Why We’re Moving the Green Bean Project and What to Expect

Fall is certainly here! In fact, I’ve already seen snow. How about you?

The last three months of the year are some of my favorites. In our family, in addition to all of the usual holidays we also have multiple birthdays and anniversaries in October and November, and of course the Green Bean Project!

Normally, we would be announcing the start of the Green Bean Project on October 1^st, but this year, with everything else that has been going on, we felt the need to push the start date back to November 1^st.

Some of you reading this may be wondering, “What is the Green Bean Project?” That’s a great question. The Green Bean Project (GBP) started in 2010 with a “reality check” and a list of specific needs from three missionaries working with orphans in their respective countries. Each year since, we have been able to meet various needs, providing school supplies, textbooks, fabric for school uniforms, clothing, and small financial gifts to each of the ministries. You can watch a video telling of the project’s origin here.

In 2013, we added FTN’s “Loving Locally” program to the project. This program reaches out to fatherless children, single moms, non-parental guardians, and foster families here in Billings, Montana. Our 2017 outreach was completely dependent on what came in through the 2016 GBP. Through it we were able to help provide groceries, a car battery, backpacks and school supplies for multiple fatherless families while developing a relationship and opportunities to share Christ with the women and children in need. So you can see how very important this project is to this ministry!

This year we will be taking a slightly different approach than we have in the past. We will be sharing with you in our blogs and social media a little about each of FTN’s three primary areas of ministry: OUR Jerusalem, Judea, and the Uttermost Parts of the Earth. They break down like this:

Jerusalem – Billings, Montana
Judea/Samaria – Our immediate surrounding region/Other locations in the US
The Uttermost Parts of the Earth – The three international ministries.

As I said, we’ve decided to push the start date back to November 1^st, but the project will have the same ultimate goal:

Helping each of these ministries honor the Lord as they reach out to the fatherless with the love of Christ.

Here are a few important dates to keep in mind as you consider what part the Lord might have you to take in this years GBP:
Wednesday, November 1 – GBP begins.
Sunday, November 12^th – National Orphan Sunday
Monday, November 27^th – Cyber Monday – Do your shopping through Amazon Smile to help boost the GBP
Tuesday, November 28^th – #GivingTuesday
Saturday, December 9^th – Join us for our annual Christmas Open House here in Billings.
Sunday, December 31 – GBP Ends

We’ll be using these two months to share a lot more about each area of the ministry, what it’s all about, and how we would like to see it grow—so you won’t want to miss anything. Here are the best ways to follow along:
Check out our blog
Like our Facebook page
Join our Facebook group
We’re looking forward to seeing what God will do through this year’s Green Bean Project and hope you will join us!
(Rachel)