Each January, we recenter our commitment to Spiritual Formation and focus on a specific Practice of Discipleship. In one of Paul’s most unique directives, he instructs his protege Timothy to disciple those who are “rich in this present age” not to set their hopes on earthly wealth. But …

“Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share…” - 1 Timothy 6:17-18

The vision of the Generosity Project is to inspire radical generosity – in the Way of Jesus for the good of our neighbors and the glory of God. This January, as we focus on the Practice of Generosity, we are calling everyone at Fellowship West to significant action. The Generosity Project is a four-week campaign, asking our congregation to meet specific goals in Money Given, Time served, and Gifts provided.

The Generosity Project

  • Money.

    “to be generous” by making a financial donation to help those in need.
    Goal: $10,000 raised to fund the charitable initiatives of The Generosity Project. ($7,000 for FTO Ghana Projects.
    $3,000 for Tennessee Foster Care Social Workers)

  • Time.

    Time: “to be rich in good deeds” by giving of our time to help those doing good.
    Goal: 250 hours of volunteer service with a partner organization or service project.

  • Gifts.

    “to be willing to share” by giving gift items to meet tangible needs of those in our community.
    Goal: To collect various items for our partners: (The Compassion Closet and Street Hope)

Money.

The Generosity Project Funding Initiatives:

  • Feeding the Orphans | $7,000

    • Commercial Washing Machine for the Nyame Dua Children’s Home. Imagine hand washing the clothes for 50 kids?! The aunties spend so much time hand washing all the children’s clothes that their main focus of loving on the children becomes diluted.  By purchasing a large commercial grade washer, this will free them up to devote their entire focus on the children in the home.

    • Generator for the Nyame Dua Children’s Home. The power frequently goes out and the children are unable to do their studies at night or run the ceiling fans overhead.  As a result the children will sleep outdoors and run the risk of developing malaria.

  • Tennessee Kids Belong | $3,000

    • Social Worker and Foster Parent Celebration. There are few jobs as challenging as being a Social Worker. You give witness to the plight of children in very broken situations on a daily basis. There are over 800 kids in Foster Care between Anderson and Knox County. With a shortage of Foster Care homes, these special families often carry a heavy burden in caring for children in need. These funds will support a special event honoring and caring for Social Workers and Foster families in our community.

Gifts.

As the first safe home in East Tennessee, Garland Oaks offers physical, emotional, and spiritual hope and healing to females rescued from domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST). We can support their mission by providing items needed by the girls and the house. In January, bring these items to the church:

Women’s pajama sets - size XS-XXL (pants and tops - no shorts)
Women’s athletic socks - ankle and crew 
New stuffed animals – all sizes (FELLOWSHIP KIDS SPONSORED ITEM)
Toilet Paper

Foster care is often messy. Most often, placements are last-minute and the families have little time to ensure they have the specific items these children need. The problem is made worse by the fact that often children enter the system with only the clothes they are wearing. The Compassion Closet supplies necessary items for Kids and Parents in these moments. We can stock their supply closet by bringing these items to the church:

New packs of underwear (all sizes, girls & boys)
New packs of socks (infant, toddler & boys specifically)
Diapers (sizes 4 and up)

Time.

Giving our time changes our perspectives on our priorities. Our church-wide goal for time given in service to others during January is 250 hours. That is about 1 hour per active adult in our congregation. Spend 1 hour this month serving a neighbor, non-profit, or community organization. To inspire others, submit your “service hours” with a brief story or description of your service. (anonymously or leave your name if you come across a great story!)

Ideas for service:

Volunteer at The Compassion Closet sorting items for Foster families. Volunteer at Thrive Lonsdale by providing a meal, or helping in the after-school program. Serve our neighbors at Cedarbrook by helping out with the mobile food pantry. Rake your elderly neighbor’s yard, volunteer in your kid’s school, or serve food at KARM. Let your imagination go wild!