have a ♥ for haiti

One of our good friends here at morethangoodintentinos is hand-making crocheted heart keychains for a $10 donation to Haiti!

All proceeds will go to Red Cross Canada for the Haiti relief efforts. And if you pledge your donation before Feb 12, your gift will be matched by the Canadian government!

If you’re interested in having a heart for Haiti, please leave a comment below and we will connect you to her. Thanks!

*** Update: Jan 19 ***

Thank you everyone who have pledged so far!!!

There’s been an OVERWHELMING response in LESS THAN 24 HOURS!
Our friend’s in full production mode!

More than 20 hearts have ordered – that means we’ve raised over $200 in less than 24 hours. And including the government matching dollar-for-dollar, we’ve raised over $400!

Thank you so much!

Keep spreading the word!

ps. And as a friend suggested, it makes a nice little Valentines trinket!

OGT: Assembly Day tomorrow!

Hi Everyone,

Things have been a bit hectic around here – sorry for the lack of posts!

Last week was our OGT Shopping Day where we picked up enough stuff to fill 35 Street Packs!

Lo and behold, God surprised us with even more support on Sunday during our last collection day. We now have enough donations to fill 40 Street Packs! Thanks so much for all your support!

We will not only be able to touch 40 street youth, but we have also raised $580 for Youth Unlimited’s Emergency Fund!

So what’s next, you ask?

Join us tomorrow for Assembly Day! Held at Mississauga Chinese Baptist Church in the Gym, from 2-5pm.

It’ll be great fun!

See you then!

OGT update

We’re at about 17 Street Packs! Thanks so much for everyone who’s pledged and/or brought in their donations so far!!!

As stated in the previous post, our goal this year is 60 Street Packs!

Deadline to bring in donations is this Sunday! If you have pledged to give items or a full pack – you can bring in your gifts on Assembly Day (all are welcome!) But please let us know if that’s what you plan to do.

For those who are still deciding how to participate, we encourage monetary gifts just so we can buy things in bulk and have greater savings.

For those who have decided to shop for individual items, we are especially low on the following (new items only please!):

• Sleeping bags – minus 5C is ideal
• Restaurant gift cards – YU recommends $20 value for Tim’s or McD’s – they’re easy to find
• Gloves - size L or XL, dark coloured, durable, water-resistant preferred
• Hair brushes – not combs

Also remember to block off your calendars for Assembly Day on Saturday, December 5th, from 2-5pm! It’ll be in the gym, and will be tons of fun!!!

If anyone can offer to bake some goodies, or bring in snacks to share on Assembly Day, please contact us. Any help would be much appreciated!

And last, but certainly not least, please keep this project in your prayers!

Questions? Comments? Let us know.

Help us get there!

The goal for this year’s Operation Good Thing is…

60 street packs!

 

Having set the modest goal of 10 packs last year and seeing how God blew our expectations out of the water with 38 packs, we have, by faith, set the bar higher this year.

Let’s unite together and remember Toronto’s street youth this Christmas season!

We will keep you updated on our progress throughout the month of November, so stay tuned!

Resources page updated

We’ve added a “Donations” list on our resources page which will help you find relevant organizations to donate your new or gently used items. Most of these organizations are located in Toronto and the GTA.

If you have an organization you’d like to add, please don’t hesitate to leave us a comment and let us know!

Call for Volunteers: Operation Good Thing!

For those who are excited about Operation Good Thing and is itching to help out… here’s a list of volunteering opportunities!

• Booth Attendants
• Public Announcements
• Email Reminders
• Bargain Spotter & Coupon Collectors & Shoppers
• Snacks & Cooks
• Drivers & Drop-Off
• Fellowship Liaison
• Fellowship Presentations

There will be a meeting held next Sunday (Oct. 25) at the couches outside the main sanctuary, after English service.

Answering your searches, part 1

We’ve noticed that people land on our blog using some intriguing search terms. Here are 5 of the search terms we’d like to help you out with:

1. “Can you donate canned soup that’s expired?”
Good question. Technically, you can drop it off at your local food bank, but it will be screened out by staff and tossed. If you don’t think it’s fit for you to eat, it won’t be any more fit for anyone else to eat it. So if you have those old cans of food lying around in the cupboard and you’re pretty sure you won’t open it and eat it, just put it in the trash.

2. “issues of homeless in suburbs”
Yes, there is homelessness in the suburbs. Folks might be living in the bush somewhere in your neighbourhood, or in their cars, or they may be couch surfing (living with friends and family for short periods). Here are some of our posts about homelessness. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the issue!

3. “donate food mississauga” or “foodbank missisauga”
According to the Region of Peel’s website, there are 13 food banks currently in operation in Mississauga. Click on the link (lists food banks for Brampton and Calendon as well) to see eligibility information and contact numbers – most will probably accept donations. Give them a call and see.

From experience, we know that Open Door and The Compass accepts donation drop offs during opening hours. One final word – remember to donate to food banks year round! They’d appreciate the help!

4. “mississauga fire hall accept food donations”
The Mississauga Food Bank website says that all fire halls in Mississauga accept donations. At our local fire hall, there is a drop off bin located in the rear of the building. You may have to ring the bell to ask about food donations at your local fire hall. Fire halls accept donations year round, not just during Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!

5. “is there any (way) to pass the ogt”
Hmm, good question. The OGT we refer to here is Operation Good Thing run by Youth Unlimited. The way to pass this OGT is to contribute (stay tuned for more details!).

The OGT that you, searcher, might be referring to is the Ohio Graduate Test, which we know nothing about since we’re not from Ohio. But here’s a site from Ohio’s Department of Education that might point you in the right direction. All the best!

Good Reads

Here are some great short articles from Urbana:

Thank You Note to a Child Laborer
“These are tough financial times, and working for $2 per day to help provide for your family is also really helping us here in the west. I thought I should write a quick note of thanks.”

Social Justice and Evangelism
“A friend of mine, Doug Schaupp, observes that it is easier for him to take someone who is good at evangelism and turn them into a lover of justice than to take a socially active Christian and grow them into a good evangelist. That is sad to me.”

Anyone else find it easy to give and do but hard to speak the gospel? How can we develop ourselves into Christians who both proclaim and carry out the gospel?

-:-:-:-

Thank you for your overwhelming response to the new food bin in the MCBC lobby! The folks at The Compass are quite happy at the food that’s coming in, and it truly warms our hearts to see the box full of food in the past few weeks.

Keep it up!

Let’s feed the hungry!

Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

Luke 9:12-13a

We all know how this story ends. Jesus sits down the crowds of hungry people and feeds them, and the disciples are left amazed by the food that is leftover. In our awe of the miracle, we miss the fact that Jesus gives us a role too, even as he is about to perform a miracle.

Today, we are still faced with crowds of people who are hungry. While we want God to resolve hunger somehow, Christ calls us to make the first move. Yes, the hungry faces are many, but are we willing to provide that one loaf of bread, that one can of soup to start? Who knows what Jesus can do that one loaf or can we bring?

To respond to Christ’s call to feed the hungry in our community (Matt. 25:35), there is now a food donations bin under the lobby coat racks at MCBC for you to donate on a regular basis. The food is currently given to The Compass, a Christian outreach centre in Port Credit.

Please remember the poor in our midst and share, and tell your friends and family about it!

For a list of items most needed at The Compass, please visit our Grocery Runs page, and join us on our next run!

Small group schedule updated!

Receipts from our small group grocery runs can go 6 cans of soup long!

Hey everyone! We’ve recently updated our small group schedule for the fall term. Take a look and let us know if you want to join!

Calendar at a glance (2009):

• September 5: No meeting
• September 12: Neighbourhood walk - Kipling area
• September 19: Discussion from Catalyst
• September 26: Grocery run
• October 3: Discussion from Catalyst
• October 10: Small group brunch
• October 17: Operation Good Thing Prep Day
• October 24: MCBC Ministry Planning Day @ church
• October 31: Grocery run
• November 7: Operation Good Thing Prayer Day
• November 14: Neighbourhood walk – Chinatown/Mississauga Chinese Centre
• November 21: Discussion from Catalyst
• November 28: Operation Good Thing Shopping Day
• December 5: Operation Good Thing Assembly Day
• December 12: Discussion from Catalyst
• December 19: Grocery run
• December 26: Boxing Day – No meeting
• January 2: New Years – No meeting

More info is available on the Small Group tab. Also, come January, we can look forward to studying The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne together. Join us!