give and receive coat exchange

Orchard friends are joining their partner church, Harvest Vineyard, in a give and receive coat exchange on November 3.  Rather than a coat GIVEaway, this year’s event will allow for friends in need to be givers in the effort. 

Each year, Harvest Vineyard participates in Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox Project.  (Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian relief organization that annually mobilizes the filling of Christmas gift boxes for children around the world who live in abject poverty.)  All who come to the coat exchange will have been invited to donate a small toy for the shoeboxes or $2 to help Harvest with shipping costs.  Friends will learn about the work God is doing around the world through Samaritan’s Purse, and they will play a role in sharing Christ’s generosity on a global scale with their contribution to the project.  As friends give to the effort, they will also receive a warm coat as a part of this event.

This value of exchange cannot be overstated!  When we serve in a way in which everyone gets to participate, we can better recognize God’s truth that everyone has value, immeasurable value, and everyone has something they can give.  When we care and share in the manner of exchange, we begin to break down the walls of division that keep some with an upper hand and others with loss of dignity.  When we begin to care and share together with others, God begins to form new community, a new “we”, and it’s a picture of the kingdom of God to be sure.