I honestly never thought I’d write a post about National Train Day on Get Compelled.

On Saturday, the Indiana Transportation Museum, which is in Forest Park (Noblesville) hosted an event to celebrate National Train Day. They offered free admission for participants who brought bag of food to be donated to the Hamilton County Food Pantry Drive.

What a success! Results: three BIG boxes of food donated by Hoosier train enthusiasts. Food donations were taken to Third Phase (one of Grace’s Frontline Ministries) in Noblesville.

Not an exciting picture, but these boxes are loaded with food.

People at the Transportation Museum got it right. They put on a big event to promote their own business while thinking of others first. They could have easily scrapped the idea for the food drive, but they created their event with the least of these in mind.

If you’re reading this and you’re in Hamilton County, are there any ways for you to collect food like this? What ways can you help others in the midst of everyday happenings?

Here we are at Outreach, Inc.

Eric Howard did NOT expect us and was quite surprised.  Here is a thank you from Eric.

Here is Pam Sardar from Truthseekers International.  She is so awesome and has such a passionate heart.

Our last stop of the day was at Third Phase right here in Hamilton County.

Betty and Ruth have been serving at Third Phase for I don’t know how long…30 years?  Here is Betty sharing some of her heart.

This was a fun day representing the people of Grace in sharing the checks from the Christmas Catalog.  So cool.

Over the weekend, we saw a fantastic final push for people to sign up to serve during the Weekend of Service next weekend! We are now up to just over 2,500 people registered to serve, which means that about 300 people signed up since Friday…that is great news!

Can you believe that it’s here already?

Here are some ways you can pray specifically for the weekend. Thank you for keeping Weekend of Service at the top of your prayer list this week.

We thank God in advance for the amazing ways He is going to work in and through our volunteers, and how our volunteers’ lives will be changed as well. Please pray for safety for all of our volunteers, while serving at their project sites and traveling to and from their project sites.

Widespread cases of flu and other illnesses are being reported; pray that God will protect our 2,500 volunteers from catching any of these bugs and viruses that are being spread, so that we can all serve God with everything we’ve got.

Please continue to pray for beautiful weather. I’ve been watching Weather.com’s extended forecast over the past few days and have seen the prediction for October 17-18 go from chilly and a 60% chance of rain to highs in the low 50’s and sunny. Let’s continue to pray that God will give us a beautiful weekend to serve His Kingdom.

Pray for the food collection projects; approximately 10,000 grocery bags with fliers were placed on doors in neighborhoods around Grace this weekend. Pray that we will be overwhelmed by the generosity of our neighbors and will fill the shelves of Third Phase and Good Samaritan Network with food.

I’m looking forward to the amazing things God is going to do through this weekend. I can’t wait to hear your stories of how God showed up at your project.

Today’s post comes to us from Kirsten Johnson, a Grace attender and recent participant on a New York City Relief short-term trip.

Serving on the relief bus will change your life…it certainly has changed mine!

God knew just what I needed just when I needed it…About 2 years ago I had one of two life changing moments…I was a divorced, 31 year old mother of a 3 ½ year old son.  I grew up in a Christian home and knew I wanted the same for my son Brennan.  I had recently made some bad decisions and had also ended a six year marriage.  I was not attending church regularly.  There was this day where I so vividly recall God asking me what I was waiting for…Brennan was almost 4!  I thought well that is a good question.  When was I going to form this Christian home?  When he was a teenager?  God truly told me that day that I needed to make my life what I wanted it and we went to church that weekend.

The second life changing moment was within that first fews weeks at Grace when there was a video on the New York City Relief Short-Term trip.  Words can not describe what happened that day in church.  God tugged on my heart in a way I have never experienced or maybe never noticed.  I leaned over to my mom and said I am going to do that.  I went home that day, got on the Grace website and signed up for the February 2008 trip.  There is a sign in NYC at the Hope Center that says DANGER…Serving on the Relief Bus will Change your life.  It truly changed mine…I learned in that four days that our role was to love people. I can do that!

After the NYC trip God continued to tug on my heart more and more…I started serving dinner at the Wheeler Care Center for Women and Children in November.  I love it!  It’s really not glamorous.  I didn’t bring someone to Jesus that first meal but I got to serve about 50 women and 10 children filled with amazing moments of eye contact and smiles which were each an absolute blessing!

Brennan helps me rescue food from the Noblesville Panera Bread one Wednesday a month.  What a blessing this organization is!  We go to Panera about 8:55 p.m., right before they close, and pick up all the food that they have left.  We go to Third Phase food pantry, load it into grocery carts and take it in.  It has been really amazing to see Brennan grow through this experience.  At first he went in to Panera with me but then waited in the car at Third Phase.  Now he wants to carry things into Third Phase so he can help me and so he can see everyone.  He will even tell you all about what we are doing with the food and who it is for.

In June we began joining the Grace folks at Wheeler on Sundays serving dinner to the men and then playing games.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to serve at Wheeler I recommend just giving it one chance.  I will admit to you that even after a trip to New York and serving at the women’s shelter I was nervous about how it would go playing games with the men after dinner.  Immediately the first time I went I thought what on earth was I worried about?  It was wonderful and a really great opportunity to connect with people.  When we go now Brennan has his entire game agenda planned out prior to dinner.  It is something we both really look forward to.

I will hopefully be leading a trip to New York next June and I would love to share this experience with you if you are interested in being forever changed!

This story is a great example of a Grace attender who has been thoroughly “wrecked“. Read about her experience below.

I wanted to write to thank you for all that you and your team is doing to not only reach those in need, but also educate those of us who can help! I have learned so much in the past year or more about what we can really do. Through your teaching at Real Moms and Women’s Ministry, messages in GraceMain, the Weekend of Service, and just hearing about other outreach events, I feel somewhat prepared to respond when God brings an opportunity my way. Like today…..

I was shopping for groceries at my usual Westfield Kroger, when I smiled at a woman. She thanked me for returning the smile and then proceeded to tell me that she just lost her job and has been trying to work with a temp agency when possible, but her kids would be home soon, and she did not have anything to feed them. Noticing that she had just a few items in her cart, and tears in her eyes, I offered to buy her groceries. I was nearly finished with my own shopping, so she walked with me through the last couple of aisles. She had the makings of tacos in her cart, which she said her kids enjoyed.

I proceeded to ask her about her family. She told me that she had been to a few churches looking for help. I gave her information about Grace and asked if she was familiar with Third Phase. She was not. I wrote down for her addresses and phone numbers for both places, gave a hug, and prayed with her.

Of course I left wondering if I should have done more–make a call for her, have her follow me to Third Phase, something. I’m not sure if more was in order, but I thank God for this small opportunity to help someone directly, and for the resources our church provides. Of course I remembered that you are having the justice seminar this weekend. Thank you for continuing to educate and inspire people to help! Awareness is important, poverty is going to be impacting more people in more ways, and we will be equipped to help when the time comes! Thank you!

Feeling compelled to get involved? You can volunteer with the Hamilton County Food Pantry Drive on Saturday mornings and/or check out this website that will give you an idea of  good things to donate to a food pantry.

Our Staff Team took an informal poll one week around the halls and in the lobby of Grace…”How many Food Pantries are there in Hamilton County?” Yes…Hamilton County, number 24 on the highest income per capita list of all counties in the United States. Hamilton County, the number 1 place to raise a family according to Forbes magazine . Hamilton county, where the median income is $80,168 when the rest of the state of Indiana has an average median income of $47,034 (according to recent Census numbers). How many food pantries do we find here in Hamilton County?

The great majority answered with very low numbers….One, two…maybe a handful. The answer? Thirty-Two. Thirty-two food pantries in Hamilton County attempt to serve the over 16,000 families and children who are living in poverty.

Third Phase, a Frontline Partner of Grace Community church is Hamilton County’s largest food, shelter, and clothing pantry. Recently they hosted a Fashion show in order to raise awareness of their presence in our community, and to raise a little bit of money.

A fashion show benefitting Third Phase

This was the first time Third Phase has hosted an event like this. 84 Volunteers from churches all over our city came together to make it happen, and over 100 were in attendance. Our very own Amy Christie was the host for the evening, and John Jurgensen was one of the models! All clothes being modeled came from the clothing pantry at Third Phase.

Third Phase is doing amazing work and has been for a long time.  When most in our county are mostly unaware of the poverty around them, Third Phase is at the forefront of making a difference in thousands of lives.  The difference they are making is one of the best kept secrets of our county.

Click here to find out how to become more involved with Third Phase and begin to share in making a difference.  

Cheap Chic crowd enjoying the Fashion show