Westminster’s “Orange Idea” is a monthly, family-friendly, 1-page resource to help you live out your faith at home. But what is “Orange,” you might ask?

As Julie and Matthew explained, it’s not just a colour—it’s a way of thinking: Yellow represents the light of Jesus shared by the church. Red represents the blood and bond of the family. So when you put Yellow and Red together you get…

Orange!

So an “Orange idea” is when the church helps people live out their faith in their families and homes. After all, the home is the primary place where faith is formed.

So this monthly resource will help people of different ages learn about and live out their Christian faith in tangible, practical ways.

So here’s the Orange Idea for March 2018: Food Drive Overdrive!

Here’s where we’re going with this one:

In Matthew 25:44-45 we read, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ –Matthew 25:44-45 (NIV)

Here’s the connection.

In that Bible passage, Jesus was describing who had lived a life that was pleasing to him. He said that when people responded to the physical needs of others, including hunger and thirst, that they weren’t just helping those people—they were helping Jesus himself!

In the same way, when we help with the hunger and thirst of others, we’re not just doing it for them; we’re doing it for Jesus. During Lent we often ‘give something up’ as a part of how we grow closer to God and rely on him. But just as we ‘give something up’ we can also ‘give something away.’

With this in mind…

Each Sunday in March we will have baskets for our Easter food drive for the Barrie Food Bank. The hope is that each week (or, if you want, each day) throughout the month of March, you and your family can collect an item for the food bank, and each Sunday bring it in to the church. We don’t just do it for others—we do it for Jesus too!

At Easter, a lot of people get together with friends and/or family to celebrate. But there are families and individuals who have trouble hosting because they simply can’t afford food. We’re going to help with that. Let’s fill a pick-up truck!

Here are a few tips:

1. Speak together as a family and determine how you might be able to support others.

2. Maybe when you are writing your grocery list add an item or two for the food bank. If you’re together when shopping, talk about the project and brainstorm what food(s) would be best. You could even plan your menu and buy double for one meal to put in the food drive.

3. Maybe you’d like to involve some neighbours write a note and post on doors with a date you’ll go around and collect food.

4. Consider the needs of the youngest, diapers, wipes, formula

5. Perhaps a school child would like some WOW butter or one of your favourite school snacks.

6. Check out the “Most Needed Food Items” list provided by the Barrie Food Bank. Currently the list reads: i. Powdered skim milk. ii. Baby Formula. iii. Large size diapers. iv. Can vegetables. v. Sugar. vi. Toiletries. vii. Lunch snacks. Oatmeal.

In March, let’s get excited about our food drive overdrive, and help people have a wonder-filled, celebratory Easter! 

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The orange philosophy originates with Reggie Joiner in his helpful book Think Orange.