AG churches across U.S. embrace compassion

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 - 2:00 PM CST

In November, AG News sent out a story/request asking for churches to share some of their acts of compassion that they would be involved in during the months of November and December - in 30 words or less.

We've compiled the compassion submissions (below), made by both laypeople and pastors, from around the country. Most submissions were challenged to keep the 30-word count as many churches are heavily involved in ministering to the needy - and not just during the holidays.

Although this list is far from comprehensive (as evidenced when doing a Google search for "Assembly of God pantry" and getting thousands of results), this list provides a good representation of the types of ministries many AG churches are involved in now (and oftentimes throughout the year).

In light of the current financial woes being experienced through the United States and around the world, there are few positives for people to take hold of. However, when the church follows God's leading in helping those in need, that is good news, hopeful news - news that needs to be shared!

Thank you to those churches that responded to help create this story. We hope this list encourages those churches already involved in meeting needs as well as inspires others to follow their lead.

Have a wonderful Christmas! AG News will return on January 2.

Compassion listing:

First AG, Elkton, Maryland - for third consecutive year, First Assembly partnered with several other churches to house, feed and care for 36 homeless individuals at their facility. Started first week of November, will continue through March.

Wilmington First Assembly, Wilmington, California - Benevolence Ministry distributes groceries to more than 75 families weekly, up from 35 families a year ago.

First AG, Greenville, Mississippi - make and deliver gifts and goodie bags and have a Christmas party for 36 residents in a care center where a couple in the church hold services every week.

Southwest Community Church (AG), Little Rock, Arkansas - each year, SWCC provides stockings and toys to children in inner-city area where church is located. AG churches from across Arkansas stuff stockings and provide contributions to help needy families.

Harvest Church AG, Glendale, Arizona - Sunday, November 30, during our morning worship service we are transforming our sanctuary into a Grand Banquet Hall for non-believers.

Allegan AG, Allegan, Michigan - A group of about 15 ladies put together 100 gift bags to give to the Dream Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Each of the ladies contributed something for the gift bags.

The Carpenter's House (AG), Modesto, California - in addition to its weekly food and clothing ministry, church will distribute 225 complete Christmas dinners to needy families. Recipients will also be able to shop in free clothing store.

Faith Chapel (AG), Portland, Oregon - providing Christmas gifts for selected children and children whose parents are in court ordered drug rehabilitation.

Calvary First AG, Fort Madison, Iowa - youth group put together 20 baskets with a turkey and all the trimmings for needy families.

First Assembly, Rosenberg, Texas - second annual Operation Blessing, partnering with Second Mile Mission to give 100 families Christmas gifts for children. Event also includes wrapping gifts, activities and Christmas message.

The Father's House AG, Conyers, Georgia - provided "Ultimate Gift" dinner theater for those in need. Evening included entertainment by Larry Ford, a formal dinner and gifts and bags of food for guests to take home.

Bethel Temple (AG), Hampton, Virginia - distributed 1,500 Thanksgiving turkeys and all the trimmings to families throughout Hampton Roads as part of the church's first-ever Great Turkey Give Away.

Suncoast Cathedral (AG), St. Petersburg, Florida - prepared a Thanksgiving meal for 50 church families. We fed 250 people at the local homeless shelter. At Christmas we are doing a "soldier tree" for kids of soldiers.

The Power Place (AG), Kennett Square, Pennsylvania - High Voltage Youth Ministries adopted several needy families from the community. We will provide food and Christmas gifts for each of the families in a special High Voltage service.

New Life Assembly, Plainfield, Wisconsin - worked with three other churches to provide food baskets for 150 families and gifts for children. Community responded so well that several additional food cases were brought to New Life's food pantry.

First AG, Clarksville, Tennessee - will give 50 turkeys and food boxes to the needy and will continue our regular giving of bread and other staples.

Evangel Temple Christian Center (AG), Springfield, Missouri - through their Inner City Outreach, they provide approximately 250 hot meals, free food boxes and winter clothing to the homeless and needy every single Saturday.

Lakeside AG, Muskegon, Michigan - there are four families of special needs children that need assistance. We are providing Christmas dinner and Toys R Us scrip [similar to gift card].

American Indian College, Phoenix, Arizona - over 500 individuals from inner city attended 17th annual Birthday Party for Jesus. Every child received a large gift. Over 149 adults and 200 children stood to receive Christ after Christmas message.

Summit Christian Center (AG), Tacoma, Washington - we have increased our food pantry ministry (King's Pantry). We have a team that will deliver food to homes of those in need.

Faith Community Church (AG), House Springs, Missouri - FCC hosted a Thanksgiving meal, food drive, adopted Teen Challenge members and expecting mothers for Christmas, Christmas bags to a local prison, Christmas baskets and food to 50 plus families.

South Hills Assembly, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania - we partner with Angel Food Ministry in providing food at low cost. We will be distributing food on December 13 to 104 families.

Assembly of God Church, Drumright, Oklahoma - provided Thanksgiving dinners for two families. We included a Bible and AG brochures in each basket. Also, we have adopted a family with two children for Christmas gifts and food.

Ridgeline Church (AG), Waddell, Arizona - is partnering with Teen Challenge Kids of Arizona, bussing in 60 children and their parents for a special Christmas service. Church members are purchasing two or three presents for each child and food for each family.

Faleniu Lighthouse AG, Pago Pago, American Samoa - we're preparing Thanksgiving meal plates for those who attend the Thanksgiving service and distributing Christmas baskets for the need families in the village.

Glad Tidings AG, Mexia, Texas - we're very active in giving of our time, money and donated food items to the homeless and working poor. We are meeting needs, not only at Thanksgiving, but every month.

DeSoto AG, DeSoto, Texas - is hosting the Angel Tree Project, which includes contacting families of inmates and providing gifts for their children, which will be given out at a Christmas Party.

First Pentecostal AG, Ottumwa, Iowa - gave free Thanksgiving turkeys to all first-time visitors on Sunday, November 23, and plans to do the same for the Christmas season.

Bowman AG, Bowman, North Dakota - we prepare a Christmas dinner for anyone in the community who is alone this year, or can't afford to prepare a holiday meal. We also deliver meals to shut ins.

Lakeside Family AG, Marshfield, Missouri - provides a Christmas "store" where church and community kids shop for free for gifts (donated by church members) for parents or guardians. This year more than 70 gifts were "purchased."

Living Waters Fellowship AG, Two Harbors, Minnesota - operates Elijah's Pantry for the hungry, makes Christmas stockings for inner-city missions, brings personal care items to the elderly and SPMI [Seriously and Persistently Mentally Ill] populations and hosts the Salvation Army Toy Distribution.

King Mountain Church (AG), Bellingham, Washington - is giving away up to $3,500 to individuals and small groups in December to give God's love away to our community this Christmas.

Pursuit Church (AG), Austin, Texas - accepts and delivers toy and food donations to a children's home; gives food, toys and coats to the needy; supports Operation Christmas Child; and gives filled Christmas stockings to needy kids.

Cornerstone Church (AG), Downey, California - delivered 140 shoe boxes of sundries and school supplies to an orphanage and a church in Ensenada, Mexico, and 50 presents to children of incarcerated parents.

Bethel Church of Tallmadge AG, Tallmadge, Ohio - all year we collected food and household items for our Christmas Giveaway for the needy. We give away groceries, furniture, clothing, toys, etc. to whoever is in need in the Akron area.

Nashville AG, Nashville, Illinois - we were given several pick-up truckloads of nearly new and new clothes. We are working with a community program to indigent families to give away these clothes by Christmas.

Central AG, Springfield, Missouri - provided Thanksgiving groceries for 200 families, provided hundreds of gifts for two nearby elementary schools, offers biweekly food pantry and more.

First Assembly, Clarksville, Tennessee - we gave out holiday baskets of food to needy families, had a Thanksgiving dinner open to the public and will have an Angel Tree for Christmas.

Orchard AG, Mobile, Alabama - we contacted Baldwin Cleaners and asked them for unclaimed clothing. They were so kind to donate dozens of articles. In turn, we distributed clean, name brand clothing to many families.

Lake Hamilton AG, Hot Springs, Arkansas - we feed about 22 families a week, and we adopted over 40 food pantry families for Christmas. At a Christmas service, we will give them gifts and let them know they are loved.

First AG, Green Bay, Wisconsin - provided a full turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day to those in our community who had nowhere to go for the holiday. One hundred people were served.

International Christian Center (AG), San Leandro, California - hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for about 300 needy people. We will host a Christmas dinner for approximately 400, providing clothing and toys as well.

Safe Harbor AG, Quaker Hill, Connecticut - as a small U.S. Missions work, we're distributing to the homeless 20 Christmas bags filled with hats, scarves, gloves, socks and candy.

First AG, Greentown, Pennsylvania - offers a food pantry for the needy, Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas movie. Also hosts a Christmas dinner, carol singing, music, Christmas story, gift and stocking exchange, games, prizes and prayer.

Elohim Christian Church (AG), Richmond Hill, Queens, New York - has a food pantry that weekly serves over 600 families. On Thanksgiving Day the pantry served more than 100 families their Thanksgiving meal.

First AG, Campbell, Missouri - throughout the year we have been collecting food for the pantry, given money to help with bills and we will be delivering food baskets to help the needy.

LIFEchurch (AG), North Richland Hills, Texas - gathered over 300 coats (and prayed over them) for children and homeless, gathered food, delivered baskets to families, gathered $7,000 (on our way to $10,000) for Convoy of Hope.

First Assembly, Millville, New Jersey - we coordinate Thanksgiving baskets and have just instituted a community food bank. Additionally, we go caroling, where our children's programs brighten the holiday for 120 shut-ins.

Fairton Christian Center (AG), Fairton, New Jersey - we heavily support a local mental health facility, preparing care packages each year with socks, combs, candies, cookies and more.

Spirit of Life Church (AG), New Prague, Minnesota - our church members brought in non-perishable food items and delivered the groceries to needy families in our community, including an injured veteran of the Iraq War.

Raymore AG, Raymore, Missouri - will give out 40 food baskets weighing 80-100 pounds to needy families. We adopt several families and provide gifts for children. We try to meet each need.

Radiant Life Fellowship (AG), Guntersville, Alabama - provided meals for 50 families in the community that need a assistance. Each family receives one turkey, green beans, corn, cranberry sauce and cake mix.

Muldoon Community Assembly, Anchorage, Alaska - co-sponsors Thanksgiving Blessing Project and hosts Thanksgiving meal for those alone, co-sponsors Christmas Gift Project providing food and gifts to needy, visits shut-ins, co-sponsors food bank and much more.

New Beginnings AG, Hanford, California - passes out flyers in the nearby low-income housing apartments, inviting people to Christmas Sunday morning service where each child receives a toy and cookies or a goodie bag.

Faith Chapel (AG), Schuylerville, New York - is distributing over 70 fruit baskets with a copy of "The Invitation" (salvation) CD and a written invitation to a Christmas dinner with live music and door prizes.

Dickson First Assembly, Dickson, Tennessee - is providing gifts for widows/orphans, groceries for unemployed, holiday meals for the needy, holding a food drive, having an angel tree and the pastor prays for needs at local tree lighting.

As a final thought, we received one e-mail from an individual in need who had compassion presented to him. His pastor, not by any human request, gave the man an old-fashioned and generous "Pentecostal handshake" (shaking a person's hand, and leaving money in it).

"I just had to tell somebody about how God uses people . . . to bless others in need," the man wrote. "I wonder how many acts of kindness are shown to others that we will never know about in this life?"

The man and his wife were touched and changed by this experience. It goes to show that true compassion, for both the giver and receiver, can be life-changing.