Insights & Information

Gifts from the heart change Black Friday to Snack Friday

Employee at Dollar General with Operation Snack Friday box

Another successful Operation Snack Friday delivery.

Retailers from one end of Kernersville to another welcomed another Black Friday tradition this year, and it wasn’t crabby shoppers.

For the fifth year, members of the Doulos Sunday School class walked in bearing gifts of snacks in their “Operation Snack Friday” community outreach.

“Our entire crew looks forward to this every year,” said the manager at Rugged Wearhouse echoing a common refrain from recipients of the boxes wrapped like presents.

Dwight Thompson heard the same thing at Biscuitville, Great Clips, Cristie’s Hallmark, and Walgreens—his delivery stops among the 35 businesses receiving the gifts.

Jason Johnson, who leads Doulos, said Operation Snack Friday began in 2010 with a small core of volunteers and a short list of recipients—mainly Wal-Mart, Target, Kohls, Lowe’s hardware and a few small businesses near the church.

The idea caught on as more and more members joined the effort, and the class added snack stops. In 2011, Operation Snack Friday supplied snacks to 23 retail stores and, in 2012, more than 30 as locations were added further up Main Street to downtown Kernersville. The 2014 effort provided snacks to 35 businesses.

“It’s amazing what God can do with us when we let His love shine through us to others in the community,” Johnson said. “We know Black Friday can be tough if you work in retail so we wanted to lift spirits and being smiles on a shopping day often known for fatigue, frayed nerves, and busted budgets.

“Now people look forward to our visits, and that’s probably what touches me and all those involved the most when we walk through their doors.”

The project is one of several servant evangelism ministries by the class as it lives out its name which means “bondservant” in Greek—a life of obedience and service to God illustrated by Jesus’ famous washing of his disciples feet (John 13:12-17).

“He tells us to do for others as He has done to us and that knowing the truth is great but we’re blessed by living it out in love and service for others,” Johnson said. “We hope what we are doing, and projects like the free Christmas wrapping on Dec. 13 at the church by our Radiate High School Ministry (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the lobby of our old sanctuary) will inspire other Sunday School classes and groups at Triad to find creative ways they can do their own servant evangelism projects and bless others as well.”

To prepare for their Black Friday deliveries, Doulos class members make snack treats that range from brownies and banana nut bread, to chocolate chip cookies, Rice Krispy treats, snack mix, popcorn and peanut bars, and more.

On delivery morning, volunteers divide up the treats by putting baggies one by one in the boxes arranged in the Activity Center (the sorting begins at 7:30 a.m.). Each box also gets a flyer featuring a manger scene silhouette, the Bible verse Luke 2:11, and the message, “Thank you for all your hard work and service today from your friends at Triad Baptist Church. Merry Christmas!”

A QR code printed on the flyer calls up the home page of Triad’s website when scanned with a smartphone equipped with the QR-code reader app.

In addition to delivering items, Thompson and his wife, Tamara, made brownies and Elf mix for the project—providing a funny and teachable moment Saturday morning as he prepared to leave.

“The children asked, ‘Where are the brownies?’ and I answered, ‘The brownies are going to church!’ ”

 

 

Operation Snack Friday 2014– Image 1 of 3

 

Phase 2 Shot of TBC B&W 17

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