Announcements
Food Barrel Ministry
Please support our food barrel ministry by bringing green items in honor of St. Patrick's Day during the month of March. Ideas include canned vegetables (like green beans, peas, asparagus, spinach, and okra), green jello, pistachio pudding, green tea, Apple Jacks cereal, key lime bar cookie mix, pesto sauce, spinach pasta, Healthy Choice soups, jars of green baby food, pickles, pickle relish, spices (basil, parsley, sage, tarragon, oregano, rosemary), olives– and there's always CASH. If you wish to donate cash, please give it to Ruth Sorrell or Grace Steinke or put it in the offering plate in an envelope labeled "Service – Food Pantry".
For the month of April, our focus will be Spring Cleaning – we will collect cleaning supplies and paper products. Ideas include laundry detergent, window cleaner, all purpose spray cleaner, toilet cleaner, bar soap, fabric softener, scrubbing pads, furniture cleaner, floor cleaner, dish soap, mold/mildew remover, paper towels, toilet tissue, facial tissue, etc. Cleaning supplies cannot be purchased with food stamps and are a necessity in life. Please support this important ministry.
Easter Giving Tree
The Easter Tree is up in the Narthex. Please take an ornament and purchase the item listed. Donations will be given to Almost Home – a charity that provides transitional housing, education and support for 15 homeless teenage mothers and their children in a 3-story facility located in the City of St. Louis. In addition, Almost Home, owns and operates low-income housing apartments across the street from the transitional housing facility for women 18+ who have graduated from the transitional housing program but aren't ready to be fully independent. They also provide up to 8 years of support for the women after they move to other housing wherein they provide home visits, help the women find needed resources, and run a support group. Ruth Sorrell has toured their facility and found it to be incredibly well run. They accomplish their goal of helping the young women they serve to become self-sufficient, responsible adults and mothers through their Keys to Success program:
1. Education - The young mothers at Almost Home are required to complete high school or obtain a GED. After they earn their diploma, they must continue their education at a college or vocational/technical school.
2. Responsible Parenting - Moms must attend on- and off- site classes on positive and healthy parenting, effective discipline, and childhood development. Moms are expected to read to their child at least 15 minutes per day.
3. Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies - Moms learn to be responsible for themselves and for their children through group and individual counseling. This process helps them to cope with new responsibilities, the stress of a radically changing lifestyle, and to address the scars left by previous abuse.
4. Independent Living Skills - The young mothers must attend on-site one-hour life and job skills classes four nights a week. Skills include financial planning, seeking out resources, computer literacy, nutrition, household management, and training on how to search for, apply for, and interview for a job.
5. Recreation and Social Skills - Almost Home helps teen moms adapt to appropriate etiquette as they take their young family to various venues within the community, and teach them how to interact positively with others and form healthier relationships.
6. Leadership - young mothers learn how to take charge of their own care, their own living space, and their own futures through group peer meetings. Led by elected peer leaders, regular meetings address topics such as living spaces, conflict resolution, and the sharing of household responsibilities.
To learn more, visit their website – www.almosthomestl.org. Please support this worthy charity by donating the items listed on the ornaments. Items should be left in the wooden crates next to the giving tree or placed under the giving tree. Items should be unwrapped. The service committee will deliver the items to Almost Home between Palm Sunday and Easter. Thank you for your generous support. The Service Committee
WELCA
WELCA is off to a "running start" having finished a revision of our constitution and by-laws. Our first event, Ash Wednesday Breakfast, was well attended with 15 (!) at our 7:00 am service. There have never been 15 in all the year's we have done this. The 9:30 am service was also terrific and we thank both Pastor Rafanan and Pastor Moore for coming to preside. Thanks, also, to Dave and Florence Riter and Fred and Grace Steinke for hosting and cooking the delicious breakfast.
We've chosen to support Campus Ministry, Abused Women, Help Our Own, LWR and our Kitchen Fund in 2013. Other charities may be helped with decisions to do so later in the year.
Our next event is the annual Spring Retreat on Saturday, April 6th at 9:00 am. Plan on coming for a continental breakfast, a wonderful program entitled "Clutter in Our Lives, followed by communion, and a salad luncheon to follow. It promises to be very uplifting.
The Mother-Daughter Banquet is the next adventure. More information will be in next month's Voice.
The quilters have already begun to work for LWR. It has been decided that 10 quilts will go to LWR and the rest will be sold to benefit our Kitchen Fund. Ladies and Gentlemen, our kitchen is past due for an overhall!
Following the WELCA general meeting on Wednesday, March 6 the group will view a DVD from the History Museum on bricks in St. Louis. All women and men are invited to lunch and the program. Lunch will begin at approximately 12 noon. Please RSVP to church office at 721.6974.
Marsha Balluff, Secretary
Choir
During Lent, Chancel Choir will continue to rehearsal on Wednesday nights at 7:30 pm following service. You are invited to join us for the wonderful Lenten and Easter music.
Going, going, gone! There are only about 25 Choir CD's "Marvelous Messages: Sacred and Show" left. Get yours to give at Easter time. You'd be amazed at the quality and beauty of the music. Make sure you get yours for yourself, relatives and friends for only a $10.00 donation! See Beth Eschbacher.
Adult Education
Join our DVD study and discussion of the Gospel of Luke, followed by a study of the Parables! Discussion led by Darin Sorrell.
--
Carol Johnson
