I am excited to share this post with you...the second one this week! I know that you are all still reveling in the fact that we now have a shared facility in our future. This truly is the best Christmas gift I've received in quite a while and I am so grateful for God's incredible faithfulness.
But I also need to update you on the single mom and her family whose home was flooded that we had wanted to make a contribution towards.
I have a story to tell you.
First let me thank all of you for your incredible generosity at this Christmas season and the way you responded to this need. Truly this is what the Christmas season is all about.
Having said that, I need to explain something. In spite of the fact that I confirmed what details I knew of the story with this ladies sister last Sunday, apparently I didn't have ALL of the information.
When I phoned today to go and deliver the gift that we had collected for her and her family, she very respectfully declined our help. She explained it this way. First, the insurance company had, in fact, come through with partial coverage for the damages to their home. Not enough to cover the damages, but some. Second, she has been working extremely hard and long hours to pay the bills that would allow her and her family to get back into their home (as I mentioned last Sunday) AND she has been able to get them back into their house in time for Christmas, which has been her goal all along and is her Christmas gift to her kids. She has taken a great deal of pride in the fact that she has been able to accomplish this herself and doesn't want anything to detract from that, which I can totally understand. She suggested that there are a lot of people who need the help more than she does.
I can only appreciate where she is coming from and honour her wishes. I have made contact with those who made donations in order to explain the ramifications of this. For those who gave anonymously, your donations will be directed to our 'Benevelonce' fund which is used to help families in need receive counseling and practical and financial assistance throughout the year.
Again - thank you for your incredible generosity in this situation. Even though it didn't work out for us to bless this lady, I am so pleased at the Christ-like way in which everyone responded so readily.
I look forward to seeing many of you at PORTICO (1814 Barbertown Rd.) this weekend at one of our Christmas Eve services, 6pm or 8pm, and/or on Christmas morning at 10:30am.
IMPORTANT SCHEDULE CHANGE
I also need to make you aware of one other schedule change! PLEASE NOTE that we will also now be joining our larger family at PORTICO (1814 Barbertown Rd) on New Year's Day. Many of our key volunteers were not going to be available for January 1st and so, rather than put the weight of all of the setup and tear down and tech responsibilities on a very small group, we have decided to enjoy the blessing of being with our larger family for one more Sunday.
However - I would love to connect with as many of our PORTICO Milton group as possible on that Sunday morning, Jan. 1st, 2012. So here is what we are doing. At 10:30am on January 1st I would like all of you to join me in Rm. 108 at PORTICO for coffee and fellowship, but also, and most importantly, to gather for a brief time of corporate prayer as we begin a brand new year asking God to continue to be with us and show us His favour and blessing as we move our fledgling campus forward.
I have timed this so that, whether you are coming to first or second service, it will still be convenient for you to join us. Please pass this information on to anyone you know who has been coming to PORTICO Milton as we want to make sure everyone knows about the change.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Pastor Jeff
But I also need to update you on the single mom and her family whose home was flooded that we had wanted to make a contribution towards.
I have a story to tell you.
First let me thank all of you for your incredible generosity at this Christmas season and the way you responded to this need. Truly this is what the Christmas season is all about.
Having said that, I need to explain something. In spite of the fact that I confirmed what details I knew of the story with this ladies sister last Sunday, apparently I didn't have ALL of the information.
When I phoned today to go and deliver the gift that we had collected for her and her family, she very respectfully declined our help. She explained it this way. First, the insurance company had, in fact, come through with partial coverage for the damages to their home. Not enough to cover the damages, but some. Second, she has been working extremely hard and long hours to pay the bills that would allow her and her family to get back into their home (as I mentioned last Sunday) AND she has been able to get them back into their house in time for Christmas, which has been her goal all along and is her Christmas gift to her kids. She has taken a great deal of pride in the fact that she has been able to accomplish this herself and doesn't want anything to detract from that, which I can totally understand. She suggested that there are a lot of people who need the help more than she does.
I can only appreciate where she is coming from and honour her wishes. I have made contact with those who made donations in order to explain the ramifications of this. For those who gave anonymously, your donations will be directed to our 'Benevelonce' fund which is used to help families in need receive counseling and practical and financial assistance throughout the year.
Again - thank you for your incredible generosity in this situation. Even though it didn't work out for us to bless this lady, I am so pleased at the Christ-like way in which everyone responded so readily.
I look forward to seeing many of you at PORTICO (1814 Barbertown Rd.) this weekend at one of our Christmas Eve services, 6pm or 8pm, and/or on Christmas morning at 10:30am.
IMPORTANT SCHEDULE CHANGE
I also need to make you aware of one other schedule change! PLEASE NOTE that we will also now be joining our larger family at PORTICO (1814 Barbertown Rd) on New Year's Day. Many of our key volunteers were not going to be available for January 1st and so, rather than put the weight of all of the setup and tear down and tech responsibilities on a very small group, we have decided to enjoy the blessing of being with our larger family for one more Sunday.
However - I would love to connect with as many of our PORTICO Milton group as possible on that Sunday morning, Jan. 1st, 2012. So here is what we are doing. At 10:30am on January 1st I would like all of you to join me in Rm. 108 at PORTICO for coffee and fellowship, but also, and most importantly, to gather for a brief time of corporate prayer as we begin a brand new year asking God to continue to be with us and show us His favour and blessing as we move our fledgling campus forward.
I have timed this so that, whether you are coming to first or second service, it will still be convenient for you to join us. Please pass this information on to anyone you know who has been coming to PORTICO Milton as we want to make sure everyone knows about the change.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Pastor Jeff
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