Might I Recommend . . .

I am about halfway through a book called Same Kind of Different as Me, and I'd like to recommend it to those who want a Christianity that is active and alive in world. I won't give away too much here, but the meeting of a homeless former sharecropper and an international art dealer makes for some thought-provoking reading.

Garage Sale Items, please!

The 21st Time Class will host a free-will garage sale on June 12 from 9:00 to noon and is accepting donations of goods of all kinds for the sale. Items will be accepted beginning June 7; please contact Brent Howie at 649-2203 to arrange for pick-up.

A Note from the Dudley Township Library

Dear Ryan,

Thanks so much for all the wonderful "children's assortment" you gave to the library. All of the items donated have been used. I wish you could have seen the sparkle in the children's eyes when they discovered new fun games on their shelf.

I'm still in shock. I am contemplating your SS class' generous offer to aid in our library. Having just come from the state's Kansas Library Association meetings in Wichita, I have seen and heard many fabulous ideas on stimulation for reading in children's areas. When I come up with something more concrete, I'll get ahold of you to get feedback. This is quite an adventure!

Thanks for being such a blessing,

Lennet Froelich
Dudley Township Public Library

Learn and Play Grant: A Leap of Faith

We've long discussed that the only real way to fight poverty is through education. The Learn and Play program will do just that. The program features classes for children (birth to five) and their parents twice a month that will focus on parenting skills, the importance of reading to your child, and other topic pertinent to early-childhood education. Additional programs feature developmental screenings via Russell Child Development, visits from the County Health Department focusing on child health and the importance of vaccination, and visits to the Satanta Public Library.

The program will be funded through a $5,000 grant that is being prepared by Stephanie and Stacey. The only catch is that the matching grant, which we've pledged to provide, is $1,500. After some discussion this morning, we decided--barring major objections from class members who weren't able to be in church this morning--that this is something we can do because we believe that our congregation will be in support of this program. With this in mind, Stephanie is preparing a bulletin insert (and an announcement) for this coming Sunday. She will encourage the congregation to join us in funding this important project.

Our June 12 garage sale will also likely be needed to help offset this investment in our community, so start saving that stuff!

We also discussed the need to support our public library, and it was decided that rather than offer financial support, we would arrange for a book drive. Ryan is working on getting the word out regarding this project, and Rachel is getting a plastic container in which books can be donated. All of this will be discussed in more detail next Sunday prior to Lana's reception in the narthex, so come early!

So . . . What's Next?

Sunday Night Live was a wonderful success that brought in just over $800; we got lots of requests of copies of the DVD; and we even got a few invites to take our show on the road. Rachel is working on getting copies of the DVD made to sell, so look for that in the future.

It's definitely time to re-group, re-focus, and RELAX a little bit! We've talked about a bowling party in Sublette, which we would be fun, but our schedules are packed with end-of-school year activities. If we wait till June, we could get out the blow-up water slide and have an outdoor celebration as an alternative. Ryan and Karen would host if needed.

At this point, we are holding firm on a June 12 church-wide garage sale to be held in conjunction with the Chamber's community-wide garage sale. Many of us will be gone that weekend, but the thought is that the real work is in the setting up and that a few people could run the 9:00-noon event on Saturday.

As for projects, Ryan and Mendy still plan to visit the public library to inquire about how we can help support the summer reading program; and Stephanie and Stacey are working on a grant that would bring $5,000 to the community for early childhood development. They need a matching grant of $1,500, but with our resources, this may be something we can do. It feels good to be able to speak with such confidence!

Being the hands of God in our community is never easy, but we have been blessed in each of our endeavors. Let us pray that our next round of projects will serve the less fortunate and change lives, one child at a time.