Contact: Chuck Fox, BlessFriday.org, 713-502-6356, charlesefox@comcast.net
HOUSTON, Nov. 11 /Christian Newswire/ -- This year several Houston churches are providing an alternative to frenzied Christmas shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church (MDPC), Beacon of Light Christian Center and St. Luke's United Methodist Church are scheduling community service projects on Friday, November 26. These churches ask Houstonians to celebrate Bless Friday as an alternative to Black Friday.
Chuck Fox, founder of Bless Friday, states, "I believe we can find a critical mass of Christians to alter the way society observes the season. Many people are appalled at how consumerism is consuming Christmas, but don't know how to change our culture's direction. They are ready for a thoughtful call to action. This year we issued a call to service."
He further says, "Houston is an ideal place to start change. Five years ago, we opened our arms to people from New Orleans. Refugees filled the Astrodome, and good citizens from all over Houston, some organized by many churches of all denominations, supplied comfort and support. What city could have done more? Why not harness this energy each year to serve the community and begin the Christmas celebration in a more loving and appropriate manner." More information is available at BlessFriday.org or by contacting Chuck Fox at 713-502-6356.
Dave Peterson, Sr. Pastor at MDPC states, "We want to transform lives as people reconnect to the real reason we celebrate Christmas." MDPC congregants are volunteering at local ministry partners (Star of Hope, Rebuilding Together Houston, or SEARCH), or participating in a service project they can do with at home with family and friends. More information is available at bless.mdpc.org or by contacting Jan Roe, MDPC's Director of Local Outreach, at jroe@mdpc.org or 713-490-9552.
Beacon of Light Christian Center plans to invite the surrounding community to its church, located at 6655 London St. in South Houston for a day of fellowship and caring. The church plans to serve the community the entire day by offering food to the hungry, clothing to those in need, and activities for people of all ages. Pastor Anthony Gasery states, "Our community is filled with people who financially overextend themselves at Christmas. We want to show them a more positive and more spiritual way to celebrate." For more information contact Erica Dixson or Myree Francis at bolccspecialevents@yahoo.com.
St. Luke's will hold a pot luck lunch at the Gethsemane campus where participants will prepare blessing bags of non-perishable food items for distribution to the homeless and needy. Mireya Ottaviano, Children's Ministry Director states, "Many at St. Luke's want to spend a portion of the day giving thanks by sharing their bounty with others and send a message that Advent is about celebrating our values, not focusing on material things."
More information is available by contacting Mireya at 713-774-7693 or mottaviano@stlukes-hou.org.
Bless Friday was founded this year in Houston and plans to change the way America celebrates Christmas.
