I had some people ask me where they could buy the new Nintendo Wii Wii we premiered this weekend. It’s a totally new way to experience our restroom cleaning outreaches. It’s pretty amazing…you can virtually clean toilets without leaving your couch.I’m sorry, but the Wii Wii is back-ordered. And even worse, ours broke down at VCC after someone left the seat up.
This weekend I mentioned our big event on December 24th: the 6th Annual Christmas Eve Donut Outreach. Instead of holding a traditional Christmas Eve service, we’ll meet at 5pm, sing a few Christmas carols, light our candles…and then everyone grabs a couple dozen of the 24,000 Krispy Kreme donuts to give away to people who have to work on Christmas Eve.
Two years ago the weather was horrible: about 10 degrees above zero following a foot of snow and ice that dropped the day before. But for the thousand or so people who came, it was a blast. Later we got what I thought was going to be a negative email from someone who went out with donuts. Everywhere this person went—like police stations and video stores and hotels—someone had beaten them there and had already given out donuts. She wrote:
“…We were feeling irritated about our ‘wasted time’. All of a sudden we see an office building with a parking lot full of cars. The door was locked, but we decided to see if we could get a box to a security guard. A guard let us in. When we gave her the donuts and told her what we were doing she started to cry. She couldn’t believe we showed up when we did. Moments before she was sitting alone feeling sad, lonely, and completely forgotten. It turns out she had just moved to town, knew no one and hadn’t had any luck finding a church where she ‘could fit in’. It’s amazing how much power can be held in a box of donuts. A girl far from home at Christmas realized that she had not been forgotten by God…all because someone handed her a box of Krispy Kremes and reminded her that God loves her. She was getting ready to leave the lobby and go on her rounds when we showed up. Had we gotten there any earlier or later we would have missed her. She was still crying when we left, but stopped long enough to ask, ‘Do you think I could go to that church?’ She seemed very excited when we said ‘Yeah, they take all kinds out there”.
Isn’t that a cool email? Who would have thought some donuts would open the door for a “God-conversation”? I could do this every Christmas Eve.
As a matter of fact, I think we will.
wanted to add to dave's post....
ReplyDeletecheck out charlie hines' new song and video at...
www.vineyardcincinnati.com/youwait
it's no "November Rain" but it ain't bad...
Last year, the sweet aroma of fresh crispy creme donuts sweating with a mouth-watering glaze filled the halls of the Vineyard. There were so many at last year's donut outreach, it was hard to find a police/fire station that no one visited. We went clear up to Springboro and handed our donuts to a police woman who was working that night. She was touched that someone would think of them on Christmas Eve. She asked what church we were from after we said something like, "We just wanted you to know we appreciate your service to our community and that God loves you." She said that it's cool that a church would reach out like that and remember us on such a night.
ReplyDeleteLast weekend, I got a real sense of church when I attended all 4 services for the first time ever (since my daughter was in the choir). I had more conversations with people at the Vineyard that day than I did the entire year of 2006! That's what I want and need - real connection with brothers and sisters of Christ. I think I might make a habit of being at all 4 service by volunteering somewhere. What an awesome church - a functioning part of Christ's body that I want to be part of.