Day 1

Great Day of Hope actually entered its fifth year this year. We had about 190 people serving in 8 locations on the first Saturday.

Around 15 kids (along with their parent or other adult) helped to paint some sun-catcher crosses for Northside Mission as a part of Great Day for Kids. The crosses will be handed out as a part of Great Day next week. During the time these kids had the chance to hear an explanation of the Good News. The crosses are really pretty impressive - be sure to check out one of the pics if you can.

At Pregnancy Lifeline, we highlighted Bibles and sorted a bunch of clothes and hung a TV or two. Each year thousands of women come to Lifeline who are in crisis pregnancy situations. The vast majority are thinking about possibly killing their unborn baby when they come in. Thanks to this ministry, most of these choose to give life to their baby, and Lifeline helps to resource them throughout the whole process, even after the birth. What is more, many of these women are also coming to faith in Christ!

Bread Basket Ministries help provide food and other resources to people in financial need. Every person who comes to Bread Basket for assistance is also given the Gospel. Our team helped to install some new carpet in the large meeting room, sorted a lot food (much fun was had with the brown sugar), and planted some new flowers.

The guys out at HOPE Farm were having a lot of fun with those chainsaws and trimmers, helping to clear a lot that makes room for some much needed expansion. We also helped prepare some garden beds for new planting. HOPE Farm does an amazing job of mentoring fatherless boys to help them mature into Christlike role models for their community.

Over at Beautiful Feet, we helped to paint a loooooooong black iron fence, and also helped in the kitchen and pantry. The Feet feeds the homeless and gives them the Gospel 7 days a week.

Union Gospel also ministers to the homeless as well as many other folks in need. We painted a huge silver fence that surrounds a play area used by the 60-some-odd kids who live at UGM. Again. Cuz' I know we have painted that thing before. Sure looks nice with a fresh coat of paint. Texas sun and heat and rain are not nice to painted surfaces, that's for sure.

We sent a large team over to Cornerstone Assistance Network. Not as well known to folks at McKinney, CAN also ministers to the homeless by offering a wide array of services. Their headquarters is in the old Pancho's Buffet building off Airport Freeway. The scope of this ministry is truly impressive. Our team split into three groups - one group sorted donations in the massive warehouse, another did some canvassing in the neighborhood, while another did some work over at one of the housing facilities.

Northside Mission is one of our best kept secrets - it's a church plant that is reaching out to hispanics on the northside of Fort Worth (hence the clever name). The church itself is called Iglesia Victoria. This is sort of an unknown fact at McKinney. But the real secret is that they feed our folks an authentic Mexican meal on Great Day. Lots of painting over there today. But one of our guys actually helped with the rice this year.

Many thanks to all those who came out and donated a few hours of their time on this glorious fall Saturday to bless others in our community. You all made a HUGE difference - some 600 hours of work - you can do the math on how much that might be worth in labor costs... But the real value of course is the eternal difference made in the lives of those we served and of those who are served by these great ministries.

Seven more teams go out next Saturday - some very cool things in store... Stay tuned!