 The Alternative Christmas Market @ John Wesley Church
---"Honoring those who have enough by sharing with those who have too little."
Thanks to all of you that joined us for the 2011 Market! We had a great time and hope you learned a lot about the great ministries in our communities. (You can still shop with us using the website. Download the shopping list at left and fill it out. Mail it to John Wesledy Church, 1689 Old St. Augustine Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32301 by December 18, 2011.) We have three new agencies with us this year--Grace Mission Episcopal Church, Oasis Center for Women and Girls, and Porch de Salomon of Guatemala. Check out the amazing work these groups are doing! With over 30 local, national, and international agencies participating, you are sure to find something for everyone on your list!
Ministries that serve the homeless, the hungry, the imprisoned, the poor, and those who cry out for justice will set up booths in John Wesley's Fellowship Hall interpreting their ministries for the larger community. The services they provide to our neighbors in need will be represented on a price list to help shoppers match a gift with that someone special on their Christmas list. For example:
*Uncle John is the go-to guy in the family when anyone needs a handyman.
--Why not honor him with a gift of a hammer through Habitat for Humanity or lumber for a raised bed through Damayan's Garden Project? *Grandma Rosa has always sung in the choir and been interested in the missions work of the church.
--Why not honor her with a gift of song books through Kairos Prison Ministry or a share of a water tower to provide clean water for a community through Hope to Haiti? *Cousin Linda is a teacher at a rural elementary school working with low income students. --You can honor her with a gift of a school supplies through Child Advocates II of Tallahassee or training for a reading tutor through the Literacy Volunteers of Leon County. *Brother Marcus is a nurse at the local hospital working in the neuro special care unit. --Honor him with a gift of five flu vaccines through the Neighborhood Health Services or a mosquito net to prevent malaria through United Methodist Committee on Relief. Gifts may be chosen from any of the agencies participating and recorded on a shopping list. Beautiful, fair-traded handicrafts and tangible gifts supporting the agencies in the market are also available for purchase in our card and craft shop and the proceeds contribute to supporting the agencies' missions. When you're finished shopping, you write one check and then proceed to the calligraphy station to have your gift cards hand-lettered, ready for you to put under your tree or mail to the recipient. It couldn't be easier or more in keeping with the season! It all happens in the John Wesley Church Fellowship Hall at 1689 Old St. Augustine Rd., Tallahassee, FL.
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