Made with Love

By Paige K Slighter

En·cour·age·ment: the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope

Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up – Proverbs 12:25

The current coronavirus pandemic has left a lot of us feeling stressed, anxious, depressed and alone. As the Body of Christ, we want to support those who are struggling by offering messages of hope. Uplifting words in times like these can be a lifeline to us all. Though we’re not able to gather together in person, we can still bless one another the old-fashioned way. That’s why we’re accepting encouragement cards (hopefully from you!) and sending them to people in our own church family, food shelf clients from our neighborhood, local nursing homes, hospitals and hospice facilities. The Bible says there’s power in our words, so let’s use them for good! Check out the information below and start blessing someone today by making cards at home!

Card Guidelines
This project is for anyone, so feel free to share it with your friends and family. Go crazy with your creativity! Kids do your thing! Below are some guidelines to keep in mind while you create.

• Please do not include the date.
• Please make sure your letters are legible and in large print.
• Most of our cards will be delivered to healthcare facilities and given to food shelf clients. Since many of these people may not be Christians, please try to stay away from too much “religious talk.” We hope our witness will be the care and love we share, and a seed will be planted in the recipient’s life.
• If you’d like to make cards with specific Christian/Kingdom messages for people in our congregation, please make one for every four that are more faith neutral.
• Feel free to pick from the suggested messages below, or write your own. Sign the card however you like.
• When you’re finished with your card, please place it in an unsealed envelope. WH will seal them for you. Also, no matter if you’ve made a single card or a whole handful, please place what you’ve got in a plastic or Ziplock bag. Specific drop-off instructions are below.

Suggested Messages
Here are some example messages you can include in your card. Or, write your own!

Dear friend,
Times like this can be stressful. In the midst of the Coronavirus, let’s look to each other to make it through.

Dear friend,
Sending thoughts and prayers your way. If it weren’t for these 6-foot rules, we’d love to give you a big hug!

Dear friend,
May you find hope and joy in unexpected places, even in the midst of the times we’re in.

Dear neighbor,
Just wanted to let you know how much you are loved. Hopefully this card can be a bright spot in your day and can bring you a smile.

Dear neighbor,
Just wanted you to know, you’re not alone. Even at 6 feet apart, we’re in this together.

Drop Off Instructions
Cards can be dropped off in our special mailbox at Woodland, under the overhang at Door B, Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm. This mailbox is being used for both homemade masks and encouragement cards. It’s bright yellow and there’s a sign on it indicating what it is. WH staff will pick up cards and masks daily and sanitize the box. We will stamp and seal each card with a sticker that says, “Made with Love.” For the safety of those receiving the cards, we will have a 3-day waiting period before sending them out. (That’s the longest we understand Coronavirus germs can live on a surface.)

Podrishioners
We’d love for you to participate too! You can send your encouragement cards to us in a large envelope. If you’d like to distribute the cards to local hospitals and nursing homes in your area, just make sure to give them a call first. Some healthcare facilities are not receiving cards at this time or are overwhelmed with what they already have.
Here’s our address:

Woodland Hills Church
1740 Van Dyke St.
St. Paul, MN 55109

Thank you!
Thanks so much for your help with this project. We’re hopeful that we can bless and encourage our neighbors in this difficult time!