Advent devotional guide shines a light on God’s signs and wonders
It also helps feed the hungry through the Society of St. Andrew’s Advance Special hunger relief ministry
This year’s Advent Devotional guide from the Society of St. Andrew is built around the theme of signs and wonders, which is also the title of the program. “Signs and Wonders” will lead the reader through Advent with daily scriptures, reflections, and prayers, while offering an opportunity to share in Jesus’ work of feeding the hungry. Besides the devotional benefits for the user, hundreds of thousands, even millions, of hungry Americans will benefit from the fresh, nutritious food the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) will be able to provide from financial donations received through this Advent program.
“This year, SoSA is honored to have the Mississippi United Methodist Conference’s Bishop Hope Morgan Ward contribute the devotional readings for each of the Sundays of Advent,” said Susan Allen, Church Development Director for the Society of St. Andrew. “Readers will be inspired and challenged by Bishop Ward’s insights. The week-day devotionals will reflect on selected scriptures and encourage us to share in the call of Jesus to care for the poor and hungry as we celebrate his birth.”
During Advent the Society of St. Andrew asks participants to prayerfully read and reflect on the scriptures and devotions in “Signs and Wonders” and then to share in their work of feeding America’s hungry by making a financial donation. Each year this devotional program has grown, providing more and more food. Last year donations made through the Advent devotional program provided more than 1.7 million servings of food to those who don’t get enough to eat.
The Society of St. Andrew is recognized as an Advance Special Project of the United Methodist Church, #801600. SoSA salvages good nutritious food to feed the hungry for less than two cents a serving. This is food that otherwise would be wasted: it’s crops left in fields and orchards after the harvest and fresh produce culled out or rejected because it’s not quite perfect enough for sale in stores. The Society of St. Andrew gleans and salvages this produce and gets it delivered to food banks, church pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other service agencies for donation to the hungry. SoSA’s administrative and fundraising expenses are only 6.8%, which means that 93.2 cents of every donated dollar goes directly to providing food for the hungry.
Use “Signs and Wonders” to feed your spirits during Advent as you feed your hungry neighbors in response to God’s command, “You give them something to eat.” All materials are free from the Society of St. Andrew. For a sample kit, order online at www.endhunger.org/advent.htm, by phone, 1-800-333-4597, or by email: church@endhunger.org.
More information about the Society of St. Andrew and its hunger-relief programs – the Gleaning Network, Potato Project, Harvest of Hope and Hunger Relief Advocate Initiative – is available online at www.endhunger.org or by email at sosausa@endhunger.org.
