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We’re Getting Busy For Others! Homes are where God’s heart is! Our Church is continuing it’s active support of Habitat for Humanity by scheduling a series of workdays throughout the year. We are now planning to have a Habitat Workday on the first Saturday of each month! The Habitat programs are so designed that anyone, with any skill level, can participate! Participants will meet at 8 am in the Church parking lot to form carpools. Come and experience the fellowship, cooperation and feeling of accomplishment that one receives working with Habitat! Come, and bring a friend who’s looking to make a difference in the world!
Our next workday is Saturday February 4th 2012. VERY IMPORTANT: For any youth who wish to take part in this hands-on mission effort – you must be 16 years or older. If you are 16 or 17, you MUST have a Habitat Waiver form signed by a parent/guardian. Habitat will not allow you to work without a signed Waiver Form. The waiver form may be obtained by emailing the church at firstprestona1852@verizon.net. A form will be emailed to you. Come join the fun, get your hands dirty, help a deserving family get a home, and follow Christ’s command to help others! “As you did to the least of these, do you did to Me.” ********************************************************************************** A new ministry has arrived! As you know, members from the Deacons and Outreach Team have met, to organize this ministry that will match member’s needs with those who have the time, skill and/or energy to meet them. Enclosed in this issue of the Gazette is a small questionnaire on which you can identify either a skill you have, or a need. There will be a receptacle in the church to place it in and the joint Deacons and Outreach folks will compile the information. The name we are considering for our new ministry is “Doulos” which means “servant” in Greek. But we are using the term as it was used in conjunction with the Biblical Festival of Jubilee! During that festival slaves were given the option to be freed, or to serve their master voluntarily, for life, out of love. That is the spirit of this new opportunity to serve each other in love. ************************************************************************************************ Mmm – Mmm Good News! Every once in a while it feels good to hear good news for a change, and there’s always something good happening “behind the curtain” in our church. *There are so many people who have rallied to keep this place sparkling - and most of them are like Nike – they just show up and do it! Most of the time nobody knows (but Jesus) who our quiet scrubbers are. A big THANK YOU to ALL of you who are rolling up your sleeves to help! *Stories keep rising up about people in our midst who perform spontaneous acts of kindness. This past month: a homeless person received some new clothes and a place to shower. A huge prayer card for Jack was created and shredded so that each of us could remember to pray… A Little Child led one of our members who needed a hand, to his seat on a Sunday morning. One of our members sank his teeth into providing a good belly laugh to someone who needed some comic relief! These are only a few stories among the many that reach our ears every week. God bless us every one as we keep up the good news! Volunteering opportunites The Outreach is looking for people to transport eager worshipers from the Tonawanda Tower to and from worship on Sunday. Audio/Visual operators are needed to assist during worship to operate the display screen and volume for the microphones. Ushering volunteers are always welcome, even when there currently is not an opening.
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Letter from Your Outreach Ministry Team: Dear Church Family, Well, it’s almost Lent, a season that ends with the joyful celebration of the risen Lord. That means it’s also nearly time for One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) – a time when we learn how we can help others, a time for learning how sharing brings joy. That’s the theme for OGHS this year: “Sharing Brings Joy to Others, to God and to Us.” This year, the 4 feature articles deal with people and places that are helped by OGHS, in the US and around the world. Remember, the money is divided among Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP) and Self-Development of People (SDP). - Refuge from the Floods – PDA responds to the worst flooding in Pakistan’s history with food, shelter and health care. And they (with other Presbyterian aid programs) will be there for the long haul.
- A Garden Grows in Detroit – SDP assists in creating community gardens which feed neighborhoods, provide income by selling to local merchants, and facilitate neighborhood revitalization in Detroit, which has been extremely hard hit by the recession.
- You Are There – Haiti Response – It has been over a year since the earthquake that ravaged Haiti, and PDA & PHP are still hard at work. They’re keeping hospitals running and providing seeds & tools to enable self-sufficiency and provide incomes. SDP is working with community groups to provide clean water systems.
- Heaven on Earth – Outside of Youngstown, Ohio, the PHP provides grants, resources and support for community gardens that are managed by community groups and church congregations. This is just one of the many cities where communities (and churches) are learning to plant and cultivate gardens which feed the hungry and preserve the dignity of persons in need.
So, keep in mind throughout Lent that your giving can provide joy (and necessities and dignity) in the lives of those who are helped by OGHS. Give the joy of Easter to others! In Christ’s love, Your Outreach Ministry Team News from the Outreach Ministry Team This is to keep you informed of upcoming events that touch on our commitments as Christians to:
Toy Closet
Please drop off Toys (used and new) to box outside of Marla’s office. We are accepting donations for boys and girls of all ages. Any questions please contact Pete Maertin @ 731-2560. Coupons for Military Bases overseas In order to help our service men and women and their families overseas, please bring in any manufacturer’s coupons. Use the coupons you need and return the sheets to the inside of the front & back cover. There is a collection container in the Narthex. Thank you for your help!
Hunger Sunday Is now every Sunday ~ food and cash donations are welcome and proceeds are donated to the Twin Cities Community Outreach. Thank you for support.
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| The Outreach Ministry Team is composed of two groups, each with its own unique focus. The Outreach Ministry Team is composed of two groups, each with its own unique focus. | | The Fellowship Team is responsible for providing opportunities for fun and community building within our family of faith. There is a monthly Fellowship Coffee after worship on the second Sunday. This also serves as the time to welcome new members. They have also organized quarterly fellowship events, usually with an intergenerational focus. Past events include a Variety Show, a New Year’s Eve Celebration, and a Valentine Dance. Future events may include a Christmas Dinner, a bowling party, a Miss Buffalo Cruise, and other events to be chosen from a list submitted by the congregation. Inspired and driven individuals are needed to serve God with with this vital aspect of Christian life called fellowship. | | Mission and Community Outreach - With our Thanksgiving and Christmas offerings we support Twin Cities Community Outreach (composed of Meals on Wheels, Clothes Closet, and Food Pantry). Many members of our congregation volunteer for Meals on Wheels. We support the One Great Hour of Sharing mission effort of the Presbyterian Church with an education experience and an offering. In January of 2009, we will begin a hands-on relationship with Habitat for Humanity, which we hope will become an ongoing experience for our congregation. We are in the process of identifying a need in the Tonawandas which we can meet with a newly-developed program using the resources of our congregation. Whatever program we develop, it will be done with prayer and the guidance of the Spirit as we seek to obey Jesus’ command to love and care for one another. | |
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