Weekly Update - February 3, 2010

Remember that this Saturday is our Leadership Retreat, and we very much need you to join us as we discuss and make plans for several of our ministries. We’ll meet from 9 am until noon, and we’ll have lunch for you when we finish. Please hit ‘reply’ and let me know whether or not you plan to attend, so I can make sure we have sufficient food.


The next date you need to put on your calendar, if you haven’t already, is April 23. That’s the night of our banquet. We had to move to a Friday night this year, so if you are able to help with set up on Friday, we’ll probably need some extra hands to replace the folks who will be at work. Stay tuned for announcements of planning meetings and ways you can help make this our most successful banquet ever.

This Thursday is Alabama Arise Lobby Day. We’ll have a full van of folks heading to Montgomery to join people from all over the state. Please be in prayer for a safe and effective trip for them.

Jim Walker is starting a new support program. After worship and our meal on Sunday, the church van will be going to Aldi each week for a shopping trip. The program is for those people who have found housing and have an income. We are not providing money for groceries, but are providing support and transportation, especially to folks who have recently found housing through the support of the church.

After many years of preparation, we have finally begun to find housing for many of the homeless people who are part of our ministry. We’ll soon have 20 people ready to move into apartments through the Shelter Plus housing program, and thanks in large part to the knowledge and efforts of Jim Walker, we are making headway in getting folks into public housing as well. We celebrate every time we are able to help someone get off the street and into a home, but that’s not the end of our relationship with that person. We help newly housed folks furnish their homes and provide whatever support we can to help make them successful in this endeavor. If you have any furniture, household goods, linens, or even food that will help a newly housed person settle into his or her home more comfortably, please call the church office.

Have a great week, and I hope to see you on Saturday.

Peace,
Marti