This year we went "Back to Basics" with Season of Compassion.  

We also had many serving opportunities through out the season.  
 Thanksgiving Serving Opportunities:

2008 Season of Compassion

“Season of Compassion”, our Thanksgiving and Christmas serving and giving ministry, has once again proven the compassionate and giving nature that is such a part of the Sugarloaf DNA. 16 leaders gave of their time and talents to direct over 205 volunteers that served 11 agencies and ministries. Sugarloaf as a church community generously gave what amounted to over 1900 gifts and food and food cards that provided 39 families a weeks worth of meals. We collected blankets for the homeless and provided parties for foster children, special needs families and low income families that emphasized our joy and celebration of Christ’s birth. We packed up shoeboxes filled with surprises for Navajo Children, collected and wrapped presents for a children’s shelter, and socialized with the elderly. As we reflect on this season and what it means to us......let us be reminded of what we can mean to others…..

………my daughter attends Sheltering Arms Daycare. Your church sponsored a Christmas party for us on Saturday. It was such a Wonderful event. When I first received the invitation from the school and was asked to write down things for my children, I was a bit weary about do it but the Sheltering Arm staff encouraged me to do so and I did and I’m very happy that I did. If your goal was to represent the true meaning of Christmas and show the Love of Jesus, then your mission was accomplished. Not only did I see how much love and care was taken in preparing this event, I also felt it. Just what to say thank you very much.

Thank-you, Sugarloaf!!!
 

Click here  to see the different agencies 

 

Thanksgiving Baskets

The Thanksgiving Baskets continue to be a blessing to all who give and are given to. The families that receive the food, gift cards and personal care items are so appreciative. Though we give anonymously since they live in our community, we do catch a glimpse of some of the families when they come to pick up their food. The parents are so happy and the children couldn't be sweeter. We have been told that the kids in these families receive their only complete, hot meal when they have lunch during the school day. This is a foreign concept to those of us that are blessed here in Gwinnett County. Thank you everyone for your wonderful generosity. It means more than you'll ever know to people you'll never know.

Christmas Parties

We sponsor a number of Christmas parties each year where food, fellowship, and gifts are provided to a number of groups and agencies that SUMC supports.

Wellspring Living 
A home for battered and abused women

The “theme” of our Wellspring Living party was “Serving Others.” We first helped the women decorate the inside of the house and decorate their Christmas tree. Then we helped the women decorate cookies to be served at our Children’s Christmas program on Sunday, December 9th. (We decorated extra so that we could leave some with them.) We had the women open the gifts we had brought them. Next, we completed a prayer quilt with the women to be sent to a soldier in Iraq.

The note attached to the quilt read:

About Your Prayer Quilt
Each Knot Represents a Prayer
As each knot was tied, a silent prayer was said for you.
“It’s not about the quilt;
It’s all about the prayers.”

The ladies wanted to write personal notes to the soldier that we are sending the quilt to. Then we completed a prayer quilt to leave with the women in the home. When we were explaining the idea of the prayer quilt, several of the women began to tear up. Finally, we served lunch and ate with them. 

My Sister's House 
A women's and children's shelter

We started by collecting 165 ladies nightgowns and ladies house slippers by putting ornaments on My Sister’s House Christmas tree during our Season of Compassion mission campaign. We purchased 165 pillow cases and had them lovingly personalized with hand drawn pictures and words of encouragement by our Sugarloaf Kids and Sugarloaf Preschoolers. We had volunteers to come help sort and bag up the donations before the party. We had about 60 adults and teenagers that came to serve at the party on Sunday, 12/16 at 7:00PM. At the party we played a Christmas game, sang Christmas songs, and Brandon Rushin gave a message of Hope to the ladies while Christy Howard read the Christmas story and made a craft with the children. We served cake, sodas, cookies, and chips to the women and children and then passed out gift bags of items collected through our church and 2 other churches.

Here is what 2 of the families had to say about serving with their families at the party

From Sharon Finlayson:

Seeing my kids interact so lovingly with the children warmed my heart! Kara (my 13 y.o.)sitting cross-legged on the floor in the church service and a sweet, little baby girl about 18mos. old came from behind her and sat on her lap. Kara had the biggest grin on her face and they just cuddled. My son Scottie (15 y.o.) being man-handled by a boy around 3-4 hanging all over Scottie. They were both really laughing as they quickly went by me and I asked Scottie who the boss was, as the boy pointed where Scottie was to take him. He was on Scottie's shoulders. Scottie answered enthusiastically, "HIM!" While we were singing Randy Redner asked us to take hands with those next to us as we sang, "Silent Night". The woman next to me had a vacant, empty look on her face. She wouldn't look up at me. (she was sitting and I was standing) She didn't look angry or sad so much as she just looked very empty. :( I didn't want to upset her by trying to hold her hand when she clearly didn't want to. I looked around and saw some really joy-filled moms and children. The contrast of emotions had me choked up. The woman sitting next to the one who didn't want to hold hands touched my hand and gave me the warmest smile and we held hands. It's like she was trying to comfort ME! I could really feel God's love in that moment. When we were done singing I gently rubbed the back of the woman who wouldn't hold hands with anyone. I don't know what she thought because she still would not look at me, but I've prayed for her every day since then. My husband, Jerry, said he was so glad he went!

From Julie Polacheck:

I think the thing that touched me the most was when our teenagers brought all the children from the chapel into the cafeteria. My big 6’3” son was holding the hand of a little boy that was probably around 4 or 5, and this child was looking up at him awestruck with these incredibly big brown eyes. The thought crossed my mind that these children, particularly the boys, probably ached for a male presence in their lives. Just the few minutes that our teenagers spent down on the floor helping the kids make a craft or holding them in their laps while they sang “Happy Birthday, Jesus” probably was something that they’ll remember for a long, long time. And, I know the blessing we received in serving them will stay in our hearts forever.

GRN Foster Children's Home
A children's shelter

On Saturday, December 1, from 11:00AM-2:00PM SUMC hosted 15 foster children and their families from GRN Community Service Board for a Christmas party in our Student Life Center.  The families were welcomed into the party for a brunch and the were able to enjoy games, create crafts and shop for their family members at the Santa Shop and Gift Wrap area. 

The highlight of the party was the Christmas-themed game show hosted by Brandon Rushin.  All the kids participated in a variety of games like Human Tree Decorating and Christmas "Let's Make A Deal" with prizes given to all the winners.  At the end of the party, each foster child was presented a stocking that had been filled specifically for them by members of the SUMC congregation.

This is the second year that we've welcomed the GRN foster families into our church.  It is a smaller foster organization that has lost a lot of its funding and has had to downsize, so they were thrilled when we invited them back this year.  Not only were we able to give them a wonderful Christmas party, but each child was also given a Bible and the families were presented with gifts cards to restaurants so they will be able to have a special Christmas dinner together. 

This foster organization is a special, closely-knit group who do so much with and for the children throughout the year, and we are have been blessed to be part of their Christmas celebration.  As one youth volunteer said, "It just wouldn't feel like Christmas without the foster children's party!"  It is a beautiful example of many hands coming together with the love of Jesus in their hearts to give and serve in His name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Angel Tree and Family to Family

This year nine local families were blessed with gifts, given through the Angel Tree.  Over 200 gifts were purchased, wrapped, sorted and delivered to families who are financially unable to purchase gifts for themselves.  An incredible feeling of joy and peace was felt by all.


Thirteen families were sponsored through the SUMC Family to Family ministry. Each SUMC sponsoring family was responsible for contacting, coordinating, purchasing , and delivering gifts and food for the holidays.   By “adopting” a family, our reach of generosity was extended beyond our households to people genuinely in need.  The experience of one family personally delivering the gifts to another is rewarding and an enriching experience.  This ministry is a true blessing to all!

Plantation South

On Thursday, December 6th and Saturday, December 22nd, SUMC had 34 volunteers that headed over to the Plantation South Retirement Home in Duluth to visit with some great retirees! We went long into the evening Thursday night singing Christmas carols and some good old fashioned hymns...And on Saturday afternoon, we sang some more, snacked some, played a little piano, made some really cool crafts, and then topped it all off with a special Christmas gift ~ a fleece throw blanket that was personally delivered to each resident! The joy and appreciation of our visit, gifts and personal attention to the residents was evident in all the smiles throughout the afternoon!

Pueblo Pintado Navajo Indian Reservation

Our SUMC families came through in a BIG way for the Children of the Pueblo Pintado Community School. Because of their generosity over 100 children will have a terrific Christmas. On Monday, Dec 3rd, 174 shoeboxes, filled with surprises and Christmas cheer, were shipped out to Pueblo Pintado Community School in New Mexico. A BIG thank you goes out to Michael Rector for his help in the shipping. On Saturday, Dec. 1st, 11 terrific volunteers gathered in Mission Control to sort through each box, wrap those boxes that needed it, and packed up the boxes in preparation for shipping. The boxes were filled with toys, socks, games; an assortment of gifts sure to bring smiles to each child's face. Each of the 127 children enrolled in the school will have a gift and more that 40 extra boxes were sent for children in the community. Thanks to all that contributed shoeboxes and the volunteers who helped get them out.

Great Day of Service