The federal government shutdown is creating immediate and significant financial strains for more than 40-million people in this country, many of them right here in Midland. There are potentially hundreds of families here in West Texas who, beginning this weekend, will not receive their SNAP benefits for groceries or their federally-funded childcare subsidies. These families are stressed. To say the least.

Our church’s local missions partners are already seeing greater needs and are working hard to respond to the crisis. And as a body of Christians here at GCR, we want to ensure they have the resources necessary to continue serving their families in practical and meaningful ways. Thanks to our forward-thinking Connections Minister, Ryan Rampton, and our shepherds, we have approved up to $50,000 in Breakthrough funds to support our local partners, engage our congregation in personal and relational ministry, and address the pressing needs of our community.

This is how we are distributing the funds:

Mission Agape – $26,000 to provide an additional 1,000 food boxes for families in need. We are gathering as a church to help pack some of those boxes on Wednesday November 12. One hundred of these boxes are being reserved for Opportunity Tribe families, to be distributed by GCR members.

Family Promise – $11,000 to cover increased grocery and childcare costs for families transitioning out of homelessness. GCR members are also serving meals at Family Promise November 10-13.

Emerson Elementary – we are providing $250 HEB gift cards for every teacher and staff member at our adopted school who is receiving SNAP benefits. And we are referring students and their families needing food assistance to Mission Agape.

Praise God that, by his grace and the generosity of our church three years ago, we are able to use Breakthrough money to respond quickly and meaningfully to the needs of our city. Please be in prayer for the families who are worried right now, and consider how you might be able to give of your time in the coming weeks to serve our neighbors, to love like Jesus.

Our sermon this Sunday is from one of GCR’s Core Scriptures, Micah 6:6-8, in which God tells us through his prophet that he is most concerned that we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with him. God’s people in Micah are living well while others in the community are suffering; God’s people are getting rich while their neighbors are hungry and poor; and God’s people are only concerned that their worship practices are in accordance with God’s commands. The Lord tells them they’ve broken the covenant, and they respond by asking how they should fix their corporate worship. That’s when God tells them they are missing the point–the most important thing is to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with him.

I think what GCR is doing in our local context during this national crisis, feeding our neighbors and providing for their needs, fits the spirit of acting justly and loving mercy. What this nation, what our city, needs from God’s people right now is not for us to be liberal or conservative, they don’t need us to be red or blue; they need us to be followers of Christ Jesus, they need us to operate in a certain way in our community because of our baptisms into the name of Jesus.

Peace,
Allan