Hi Church Family! My name is Peter Chen, and my wife Jenn and son Garret have been attending Lighthouse for the last ten years. I also serve as the deacon overseeing Mercy Ministry. Shortly after the pandemic hit in March, my workload dropped off quite a bit as a graphic designer. This was not so unusual, since freelancing for me often includes periods of feast or famine. It was during this extra time that I started creating digital letterboards.
Allow me to back up a bit. Last year I bought a letterboard, which got me all excited about words, typography, kerning, leading and phrases. Creative nerd stuff, for sure. Here’s what it currently says.
The letterboard stands right next to our TV, and every time I look at it, the message is a powerful reminder. Why? Because as a follower of Christ, “HIS MERCY IS MORE” is the grace-filled message of our God who first approached us while we were his enemies, who forgave us completely despite our countless sins against him, and who continues to call us back to him even when we still sin. Our God has and continues to overwhelm us with his mercy. (Ephesians 2:4)
The creative side of me wants to change the letterboard, but I don’t want to change it just yet. The message of grace is powerful. Rather than changing the letterboard, I thought, why not create digital letterboards? Then I could create even more messages of grace while keeping the one next to my TV. One thing led to the next, and I started printing, laminating, and cutting out my own stickers. Here are some of them.
When the church organized the Children’s Hunger Fund Food Pak Event in October, it was then that I considered the possibility of selling the stickers to help provide meals through CHF. After some more research and technical issues, I started the Say Grace Sticker Project. Whenever someone purchases a sticker, the funds help provide eight meals for families who are food insecure while also bringing them hope found in the gospel of Christ.
The Say Grace Sticker Project is a small way of expressing gratitude to the Lord for his abundant gift of grace to us, while also reaching out to help others. It could even be a conversation point for those who have yet to experience the life-changing grace and forgiveness found through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Addendum: Although I am still buckled into the rollercoaster of freelance work, I know that our heavenly father is faithful and does not merely overlook our everyday needs. Since the start of the pandemic, he has provided additional work from time to time, as well as “manna” for each day.
