VIENNA, West Virginia – a congregation will be donating 100 backpacks, each filled with school supplies, to low-income students in advance of next school year.
Faith Baptist Church of Vienna will give away the backpacks and supplies for students on a first-come, first-serve basis on Saturday.
Pastor Scott Kapple told The Christian Post in an interview on Monday that this was the first time his church had done this kind of community-centered charity event.
“God just impressed on my heart that we needed to do something to help folks in this community,” said Kapple.
“Seems like all we do is go one mile for folks, but Jesus said we’re to go the extra mile. And that’s what we’re trying to do with this back to school drive.”
Kapple also told CP that one of the goals of the community event is “to reach children and their parents for Christ by doing this.”
“If we can reach just one person it’s worth every dime. We are planning more things like this in the next few months. Anything is possible with God,” continued Kapple.
Faith Baptist Church is not the only congregation aiding students with backpack giveaways, as many other churches across the country engage in similar charitable efforts.
For example, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and Greater St. Luke Baptist, both of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will hold a similar community event next Sunday.
“New backpacks filled with school supplies will be available that day from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. at Greater St. Luke Baptist Church. … Families MUST pre-register for this giveaway by July 21,” noted St. Luke’s Episcopal.
Prestonwood Baptist Church, a Texas-based multi-site megachurch headed by Southern Baptist Pastor Jack Graham, included backpacks with school supplies in their ministry efforts at the southern border.
Titled “Operation Border Blessing,” Prestonwood’s efforts included an assortment of support given to both migrants and Border Patrol agents.
“Today a team from @PrestonwoodEsp heads to El Paso for Operation Border Blessing where they will show appreciation to all of the incredible federal agents & their families — tents, food, water inflatables, school supply filled backpacks, and more! #Prestonwoodonmission #inaction,” Mike Buster, pastor at Prestonwood, tweeted earlier this month.
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