Every year for the last nine years, we have been helping churches in Bulgaria help the less fortunate in their neighborhoods. We will do it again this year. We estimate that we will help about 350 kids this year in our eight church plants.
Each child gets hats, scarves and gloves, a toy or two, sweets and some form of the gospel message. If costs us about $15 a child (based on current exchange rates) to do this.
We are looking for churches or individuals who will help us help churches give a kid a Christmas.
We get the names, gender and age of the child from each pastor. We then purchase or have gifts made locally (to help a local business person have a better sales month). Our local church in Petrich wraps all the gifts, sorts them and then takes them to the pastor of each church for distribution. It is a win-win-win arrangement. The local church gets to serve the people of its community, we get to help the local business folks, and you get to give so that we can make it happen.
The local churches want to help but do not have the funds to do so. The local stores can use the business, and we are working with the people whom we want to reach with the gospel message. You can help us fulfill our mission this Christmas season by making a contribution to Virtual Christmas Gift Fund. Visit fmchr.ch/bvcgbm to give online. Money need to be given by mid-November so we have the time to get it all done before Christmas. Visit fmchr.ch/bcgbvid to view a video we made a few years back, but the information remains good.
Al and Diane Mellinger serve as Free Methodist World Missions’ regional leaders in the Balkans and oversee Team Bulgaria (teambulgaria.net). Visit fmchr.ch/admellinger to support their ministry.
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