If you wear an “Orphan” shirt you get clean clothes. A story about God's attention to details.

If you wear an “Orphan” shirt you get clean clothes.

A story about God's attention to details.

Have you ever had "one of those days"? Well last Thursday was "one of those days" for me.

It was definitely not a normal day. It reminded me of a couple of my favorite children's books; If you give a mouse a cookie. or If you give a moose a muffin. The premise of these books is: once you do one thing then something else will happen causing another event and so on. A "snowball effect" if you will. Well that is how last Thursday went.

The following was written last Thursday night, August 21st, 2014 and summarizes that days events.

It all began the previous Friday (August 15th) when we were packing up our Orange Park home and traveling to High Springs to "close" on our new home. (We never got to "close" on our home until Wednesday, August 20- but that's a story for another day). We ended up leaving a bag of dirty clothes at our Orange Park house. A friend in OP took them to their home and she washed them for us.

Now jump forward to Wednesday, August 20. We closed on our High Springs home. Wednesday night we stayed in our new home.

Now on Thursday, August 21 at 7am Pastor Derek, Big Bob, Little Bob and Darren came to help us unload a trailer full of our gear into our garage. I cleaned up and hit the road to Jacksonville. I had been planning for months to attend a Jacksonville Baptist Association workshop on Preaching with the guest speaker H.B. Charles Jr. I was very excited to attend and to learn from an excellent preacher and communicator. On my way to Jacksonville I received a phone call from our friend and OP realtor Jenny Mosley. She informed me that a LARGE limb had fallen in the backyard of our OP home. When I say LARGE I mean over 20 feet long and a diameter of eighteen inches at the widest part. Based on the preliminary inspection, no damage to the home could be seen. The only damage she could see at this point was to our playground jungle gym, our metal picnic table and chairs and our zip-line were all now trash, flattened, totaled by the limb. 

I debated if I should skip the preaching seminar and go straight to my OP home and begin working. After speaking to Tricia we decided that the tree limb was a distraction by the enemy and it was best for me to go to the seminar. (I am soooo glad that I did!) I was truly blessed and inspired during the workshop. I was challenged and encouraged. Following the workshop I went to my OP house. I pulled up just as the tree guys arrived. After their initial assessment they began to remove the LARGE limb. As they began to remove the limb we discovered not one but four punctures into the roof with one penetrating all the way into the ceiling of our play room.

So by now you are probably wondering when I will get to the "clean clothes" part. "Hold your britches" I'm getting there! (Shelvin, that little joke was for you- miss you buddy). Anyway, as the tree guys began working I left the house to return a trailer that was loaned to me by a friend. On my way I passed "Papa" Jim Garner. I swung around and met up with him. He is a friend, mentor, prayer partner, advisor and all around great guy! Anyway I meet up with him and he gives me a box of clothes that "Granny" Alice Garner had washed for us. (See where I'm going with this?) Ok, so Papa Jim joins me in my adventures for the rest of the day. We ended up not being able to return the trailer at that time so we head back to the OP home again. As I walk out back to see how the work is progressing I overhear one of the workers say to Jenny, "My Uncle is a roofer and if you want we can do the job today for $. As I walk up this tree guy and Jenny turn and face me and we discuss the repair options and agree on a price. The tree/roofer guy tells me that my job is to go and get the supplies (this will save him time and me money). So, he provides me with samples of the roof material that I need to match and gives me a list of supplies needed. Papa Jim and I head to Lowe's with the trailer still on my car (luckily I was not able to return it earlier). Lowe's does not have what we need and neither does Home Depot. We were referred to a roofing supply place in Jax. So I call them up and discover that I have one hour before they close. Papa Jim and I look at each other and we both say, "It's gonna be close." It was a little after four by this point and they close at five. The store we need to travel to is Jax, over on Phillips Hwy, it is about five miles from where I was this very morning for the Preaching workshop. We take off. We get to the roofers supply place by 4:30ish- no I did not speed- get the supplies and get back to our OP house by 5:15ish. Not sure how we did all of that but we did. If you know anything about Jax traffic this was a miracle in itself this time of day. Thank you God! We hit almost every green light between Orange Park (Blanding & Kingsley) all the way to Jax on Philips and back over the bridge and to the house. It was truly a cool God thing. Every light we came to Papa Jim would say "You got another green, how are you doing that." We would just smile at each other and say, "Thank you God."

We drop off the roofing supplies at the OP home then we go and deliver the trailer to my friend. We spend a few minutes talking with him, have a cool God conversation then onto grab a bite in the drive through and get back to the house. We begin talking to the roofers and find out that the reason this guy had mentioned to Jenny about doing the roof was because he had read my shirt (One of my favorite shirts-all about caring for orphans in Christ name) and saw that I was a believer. He knew it looked liked rain and he did not want me to be stuck with water damage. Both he and his Uncle had worked very hard, physically demanding jobs all day and by now it was 7:50pm. We continued to have a great dialogue about Jesus and I got to share my "story" with them. They finish the roof and ask me what to do with the extra (left over supplies) I tell them to take them and use them to help someone else. They say that they know just the right person. They tell me about a person in their neighborhood with a trap on their roof. It's about 9:30pm and they leave. I head to Papa Jim's to take a shower and crash for the night with clean clothes.

You see God knew way back on that Friday that I would need clean clothes on this Thursday. He allowed us to forget them and for me to be able to have them when I needed them. God knew that I did not need a hole in my roof but He knew that someone else needed their roof fixed. It would have been very easy for me to get mad at God and others that day. I could have become very depressed and frustrated over the money and time and change of "my" plans from the events of that day. Here is the reality- God is always at work around us. Most of the time we miss it. We get so wrapped up in "our" plans that we may miss what He is doing. No way around it- this day was "YUK" in many ways BUT I choose to look for the good in the fog of the junk going on around me that day! God allowed me to share my story to several people that day. Who knows how many people were watching me and maybe saw a little of Jesus in me. God was at work in the details and I am blessed! Remember, take time to look for God all around you! Listen for opportunities to share your story!

So- here is a fun If you give a Mouse a Cookie style wrap up!

If you close on the house then you sleep at the new house.

If you sleep at the house then you have to unload the trailer into the garage.

When you unload the trailer you will need to travel to Jacksonville.

When you travel to Jax you get the call about the tree limb.

When you get a call about a tree limb you go to the preaching workshop.

When you go to the preaching workshop you go to the house and get there just in time to meet the roofing guys.

When you meet the Roofing guys one of them sees my orphan shirt.

When one of them see my Orphan shirt he thinks I am a believer.

As he is thinking I am a believer I try to return the trailer.

As I try to return the borrowed trailer I see Papa Jim and turn around.

As I turn around to see Papa Jim I get a call that i can't return the trailer at that time.

Because i can't return the trailer I go back to my house and overhear an offer to fix my roof.

As I over hear an offer to fix my roof I realize I still have the trailer.

Because I still have the trailer I go get roofing supplies (travel to Jax and back in record time)

After getting the roofing supplies I go to the house and drop off supplies.

After I drop off the supplies I deliver the trailer and have a God conversation.

After the God conversation I go back to the OP home and talk to the roofers.

While talking to the roofers I get to share my "story".

As I share my story we get to talk about Jesus and blessing others.

As we talk about blessing others I get my roof fixed before it rains for a great price!

Because I wore a shirt taking about Jesus I get to bless someone else with a roof.

Because I kept my focus in the middle of the storm I see Jesus.

Because sees the BIG picture I Have clean clothes to wear after a long, weird, not planned day!

Thank you God for one crazy day and for clean clothes to wear!

Always remember- God has the plan. We just have to choose to follow!

Now, let's see what tomorrow holds!

Blessings!

Skipper

Children's books referenced: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie  and If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff

"How are you doing?"

"How are you doing?"

"How are you doing?" Those are the words that I have heard a lot lately! Although not the most exciting response and sometimes not the most sincere I tend to respond "Doing Good." Now the words as individual words do not hold a lot of context. But, I do believe that the meaning, when combined with my current life situation, hold an entirely different premise.

On Sunday, July 27th my family and I began a new adventure. We accepted a "call" to serve in a sister church located in another town. This is not an unusual thing for full time Pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention. In fact most Pastors and staff tend to stay at a church less than five years. The last I heard, the average was eighteen months to three years. But, for my family, this was a Big deal. You see we have been in Orange Park for over fourteen years. I have served on staff at First Orange Park that entire time. Here is a brief summary of our time in Orange Park.

Tricia and I came to OP in May of Two-Thousand with no home and no children. We lived with the Senior Pastor at that time and his wife (Brother Alan Harrod & Mrs. Joyce) for several months. We purchased our first home. We had two children. We purchased a larger home. We now have five children.

So, for Tricia and I to accept another position at another church in another town is a big deal for us. As I shared with the church family at First OP last Sunday, "We have not made this decision lightly." In fact it was with many hours of prayer and through seeking advice from several trusted mentors and advisors that we concluded that this was the "Next" that God was calling us to.

Now back to the "How are you doing?" Many good, honest, friendly, loving people have asked me that question over the past days. Most of them mean with sincerity what they are asking. But there are a few who just wish to be well, lets say, just inquisivtive. I even had one person say "Has your heart left yet?" I had to ask what they meant. They went on to say that in their experience your heart leaves where you currently are followed by your mind and then body.  Friends, my heart and mind have not left OP yet! (some may say I "Lost" my mind many years ago but I have not lost focus on my current situation)

The reality is that Tricia and I have invested fourteen years of our life in OP. We have poured sweat, tears and even blood into this community. We are not leaving because we have to. We are leaving because we feel called to! This is not done lightly or in any way, shape or form easily. I have fourteen years of "stuff" I have to pack up and move in seven days all the while getting my home ready to sale which includes finishing three unfinished home improvement projects. We have five children that still need our time and attention, bills to pay and a huge ministry event to plan (Heart2Heart Preteen Girls Conference in September). We believe that God is in this! We believe that God is ahead of this, behind this and all over this. We are looking forward to serving alongside Pastor Derek and the family of First Baptist High Springs!

But, for right here, right now, here is the reality- If I were to unload and answer the question "How are you doing?"with detail I would have to say, "I am tired, stressed, excited, overloaded and like a kid the night before Christmas all rolled up into one."

So, if You ask me "How are you doing?" depending on what is going on at that moment I will probably say "Doing Good" and most of the time I mean it!

Thank you First OP family for the love and support over the past fourteen plus years!

We love you and will miss you!

PS: If you ask me "How can we help?" I have a list I can give you! :)

Twelve years ago today...

Twelve years ago today…

On New Year’s Day in 2002 my life was in turmoil. I was physically exhausted. I was emotionally drained. I was spiritually confused. I was mentally alone. You see a few hours after midnight my first son Joshua was born. Now I know what you are thinking, “Oh, Skipper you are exaggerating. I’ve had kids and I know it can be rough but I am sure it was not as bad as you let on.” Well I respect your opinion but the reality is that most of you, the vast majority of you, do not know MY story. To most of you I am the guy who plays with the kids upstairs at church. I am the guy who smiles and says hello on Sunday mornings but you have no idea who I am or anything at all about my life’s story. So, if you choose to read on then I would like to share this part of MY story with you.

Twelve years ago today…

On New Year’s Day in 2002 my life was in turmoil. I was physically exhausted. I was emotionally drained. I was spiritually confused. I was mentally alone. You see a few hours after midnight my first son Joshua was born. The 31^st had been a long day. Tricia and I had been helping a friend pack up to move. Tricia was tired. She was nine months pregnant with our first child and over due. We went home and she went to lie down. I sat in the living room to veg and watch TV. All of a sudden I hear my name from the bedroom. It is Tricia and she says her water had broken. I, being a silly male, asked, “Are you kidding?” She was not. We quickly get in the car and race to the hospital.

Fast-forward many hours. It is now late into the evening on the 31^st. Tricia is uncomfortable and doing her best to follow all the instructions given to her by the doctors and nurses. We have a few close friends in the waiting room. These friends hold a special place in our hearts to this very day. They had come up to the hospital, expecting as we did, to have the baby at any moment. As the evening moseyed along the doctors and nurses began to make wagers. You see it was between us and another couple- one of the two babies would be the first born of 2002. It was a fun time and an exciting time. We all watched the New Years Eve show on TV. Nurses would occasionally pop in and watch TV and check on Tricia. She became more dilated but also more intense in her pain. We knew Josh was a big baby but we did not expect there to be any complications. Midnight came and went. All celebrated. I gave my beautiful wife a new year kiss to welcome in the New Year. The lady down the hall had her baby. It was a girl-she would be the first baby born in Clay County for 2002. All seemed to be good except that Tricia’s feet began to swell a lot, real puffy like, more than they had during the entire pregnancy.

It was still dark outside, early in wee hours of the morning that the doctors began to check on us more often. They would check on Tricia, her vitals and all that medical stuff they do to women trying to have a baby. We were tired. Tricia was not feeling well, more swelling- feet, fingers and face. Tricia had tried “pushing” and all the other stuff they would tell her to do. The water had broken so many hours earlier. There appeared to be some complications. When Tricia would have a contraction all the nurses and docs would look at the screen. I knew there was something wrong. The doctor told us that they believed it was in the best interest of Tricia and the baby to perform a cesarean section. I went out to the lobby to inform our dear, precious friends who had stayed all night that we were preparing for an emergency C-section. Tricia was scared but she was also kind of out of it, she was not her normal self.

When I returned from the lobby they had taken Tricia and were getting her ready. The nurses began giving me instructions. I remember this as if I were watching myself in a movie. I sat alone in the wee hours of the morning in a black office chair on wheels, the kind that spins and goes up and down. I was dressed in blue scrub stuff from head to toe. Alone, in a hallway on that black chair, I swiveled, bounced, I even spun completely around just trying to stay focused. My wife and baby were in another room. My support group was in another room. I was all-alone.

Fast-forward another hour or so. Joshua had been born weighing in at 9 pounds and 10 ounces. If you have ever seen my wife you will know why they had to cut Josh out. There is no way that big guy was coming out of her small frame. Tricia was exhausted. She could barley stay awake. They took Josh to go and check him out. They began to focus on Tricia. Over the next few hours she would swell up from head to toe. I tease her now and say she looked liked a very, very over weight oriental woman because she was puffy from head to toe and her beautiful blue eyes could barely be seen. Her eyes were squinted almost shut and she could not completely close her hands due to the swelling. They tried to get her to feed Joshua but she could not. Something was wrong. This was beyond post baby stuff. Tricia had developed HELLP syndrome.

HELLP syndrome is a life-treatning pregnancy complication. HELLP stands for: H (hemolysis, which is the breaking down of red blood cells),
EL (elevated liver enzymes) and 
LP (low platelet count). The morbidity and mortality rates associated with the syndrome have been reported to be as high as 25% (1 in 4 of who get a severe case die). There are three stages of HELLP (mild, moderate and sever). Tricia was severe!

The nurses cared for Joshua. I tried to care for Tricia. Church members came by to see us. All I could do at the time was say “she is resting.” You see this was in the days before social media. There were no smart phones. No FaceBook or Twitter. The dear friends in the waiting room had gone home. We all thought, “the baby was born, Tricia is tired and all will be ok.” I was running on fumes of fumes. The nurse brought me Gatorade and Gingerale. Tricia would go in and out of sleep. The baby would come in and out of the room. Fast-forward again, finally, they decided to give Tricia a blood transfusion. Three bags of blood later, many hours, a nap here and there, and Tricia came around. By the next day Tricia was responding. She was returning to herself. She wanted to hold the baby.

The past hours were a blur to her. Tricia, Joshua and I all could now begin a normal time of bonding. It would be a total of three days before they would allow Tricia to come home from the hospital.

Today as I reflect back on those rough hours (36+) I realize one main thing- God has each of us here for a purpose and we must share our stories so others may grow closer to the True giver of Life. That day, that first day of 2002, I was faced with a precious new life and the horrifying possibility of a death all at the same time. I have never really shared about this before. Most don’t know this story or how severe the situation was. We each have a story. God has given us a life story. It is only when we share our stories, when we have the opportunities to share our stories that others may truly know who we are. And maybe, just maybe God will use our story to help someone else grow closer to HIM.

As you finish out this first day of 2014 I will be celebrating the life of my first son and the life of my wife and wonderful four other children. My prayer for you is that you will see the precious gift of life God has given you each and every day. I pray that you will seek the stories of others. That you will look for opportunities to share your own stories. It is only when we read and study God’s story that we learn how great this life truly is!

May 2014 be a year where your story grows but also a year where you share your story more than ever before. Start the year out well- ask someone about their story.

Blessings!

Skipper- proud father of a 12 year old, four other children and the precious gift my beautiful wife Tricia!

Happy New Year!

Hope- It's what's for 2014!

Hope-It's what's for 2014! Today is the last day of 2013. Many people will make New Year's Resolutions- most a halfhearted attempt to correct some wrong in their life. "I will loose 20 pounds." "I will read my Bible every day." Well if Truth be told shouldn’t we do all of those things anyway?

Statistics say that the number one resolution each year is to loose weight. Gyms across the nation find a huge jump in membership around Christmas time and a large attendance increase during the month of January. Historically the gyms also find a decline in attendance around February with March returning to the Pre-Christmas attendance.

Similar attendance rates are found in most churches as well. We experience an increase in attendance around Christmas time, usually Christmas Eve. Then in January after school starts back we pick up and by March we have returned to pre- Christmas attendance with only a few more attenders.

The search for HOPE, I believe, is the reason for the season. Christ came to earth as a helpless child, dependent upon his mother for nutrients and his earthly father for protection. Yet this deity, this creator of the universe came to provide HOPE for all. That same HOPE who lived and breathed upon this earth, that HOPE who died and rose again, that HOPE is available to each of us today. This day! We do not have to wait until tomorrow to find HOPE. We do not have to wait until midnight to proclaim our resolution and determination to follow the KING of KINGS more closely.

If you are like the vast majority of breathing humanoids currently alive on this planet then you are hoping that tomorrow will come and provide a fresh start. You are hoping that next year will be better. You are hoping that your work, personal or financial problems will be fewer next year. The only chance you have for HOPE, for a better year next then this past one is in Christ alone! Don’t try to do this half hearted. Don’t try to do this alone. Don’t make a resolution for tomorrow. Listen to THE GOD, THE Creator of the Universe, THE HOPE that came, died upon the cross- rose again and is alive right now. HE-The HOPE, is calling out to each of us. Just answer, “Jesus help me!” and HE will!

Day of Prayer for VBS (Summer JAM)

Dear friends,

This Sunday is the national day of prayer for Vacation Bible School. I am asking each of you to please share the following information in your area of influence. I believe that VBS (a.k.a. Summer JAM) has one of the greatest opportunities to reach out to the community and to share the Good News. Statistics show that more people come to Christ before the age of 13 then do after age 13. Statistics also show that Vacation Bible School is the largest and most effective evangelical outreach tool in the Southern Baptist Convention. To top it all off- I believe that this year's theme provides an excellent avenue to grow individually. This year's theme is Facing Fear, Trusting God based on 2nd Timothy 1:7. Please join me in prayer this Sunday.

Some needs that are specific to our church this summer are: 1- There is a need for more volunteers. Please pray that God will provide the volunteers needed to carefor the children He will send us.2- We need a great first touch crew (parking, registration, classroom leaders) Please pray for those serving in these roles and for others to volunteer in these areas. 3- We need new ways to reach Grove Park and other neighboring communities. We are reaching out to every Day Care Center in Orange Park and inviting them to bring their school age children to join us. We are advertising this as Summer JAM, a free, one week, half/day kidz camp for school age children. Lastly- we are seeking spiritual growth for everyone, young or old who attends. 

There are a lot of little details that go into the week of VBS and many people working behind the scenes to make it happen. Please pray for everyone involved that we may represent the One True God! 

I thank you for taking the time to read this and for praying for VBS/Summer JAM!

          Sincerely,
          Skipper

 Please see the LifeWay article below for detailed prayer needs and a prayer guide.

New post on LifeWay VBS - Colossal Coaster World - Vacation Bible School 2013 May 19, 2013 – National Day of Prayer for VBS by Rhonda VanCleave  Have you ever flipped the switch on a lamp several times and nothing happened? Do you remember the frustration of, “Why isn’t this thing coming on?” during your fruitless flips up and down. What about that sheepish, “oh,” realization when you see the disconnected plug? This is a pretty good picture of our efforts to spread the gospel without prayer. Prayer is the power source that enlightens and charges our efforts. We are less than a month away from what are typically the two biggest weeks of VBS. Even if your VBS is later in the summer, the time to begin praying is NOW! The VBS 2013 Administrative Guide has great prayer resources from prayer calendars to prayer walk brochures. And, this Sunday, May 19, 2013, is theNational Day of Prayer for VBS. I started thinking about praying for VBS and it occurred to me that V. B. S. is a great acronym for praying for VBS everywhere. V – Volunteers! Recently on our Facebook we asked people to share their prayer requests. (Our team prays for you!) One of the most requested prayer concerns was for volunteers to help. Jesus told His disciples to pray for workers (Matthew9:36-38). It is still an urgent prayer. The harvest is ready! B – Bible! God’s Word changes lives. God promised that His Spirit would be our Teacher (John 14:25-26). We need His power and guidance as we teach Bible truths to others. S – Salvations! VBS is still one of the strongest evangelistic efforts made by many churches. Prayer, concentrated Bible teaching, and the forging of relationships set the stage to share the gospel in a powerful way. Pray that hearts are prepared to respond to the gospel of Jesus. I hope you’ll join me this Sunday, as we pray together for VBS! Rhonda VanCleave | May 13, 2013

*You may read this article and other wonderful articles about VBS at:  http://bit.ly/12tO09y

Father of Five- a Valentine's Day love story!

Father of Five- a Valentine’s Day story of Love!

Yes, it’s true. I am the father of five kids! I know it’s a shocker but it is true. It never ceases to amaze me- the look on people’s faces when I tell them how many children I have. For those of you that know my wife and me, it may be a bit easier to understand. Both of us love kids. We always have. We both have a background and experience in Primary and Elementary education. In fact we both meet at the YMCA working with children. (I did meet her before that but I made such a poor impact she never remembered me and says to this day that she met me for the first time that day at the Y) Like I said in the title, this is a story about love. My wife and I were married in August of 1992. She was 19 and I was 25. (Insert cradle robbing joke here) It would not be until ten years later that we would have our first child. After our third son was born in 2007 Tricia and I began to talk about more children. Well after one miscarriage, one emergency Cesarean  one life threatening case of HELLP Syndrome and two additional planned cesareans  the doctor highly recommend that we do not have any more children the natural way. We began to pray. We felt that God told us that we were not done with our family. We decided to check into adoption. As we investigated adoption we discovered the idea of Foster to Adopt. This term is very vague and as we discovered there is more to it than the way it sounds. Anyway, jump forward to 2010. We had taken the necessary classes, made the necessary changes to our home, filled out the endless pages of paperwork. We were finger printed, background checked questioned by the CIA. *Just kidding about the CIA partJ. The point is that all of the necessary requirements were completed and we were certified back in 2009. So here we are in 2010. It had been about a year and we had an empty nursery room sitting in our home (this fact in itself was difficult for Tricia). We were both ready to give up and not renew our licensing. Then one afternoon we got a call. That day would begin a 15 month journey. We would eventually adopt our little Sunshine. She would make our family a family 6. Now jump forward to a few months ago. We received another call and were asked if we could take care of another one of God’s little children who needed a safe and loving home. We had not planned to add anymore to our family. We were not out there putting our name on a list. But, when we were called we prayed and asked God what we should do. Both Tricia and I came away with the same feeling- we felt like God told us “If you could you should.” I even tried to come up with reasons why we should not take in another child but I could NOT come up with any! I could not find any logical reason why we could not/should not open up our home and lives to another child. So here I am the Father of Five. I do not know how long our little lady bug will be with us. I do not know if we will have the opportunity to adopt. This I do know “We are doing what God told us to do!” So no matter what friends, family or others may say- We love our kids-all five of them! We are not a perfect family but our family is one of LOVE! So, on this “Day of Love” I challenge you to consider Fostering or Adoption. As of July 2012 there were 400,540 children in the U.S. foster care system (source- Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System Report). So tonight as you say “I Love You” to your special one- remember to pray for the children in the Foster system waiting for their forever family.

Blessing and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Shop for Free!

Shop for Free

What is it and why do we do it? The idea of Shop for Free was the brain child of Kristi Simpson. She noticed that the needs of some children were greater than the resources that their families could provide. Because of Kristi’s huge heart and her diligent efforts we began providing this opportunity for all of our children who attend FBCOP on Wednesday’s. The goal of shop for free is to make each child feel special by allowing them to pick out 2-3 gifts for family members. Through the generosity of church members, donations are collected throughout the year. We store these donations and then on our Shop for Free evening we allow children to shop. Church members volunteer to help wrap and label these gifts. It is our desire that each child goes home feeling God’s love and that they are so full of His love that they share it as they give to others. This year Melissa Poole and Laura Akers will be heading up this event.

How can YOU help?

As you can imagine, helping 75+ children shop and wait for their gifts to be wrapped is like herding cats! It is an absolute blast but it is a challenge. So "yes" we could use volunteers. There are 4 ways you can help with this event.

1st you can volunteer.  We need "shoppers" people who help the kids shop in a timely manor, "wrappers" people who wrap the gifts and "room helpers" people who will volunteer to help in a classroom with the Christmas party and activities.

2nd you can donate. We need new or slightly used items for all ages. Toys for boys and girls, gifts for Moms and Dads, etc. 

3rd you can give gift bags of all sizes and white tissue paper.

4th you can provide cookies or individualy wrapped snacks and juice boxes or drinks.

If you would like to volunteer please contact Connie Helmer at chelmer@opfirst.org

Shop for Free & Christmas Party Details & Schedule

6:00- 6:10- In assigned rooms to welcome Kidz and greet parents.

6:10- 6:30- K & 1^st go shopping, 2^nd & 3^rd in their classroom for Christmas party and activities, 4^th – 6^th 3rd in their classroom for Christmas party and activities

6:35- 6:55- K & 1st in their classroom for Christmas party and activities, 2nd & 3rd go shopping, 4th – 6th 3rd in their classroom for Christmas party and activities

7:00- 7:30- K & 1st in their classroom for Christmas party and activities, 2nd & 3rd in their classroom for Christmas party and activities, 4th – 6^th- go shopping

Room Assignments

Kindergarten & 1st- E#25 KidzFloor (2nd floor E building)

2^nd – 3^rd – E#24 KidzFloor (2^nd floor E building)

4^th – 6^th – Guys in KidZone, Girls in H2H room.

Shopping- 3^rd floor E building

This year

 I am both excited and saddened because this year I will not be here for this wonderful event. I am excited because I have the opportunity to go to Haiti with my oldest son (Joshua) and to serve the children in the Orphanage there. I am saddened because the Shop for Free event is one of my favorite events each year. To see the excitement on each child’s face as they pick out that “special” gift for their loved one, to watch as their gift is carefully packaged and then to see the gleam in their eye as they proudly carry it back to their class is absolutely heartwarming! Please pray for my son and I as we get to share God’s love with the children in Haiti. I will be praying for of you!

Thank you for your prayers for the children, the leaders and for my family!

Sincerely,

Skipper Rodgers- Associate Pastor of Children and Families.