Thinking Outside the Box

On June 26, Church of the Resurrection in Longwood announced to the congregation the start of a Home Furnishings and Personal Care event to benefit Loaves & Fishes of Apopka. Ministry members Donna Hilyard and Tom Nooft wanted to do something different, something out of the box.

“My family had dropped groceries in our food box on numerous occasions; however, I felt passionately that there was much more to be done,” Tom said.

Tom approached Donna, a new vestry member, and asked how he could help. The two toured the new Loaves & Fishes facility on the outskirts of downtown Apopka. There they witnessed an organization dedicated to filling the needs of the homeless and disenfranchised. A steady stream of people came to the facility’s main entrance seeking help: young people, mature adults, children with parents, and regular visitors in need of a warm conversation.

The facility operates with three full-time employees and 135 volunteers who joyfully serve 400 people each week of the year. These workers are angels called upon by Jesus to be true disciples of his Word.

This charitable organization develops a sincere and loving bond with the people it serves. The team is there to help people get back on their feet without judging their circumstances, which in this era is a refreshing miracle.

After leaving the warehouse, Tom and Donna could not stop talking about workable ways in which to support the organization. Loaves & Fishes has a tremendous and continuous need for food, home furnishings, and personal care items. Although Tom had experience with a previous employer in working on events for charities in the Orlando area, he had no idea what to expect at Resurrection. But he and Donna were soon to find out.

Donna explained: “This was a first undertaking, which was vastly different, and we had no idea how far we could go with it.” Parishioners were excited as the church’s bridal room filled up with bakeware, cookware, personal care bags, diapers, infant formula, towel sets, blankets, and sheet sets. The church family was incredible in their level of participation, and many people will benefit from their generous gifts.

In his book, Crazy Christians, Presiding Bishop Curry speaks about turning things upside down in order to create a welcoming church based on love, hope, charity, and filling the spiritual needs of the populace at the same time. He asks what a church would look like that went out to the community rather than waiting for the community to come in. He points out that when Jesus associated with sinners and tax collectors, his family thought he was crazy, hence the term “Crazy Christian.”

A Crazy Christian is a disciple of Jesus who will go beyond the ordinary into the not-so-ordinary to be a little crazy, a little different. What an enlightening concept for a church that relies heavily on tradition! Traditions can be wonderful; however, change is an inevitable requirement for sustained growth in any organization.

Tom and Donna approached Loaves & Fishes because the organization has a passion for helping those in need. How far could Resurrection go to help? Tom and Donna felt sure there was a need to offer much more help for the people the organization serves.

Resurrection decided to have a Christmas in July event to challenge both services, a race to see which could exceed the other’s donations. A plaque to be hung in the narthex would note the service that finished in first place. A wonderful example of the enthusiasm for the event was a note written on a donated set of Sponge Bob sheets, which said, “Sponge Bob says the 8:00 a.m. service is going to win!”

“Reading this helped to further inspire me toward being involved in this endeavor,” Tom said. The plaque, which can hold 10 years’ worth of achievers, is set up so that Christmas in July at Resurrection could be a reality for 2017 and beyond.

Father Paul told Tom and Donna, “You’ve created a monster,” and they truly had. But they had a great time inventing and feeding this monster. They hope and pray that in the coming months, they can grow it and other ideas to benefit the needy.

The response to Christmas in July at Resurrection was tremendous, a blessing from God and our Lord Jesus Christ. The flame of the Holy Spirit shone brightly over the participating church members, many of whom exceeded any expectations Tom and Donna had. On just three Sundays specified for the event, more than 335 items were collected.

Donna said: “I find myself smiling more at people I meet and look for small ways to help.” She and Tom, along with the congregation, are ready to move forward. They eagerly await the next event to benefit Loaves & Fishes.

Marcy Charles and her family moved to Florida in 1993 and became members of Resurrection the same year. She was a preschool teacher before joining the staff in 2004 as church secretary and has since worn many hats within the church office.