Valley churches offer Christmas presence

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Churches are often on the asking end -- the offering plate, after all, gets passed around every Sunday without fail, year after year.

But, at Christmas, for churches, it's all about giving.

This is when Yakima Valley congregations look beyond the day-to-day needs and turn their full attention to reaching out to others. Perhaps more than at any other time of year, this is when churches underscore making their presence known with presents.

Whether it's shoring up the church food bank, realizing winter needs for food and warmth are at their greatest now, or sponsoring gifts for needy families, churches emphasize the Christmas story with gifts.

Some church members make blankets for newborns. Some fill dozens of shoe boxes with toiletries, socks and toys for Operation Christmas Child, the charity that distributes the items to children in need around the world.

Others put special emphasis on reaching out to the homeless.

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First Presbyterian Church of Yakima and Unity Spiritual Life Center are two examples of local churches that take on special projects to affirm their faith and share blessings during the holidays.

Bears play a big role during Christmas at Unity. For the past three years, members have purchased teddy bears and brought them to the sanctuary for Sunday services. They place the bears in pews, and there they sit, at rapt attention through December, until it's time for distribution.

The congregation of about 60 regular attendees usually collects 50 to 75 bears. In the past, they've been donated to emergency foster care shelters and a hospital.

This year the 60 bears are going to the Yakima Fire Department to be given out to children who have been victims of a fire or other crisis.

"Everybody loves teddy bears; they're a nice comfort," the Rev. Cheryl Rohret points out. "It feels good to spread that joy around."

Most Sundays the bears don't just sit in the pews. Members often hold them in their laps. The idea, explains member Chris Roybal, is to transfer love to the bear, so it will be infused with good feelings.

"A lot of love and good vibrations go into them," she says.

Rohret agrees. "You feel like you're doing a lot more than just buying something. You're putting yourself into it for a child."

In addition to the bear project, the church also adopts several families and donates clothes, food and gifts to them.

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First Presbyterian adopts needy families as well, both in and outside the church.

Members also fill shoe boxes, and donate toys and gifts to the Christmas party given at Madison House Community Youth Center, which is run by the Union Gospel Mission.

But the biggest Christmas project revolves around the Christmas tree. That's where "angels," with the first names of needy children on them, are placed. It's part of the Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree program. The Salvation Army provides the names and ages of area needy children, and the Presbyterian congregants do the rest.

"It's become a tradition," says Susie Woodin, who serves on the children's ministry staff. "The minute we put the tree up, people embrace that project."

Woodin says that the first 100 angels almost always disappear within a week. So more angels go up. Each year 200 to 250 children receive gifts in the program from church members.

The largesse ranges from bikes, skateboards and soccer balls to dolls, transformers and beauty salon sets.

"We also ask them to pray for the child," Woodin explains.

This year for the first time the angels came with a toy wish or suggestion on them, which congregants found helpful, Woodin says.

"People were excited knowing what to shop for."

Also new this year were angels suggesting necessities. For instance, the parents of one child asked for a car seat; another hoped for a baby gate.

Woodin says that members find it fun to shop for a child, often with their own children helping.

"People have really latched on to this," she says. "They feel they're providing something that's needed."

The church, which averages a weekly attendance of 700, has sponsored an angel tree for more than 20 years.

The Rev. Mark Tumney, pastor of families and missions at First Presbyterian, isn't surprised that church members are especially generous this time of year.

"God has been very kind to us, and we try to pass on that kindness to others," he says.

* Jane Gargas can be reached at 509-577-7690 or jgargas@yakimaherald.com.