2016 is The Year of Love!

Since 2005, every other year we celebrate one of the words of “Faith Hope and Love” – the year of Faith, the year of Hope and the year of Love. So for the 12th year of the Annual celebration of backyard missions, we are celebrating Love. As stated in Ephesians 2:10:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Although we planned and worked hard to put together projects and outreaches, they were already in God’s plan – even before we were born.

Projects that are Love-directed

In the final weeks of this year’s FHL Week preparation, we found that the projects are in line with bringing the love of God to the neighborhoods. For example:

The $50 Challenge

This idea was inspired by a documentary about 2 young American men who went to Guatemala. They wanted to experience living there for several weeks on a dollar a day – the standard cost of living in a rural village. As soon as they got there, they tried to connect with the locals to learn from them how to live on just a dollar a day. They immediately planted vegetables, learned the way of living and ways to stretch every penny. After several days, they got sick and after several weeks, they lost a lot of weight. In the end, they appreciated what they have in the US but most especially, they experienced what it felt to live like many people around the world (and thousands of people in the US) with very little money or resources.

I thought why not offer a seed money of $50 to the best 5 projects that can multiply it and engage the local community to serve. The main aim is to encourage the groups to be resourceful and engage and involve the local community in solving the hunger issues in our city.

Happy Birthday to everyone!

Our first entry happened July 13. The leader of the feeding ministry of Barnes UMC celebrated her birthday by celebrating every clients’ birthday today, no matter when their birthday may be. She decorated the dining room with balloons and special table cloth. Many volunteers provided delicious food, keepsakes and a large birthday cake for everyone!

Another FHL Week Challenge Project is also very creative.  As part of a soup kitchen, clients will be cooking for the volunteers on July 28th. This means that clients will be going around the community to find donations to cook a delicious meal for the volunteers. They are planning to make it really special to show their appreciation for the volunteers!

For more information about the FHL $50 Challenge or the FHL Week Sponsorship Challenge

Four Neighborhood Cooperative Outreaches

A vision to help one another extended to neighborhood associations helping other neighborhood associations. Some of the projects and outreaches are:

• Indianapolis Police Kids’ Bike Outreach,
• Kitchen Repair for a Fire Station,
• Food Drive,
• Food pantry clean ups and upgrade,
• Various children outreaches,
• Neighborhood public prayers and other creative ways to reach out in their own backyards.

All of this year’s projects are propelled by love. God has already established and decreed these things to transpire.

Some special things are happening during FHL Week 2016. I know God is pleased to see unity through the practical application of the Kingdom. I may be looking too deep into the occasion. Perhaps throughout the years, it became part of me – a backyard mission to serve one another unconditionally, not an event but a lifestyle of Love just as our Lord had shown us some 2000 years ago.

Here is a complete list of projects and outreaches for the FHL Week 2016 (July 24-30).