- Details
- Written by Nelly Sanford Nelly Sanford
- Created: January 20 2012 January 20 2012
As of February 1, we have just 129 days until we fly to Haiti! Time feels short—we have so much yet to do to prepare for this first Mission Trip sponsored by Saint John’s in many years!
Grateful thanks to all of you who have contributed to our preparations. Please check the bulletin board by the office to see how our fund raising is progressing. We have already raised or been pledged over half of the money needed to send our group of 21 to Haiti.
We each need to make our final payments in April, so we’re planning the following community fund raisers to help our final push:
Sunday, February 19: Battle of the Praise Bands
We have invited church worship teams from Fort Collins and surrounding area churches to participate in a Sunday afternoon of praise music here at Saint John‘s. The music starts at 2:00 PM on February 19. Each band will play a fifteen minute set.
The mission group will charge admission of $5 for adults and $1 for kids ten and under. Tickets are available at the Welcome Center, the church office or at the door on the nineteenth. We will also offer concessions between the sets and take a free-will offering for the Haiti Trip.
We are encouraging the bands to bring as many congregational members for support as possible. The prizes, which have been donated by local music stores, will be awarded based on the votes of attendees. Yes, that’s right—your ticket is your vote!
You can help us advertise this event. Pick up some posters from the church office to put up at your workplace or other locations you frequent. Plan to attend, and invite your family and friends—both Christian and non-Christian. Everyone will enjoy this afternoon of great contemporary Christian music.
Saturday, March 24: Garage Sale
We are blessed to have Marian Lemmon and Marlys Hansen organizing a congregational garage sale to benefit the mission trip. The sale will be the morning of Saturday, March 24, in the Large Fellowship Hall (and front lawn, weather-permitting).
Please start saving items you would like to donate for the sale. We will have trucks and volunteers available to pick up your larger donations the week of the sale. Start your spring cleaning soon!
Wednesday, March 28: Seder Meal
Save the date! On Wednesday, March 28, in place of the last midweek Lenten services, Jews for Jesus has agreed to do a Seder Meal presentation for Saint John’s and the community. What a wonderful way to prepare for Holy Week!
The Mission Group will prepare a traditional Seder meal consisting of lamb and all the trimmings. (If you don’t care for lamb, alternatives will be available.) We will begin serving appetizers at 5:30 pm.
Tickets for the meal go on sale Ash Wednesday. Tickets will not be available at the door—they will need to be purchased in advance so we can plan to cook the correct amount of food.
Again, this event is open to the whole community. Share the word! Rides will be available for those who do not wish to drive in the evening.
Thanks again for all of your support and prayers as we prepare to share God’s Ihesed (loving kindness) with the people of Haiti.
“Hesed” is a Hebrew word that means “kindness”, “mercy”, “loyalty”, “loving-kindness” or “steadfastness.” It’s the way God intends us to live together—a “love your neighbor as yourself”, active, selfless, sacrificial, caring-for-one-another brand of living contradictory to our fallen natures. The “Heseders” are continually looking to work together to share some small measure of God’s extraordinary love. Won’t you join us?