#LovePeople is the catalyst for this year’s Christmas giving campaign at Pneuma Church.
For the fourth straight year, the church based out of Ladner’s Delta Manor Education Centre is hosting an event where participants can pick up a pair of specialty designed food and gift boxes and then gift them to someone they know.
“We had 150 in the first year, 300 the second 400 last year and this year we will have 500,” said lead pastor Andreas Basson. “One box is for people who are in need financially, who need food for Christmas. The other box is for people who are not necessarily in financial need, but they just to need to know that someone cares about them, loves them and is looking out for them.”
The first gift box will contain a ham, potatoes, corn, pancake mix, chocolates, candy and other items.
The second gift box will contain a #LovePeople hoodie, Brie cheese, a water filtration system, chocolate, #LovePeople mugs and other specialty items.
“So it’s really a Christmas meal, Christmas breakfast and a desert for a family that can be put on the table for both Christmas Eve and Christmas morning,” he said.
All of the food and items in the two boxes, valued at around $125 per box, have been purchased by the church and will be packaged by members of the congregation.
They will be available for pick up on Sunday, Dec. 15 during the church’s free community Christmas production.
“Everyone who comes to the production gets two boxes and the goal is they will go to deliver them to someone who is part of their lives and they will reach out to,” said Basson. “Between the two shows we are looking at 600 people gathering so we believe we will be able to give out all the boxes, but if there are others leftover, they will be available and if there are others in the community who want boxes to give out, they can contact us.
“The whole idea is we want people to start caring about other people. There is greater joy in giving than there is in receiving, so we want people to be able to give to others.”
Basson said the church plans to continue the #LovePeople campaign throughout 2020.
He said there are plans to have food stands at various events where they will feed people for free, with a goal of getting to know people and building a stronger community.
“This will be a driving force behind the church,” he said. “We are not expecting anything back from anyone, we just want people to know they are loved and that people care about them. I’m looking forward to seeing people with these hoodies in the street. We want to create a movement where it’s not about differences, political views, creed or colour, it’s just about loving people. We need more of this in the world today.”
For more information about the Christmas campaign, email: info@pneumachurch.com or call 604-940-6700.
