March 2012 LWR Project: Personal Care Kits

Our collection of soap for Lutheran World Relief (LWR) continues. LWR accepts new bars of soap in their original
wrapping. All bar sizes are accepted, though bath-size bars (4 to 5 oz.) are highly preferred. Please place in the tubs on
the table in the fellowship hall. We hope to collect one bar of soap per family (over 400 bars!).

In the months of February and March we’re preparing Personal Care Kits for LWR. Help St. John’s send these vitals kits to
people in underprivileged countries. The following items are needed for each kit:
• One light or medium weight bath-size towel, dark color recommended
• Two bath-size bar of soap (4-5 oz), any brand, in its original wrapping.
• One adult toothbrush, in original wrapping preferred.
• One comb, wide tooth preferred, remove packaging.
• One metal nail file, or nail clippers with file attached, unwrap package. (no emery boards)

Wrap all these items in the towel, tie securely with ribbons or yarn, and bring them to the LWR table in the fellowship hall. Thanks for extending your hands and resources for the sake of others.

LWR Project: Bars of wrapped soap. Please bring your donations to the Fellowship Hall.

LWR Fair Trade Coffee and Chocolate

Lutheran World Relief Fair Trade Coffee and Chocolate Bars are for sale on select Sundays following 9:00am worship. This is the delicious coffee we have enjoyed for years at St. John’s. Now you can take it home to brew yourself and give to others to enjoy. All proceeds support Fair Trade farmers working hard to make a better life for their families.
For more information, contact Mindy Brice at 882-9989.

Seamstresses/Seamsters Needed!

SEWERS NEEDED FOR LWR SCHOOL BAGS AND BABY SLEEPERS
Do you need a winter sewing project? We need people to sew school bags and sleepers for Baby Care kits. LWR has asked that all sleepers
have “no feet”. Because we have many sleepers “with feet”, we need sewers to cut off the feet and put a small hem on them. Please consider
doing this project and serving in mission.
QUILT SQUARES AVAILABLE FOR SEWERS
The quilting ladies have prepared some quilt squares that a ready for assembly into a quilt top. If you can help with this project it would be
very much appreciated. The squares are located on the table for LWR.

Generosity in 2011 and Beyond

For a strong year of generous giving, we give thanks to God! Because of your love for God and your love for St. John’s, we ended 2011 ahead of our expenses. This gives us a solid footing on which to launch our 2012 year of ministries. Thank you for your faithfulness expressed in generous giving. We give because we are blessed!

Our vision for ministry in 2012 continues to expand. We want to grow in our worship, education, fellowship, and youth ministry. We want to grow deeper in faith and further in outreach. Our 2012 budget has also grown to help us live into the future. Consider how you might grow in generosity toward St. John’s this year. Maybe you can give 1% more to our ministries together, or increase your offering by $10 a week. With our combined efforts, the future of St. John’s will be full, and we’ll have all the resources we need.

We as a congregation also know the joy of giving to others. In 2011 we gave $467.05 to Lutheran Disaster Response following the Pacific totaled to $3977.73 for World Hunger. We shared a gift of $500 with Lutheran World Relief to go along with all the quilts and kits we
prepared. Lutheran Social Services received $1500 from our offerings in Lent. In addition, 7% of our offerings (“Synod Benevolence”) supported the ministries of our regional and national church, for a total of $14,025.67. We did all this while still paying off $12,000 on our bank note. When we are generous, there is more than enough!

Lutheran World Relief

Lutheran World Relief (LWR) has been responding to emergencies and disasters for over 60 years.  With partners and global relief and development networks in 35 countries, LWR works to create a world where each person and every generation lives in justice, dignity and peace.  LWR engages in international relief, development, advocacy, and social responsibility in collaborative ministry with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, and others.

Loading LWR quilts and kits for shipping.

St. John’s has been a contributor to LWR for many decades.  Our church sends the following items to LWR: quilts, bars of soap, sewing kits, health kits, layettes,  school kits and blankets.  Through sale of some quilts and a Sunday offering, money is also sent to LWR to help ship these projects to wherever in the world they are most needed.

These projects will be collected again in 2009 through a “Project of the Month” emphasis.  The need for these items never ends.  Thank you to all of the quilting ladies who tirelessly make the quilts at church throughout the entire year.  Thanks to those who work from home sewing quilt tops or school bags, or knitting sweaters for the layettes.  Thanks to those who purchase items for the various projects.  This congregation has been very generous to those in desperate need.  As Jesus said, “Just as you did it for the least of these…you have done it unto me.”  (Matthew 25).

Contact Deanna Jeans, Lutheran World Relief Coordinator, for any further details.