Over the year, we took several opportunities as a church to put what we explored during the “Live the Language” series into practice. Below are some of the Live Awake Projects that were designed to share hope, support, and the love of the Father with those in our community.
SAMARITAN’S PURSE | 200 FILLED BOXES
The mission of Operation Christmas Child, an outreach of Samaritan’s Purse, is to spread the love of God in a tangible way to children in need around the world. Individuals pack shoeboxes with simple gifts, which are then distributed to millions of children worldwide through Samaritan’s Purse’s network of volunteers, missionaries, and pastors. While sharing love through the giving of gifts is powerful on its own, the work doesn’t stop there. Every child who receives a box is invited to participate in a discipleship program called The Greatest Journey. To date, over 26.5 million children have participated in The Greatest Journey, and 12.5 million boys and girls have made the decision to follow Christ.
This year we partnered with Operation Christmas Child, and gave those who call Awaken Church home the opportunity to help rewrite the destinies of children across the world. We were able to put together over 200 boxes that were shared with children all over the world!
CAMP HOPE CHRISTMAS PARTY W/NAMPA FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER | $3,000 TOWARDS CHRISTMAS EVENT
Nampa Family Justice Center is a partnership of agencies that provides holistic services to victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, elder abuse, stalking, and sex trafficking. In their 16+ years of service to the Nampa community, they have provided resources to over 36,400 adults and 14,800 children.
This year, Awaken Church partnered with NFJC to fund their Camp Hope Christmas event. This yearly event is for participants in Camp Hope, Nampa Family Justice Center’s program dedicated to supporting children who have been victims of abuse. We were able to provide dinner as well as Christmas gifts for the children. Part of the Live Awake offering received on November 7th was allocated towards this project.
THANKSGIVING BASKETS | $7,500/100 BASKETS
Each Thanksgiving season, we have the wonderful opportunity to bless families in our community with a Thanksgiving basket filled with all of the “fixings.” Families who could use help purchasing Thanksgiving dinner for their families sign up or are nominated by a friend or family member. Then, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, we gather as a church to assemble and deliver the baskets, taking the opportunity to pray with and over each family.
This year, we were able to provide 100 Thanksgiving baskets to families in our community. These baskets don’t just offer a meal to these families, but also serve as a tangible reminder that there are those that love, support, and are believing the best for them. The offering we received on November 7th was used in part to fund the purchasing of the basket items.