We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 that each of us, as part of the body of Christ, is vital to the well-being of the entire body. There is no role that is more important in the function of the body than another, and without the contribution of each member, the entire body suffers. I am reminded of this frequently as the volunteers of 5-2 Ministry come together to carry out their roles in this ministry, each one serving as they have been called, all for the well-being of the body of Christ.
The interesting thing about this ministry is this: many of the volunteers that we have are completely anonymous! I like to think of them as our "coupon angels". They are people who, week after week, save their coupon inserts and quietly place them in collection bins at SUMC and other collection points for our use in purchasing donations for the Southeast Gwinnett Co-op. The individuals who donate these coupons are often unknown. They make their donations without a desire to be recognized: they simply know of a need and are responding to a call to help. The funny thing is, I am sure that most of these "coupon angels" probably don't even realize the significance of what their donations mean. What they need to know, however, is this: these coupons are the lifeblood of this ministry. Without them, we could accomplish nothing. With them, hundreds of families have food on their tables that they would otherwise not have. So, to all of you wonderful coupon angels out there: thank you! Your contribution is not only important, it is vital.
May you be blessed as you serve as a blessing to others.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Witnessing Miracles
God performs miracles each and every day. Sometimes we notice, sometimes we don't (forgive us, Lord!). Occasionally, though, we have the privilege of witnessing a miracle that moves us in such a way that we are left in absolute awe of God's goodness and mercy--one that we can't HELP but notice. This is the story of one of those miracles:
People throughout the community began to pray for God to intervene, and asked Him for direction. How can we help, Lord? What do you want us to do? Among those who were called to act were the wonderful volunteers of 5-2 Ministry. An emergency session of coupon clipping and shopping was called, and everyone put aside their busy schedules and responded without hesitation.
Some were moved to tears as we witnessed what was happening. All were filled with joy! By the end of the evening, the shelves had been stocked with OVER 2,000 ITEMS!!!!
Not only was there enough food on the shelves for the co-op to open to its clients on Monday morning, some items were actually overstocked and put in the back room for future use--a situation which had not occurred at the co-op for quite some time.
God has given us so much to be thankful for this day, and shown us once again how loving and faithful He is! To the volunteers of 5-2 Ministry: thank you, thank you, thank you! As we called on God to be the solution at this time of crisis, He called on each of you to be His hands and feet. As willing servants, you not only heard God's call, but you also answered that call! May each of you be blessed through your dedication to Him, and... 
On Friday, July 23, the call went out: the shelves at the Southeast Gwinnett Co-op were bare. Without donations of food (and lots of it), they would not be able to open their doors on Monday morning and they would have clients who would not be served.
People throughout the community began to pray for God to intervene, and asked Him for direction. How can we help, Lord? What do you want us to do? Among those who were called to act were the wonderful volunteers of 5-2 Ministry. An emergency session of coupon clipping and shopping was called, and everyone put aside their busy schedules and responded without hesitation.In a whirlwind clipping session on Sunday afternoon, an unprecedented number of coupons were clipped for many, many items which were desperately needed at the co-op. In a typical week we are able to put together lists for about 4 shoppers who head to the stores and purchase a total of about 300 items to donate to the co-op. On Sunday, however, we had enough coupons available to send out TWICE that many shoppers!
Eight people graciously volunteered their time to shop. It was exciting to experience each one's enthusiasm as they picked up their lists and headed to the store, anxious to purchase as many items as they could to help stock the shelves (while still maintaining our guidelines of at least a 50% discount on regular prices, mind you!). No one knew at this point what the results would be, but we did know that God was at work and that His will was being carried out.
It was agreed that everyone would meet to deliver their purchases to the co-op 
at 7:00 that evening. In anticipation of a bountiful harvest, additional volunteers were called in to help unload groceries and stock the shelves. I don't think that ANYONE anticipated what would happen next, however. As the shoppers began to arrive with their groceries, it quickly became obvious that God had performed a mighty work! Cars, minivans, and SUV's pulled into the parking lot, loaded down with bags and bags of groceries. Volunteers jumped in and got to work, unloading, counting, sorting, stocking...it was an incredible sight. The food just kept coming, and the shelves began to fill.
Some were moved to tears as we witnessed what was happening. All were filled with joy! By the end of the evening, the shelves had been stocked with OVER 2,000 ITEMS!!!!
Not only was there enough food on the shelves for the co-op to open to its clients on Monday morning, some items were actually overstocked and put in the back room for future use--a situation which had not occurred at the co-op for quite some time.
God has given us so much to be thankful for this day, and shown us once again how loving and faithful He is! To the volunteers of 5-2 Ministry: thank you, thank you, thank you! As we called on God to be the solution at this time of crisis, He called on each of you to be His hands and feet. As willing servants, you not only heard God's call, but you also answered that call! May each of you be blessed through your dedication to Him, and...
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Meet the Need!
This past Saturday, the "Meet the Need" 5K was hosted by Community of Grace Church in Grayson, Georgia. The purpose of this event was to raise funds in support of the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful spring day, and 49 runners and walkers showed up bright and early Saturday morning to "Run for Food"!
It was wonderful to see folks from all around the community coming together in support of such a worthy cause, excited for the opportunity to raise money to feed the hungry in our area.
Pastor Matt of Community of Grace did a wonderful job organizing and leading this effort, and there were many volunteers on hand to see that this first annual event went off without a hitch. We are thankful for these faithful servants, and for the generous spirits of all those who gave of their time and their money to participate in the first annual "Meet the Need" 5K!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
God's Provision
For the first time since its inception, 5-2 Ministry did not have enough funds available this week to shop and provide a delivery of food to the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry . Some may have seen this as a reason to be discouraged; we chose, however, to see it as an opportunity--an opportunity for God to show us (again!) how awesome he is. I know I was not alone in praying for Him to provide. I didn't know how and I didn't know when, but I knew that when the time was right, we would be back at work clipping coupons and shopping for families in need!
Well, it did not take long for those prayers to be answered. Early in the week, I received an email from someone who wanted to make a donation to 5-2 Ministry, and yesterday I received their generous donation. Not only that, but this wonderful person showed up with a huge stack of coupons, too! Praise God for His provision and His perfect timing! Praise Him for calling these people who responded so willingly with generous hearts. And Praise God for showing us (again!) how awesome He is!
Well, it did not take long for those prayers to be answered. Early in the week, I received an email from someone who wanted to make a donation to 5-2 Ministry, and yesterday I received their generous donation. Not only that, but this wonderful person showed up with a huge stack of coupons, too! Praise God for His provision and His perfect timing! Praise Him for calling these people who responded so willingly with generous hearts. And Praise God for showing us (again!) how awesome He is!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Get Involved!
Many of you are probably looking for a creative way to get involved with 5-2 Ministry and the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op. Well, you’re in luck! There are two opportunities to get involved and help to support the co-op.
On April 17, 2010 the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op will be hosting the first annual Meet the Need 5K. Runners are required to raise a minimum of $25 in sponsorships for their entry fee and encouraged to raise more if possible. $12 of this amount will be to cover the cost of the race and then the remaining $13 and any additional money raised will go towards the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op. The race starts at 9:00 a.m. and will begin in the co-op parking lot. Not a runner? That’s okay! You can walk too! Runners and walkers of all ages are encouraged to join us, so please feel free to bring the whole family! For more information please go to the following website: http://www.segwinnettcoop.org. You can register here as well as find more information about the race and download the sponsorship form.
Maybe something with wheels is more your cup of tea? Perfect! On June 5, 2010 the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op will also be sponsoring the One Can charity bike ride to raise additional money for food purchases at the co-op. There are two cycling distances, 30 miles and 62 miles, so choose the one that is best for you. There is a registration fee of $25. All of the proceeds from this ride will go towards food purchases for the co-op, and some of the money raised will go to 5-2 Ministry who in return will maximize the amount of food purchased from your donations. The ride will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will start at Lifetime Bikes in Loganville, GA. For more information and to register please go to the following website: http://www.unislibris.com/1canformpage.html.
Please take time to consider participating in one of these events if you are physically able to. If you can’t participate, please consider making a donation to support someone who is participating. Every little bit helps! Your involvement will be greatly appreciated not only by the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op and 5-2 Ministry, but by the growing number of families in our community who need our help to provide food for their families.
On April 17, 2010 the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op will be hosting the first annual Meet the Need 5K. Runners are required to raise a minimum of $25 in sponsorships for their entry fee and encouraged to raise more if possible. $12 of this amount will be to cover the cost of the race and then the remaining $13 and any additional money raised will go towards the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op. The race starts at 9:00 a.m. and will begin in the co-op parking lot. Not a runner? That’s okay! You can walk too! Runners and walkers of all ages are encouraged to join us, so please feel free to bring the whole family! For more information please go to the following website: http://www.segwinnettcoop.org. You can register here as well as find more information about the race and download the sponsorship form.
Maybe something with wheels is more your cup of tea? Perfect! On June 5, 2010 the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op will also be sponsoring the One Can charity bike ride to raise additional money for food purchases at the co-op. There are two cycling distances, 30 miles and 62 miles, so choose the one that is best for you. There is a registration fee of $25. All of the proceeds from this ride will go towards food purchases for the co-op, and some of the money raised will go to 5-2 Ministry who in return will maximize the amount of food purchased from your donations. The ride will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will start at Lifetime Bikes in Loganville, GA. For more information and to register please go to the following website: http://www.unislibris.com/1canformpage.html.
Please take time to consider participating in one of these events if you are physically able to. If you can’t participate, please consider making a donation to support someone who is participating. Every little bit helps! Your involvement will be greatly appreciated not only by the Southeast Gwinnett Co-Op and 5-2 Ministry, but by the growing number of families in our community who need our help to provide food for their families.
We're on Facebook and Twitter!
We're very excited to let you all know that you can now "Become a Fan" of 5-2 Ministry on Facebook, and you can also follow us on Twitter! If you use either of these two services, please check us out! We will be updating frequently with weekly shopping results and other tidbits of information, and we think you will love hearing about what God is doing through this ministry!
To "Become a Fan" on Facebook please click here.
To follow us on Twitter please click here.
To "Become a Fan" on Facebook please click here.
To follow us on Twitter please click here.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Open Doors
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7
Have you ever experienced something in your life that came together in such a magnificent way, a way in which you could never have anticipated or orchestrated on your own, that there was absolutely no doubt in your mind that God alone was responsible for the entire set of circumstances? Details had been taken care of before you even thought about needing to take care of them, people were available and ready to help before you even realized there was a need, financial resources were in place from resources you never anticipated having, and the list goes on....
Before this ministry was even begun, we started asking a lot of God. He had granted us a wonderful vision, but we needed a plan! We needed people! We needed coupons! We needed money! As we have sought His plan for 5-2 Ministry, God has provided each of these things, and more. The procedures we have put in place with His guidance are working beautifully. He has prepared people's hearts for this ministry long before they have been approached and asked to help, and volunteers are eagerly stepping forward and serving. Just when I think we won't have enough coupons available to make our planned purchases for a given week, someone shows up and hands us a HUGE stack of coupon inserts. And when I wonder if we will have enough money to make purchases with all of the coupons we have, funds are made available not only through the co-op who we are now partnering with in our purchases, but also through individuals who God has blessed with incredibly generous hearts. God is not only opening doors...He's flinging them WIDE open!
Since its inception in November, 2009, 5-2 Ministry has donated 2,467 items to the Southeast Gwinnett Co-op. The total retail value of these items was $6,780.85; however, 5-2 Ministry's cost was only $2,258.54: a 67% savings! We are currently in the process of expanding our efforts outside of the Cornerstone Sunday School Class at Snellville UMC. We are seeking to involve more of the church as a whole and God is blessing our efforts here as well. Other churches are also beginning to hear of our efforts and to show interest in beginning 5-2 Ministry at their own churches! We are connecting with cashiers in grocery stores and customers in grocery store lines and telling them about what we are doing. What a wonderful opportunity to witness!
What an honor it is to serve such a mighty and awesome God. I can't wait to see what doors He will open next!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
