Friday Fish Fry

This Friday, the ECW will host a fish fry at Christ Memorial with the proceeds going to help fund our mission trip to Peru.  Lunch will be served from 11:00 AM until the fish runs out.  Lunches are $8 per plate.

Come early, eat often!

Fr. Michael+

Alabama Relief Effort

The following message was sent to me by Fr. Flowers this morning, and it is something that I think is worth doing.

Dear Colleagues,

 

I want to share with you some exciting news about a project that you may want to be a part of.  As it happens, my Sr. Warden, Lynn Togersen, is an over the road driver for UPS.  At the behest of our Outreach Committee, Lynn has been able to secure a truck at no charge to us for the purpose of taking relief supplies to Alabama.

 

I spoke with the folks at the Diocese of Alabama, and they put me in touch with Fr. Bill King, who is helping to coordinate relief efforts in the diocese.  Fr. King put me in touch with folks in Cullman, Alabama, which was badly hit by the storms, who run a relief warehouse on behalf of the diocese.  They receive and distribute needed items.

 

Here's the plan.  For the next three weeks, we will receive needed items here at St. George's on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays between 9-Noon, and by appointment.  On Saturday June 11 we will load the truck, which will then be locked and driven to UPS where it will stay until the following Saturday June 18 when Lynn will drive it to Cullman.

 

Here is the list of needed items that I received from the folks in Cullman

 

Non-perishable food, canned goods and other non-perishables

Personal hygiene items, soap, deodorant, toothpaste etc.

Cleaning supplies, Windex, Fantastic, sponges, mops etc.

Paper towels

t-shirts, all sizes

work gloves

underwear

socks

 

What they don't need:  bottled water, second hand clothes

 

 

I hope that you will be as excited about this effort as are we here at St. George's, and that you will disseminate this list to your parishioners.  If you have any questions please give me a call.  Thanks so much!

 

Blessings,

 

Jaime+

Mission Trip to Peru

As I announced in Church last week, Christ Memorial will be sponsoring a mission trip to the Anglican Diocese of Peru this September.  The plan is to take 10-15 people for a 7 day trip to Lima and/or other areas in Peru to work with the women and children of the diocese as teachers and helpers.  While we don't know exactly what we will be doing yet, we will probably be teaching bible studies or maybe even a Vacation Bible School.  We will work with the Peruvian women's groups to provide instruction and support.  We may be assisting with after school care for young people or helping to teach skills to women in job training programs.  Whatever we end up doing, we will be sharing in the Love of Christ with them and they with us, and we will come home with a greater appreciation of how His Grace touches and moves people around the world.

We will be have our first team meeting on Tuesday, February 15 at 6:30PM in the Parlor.  Anyone who is interested should come to this meeting so that we can make our plans for raising the necessary funds and working toward our departure in September.

If you have any questions about the trip or would like to discuss it prior to the meeting on the 15th, please call me, and I'll be happy to help.

Fr. Michael+

Report on Operation Christmas Child

In November, the parishioners of Christ Memorial participated in a wonderful evangelism and outreach effort called Operation Christmas Child which is sponsored by Samaritan's Purse each year.  The idea of the project is to pack and deliver a shoe box full of fun and useful items to a needy child somewhere in world.  This is a gift, given in love and in the name of Jesus Christ, with no strings attached.  According to the literature, for every eight boxes delivered, a child comes to faith in Christ.  This year, the collection station at First Baptist, Mansfield collected 3,407 shoe boxes, an increase of almost 5% over last year.  In turn, the collection center in Bossier City took in over 21,000 boxes which were then trucked to the regional receiving center in Hurst, TX, which received 413,248 boxes from Texas and Louisiana (88,314).  Nationally, Operation Christmas Child was able to collect and deliver over 5.5 million boxes in 2010.  Praise God!

It is not too early to start thinking about OCC for next year.  One easy way to help is to keep a watchful eye when you go to the store.  If you see plastic shoe boxes on sale, pick up a few.  If you see toys or toiletries that we can put in the boxes, pick them up and stash them away.  Make it a habit to pick up a little something here and there; and then when box packing time rolls around again, we'll be ready to make it happen.

I would also ask your prayers for all those who do so much to bring the Light of Christ to the nations of the Earth.  Pray for those who have heard and received the Gift of Christ, that they may be strong and joyful in their faith.  Pray for those who have yet to hear the Word, that God will touch them with His infinite Goodness and Mercy.

Fr. Michael+

Mission of Hope 2011

Next Tuesday, a team of eleven people from Pennsylvania, Louisiana and New Mexico will be leaving for a 17 day mission trip to Hoima, Uganda.  They will spend the majority of their time ministering at the Mustard Seed Babies' Home and will provide medical services, Bible School and education, and anything else that they can do to help this Christian orphans home.  Two of my very close friends will be going on this trip, Tom and Matthew Dalton.  I have lost track of how many mission trips Tom has made since I have known him (he is the chairman of the Diocesan Missions Committee), and this will be the first time in the mission field for his son, Matthew.  I traveled with Tom to the Dominican Republic almost 5 years ago, and I am looking forward to going back with him this year in July.

I post this because I think it is important to remember the work that is being done by missionaries around the world.  In addition to these short term mission trips, there are folks who have dedicated their lives to teaching the Gospel and bringing the Love of Jesus Christ to all the people of the world, just as Christ instructed us to do.  I have been on two mission trips, one to the D.R. and one to Peru, and both experiences effected me deeply.

While this team is in Uganda, I would ask that everyone who reads this blog take a minute and say a prayer for their safety and for their success in bringing the Word of God to those in Uganda who need to hear it.  I also ask that you pray that their hearts and minds are open so that they can learn and grow from their experience with those who live the Christian life in Uganda.  One of the blessings of going on a mission trip like this is to experience life in a country where the Gospel is not just something that is read on Sunday; it is the Word that effects every aspect of their lives.  The people in Uganda may seem poor by our standards, but, believe me, they are richer beyond our wildest dreams when it comes to their faith in the Risen Christ.

Two Prayers for Missions

Everliving God, whose will it is that all should come to thee through thy Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Almighty God, who hast given unto thy Son Jesus Christ the Name which is above every name, and hast taught us that there is salvation in none other: Mercifully grant that as thy faithful people have comfort and peace in his name, they may ever labor to publish it unto all nations; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Fr. Michael+

MEA CULPA:  My recollection was faulty.  This is not Matthew's first trip to Uganda; he went with his dad on last year's trip to Hoima.