On Oct. 26, members of Jordan Lutheran Church, Orefield, participated in various preplanned service projects specifically designed to serve their community and church members through the ELCA’s “God’s work.Our hands.” celebration. This church community frequently demonstrates compassion and love through faith that then transitions into positive and effective action, a tangible expression of what Christians are challenged to do.

This October’s GWOH activities included:

•It is tradition that prior to the kick-off of the “Gods work. Our hands.” activities at Jordan Lutheran, a Launch Lunch is provided to members and guests offering nutrition and fellowship. Following, all disperse and begin their duty of serving others.

•Christmas Cards with personal, handwritten messages to the military. This group provided 113 notes to military personnel that were then delivered to Keystone Military Families in Shoemakersville. This organization serves the needs of Pennsylvania deployed military personnel, their families and Pennsylvania veterans.

•Now in its 10th year, the Blanket Brigade at Jordan assembles blankets that have been passed onto the homeless in Allentown and/or to the children who are hospitalized at the Reilly’s Children Hospital. The pattern on each blanket and its size has been carefully selected for its intended recipients. To date, the Brigadeers have created and donated over 230 blankets to the community. This year’s bounty of 19 blankets will be presented to The Lehigh Conference of Churches.

•Advent Care Bags were prepared and distributed to the members at Jordan who are unable to leave their homes or care communities. The contents of the bags vary from year to year, consistently including ornaments, Christmas treats, a box of chocolate, a copy of the Christmas Story, crayons and coloring pages.

•The Holiday Hope Chest activity incorporates many benevolent facets starting with the early fall collection of empty shoe boxes that are then Christmas paper wrapped on “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday.

Members are persuaded to take these boxes and fill them with recommended age and gender appropriate gifts. The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley has been the recipient of the filled boxes who then distributes the 40 Christmas boxes Jordan Lutheran has donated, along with those received from other local church communities, passing the gifts onto underprivileged youth in the Valley.

•The “Great Wipe-Out” quirky collection campaign challenged Jordan Lutheran members to donate rolls of toilet paper intended to serve the daily requirements at The Lehigh Conference of Churches located in center city Allentown. The impressive toilet tissue tower, built in the church’s sanctuary in early October, grew to a mountain of over 1,100 rolls of toilet tissue enthusiastically and eagerly received by The Lehigh Conference of Churches in Allentown.

•Jordan Lutheran has been actively participating in the Family Promise of the Lehigh Valley program for nine years providing temporary housing, support, education, nutrition and safety for families in an acute homeless situation. For this “God’s work. Our Hands.” celebration, the youth at Jordan Lutheran chose to collect a large assortment of school supplies throughout October then assemble them into kits. The kits will be passed onto the Family Promise of the Lehigh Valley where current and future children will benefit from these kits for their school use.

The youth group also launched its Family Promise library campaign, collecting age-appropriate books for the guest children to read while they are residing at Jordan Lutheran.

Jordan Lutheran Church, nearing its 300th year anniversary, continues to demonstrate to the community “God’s work. Our hands.” is not a one-day celebration.

Their mission enthusiastically embraces the notion Jordan has no walls while their members provide the community with a bounty of faith and non-faith-based resources.

These benevolent events are designed to enhance the lives of the community and their church by sharing God’s generous Grace through positive action.