Bob will also swallow a gold fish.

They have collected 165 toys to date and have until 5 pm Dec. 5th to make their goal.  I love it!!  Leave me a comment if you have any other creative ideas for bringing in the toys.  We still need 4,500 more by December 13th!