Darlene

“When we told a family we hoped the basket would be some help, they told us ‘every little bit helps’ . They thanked us and told us that they were going to put the basket away until Christmas day. Then he said, ‘You know a quarter is not worth anything until you don’t have one’ . What an impact that quote has made in our lives. The families were so greatful and when we saw their needs we realized how blessed we truly are. We’re glad to be a part of Love INC and to be used to spread God’s love through this ministry.

PS: Next year, everyone should deliver baskets to families in need before you do your shopping. You’ll have a new outlook on how blessed you are and the real meaning of Christmas!”

Everything We Say or Do is In the Name of Christ!

In December, we completed our second full year of operation… and what a year it was!  The year 2011 brought transition in leadership, foundational growth, ministry growth, sacrifice, trials and God’s blessings! God worked mightily to provide church and business sponsorships to improve our phone systems, supply functional workstations, computers and office equipment, expand our office space, and print our newsletters.

Love INC Boise depends solely  upon caring and generous financial donations from individuals, church partners, businesses and service clubs. Thanks to these faithful supporters, Love INC Boise issued over 2000 vouchers to  families in need. Clients redeemed vouchers at our Gap Ministries (located in our partner churches) for various goods such as diapers, clothing, household supplies, school supplies, and transportation. We mobilized, trained and equipped church volunteers to perform tasks and jobs which met their needs, and the needs of families in our community.  Volunteers from our various churches gave over 4,400 hours of their time to help people in need.  Finally, Love INC Boise generated over $164,000 worth of goods and ministry services.

Financial support is not the only way that local churches supported Love INC.  Church partnerships are essential to Love INC, and volunteers are its lifeblood.  Many churches demonstrated their commitment by:

• Introducing Love INC to the congregation.
• Hosting Gap Ministries.
• Referring requests for help to Love INC.
• Organizing church members to serve by using their gifts and abilities.
• Accepting referrals for help from the Love INC Clearinghouse to existing ministries.
• Providing Clearinghouse volunteers from their church each year.
• Praying for Love INC, clients, and other partner churches.

Last year, church volunteers served our clients by  providing transportation to appointments; fixing homes in disrepair; cleaning up yards and moving furniture for the elderly; fixing cars; handcrafting scarves, hats, blankets and pillow cases;  and delivering food baskets for Thanksgiving and “Baskets of Blessings” for Christmas. Other  Boise volunteers interested in becoming budget counselors committed one hour a week for one year to the New Hope Budgeting program in Nampa. Having trained budget counselors is an instrumental component in the future development of our own relational ministry.  Love INC Boise is blessed by our supporting partners, and we look forward to what God has for us in 2012!

Love INC Boise currently partners with 22 local churches.

Simply put, Love In the Name of Christ is a movement of Christian churches working together to show God’s love to those in need in our community.

Love INC is not Love Inc. or Love Incorporated.

Love INC is Love In the Name of Christ.

For more than 30 years, Love INC has been mobilizing the Church to transform lives and communities In the Name of Christ. Currently there are more than 150 affiliates in 30 states, representing a network of more than 9,000 churches from 60 different denominations, 7,000 community-based organizations, and 300,000 volunteers meeting more than one million needs each year.

Love INC was conceived as a way to encourage churches to become more engaged with those in need and inspire a greater number of Christians to put their faith in action.

Love INC Boise first opened in 2009 and for two and half years has been meeting the needs of the needy in our community.

Our Mission: The mission of Love INC is to mobilize the church to transform lives and community in the Name of Christ.

Bridge: Love INC acts as a bridge between people who have needs in the community and church volunteer ministries and agencies that can help meet those needs.

Simple: It is very simple and yet profound. It simply helps churches live out who they say they are.

How we operate: Love INC is set up so that those who find themselves in difficult situations can call our office. We listen to their needs, verify their needs and then call on our church volunteers to meet those needs.

“It’s a blessing to be able to partner with other churches in our area. One church can’t do it all, but together we can make a big difference for the kingdom of God.”

“Love INC helps us meet the practical needs of people that one congregation can’t meet alone, but that the Body of Christ can meet together.”

“Love INC gives churches a vehicle to minister to people in need in meaningful ways as it calls church members to offer themselves, their resources and talents, in service to others. Church members have found themselves doing things that they might never have done before, and it has resulted in spiritual growth.”

“Working with Love INC is an enriching experience for our church members. As they have volunteered through Love INC, they have become sensitized to the needs of the poor. Love INC has also provided church members with opportunities to get to know Christians from other churches in the community.”

Prom Dress Ministry for teens in need

The Coat Closet & Dresstravaganza

We are especially excited to announce our newest Gap Ministry, The Coat Closet! We were so blessed to “inherit” a roomful of coats from Love INC of the Treasure Valley. They generously donated coats to Love INC Boise and we are very thankful! But, with the donation of all these coats, we were challenged to find a church to host the Coat Closet. Praise God, The Journey, our newest partner church, has agreed to house this Gap Ministry!

And …along with this closet, The Journey is also hosting a another Love INC Gap Ministry. It’s called “Dresstravaganza” – what a cool name for an extravaganza of prom dresses. After the holidays the schools in the area will turn their attention to PROM!

For more information about these ministries, referrals or vouchers for coats or dresses, call 377-3502.

Love INC staff & volunteers wish to thank all who made our "Basket of Blessings" Ministry a blessed success!

Thanks to all who made our “Basket of Blessings” Christmas ministry a success! We received so many  generous donations of baskets, candies, oranges, books, family games, hot chocolate mugs, pot holders, scarves, hats, blankets and pillowcases (many handmade  from volunteers in our “Loved … Sew Much!” sewing ministry!), that we were able to assemble 51 gift baskets for  48 of our client families!

Individuals, families and churches all came together to brighten Christmas for our client families.  Donations poured in from caring Christians from Boise Friends Church, Boise First Community Center,  Cornerstone Community Church, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Parkview Bible Church and many others. Various business offices donated baskets and teachers from Horizon Elementary delivered baskets to our clients. Teams of carolers from The Vineyard Christian Fellowship delivered Christmas hope with song, love and baskets in hand!  Families and small groups from Boise Church of Christ , Boise Valley Christian Communion Church, Calvary Baptist Church, Cloverdale URC, Foothills Christian Church, Heritage Bible Church and Southside Christian Center also met client families with baskets in hand.

A family who delivered baskets was so touched by the experience that she wrote the following: “When we told a family we hoped the basket would be some help, they told us ‘every little bit helps’ . They thanked us and told us that they were going to put the basket away until Christmas day. Then he said, ‘You know a quarter is not worth anything until you don’t have one’ . What an impact that quote has made in our lives. The families were so greatful and when we saw their needs we realized how blessed we truly are. We’re glad to be a part of Love INC and to be used to spread God’s love through this ministry. PS: Everyone should deliver baskets to families in need before you do your shopping. You’ll have a new outlook on how blessed you are and the real meaning of Christmas!”.

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