Supporting Our Youth

We have volunteered to feed (and possibly entertain) the youth in our church (DISCO) on September 15 @ 6:00 p.m. More details will follow, but Ryan is thinking more than just feeding and retreating.

A Thank You from USD 507 Superintendent Ardith Dunn

21st Time Sunday School Class,

Thank you for all the school supplies! I have heard endless comments on how wonderful it is to have a supportive community in difficult financial times. I'm sure the students will benefit from your generosity.

Thanks again!

Ardith

On the Agenda

We've now narrowed our focus. Here's what's coming . . .

September: Order from First Book to stock MAM room and for Learn and Play

October: Call for donations of clothing and food for MAM room

October 3: Evening of cleaning/organizing MAM room

October 10: Evening of re-stocking the MAM room with food and clothing

October 17: All-church open house, afternoon; potluck and music, evening

November: Plan Christmas Angel Project

December: Christmas Angel Project/Holiday Sweet Shop fundraiser

Spring: Literacy Event with crafts and guest speaker

In the meantime, Ryan plans to take a course on Ruby Payne's Understanding the Framework of Poverty. Perhaps this could provide the backbone of a fall class discussion/reading series. Another Payne title that might be worth looking into is called Research-Based Strategies Narrowing the Achievement Gap for Under-Resourced Students.

Revision to To-do List?

Karen will meet tonight with those on the Open House Committee to determine what our class's role will be when the building addition project is complete. We will certainly want to have the MAM room in order for this event, and we should take the opportunity to give out information (a pamphlet perhaps?) on what we accept as donations, the services we provide, etc.

This made us begin to wonder if a separate meal would be needed for the MAM room's re-opening, especially in light of the fact that we recently learned that our school district did not make AYP overall when the ESL subgroups from the elementary and JH/HS were combined. This fact could well mean that our time and money would be better spent in organizing another literacy event once the building re-opens. Stephanie has some ideas about presenters. This will be our topic of our discussion next week.

Hope to see you there!

Thank You

During a time like this, we realize how much our friends and family really mean to us. Your expression of sympathy will always be remembered.

Gary, Darlene, and Dean Hawley (family of Shaun Bauer)

What church was a verb?

New Projects on the Horizon

The youth are looking into replacing the roof on Irma Laredo's house. Jim Shearman and Bill Anton are looking into the cost of materials with an eye on getting one of the large roofing companies that has been working in town to donate some (if not all) of what will be needed. Our class has been asked to pitch in by providing the labor necessary to strip the roof of its old materials and (perhaps) to pitch in on the overall cost of the project. More details later . . .

We are also in the beginning stages of planning a MAM room grand re-opening to follow the open house that will present the new addition to the church. We will have a meal as part of this grand re-opening. Although, sloppy joes were suggested, Karen and Leanne feel that soup might be a better option as we will really have no real way of knowing how many guests to expect.

Then there's the Christmas Sweet Shop. We think we should do this again . . . if for nothing else t0 get more of Nicole's caramels!

With all this, it was decided that having an auction or a food booth at Harvest Fest might be too much.

Update for Sunday, August 8

The school supply campaign is nearing completion as four more generous donations came in during service this morning, which is an interesting story: During Sunday school, we decided to set the overflowing containers of school supplies out for display (which will do again next Sunday, with delivery slated for the week school begins) in the narthex. During service, much to our surprise and delight, the scripture lesson from Romans 5: 1-5 included these words: "By entering through faith . . . we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary--we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit."

These words expressed perfectly our sentiments as we exceeded $600, the amount we had spent on supplies. Thanks to all who generously supported this project. It is our hope and prayer that these materials will help ease the discomfort of poverty in our community.

School Supply Campaign Ahead of Schedule

Having spent nearly $600.00, the 21st Time Class is pleased to announce that (even as donations keep rolling in) the shopping for and sorting of the items to be donated to teachers in the USD 507 school system is complete. Next step: distribution.

We are so thankful to all the members of the Satanta community who donated cash and/or items to this project, but let's be clear: We've spent more than we have raised. In spite of this fact, we press forward in faith, faith in the goodness of God and the generosity of our neighbors, and we pray that this community-wide project (involving multiple churches and numerous individuals) is the first of many interdenominational projects focused on reducing poverty in Satanta.

Learn and Play Group to Meet August 5

The Satanta Learn and Play Group will meet Thursday, August 5 at the city park across the street from the United Methodist Church at 6:30 p.m. before embarking on a field trip to the Dudley Township Library, which stays open on Thursdays until 8:00 p.m. Parents and their children (birth to age five) are invited to attend.