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“Service is
not a work of the intellect; Service is a work of the heart and
soul. There is in all of us a
deep wish to befriend life. To
make a difference. Not to fix
life, because life isn’t broken, but to serve life because life is holy.” ~ Rachel
Naomi Remen June
July 2008 Update
Mission Supper Fire Barn - Fr i. June 20, 6pmClean Water ,
Better Life
Did you know? 150
children die each month in the bateyes (sugar cane worker camps) in the
Dominican Republic? Featuring an inspiring and compelling presentation by Joe Boyle, Vickie Russell, and Tom Craven – Union Church patrons –on their recent mission trips to the Dominican Republic. Please plan to attend this meaningful evening of photo and story while dining with your neighbors on an early summer evening in Biddeford Pool. Union Church will
serve a tasty grilled chicken salad followed by strawberry shortcake and
coffee/tea; otherwise BYO Beverage. Doors open 6:00 pm;
dinner begins at 6:30PM. Tickets, $10 with reservation;
$13 at the door, space permitting.
Proceeds to benefit Union Church’s mission work locally and globally.
For information and reservations (before 6/18), please call Jen Comeau at
967-9901. The Guatemalan Flyscreen
Is Done!
Dear Jen, Greetings
from Guatemala! My heartfelt
thanks goes to you for supporting us by funding the fly screen at the early
childhood center. The screen is beautiful, very well built
and it has already proven its great use. It is people like you that help us to
ensure the quality of our programs and I can tell you that the screen will
help us maintain the area in which the children eat their lunch and snacks,
to be clean and without flies, especially in the months to come. This will
greatly benefit our children’s good health. Please send
our warm greetings to all those people who helped fund this and I am looking
forward to having you here in Guatemala some day so that you can see the
screen! My kindest
regards, Barbara Nijhuis Executive
Director Safe Passage Looking For A Summer Mission Opportunity? Low Sugar
Cereal For Joyful Harvest Neighbor-Hood Center—large
boxes. Joyful Harvest sponsors a summer program for neighborhood children who
often arrive hungry. A healthy breakfast is provided— and our help is needed.
Monday Meals
For Joyful Harvest: Monday meals for Joyful Harvest: According
to the 2000 census, more that 50% of families in the downtown Biddeford Bacon
Street neighborhood have only one parent, and 44% of families live below the poverty
level. Many families live on less than $1,000 a month. Joyful Harvest
provides two meals a week during July and August when no school lunch program
is in effect. On Mondays, they are seeking local churches to signup to do one
or two healthy Monday lunches along with a Vacation Church School-type
lesson. It’s a commitment of two to three hours, from 10:00-1:00. They have a
full size kitchen for food preparation. If you could help out for one Monday
noon in either July or August, please speak to Jan or one of the mission
committee…Jen, Polly, Sue or Beth. Jan will prepare the lesson. Many thanks! Stocking The
Shelves At The Stone Soup Food Pantry: now at 319 Main St. in Biddeford (by the Getty
Station). Just pick up a canvas eco bag, fill and return it to the church.
The mission committee will get the bags to Stone Soup. According to a recent
article in the Portland
Press Herald entitled:
Demand Soars
at Nation’s Food Banks by
Asso. Press, “99 percent of 180 food banks polled have seen an increase in the
number of clients served within the last year, some rising by as much as 40
percent.” Your ongoing generosity is greatly appreciated! (http:/seattlepi.nwsource.
com/business/1310ap un easy economy food banks. html) Ever After
Mustang Rescue Redeemable Can and Bottle Drive: Once
again this summer, Beth Baskin and Ada Goff will host a drop off site for
redeemable cans and bottles outside of Goldthwaite’s Store in Biddeford Pool.
The proceeds will benefit the valuable work Mona Jerome does rescuing and
training wild mustangs at Bush Brook Farm at 463 West Street in Biddeford. HELP IS
NEEDED sorting cans and bottles and delivering them to the
Redemption Center on Elm Street in Biddeford. If you can help in any way,
please speak to Ada. ( 284-9998) Knit While You
Sit In The Sun! The active Knit Wit Group will be knitting warm
scarves for Joyful Harvest children and prayer shawls for those in need of comfort
and healing. The group will meet monthly over the summer to knit and chat
together. Busy hands are needed to knit! If you are interested, speak to Judy
MacGillivray, Carol Sherman or Laura McKenney. The group has plenty of yarn
and the pattern is easy! To: Union Church Members and
Friends From: Mission
Committee Members: Beth
Baskin, Jen Comeau, Jan Hryniewicz, Polly Nodden, Sue Maccalous, and by their
contribution if not in meetings, than in many other areas: The Knit Wits, captained by Carol Sherman and our Saco Feeding regulars,
captained by Eve McPheeters and Sandy Wolcott –and many others! Subject:
Mission Committee 2008 Plan Dear Church Members and Friends, Attached is our Mission Plan for 2008. A couple of notes: w
We
hope you all had a chance to read Ada Goff’s recent Moderator’s Letter and in
particular, to take in just how
much we as a church have been able to do in the area of mission work in
2007. Contemplate the lives we have
touched and all of the ways you have helped.
We know mission work is not a 1-way trip -- we learn and receive just
as much from those we serve. w
We
continue to follow the recommendations you gave us in 2007 -- to contribute
in the ratio of 50% local, 25% national, and 25% international need
areas. w
We
also continue to find ways to be more deeply involved in mission work – as
instruments of passionate service connected more deeply to our communities
and the world. In this vein, we are
seeking a specific project-based and
experience-based mission focus in 2008.
By project-based we mean: Has a definitive start and end, such as
building/revamping something or providing a specific thing. By experience-based we mean: We are the doers
in direct contact and connection with an area of need (as opposed to simply
providing money or goods). We are
currently checking with several local organizations, such as Joyful Harvest,
Stone Soup and York County Action to see if there is a local project we might
focus on. We haven’t ruled out an
international or national project for later in the year as well. w
Our
loyal group continues with the Saco Feeding Program – thank you! If you haven’t yet participated in the
simple act of making a dinner for others in the community who may not have
the means to make their own, please join Eve McPheeters and crew at Most Holy
Trinity. This is a regular
occurrence, every third Monday of the month.
Next date: St. Patrick’s Day
-- Monday March 17th. w
Our
Knit Witts group continues to meet regularly, joyfully creating cozy blankets
and scarves for those less fortunate.
See Judy MacGillivray for more information. w
Upcoming
Event: Mission Supper,. Vickie Russell, Joe Boyle, and Tom Craven
will provide a compelling presentation and personal stories from their recent
water purification project in La Romana, Dominican Republic. More details to follow! w
Our
next Mission Committee meeting is Thursday evening, March 6th at
6:45 PM at Union Church. All are
welcome to join our fun group! If you have any questions about this plan,
please contact any of the members of our committee. Submitted by: Jen Comeau, March 2, 2008 Union
Church – Mission 2008 Plan Updated: 02 March, 2008 Preserving Our Roots ~ Expanding Our Reach Rows
in white: LOCAL, Rows in yellow: GLOBAL, Rows in green: NATIONAL
Other Notes: 1.) Individual mission work is not officially
listed. We will conduct a “moment for
missions” on this topic. Individual mission
work is simply looking out for our own community members with visits, a home
cooked meal and some help with chores. 2.) Activities that are “resting” for now
include: Nurture by the Sea Program and Sustainability Event/Dinner/Speaker. |
