“It is a great way for people in the church to work together.”

Athena Rose
Spur Ottawa Writer

Churches across southern Ontario, and as far away as Sidney, B.C., are gearing up for the 2023 Big Give. The event, held the first Saturday of June every year (June 3 this year), serves as an opportunity for the Church to demonstrate God’s heart for the community.

“The focus is about showing Jesus’ love with action, not words,” says Rob Kerr, representative for The Big Give in the Ottawa Valley. “As a volunteer, you can get involved, roll up your sleeves, and show people in the community Jesus’ love in a practical way.”

The Big Give started in 2009, when Bethel Pentecostal Church decided to bless their neighbors with a “free garage sale”. The movement has since spread to include up to 140 churches in one year.

St. Mary’s Parish joined The Big Give five years ago, adding their own unique “spin” to their event. They set up a bicycle tune-up booth and continued the idea over the following years, collecting old bicycle donations and fixing them up ahead of time. On a good year, Andre Pion (the church’s neighborhood bicycle repair man) receives and repairs up to 50 bikes leading up to the day of The Big Give.

“Every year, all the bikes are given away,” Pion says. “Sometimes I have had requests before The Big Give, from friends who knew recently immigrated families who were in need. That would help me give four to six bicycles at a time.”

“Anytime the Church comes out from behind its walls to show the community it cares in a tangible way, it makes an impact.”

Each church, or group of churches, comes up with their own plan for their event.

“Several weeks prior, churches advertise on Sunday and on their websites that The Big Give is coming,” says Kerr. “Most places start to facilitate donation drop-off starting the Sunday before. People at the church can sign up not only to help on the day of, but—equally important—during that week prior to the event.

“It is a great way for people in the church to work together,” he adds. “Anyone can set up tables, sort clothes, put up signs, greet people, etc. There is something for everyone to be able to contribute.”

While the focus is on providing for the physical needs of the community, churches do not push spiritual needs to the side. Many set up booths where visitors can ask for prayer and receive free Bibles.

“This is an easy way for the Church to connect with the community and serve,” Kerr states. “I think anytime the Church comes out from behind its walls to show the community it cares in a tangible way, it makes an impact.”

Pion sums up the spirit of the event quite well:

“What motivates me so much is that I see God providing both the donation and the recipient. I am merely the in-between instrument who uses his troubleshooting skills to do the repairs. To see the restoration is a joy in itself, but the greater joy is to see the joy on the recipient’s faces. I think of it as a little foretaste of heaven.”