Gifts that Give Hope-Giving that makes a difference
The holiday season is upon us and if the thought of shopping for a loved one that has everything pushes your stress level up, consider shopping the “Gifts That Give Hope” alternative gift fair. Gifts That Give Hope are gifts purchased in the form of donations to local and global non-profit organizations in honor of friends or family. There are 30 different non-profits on the shopping list, each offering three gift items. A total of 90 different gifts that CHANGE LIVES. Gifts range in price from $3 to over $100.
I’ve had the opportunity to serve with a group of selfless volunteers for the past four years to bring the alternative gift fair to the Lancaster community. The idea of giving to someone who is not on anyone’s gift list and helping non-profit organizations continue to do their work captured my heart. Read more 
Zealous Love
As a member of Hempfield United Methodist Church, co-chair of our Reach Out commission, and a founding member of the Gifts that Give Hope Alternative Gift Fair in Lancaster PA, I am excited to share this event with our congregation and the community. You have an opportunity that does not come along very often: the opportunity to engage with an author that will help you change the world.
Mike Yankoski, who entertained us with his memoir of living on the streets as a homeless
person in Under the Overpass has now written a handbook, Zealous Love: a Practical Handbook to Social Justice, on how to address eight specific challenges ranging from trafficking, unclean water, education, inequality, and hunger.
One of the realities of the social justice movement is that the church has been on the forefront of challenging the unacceptable status quo and seeking new and doable recipes for positive change. Religions have used their infrastructure to educate and empower their parishioners towards helping to make a difference. The message conveyed by Yankoski is that everyone is capable of not just recognizing problems but also being proactively engaged in their community.
Learning to help the neighbors down the block and across the seas will inevitably bring passion and grace to our simple lives.
Women’s Dinner Recap
The ladies in our small group attended the Women’s Dinner on Wednesday evening May 18th. Since this is not the first Women’s Dinner I’ve attended, I thought I knew what to expect. We sat close to the back and our table filled up quickly. A delicious chicken dinner was served to us and after dinner, coffee and chocolate cake. It was easy to see a lot of thought and preparation had gone into the meal.
In previous years, I’ve enjoyed listening to the speakers but Tabitha was different. Her story of hardship and then the blessing of her husband Joseph, how they met and the adversity they faced before marriage was captivating. Tabitha gave God the glory for bringing her and Joseph together. Even before Tabitha spoke, she had us on our feet singing praises to God. Throughout her testimony, she gave God the glory for what He has done in her life.
Tabitha has a dream. She told us of a disciple serving the poor from the book of Acts named Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. Tabitha shared stories of hardship with us about women in her village in Kenya, Africa, and how she believes a ministry can help them. She’s named her dream “Dorcas Ministries.” Tabitha closed with a prayer of gratitude. Her prayer felt like a fountain of gratitude overflowing for all we take for granted in our day to day lives. We were again on our feet thanking Jesus for water, for our homes, for our comfortable transportation, for the mattresses we sleep on, for health care, education, food, and so many blessings we have and don’t always think about.
I thank God that He led Joseph and Tabitha to Hempfield UMC and for the dream He has given Tabitha. I can’t wait to see where God will lead Dorcas Ministries and how He will use us to help fulfill this dream. As I left the Women’s dinner with a much deeper feeling of gratitude than when I had arrived, I couldn’t help thinking that I wanted to spend more time with my sister, Tabitha.
Small Group Testimony: Spurred on by others
Small group has been a blessing and an answer to prayer for Steve and I.
Whenever I prayed for us to be included in a small group, the verse found in Hebrews 10:24-25 kept coming to mind, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
We’ve been married for more than 20 years and our small group at Hempfield is our first time experiencing small group. In just the short time we’ve been meeting it’s easy to feel the power of the Holy Spirit leading us. We pray together, encourage each other and study scripture.
Recently we did a service project together and through reaching out to the community, the experience blessed our group as well. I’m able to share anything with this group of folks and I know they genuinely care. It is comforting to have a group of Christian brothers and sisters to walk through life with.
Have a testimony to share about the impact Group Life has had or is having on you? E-mail it to mralph@humclife.com.
3050 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, PA 
717.285.5156 
