By Carl Stagner

Sometimes it’s the seemingly little things. Of course, mothers everywhere know the strain on the purse that is the rising cost of diapers and wipes for their little ones. Perhaps then it should come as no surprise that, when Greenview Church of God in Lynchburg, Virginia, hosted an event to give away these parental essentials, they would end up donating a whopping 1,200 diapers.

Pastor Tammy Clark provides clues as to how this unique event came about.

“We hold two events each year that have a silent auction and the proceeds from the silent auction goes to community outreach,” she explains. “When we were deciding how to use these funds this year, we tried to think of a way to help meet a need with families in our community and this idea developed.”

For a couple months leading up to the event, Greenview Church of God collected diapers and wipes. Organizing items by size—and wrapping them together with a pack of wipes—each resulting bundle also included a “Have-a-great-day” message and information about worship service times at the church. Ensuring that older siblings weren’t left out when applicable, the church prepared small “treasure boxes.”

“We publicized ‘Diaper Day’ on social media and through word of mouth,” Tammy says. “On the day of the drive, people simply drove up, we met each car and asked what size they needed, we gave them their diaper pack, and offered prayer. Cars pulled over to our prayer tent for prayer, and we also prayed at cars for several needs (including a baby in the NICU and for families expecting babies).”

Greenview Church of God hopes to continues “Diaper Day” every quarter as a church-wide outreach and service project. In observance of half a century of ministry, the church sees opportunities like these as vital to the health and growth of their next fifty years.

“As a part of our celebration,” Pastor Tammy concludes, “we were looking not just back at the past fifty years, but also forward, and how we can continue to ‘offer doors of hope.’ This was a way to meet a need within our community and, at the same time, share the love of Christ.”

Learn more about the Church of God movement at www.JesusIsTheSubject.org.