It gets cold in Wisconsin. Really cold. Winter gear like hats, gloves, and scarves are a necessity that, unfortunately, many don’t have access to. This need—and opportunity—in the community is what brought two WELS congregations, St. John and Our Savior, together in Two Rivers, Wis., to help keep their neighbors warm.

After seeing a congregation in a neighboring community take a similar opportunity—attaching winter items to the fence along the sidewalk going past the church—to serve its community, the evangelism committee at St. John started to hatch its own plan and invited Our Savior to participate.

Norris Baumann, a retired pastor and member of St. John, helped lead the effort. He says, “Our two churches collected over 200 items at visible collection boxes at each congregation. Our committee bagged each item in gallon freezer bags and placed them in boxes that we zip-tied to each of our four bus stops. The boxes were checked and restocked daily. A large, colorful sign was displayed showing what we were giving away and the churches serving our community.”

Each bag contained a pen with information on it from one of the churches and two cards: one inviting recipients to St. John’s live nativity and one with a gospel message. The message read: “Please let us share with you and yours what great love the one true living God has done for everyone, no exceptions. Such a God has given the greatest gift of all, ‘But God shows his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ ”

“All 250 bags were taken!” says Baumann. “Had we known how cold January was going to be, we wished we had planned differently and extended our project over two and a half months!”

As important as cold weather gear is, Baumann says, “The greatest need by far is connecting precious blood-bought souls with all that our Savior Jesus has freely purchased for them.”