Shoes for the Children By Ginger Robinson, Bethalto Church of God, Illinois
Each year the Bethalto Church of God Women’s Ministries makes it a point to give a portion of their peanut brittle sales to the International WWAM (Women With A Mission) Project. This year however, that just did not seem to be enough. At a meeting of the Women’s Ministries leadership team where the disbursement of the this year’s peanut brittle funds were decided, the promotional video for the Nyamphande Orphanage was viewed and it was decided to give $1,500 to the International Women’s Ministries Nyamphande Orphanage (Zambia), project.
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2007 International Women’s Ministries Project |
However, during that same meeting, the team was moved to do more than just give money for buildings?there was a desire to give the women of the congregation the opportunity to do something tangible for the children themselves. Sister McGuire’s words resonated, “In any mother’s heart you just want to reach out and touch them in some way.” But how? The answer was simple: appeal to the women around Mother’s Day to provide a very individual and necessary thing for the children…shoes. It was through this discussion that the “Bethalto Church of God Women’s Shoe Event” was birthed.
The event was held the Friday night before Mother’s Day at a local tea room. Individuals were encouraged to purchase a ticket for $5.00?the approximate price of one shoe. Then we asked them to invite a friend to come for the price of the other, together purchasing a pair of shoes. All proceeds from the ticket sales went to purchase shoes and the event was paid for by the Women’s Ministries fund. We could have asked for more, but we wanted as many as possible to be able to touch a life, and many did.
Everything about the evening?from decorations, to crowd breakers and a devotion based on Pasty Clairmont’s book, The Shoe Box?focused on shoes…our excess of them and their need. The highlight of the evening came at the end of the video when the women wanted to know if they could give even more to provide even more shoes for the precious children they had just seen. Truly they were touched and they gave, just as it was thought they would if given the chance.
After all donations were given that night and others who heard about the “event” gave, the total amount raised was $1,050. All for shoes. All for the children. Now that’s a true “shoe event”!
To view the video, go to http://www.womensministries.cc/min_world_missions.htm and click on “A Heart for Zambia.” (You’ll need Windows Media Player).