Parents’ Night Out at Christmastime

Just a few days before Christmas every year, TURN organizes a special event that brings church volunteers, local kids and families residing at our local shelters together at Christmastime.

TURN Partner churches have them members donate hundreds of $25 gift cards to Target and Walmart.  Then, just a few days before Christmas, dozens and dozens of families from our local churches come out to several local shelters to take moms and dads individually out shopping with the gift cards.  (For example, a family with one parents and 4 kids will receive 5 gifts cards for mom to use out shopping.)    A family will take the shelter resident out for the evening… they might stop for dinner or grab a coffee together before they go on to Target or Walmart where mom gets to pick out her own presents for her kids.  This way mom gets to be the hero… bringing home just the gifts that she knows her children will love.   Meanwhile, at the shelters, we have Christmas parties for the children and youth where they get to make gifts for their parents and have fun while the parents are out shopping.  When the parents arrive back at the shelters, we have a wrapping station with tons of beautiful donated paper and ribbons set up where the parents can wrap their new treasures.  Parents’ Night Out is truly one of the highlights of the year!  We love it because it creates an venue for relationships to be formed and friendships to be made.

Riverside Minister’s Prayer Retreat

The 2011 Riverside Minister’s Prayer Retreat is planned for Feb 27, 28, March 1, 2 at Oak Glen Christian Conference Center.  Our purpose in gathering local leaders together is to: seek God’s heart, build relationships within the Riverside Ministry Family, and to hear from God as He directs our collaborative ministry in the City of Riverside.

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National Day of Prayer

Every year, TURN works to support local efforts for the National Day of Prayer.  Always the first Thursday of May, the National Day of Prayer’s mission is to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership in the seven centers of power: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family.