Operation Christmas Child
September 15, 2009
Operation Christmas Child (www.samaritanspurse.org/occ)
During the month of September we are focusing on Operation Christmas Child as our featured mission.
A table near the elevator has information about helping to create a Christmas Box to a child around the world.
Whether they are refugees of civil war, survivors of a natural disaster, or victims of extreme poverty, children around the world need to know that they are precious to God. That’s the motivation behind Operation Christmas Child, the unique project of Samaritan’s Purse that enables caring people to share God’s love with hurting girls and boys in the far corners of the globe. Take an ordinary shoe box, fill it with toys and other presents, and you have an extraordinary gift for a child in need of joy and hope. Most important, these shoe boxes provide opportunities for local believers to tell children about Jesus Christ through Gospel literature and evangelism programs. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15, NIV).
Covenant to Care
April 14, 2009
Zion Lutheran and First Lutheran are pleased to have participated in Easter “baskets” for our Covenant to Care teens again this year. We were asked to remember the same 33 youth and four babies and toddlers that we helped this past Christmas. Each teen received a back sack (a lightweight drawstring bag popular with teens) filled with a few Easter treats. The babies and toddlers each received a basket filled with Spring toys and a few healthy snacks.
Our DCF social workers Steve Gambee and Deb Duncan said the teens were happy to receive their Easter bags – “it means so much to these kids that someone cares and is thinking of them”.
Zion continues to place critical goods such as twin beds, dressers, lamps and other apartment basics with teens in need. *Currently requested: boys clothing size 12-18 months. Thanks for your continued support of these CT youth!
30-Hour Famine www.30hourfamine.org
March 23, 2009
We Did It!!!
We Starved for Food
Thanks to the prayerful and financial support of our congregation, we completed our 30 Hour Famine! It wasn’t easy…but we had a fantastic time.
Notice the amazing wishing well display in the sanctuary created to illustrate that one child under the age of 5 dies every three seconds. One drop of water will fall every three seconds to remember that child’s death. There are around 26,000 children dying today because of hunger, poverty and disease. Donations can still be made for world hunger.
Best of all, we raised over $900, which can help feed and care for 2 children for an entire year! That’s a pretty incredible accomplishment. Thank you for your contributions! Special thanks to the chaperones and students who collected donations and participated in this year’s famine for those in need.
Souper Bowl of Caring www.souperbowl.org
February 25, 2009
The Souper Bowl of Caring is a youth-led, grassroots movement of caring, the result of thousands of young people joining together to fight hunger and poverty in their communities. Since 1990, $34 million has been raised for charities across the country. Money raised here at Zion is donated to Bread for Life.
