Happy New Year! With all that is going on in the world right now, it is more important than ever that we lean into our calling to be the light of Christ in the darkness. Servants from our partner churches get to share that light of Christ each day! Utilizing the shared resources of Love INC – our office/warehouse, our Help Center, our fleet of delivery trucks – our partner churches have the tools to go out in the community to serve in Christ-honoring ways.

Stories from the Mission Field

Ann* initially reached out to Love INC for furniture assistance. Shortly after, she called us in distress- she had lost her apartment due to a conflict with her roommate and was now living in a motel. Ann told our receptionist that Love INC and her caseworker were the only people in her life that she could reach out to. Ann was in need of a crockpot and a coffee pot for her motel room. Love INC arranged for a church team to drop off these items to her. One of the men on the delivery team also gave her a book of the Psalms and Proverbs, which she started reading immediately. Ann said that the delivery team was so kind to her and she wanted to extend her thanks to them for their kindness and to Love INC for providing the items she needed.

Did you catch that? The caring voices at Love INC were one of two places Anna felt that she could call. THIS is the light of Christ on display. From the receptionist that heard her story and prayed with her to the delivery team who shared the crockpot and book of Psalms – God’s love is on display each & every day through the servants and churches through Love INC.

Blankets and pillows and housewares, oh my!  Servants from Love INC’s partner churches start a relationship by meeting physical needs of those in our community. And the Body of Christ provides! Churches sponsor drives to collect items for a specific part of the ministry. They raise funds to purchase *new* items for special events for our neighbors. Friends of Love INC shop for great deals at local stores to provide ministry items for our church teams to deliver.

Over the course of 2020, drives by our churches & community partners added almost $18,000 worth of goods to our warehouse and orders by friends of Love INC gifted another almost $5,000 *new* items to our neighbors. This is yet another example of His church living out the Acts community of believers…“they gave to anyone as he had need.”

A huge THANK YOU to all of these churches, organizations, and people who shared gifts with our neighbors in 2020!

• Lakeshore Baptist Districe Women’s Auxiliary – personal care items
• ‘Sass’ Adkins’s birthday party – paper goods / incentive items for New Hope Ministry
• Lakeland Church – paper goods / incentive items for New Hope Ministry
• Bethel Lutheran – bedding items
• Joy! Lutheran – household & kitchen items
• Kattner Orthodontics – blanket drive with office staff and patients
• Bless Your Home ministry – *new* pillows
• Village Church of Gurnee – blankets and comforters
• Immanuel Church – warm coats, boots, and accessories
• Willow SouthLake – warm clothing items
• Waukegan First Church of the Nazarene – warm clothing and blankets
• First Presbyterian Church of Waukegan – blankets and *new* pillows
• many friends of Love INC through our Amazon wish lists and shipments from Macy’s, Kohl’s and more!

* name changed for privacy