Fifty young adults eagerly opened goodie boxes from Mount Ellis Academy Adventist Church (MEAAC) recently. There are numerous young people, ages approximately 18 to 22, who live in greater Bozeman, Montana, and have ties to MEAAC. Some are alumni of the Academy, some attend or have attended the church, and all are busy focusing on their new adult life. As part of its Hands and Feet of Jesus program, members and current students reach out to nurture these young adults through regular goodie boxes.

When MEAAC developed the Hands and Feet of Jesus program as a branch of the church’s Adventist Community Services, they focused on James 1:22, which reminds all to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” Though some projects are aimed at helping the community, it was clear that there was also a group closer to home which needed to be nurtured.

The goodie boxes were the brainchild of Leisel Rogers, music teacher at Mount Ellis Academy (MEA) and longtime MEAAC member. She realized that church members give so much time and energy to current MEA students, but once the students graduate, they leave the primary focal point of both the school and the church. This group also includes young adults with ties to the church who may not be MEA alumni, but may be in college, trade school, internships, or their first jobs. A few aren’t even Adventists, but are friends of church members, and join the church for special functions and campouts.

This is a group who are often under a lot of pressure to succeed—whether academically or in the job market—and may begin to feel separated from their early, more active church ties.

Rogers fervently wanted them to know that their church family still cares about them, still thinks about them if they’re away at college, and still recognizes their challenges.

She formed the idea of filling shoeboxes with both practical and purely-fun items—oatmeal, nuts, applesauce, chocolate, hand lotion, pens and pencils, glasses’ wipes, vitamin C packets, etc.—and delivering them to the church’s young adults. Members and academy students volunteer three times a year to compile the boxes, label with recipient names, and deliver them.

Seeing the surprised and delighted looks on the faces of some of the young adults, as well as receiving an occasional note or text of gratitude, has made it clear to the church family that this young adult project is both needed and appreciated.

“This project lets our college-aged young people know that they are loved and have a church family who supports them,” notes Rogers. “How exciting it would be if every church in our Conference and Union chose to actively demonstrate their love. If you don't have college-aged kids, how about high-schoolers? If you only have adults, what about your seniors? Just pick a group and commit!”

This could be thought of by some as evangelism or retention, but MEAAC members think of it as pure love. And they challenge others to spread that love too!