October 2017
Next time you see a pregnant woman or one with a tiny baby, think about the one in three moms who will have to choose between food or diapers. Breakfast with Baby is trying to meet that need.
The LCMS Northern Illinois District has once again joined #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving, partnering with St. Paul, Lutheran Church, Mount Prospect, and their ministry, Breakfast with Baby. As in the past, the LCMS Northern Illinois District will match all donated funds dollar for dollar, up to $2,000.
Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration, occurring this year on November 28.
So, please watch for posts and updates on Breakfast with Baby on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/newstartsnewbelievers and join us in supporting this ministry. You can help. Donate now.
Nearly 30% of parents in the United States cannot afford diapers, which can cost up to $100 every month per baby. And it is an expense not covered by state financial aid (cnn.com). These parents will be forced to choose between buying food for the family or diapers for the baby.
The parents’ decision will be to purchase diapers since nearly every community has organizations that distribute food to those in need and it is finding free diapers that is difficult. Out of this difficult situation, came Breakfast With Baby.
In the Spring of 2015, St. Paul Lutheran Church. Mount Prospect, Illinois was praying as to how they could reach their community with the Good News of Jesus Christ. The next day, they were approached by a community group asking St. Paul if they could aide them in their collection of diapers for needy parents through the program Breakfast With Baby.
For St. Paul, however, this was not solely about distributing diapers to those in need. It was an opportunity not only to serve the community, but more importantly, an opportunity to share the Good News about Jesus Christ! Through prayer, St. Paul discovered how they could utilize Breakfast With Babies to connect with their local community and develop relationships.
Every second Saturday of every month, St. Paul Lutheran Church has been hosting its Breakfast With Babies event. Entire families (with infants up to 2 years of age and women who are at least 7 months pregnant) are invited to breakfast, shopping in the baby store (free) and fellowship. There is an opportunity for men to share fellowship with other dads as well. While the parents are shopping, their toddlers are invited to sing and play in a supervised toddler room, keeping them occupied with ministry based activities.
The breakfast and fellowship has become a safe place for the parents to connect. Bible studies have become an integral part of the event as well. Solid relationships have been established between the community and volunteers at St. Paul.
The community was once white collar, commuter. More recently it is becoming diverse, with growing Hispanic, Asian, and Indian families. There is also a growing need for services to support lower income families.
One of the ways St. Paul has been able to build relationships is through their ability to communicate to the community in Spanish. Notices of the event and well as Facebook posts are translated into Spanish. Ads have been placed in a local Hispanic newspaper, and information is passed out at local laundromats. St. Paul also includes a page on their website, www.saint-paul.org/church/resources/breakfast-with-baby, with information in both English and Spanish. More importantly, the Bible studies are conducted in Spanish enabling those attending to hear and understand the Word of God.
Since it started, Breakfast With Baby at St. Paul has been growing exponentially. Having only one family participating for their first event, their last event saw 80 guests. With that, comes a need for greater support. Currently, the majority of support comes from the St. Paul church and school families.
This past fall, the Village of Mount Prospect recognized and proclamated September 25 through October 1 as Breakfast With Baby Awareness Week, recognizing the importance support the program provides.
Close relationships continue to grow between the members of St. Paul Lutheran Church and those receiving assistance. Recently, those families receiving support from Breakfast With Babies became hosts of a breakfast which served as a “thank you” to those St. Paul members who volunteer to help each month.
St. Paul Lutheran Church continues to look for additional ways to serve their community, sharing the Gospel with those that they have built relationships with. A package of diapers can make a difference.
Visit www.saint-paul.org/church/resources/breakfast-with-baby or follow www.facebook.com/breakfastwithbabysaintpaul to keep updated on their ministry.