When our hands become His hands we let others see the cross
The church’s mission is to fulfill the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). One way we do that is to be engaging the culture in which we live through mission work. Whether through feeding the hungry, passing out candy in Trunk of Treats in October, helping out Country Santa, or other mission opportunities, we want to impact lives and meet needs in Pickens. Almost every instance of Jesus ministering, he always took care of the physical needs and then the spiritual needs. We want to do the same. Think of the blind getting their sight, feeding the multitudes, raising the dead, and healing the sick. We take seriously Matthew 25:31-46. “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:40). We invite you to become part of this mission opportunity. Come and get a New Beginning in outreach to those in need.
“Every weekend in Pickens County, 1 out of 17 students goes home and does not receive adequate nutrition until they return to school the following Monday. More than 700 students suffer from this problem in K4 through grade 12.”
One ministry we have supported, since our start, is feeding hungry children in Pickens County. We do this through a community effort that is making a difference in the lives of Pickens County children. Every weekend, 1 out of 17 students goes home and does not receive adequate nutrition until they return to school the following Monday. This results in frequent visits to the school nurse, absence from class and low grades. Hungry children do not have the physical strength or mental capacity to excel at school and reach their educational potential.
This program is patterned after the Rock Hill School District who saw the same need and implemented the program in their District. After one complete year they wanted to find out if it was working or not. Records were checked of the children who had participated in the program. They were shocked to find that 80% of these students improved academically and their visits to the school nurse decreased by 40%.
By working with the Pickens County School District Office and the individuals, over 700 children were identified who receive little or no food over the weekend. The Feed a Hungry Child Program started with a group of individuals and churches who saw a need and decided to do something it. They are partnering with Golden Harvest Food Bank out of Augusta, Georgia and Liberty to provide each child with food over the weekend.
Since the kickoff in October 2010 the Pickens community has responded so that several schools are already receiving the food. The cost of each bag is $4.00. The cost to feed one child for the entire school year is $128.00. Each month we have sponsored one child for an entire year through the generous tithes and offering of our members and attenders. If you would like more information about how you or your church can be directly involved you can call 864-987-9890, e-mail at help@pickenschildrne.com or visit their web site at http://www.pickenschildren.com/. You can also be part of supporting this mission work by giving your tithes and offerings each Sunday at New Beginnings.
