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Pastor's Page
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Each year the Confirmation class goes to
Think about cracking 13 dozen eggs for scrambles eggs. Think about cooking 160 links of sausage and warming it the next morning in the oven because the kitchen wasn’t large enough to do both eggs and sausage on the stove at the same time. Think about toasting 150 pieces of bread– or not toasting the bread because the electrical system couldn’t handle the toasters. Still we served 50 delighted gentlemen breakfast – a treat the get about once a month.
The Guest House of Milwaukee, Inc. provides
shelter, housing, education and services to
Guest House now houses 70 to 80 men. Upon intake, each man is assigned a case
manager and a counselor. Together they
devise a plan to address the individual needs of the man and help him toward a
more productive life and a way out of homelessness.
Success rates for this program are far above the
national average. 40 to 50 % of the men
move out of homelessness and 80 percent of those persons remain as productive
members of society. Guest House’s latest
project is a 24-unit apartment facility on
Guest House will be just one of the many ministries offered for your contributions with our “Christmas is not your birthday” Giving Tree project this year. (see next article)
What did the kids have to say about their experience?
We ate supper with
the homeless and those who could not afford food. (at
We went to an
African American church. It was loud.
There was lots of singing. People
were very emotional. There was a
tambourine playing behind me – in my ear!
The cots we slept
on were squeaky. Some of us fell off in
the night.
We made breakfast
for the homeless at Guest House. Some of
the men have jobs. They lived in one
room (actually three – we saw one) Each man has a bed with a tote
underneath to put his belongings in.
We had soul food
– at he home of Steve and Yolanda Coleman –{members
of Bethel- Bethany UCC}.
I learned that you
should appreciate the food you have, your house, your clothes, your money. We are lucky we have the things others
don’t have.
This “Immersion” is always a growing experience for our young people. It is fun, but allows them to see and experience a world with which most are not familiar. It also allows them to be part of meaningful ministries that make a difference in the lives of those they serve. Thanks for supporting our youth ministries that make trips like this possible.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor
Marty
Sunday school - Christmas Giving Tree
I mentioned a church in
This year we are inviting
you to give a gift to the real birthday boy - JESUS!!
We will have lots of
ideas for the places you can send that 10%.
Our Christmas Giving Tree will be decorated with those ideas and they
will be listed in next month’s newsletter. You will also be invited to add to the idea
list. There will even be some ideas for
“in-kind” giving for those of you who don’t think you can
afford the monetary gifts. How and where you give your gift is up to
you.
When we celebrate
Christmas in the church, we celebrate the gift of God’s presence with
us. We celebrate the coming of God into
our world in Jesus. We celebrate the
coming of God’s grace in the flesh - God’s grace in the flesh who walked around telling some rather disturbing and demanding stories
and showing us what grace is all
about – giving his life to show how far grace will go. Now is our opportunity to be grace bearers to
some one in need of that grace.
Our mission committee
liked this idea so much that they will be putting up three additional Giving
Trees. They have picked three projects
they want to support and there will be a tree for each one. Two of
the projects will be familiar to you.
SAFPARC (Shawano Area Food Pantry and Resource) and Safe Haven (the
former Domestic Abuse Support Center) are local ministries which have growing
needs as our economy slows and more people feel the stress and strain of
incomes that don’t cover expenses.
Suggestions for giving to these ministries will be on the trees and in
next month’s newsletter.
The
third project is a new one. It is called
HOLY JOE”
Coffee may seem to be an unlikely ally of the Gospel, yet in the
hands of a chaplain it can enable meaningful ministry, addressing an
individual's normal reactions to the sometimes extreme situations and stress
encountered in a war zone. In these safe spaces, soldiers can come to talk and
gain perspective on their experiences in war, while developing a rapport with a
skilled pastor. The momentary respite
and comfort found in a Holy Joe's Cafe can help troops return to us as healthy,
rational human beings, capable of loving and caring for others and themselves.
Please DO NOT bring coffee to the church. It is too expensive to ship. You can donate coffee via Equal Exchange,
which partners with the UCC Coffee Project.
Orders: 774 776.7366. There is also a link to Holy Joe's on the UCC’s
Coffee Project page at http://www.ucc.org/justice/coffee-project/holy-joes-cafe.html.
Monetary donations are also accepted. Checks should be made payable to First Congregational
Church, attn: Holy Joe's Cafe,
GSome
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