Last November, I was approached by Alyesse Coonrod, a case manager for one of our programs. She had three families who needed help with Christmas gifts in the Louisville area.
I quickly reached out to St. Matthews Baptist Church. Every year, members at St. Matthews come together to provide Christmas gifts for Louisville families. This effort, called Christmas Connection, brings joy to approximately 200 families. When I reached out to see if they would include KyUMH families in their efforts for the first time, they quickly responded with an overwhelming yes.
“Part of what made this moment so special to me was timing,” Senior Pastor Alan Redditt said. “Throughout Advent, we were exploring the story of Le Chambon, a village in France whose people opened homes, businesses, and farms to refugees and Jews during World War II. When asked why they did it, their constant refrain was, ‘Why wouldn’t we? This is who we are.’ As we learned about the opportunity to assist families in need this Christmas outside of our network, I kept hearing a similar sentiment within our ministerial staff and congregation. ‘Why wouldn’t we help?’ It wasn’t a decision. It never occurred to us not to.”
Brian Johnson, Youth Minister and director of the Christmas Connection program, said, “Christmas is a special time of year for giving and receiving. Every family has a desire to be able to give their children gifts that make their holiday brighter. Caring for one another isn’t hard and gets even easier when we work together for the benefit of our neighbors, whoever they may be.” I am grateful for St. Matthews Baptist Church and every other church that works to make sure children throughout the Commonwealth receive the joy of Jesus. Together, we can all be a Christ-centered ministry of healing and hope for all of Kentucky’s children who need help!
If you know of a church that wants to care for kids, please reach out to me at johnmark.boes@kyumh.org. I would love to explore ways we can partner with more faith communities throughout our state to make a difference for young people.
