This year, the Life Group team designated funds to go toward Life Group Community Care projects, empowering Life Groups to get involved in serving the community with financial support from our Connect department. The MacDonald Life Group took this opportunity to connect with a representative from the Maternal Opiate Medical Support (MOMS) program to learn how they could help. MOMS provides vital care and education for mothers struggling with opioid dependence, offering obstetric care. At the same time, they receive the necessary medical treatment to help with their opioid use disorder. This program is overseen by the FOCUS Recovery and Wellness office in Findlay, OH.
The MOMS team provided a list of needed items, and the MacDonald Life Group responded by donating baby bottles, laundry detergent, swaddles, and baby carriers — totaling $500 in value. This generous contribution will support mothers in need as they work toward healthier futures.
Another initiative the MacDonald Life Group brought involved support for the local foster care and adoption agency Keeping Kids Safe. They asked the agency how they could better assist them and received a wish list that included craft supplies for children of all ages and toothbrushes and toothpaste — essential items for children in foster care. Life Group member Tracy Thomas organized a shopping trip for all the ladies and their daughters to Smarty Pants educational store and Kroger to purchase all the craft supplies and hygiene items from the wish list. These donations, totaling nearly $500, will help foster children served by Keeping Kids Safe, providing both practical items and creative outlets.
This project is a beautiful example of Life Groups coming together to bless the community, encouraging and supporting families in need.
Lastly, the Stechschulte Life Group recently came together for a hands-on Community Care project, spending the day serving five local families in Ottawa. Group members raked leaves, washed windows, and trimmed tall grasses, making a visible difference in each yard they touched. Not only was it a productive day, but everyone enjoyed the experience and is already looking forward to more service projects. This simple act of service was greatly appreciated by the families and brought the group closer together as they worked side-by-side to bless their neighbors.
Through these Community Care projects, God is powerfully at work in and through our Life Groups, inspiring members to step out in service and meet real needs in our community. From supporting foster children, encouraging mothers in recovery, and lending a helping hand to local families, our Life Groups are a testament to the love of Christ in action. Each act of kindness, big or small, is an opportunity to share God's grace, showing our neighbors that they are seen, valued, and loved. We're excited to see how God continues to use Life Groups to make a lasting impact in the lives of those around us.
Here are some images from these awesome Life Group projects!
Stories, news, and resources for things happening at Gateway Church.
