DEAR NORTHWOOD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH MEMBERS AND FRIENDS:
The information below summarizes upcoming mission opportunities and the results of our previous mission efforts. Please note that all dollar amounts described are approximate.
September 2010 - American Cancer Society
The September Mission offering will be dedicated to the American Cancer Society www.cancer.org. As we have experienced with the recent loss of our wonderful church member Robin Drown, many of our congregational members, friends and family members suffer from cancer, are undergoing treatment or are beyond current treatment methods. The September Mission will be dedicated to the American Cancer Society to continue the research and fight this disease that affects so many people we love and are in need of our prayers.
October 2010 - Domestic Violence Prevention - Annually in October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We will dedicate the October Mission offering to New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence www.nhcadsv.org to assist in prevention of domestic violence which has been increasing as a result of some of the economic challenges faced by many families. Founded in 1977, the Coalition is an umbrella organization for a statewide network of 14 independent member programs committed to ending domestic and sexual violence. To that end the Coalition seeks to:
- ensure that quality services are provided to victims/survivors of domestic and sexual violence;
- prevent future violence by educating the public;
- influence public policy;
- and encourage the provision of services for perpetrators.
SUCCESS - SUCCESS - SUCCESS
May 2010 Missions - Heifer International
The May Mission offering went to Heifer International www.Heifer.org, a program dedicated to providing farm animals to needy families. Amy Lindsay coordinated with the Christian Education Committee and worked with the children to make crafts that were sold during various church events. Green Mountain Coffee was also sold at church since their fair trade coffee has a percentage of proceeds helping coffee growers in Mexico develop a more sustainable life-style by promoting food crops and market crops that will tide them over during the off-season. A total of $420 was collected and the children selected the animals in church during the Children's Message given by Rev. Gayle Murphy. The following summarizes the order from Northwood Congregational Church to Heifer International:
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June 2010 Missions - Boston Common Cathedral / Ecclesia Ministries with Additional Summer Efforts at Concord Soup Kitchen and Families in Transition
Peggy Kofer and Reverend Gayle Murphy coordinated a Youth Mission approach that involves working with the Mission Committee to attend three separate events. On June 20th, 14 attended the Common Cathedral on the Boston Common www.ecclesia-ministries.org. We served 150 sandwiches and worshiped with the homeless on the Common. It was a great experience and we hope you can join us when we go again. In August, the Youth Mission Group prepared a meal on a Saturday for 50 for the Friendly Kitchen in Concord, the town's soup kitchen. Then a few days later, seven of us spent the day volunteering at Families in Transition, learning about homelessness and ...volunteering at their pre-school. The Youth Mission Group served God and represented you - and they had fun too!
Of the $126.00 collected during the month of June in the Mission Offering, a total of $21.00 was used to buy supplies for the Concord Soup Kitchen. The remaining $105.00 was sent to the Ecclesia Ministries to continue the important work providing for the homeless of Boston.
July 2010 Missions - Cocheco Valley Humane Society
During January 2010 we collected $65.00 to support the Cocheco Valley Humane Society www.cochecovalleyhumanesoc.org
August 2010 Missions - Minister's Discretionary Fund
The amount collected during August 2010 for supplementing moneys to this important fund for Rev. Gayle Murphy to distribute to the needy at her discretion is not available at this time.
ADDITIONAL MISSION OPPORTUNITIES
In addition to the scheduled monthly Mission Offerings described above, the Northowood Congregational Church Mission Committee is approached by many other individuals and agencies that could use our help. Since we cannot possibly meet the needs of all these worthwhile causes, we will occasionally describe them here and will be posted on the Mission Committee section of the bulletin board in Church.
Zimkids - Priscilla Merrill and Gayle Murphy are working to coordinate a visit to our church with Dennis Gaboury who is the contact for a wonderful organization in Zimbabwe called Zimkids www.zimkids.com before he travels back there with his wife later this year.
The 160 orphans served by the Zimkids Orphan Trust create dolls and wire toys that Dennis Gaboury, the project founder, ships to the United States. There, he speaks at churches, schools and local arts groups about the project and the needs of the orphans before giving the toys, each of which comes with a photograph and mini-biography of the toymaker to donors.
Back in Zimbabwe, he distributes 100 percent of the proceeds of those sales to the children in the form of food, school fees, clothing, medical supplies, or whatever a given child needs. Baskets of maize meal, cooking oil, vegetables, rice and beans, delivered every two weeks, along with monthly deliveries of beef or chicken, keep the children and their caregivers supplied with food from the money the kids themselves earn. If a child needs an emergency visit to a doctor – and doctors are few and far between in Zimbabwe – Zimkids arranges for the consultation and pays all costs. A growing number of children are suffering from scabies, and some of their toy money buys the medication essential to relieve their suffering. In one recent tragic case, the proceeds from the sales of a 10-year-old boy’s dolls paid for his coffin and funeral after he died from AIDS.
Back in Zimbabwe, he distributes 100 percent of the proceeds of those sales to the children in the form of food, school fees, clothing, medical supplies, or whatever a given child needs. Baskets of maize meal, cooking oil, vegetables, rice and beans, delivered every two weeks, along with monthly deliveries of beef or chicken, keep the children and their caregivers supplied with food from the money the kids themselves earn. If a child needs an emergency visit to a doctor – and doctors are few and far between in Zimbabwe – Zimkids arranges for the consultation and pays all costs. A growing number of children are suffering from scabies, and some of their toy money buys the medication essential to relieve their suffering. In one recent tragic case, the proceeds from the sales of a 10-year-old boy’s dolls paid for his coffin and funeral after he died from AIDS.
To learn more about this check out the www.zimkids.com website and plan to meet Dennis when his visit is arranged.
Our new Mission Committee members for 2010/2011 includes Tom Bobowski, Grace Levergood, Amy Lindsay, Betty Warner, Mary Faucher and Joan Clark. We look forward to continuing our Mission outreach to benefit the local community and rest of God's world!
May Christ be with you!
Northwood Congregational Church
Mission Committee
Tom Bobowski
