PB&J, also known as Peanut Butter and Jesus, is underway in Oakdale under the guidance of Pastor Joey Swinnea of the House of Prayer and International Outreach (HOP), 701 Highway 165 South, Oakdale, which is known as the old Home Sweet Home building, located behind Burger King.
“It’s a great way to let the community know you care,” said Swinnea.
The PB&J group hit the streets on Saturday, July 3, for the third time this year sharing sack lunches filled with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a snack and a drink. With the sack lunch comes a message, a meal voucher to the church’s free Wednesday meal, an invitation to the church for those in need – and prayer if needed.
Swinnea said the first time they distributed the sack lunches they went to the park. The second and third time they spotlighted an area in town and went door-to door. This past week, the group went to an area with an elderly population.
“We walk the streets,” he said. “We knock on the door and ask if they want a free sack lunch and if anyone in the house needs prayer. We also invite them to church.”
Swinnea said on Sunday he had a young man, who normally attends another church, attend his service just to thank the congregation for doing this project.
Swinnea said the local project was organized around the project started by Todd Slogget of Sapula, Oklahoma, and Tony McBrayer of Tiffton, Georgia. They normally try to distribute 150 to 200 lunch sacks.
Pastor Swinnea got emotional when asked how the program has affected him as a pastor. He said, “I was praying for how I could help the community. It’s made me realize that church is not within these four walls. Church is what’s done outside the four walls. The one thing I’ve learned is broken people are hurting people who don’t need to be told they are hurting. They need to be healed.”
Swinnea is hoping healing is coming through this outreach program by sharing this special message with others. Showing people that one cares is important.
“We’re not different. People are all the same. We are all in different circumstances and situations that deeply affect one’s life and maybe changes it forever.”
He said preaching the gospel and reaching out is important as he quoted the Bible. He believes in meeting people and offering them a hand if needed.
“You can’t preach the gospel if you stay in these four walls.”
Recently, one of his old teachers reached out, and her congregation (Zion Baptist Church of Oakdale) is planning on joining the group in its next PB&J outing to distribute Bibles they have. He was pleased that the two congregations could work together to spread this message of the Gospel and caring for others.
Swinnea said one of his members used to dispatch, so she knows the parish. When he asked for locations that were not reached, she assisted him. She told him there was an area that needed an outreach hand, and that is how they begin the door-to-door campaign by reaching different areas of the community.
The group always asks for sponsors and volunteers through its Facebook™ page. They usually need:
•Creamy peanut butter
•Apple jelly
•Bread
•Snacks (fruit snacks, Debbie cakes, chips, etc)
•Hugs (or Koolaide Jammers, etc)
•Brown bags (hold at least six pounds)
•Sandwich bags
•Bread crates
•Labels
They use bread crates to carry the bags around when they are doing door-to-door deliveries.
After Saturday’s event, their message to those who assisted was, “Today was such a success! Thank you for all who came out to help with PB&J today! What a great day for reaching out to our community! Thank you House of Prayer and International Outreach for loving people like Jesus!”
Pastor Swinnea is hoping the group can do this outreach program more often. He said it will depend on finances.
The group has only heard one negative response to the project. He said overall, it has been a positive project for his congregation.
Swinnea is joined by his wife, Kisha, when organizing this event. If anyone wishes to volunteer or donate they can call Swinnea at 318-359-5433. Interested person can learn more about the group on Facebook™ (https://www.facebook.com/pbjoakdalela)
Pastor Swinnea reminds everyone they are giving hot meals out at his church every Wednesday night at 5:20 p.m. to anyone in need.
According to the program, participants are hoping to “Make a Mark that Matters for Eternity.”
