In the third chapter of Malachi, the end of the entire Old Testament, God challenges us to, “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’” I always think of this passage at the Thanksgiving service, when our families come to the altar of the Lord and leave food offerings.

This Saint John’s tradition continues this year. The beautiful symbolism of bringing food into God’s house and the functional purpose of restocking the Food Bank work together to help feed those in need in our community.

The Human Needs Board is asking congregation members who are able to bring a bag of non-perishable food items to the 6:30 PM Thanksgiving Eve service. This food will be shared with the needy in the Fort Collins community through Saint John’s Food Bank. Bags with giving suggestions will be provided on Sunday mornings starting a few weeks before. Watch the bulletin for further details!

If you have children, let them help you purchase the items for the bag. Then, when your family presents the bag of food at the altar, it will mean more to the kids. Talk with them about people who are disadvantaged and need help obtaining enough food for their families. It is essential to pass on the meaningfulness of our charity in response to God’s many blessings to us. Assist the children in learning early the joy of giving.

Saint John’s Food Bank is open each Tuesday morning from 9:00 to 11:30. Many in the community are served through this ministry. In addition to food, we consistently need personal hygiene items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant, toilet paper, etc … .

Currently, we are also low on children’s winter clothes. While we appreciate all donations, we are only able to utilize clean, gently used items. We want to be respectful and present our customers with items that are nice enough to use ourselves.

Grateful thanks go to the faithful volunteers in the Food Bank. Because each person is not able to come every Tuesday, we are sometimes shorthanded. Volunteers are always welcome!

Nelly Sanford chairs Saint John’s Board of Human Needs, which finds opportunities for the members of Saint John’s to provide a Christian witness by helping people in the community struggling with daily necessities.