A Mission of Gratitude
— Mary Koon
"On November 21st, the week before Thanksgiving, about 40 children, youth and adults from Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Minn., came together for a night of learning, fun and service.
"Each person created a unique paper turkey feather with paint, glue, feathers, glitter and markers. These feathers were placed into a huge paper turkey that greeted people on their way in to church on Thanksgiving.
"We did a Godly Play type interpretation of the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers. All were healed, but only one came back to express gratitude. We talked about the many ways to express gratitude – one of which is sharing. We put together 32 hygiene kits and talked about, then blessed the contents and those who would receive them. We finished the night by writing thank you notes to members of the congregation who have made a difference in our lives, expressing our gratitude for who they are.
"We are a church of about 500 people, and the Children’s Ministry team is very committed to inter-generational ministry and mission/outreach as part of faith formation. This was one example of how we tried to live out that call."
Thank you, Oak Grove, for blessing others by participating in the Gift of the Heart Kits mission, and for sharing your beautiful turkey with us!
Photo and story thanks to Mary Koon, Director of Faith Formation, Oak Grove Presbyterian Church