The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is officially behind us. WOW. What a crazy, busy and amazing season for us as a church. We were able to give and reach out to so many, and while that would seem like we were able to bless others, we as a church are so blessed to be a part. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Check out this amazing outreach we were able to be a part of through local partnerships and working with our school system:

Dalton Elementary is an inner city school in Baton Rouge with so many children who may go without at Christmas time. HPC partnered with local businesses [The Baton Rouge Business Report, SSA Consultants & Advance Baton Rouge] to provide 91 toys to children! Depending on their age the children either received a MP3 player or a Leap Frog video game, while Cooking for Christ also served up delicious hot meals for all the families. As the icing on the cake we were also able to give each family a ham to bring home for Christmas!

Business Report employee Shannon Rasbury described her experience saying, “It’s an indescribable feeling to be able to participate in giving gifts and food to families in need. Although I don’t know each family’s situation, I would say this is the only Christmas they will have. Without the toy and ham, the kids would wake up Christmas morning with nothing. I love to see people going above and beyond at Christmas time to give kids that otherwise wouldn’t experience it, a great Christmas! I think by providing even the smallest gift or a meal, you can bring hope to people who have none. It shows them that they aren’t forgotten, and that other people really do care. These people truly matter to God, and all we are doing is extending the love of God to people who desperately need it. And you never know…it may be the first or last time they experience Christ’s love. We felt very honored to be a part of such a great outreach!”

This weekend we were able to be a part of two of the most amazing outreaches we have done all year. Saturday morning a team of volunteers headed to one of the local nursing homes that we visit monthly that has also transformed into a site where we have a monthly church service on Sunday evenings for the residents. The residents of Sunrise Assisted Living Home joined in with Servolution and stuffed 150 stockings full of candy for the Foster Care Children’s Christmas Party that happened Saturday afternoon at the Baton Rouge Dream Center.

It was amazing to watch these precious people find such joy and purpose in being able to give back and serve during the holiday season and take ownership over this outreach. After stuffing the stockings and sharing in some Christmas carols, we loaded up and headed to the Dream Center.

It was there that the Dream Center team had partnered with the Office of Child Services to throw a HUGE Christmas party for 150 local foster care children. WOW. How amazing to watch the love of God poured out to those without families or hope in this Christmas season. There was plenty of food, fun, dancing and presents for all of these beautiful children to remind them that they are loved- by us, but more importantly by God.

It was impossible not to reflect on this day of serving without the scripture from James coming to mind, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress”. That is God’s heart and that is exactly what our team was able to witness on Saturday. What an honor to serve those God has given us!

That was just the beginning of our Christmas outreaches, and we are looking forward to our big Dream Center outreaches this weekend when hundreds of families will come together to bless others with gifts and love in Baton Rouge & Donaldsonville. Make sure to be a part, or join with your church to bring joy and hope during Christmas!