St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Des Moines

Welcome

Angel Food Ministries

Events & Schedule

Resources

Photo Gallery

November 2009

Catalogs, Catalogs, Catalogs

November 24, 2009
Written By: Andrea Baker

T-minus 3 days till Black Friday...the biggest shopping day of the year and the unofficial kick-off to the Holiday Season. This is also the season of catalogs. I have counted no less than 100 catalogs already delivered to our house. I'm sure you all are swamped with them too. It's easy to quickly run through the stacks day after day and throw the majority of them right into the recycle bin...we are recycling, right? And then there are those that we wait for, dog-ear and order on-line. Personally, my favorite way to shop, from the comfort of my living room chair sometimes even in my pajamas, no crowds, no lines, no fuss. All done.

One catalog caught my eye this year, as it is one we wait for, but the title was interesting to me...'The Most Important Gift Catalog in the World'. The catalog is from Heifer International. Each year the kids and I sit down and shop through this catalog picking out animals to send around the world. If you are not familiar, Heifer International has been around for 65 years and gives families in need around the world a hand-up through gifts of livestock and training. There are heifers that give milk...chickens that produce eggs...sheep that provide wool...and much more. The animals are considered living loans because in exchange for receiving their animal and training, each family agrees to give one of it's animals offspring to another family in need. So, each gift actually multiplies many times with every new generation. www.heifer.org/catalog

Of course Heifer International is not the only catalog of it's kind...World Vision www.worldvisiongifts.org also provides gifts of animals and training. Added to that gifts of sewing machines, fruit trees and seeds, emergency food and therapeutic foods and so much more. World Vision is the leading distributor of food for the World Food Programme. You can even give a Ger to a family in Mongolia, my 11 year old knew what that was!

And, Samaritan's Purse, the sponsors of Operation Christmas Child, also has a gift catalog, 'gifts that can bring the love of Christ to a hurting world'. www.samaritanspurse.org Samaritan's Purse offers sports gear for children, clothing, housing, schools, hospitals (yes, you can buy a hospital), food, blankets & bedding, animals and so much more.

For only a few dollars, a gift through one of these catalogs can make a life changing difference in a family's life. Many companies will even match your donation dollar for dollar.

It is an amazing way to make a difference this holiday season. An amazing way to share the Gospel and tell the lost that forgiveness and eternal life are found only in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

May the Lord richly bless you, your family and those all around the world in this special season. Merry Christmas!

Permalink | Comments(0)

ECW Update

November 17, 2009
Written By: Lisa Russell

ECW is moving right along with its fundraising and outreach programs.

Already this year we have collected mittens, hats and coats for Garton Elementary School on Des Moines' east side. We continue to sell bricks for the Memory Walk. St. Margaret's has sold more than 60 wreaths. The All Saints annual pie auction raised almost $1200. And, the best part is that we're only a quarter of the way through our year!

We're also coordinating the coffee host schedule, each guild and the ECW board alternates months to ensure there are yummy treats and coffee following the 10 a.m. service. If you're interested in hosting a Sunday, check the sign up sheet in the guild room or talk to a member of the ECW board.

As we look forward into December and early 2010, we have a full calendar. The ECW will host a cookie exchange, as well as the annual Gingerbread House extravaganza on Sunday, December 20 immediately following the 10 a.m. service. There will be a little something for everyone. Watch the bulletin and the blog for more information.

We'll also be hosting the annual women's retreat on Saturday, January 30. Save the date cards will be sent soon, but be sure to make time for this wonderful chance to explore your faith.

Finally, we'll be gathering blankets in February for our "Gift of Warmth Blanket" drive.

So there's a lot happening with ECW! We invite you to join us in the fun. No experience necessary!

Permalink | Comments(0)

Operation Christmas Child Box Destinations

November 16, 2009
Written By: Andrea Baker

We recently received word of the countries where the shoe boxes from our Upper Midwest Region will go. Below is the list and further below is some specific prayer requests from the national leaders of some of those countries. Please pray for the children and their families in these and all the Operation Christmas Child receiving countries. May they find joy in the boxes and may they find HOPE and PEACE in the Good News of Jesus.

Upper Midwest Receiving Countries

Abkhazia

Democratic Republic of Congo

Dominican Republic

Honduras

Macedonia

Malawi

Mauritius

Niger

*There are also some "sensitive" countries that are not listed.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Praise God for the great impact due to the training in Abidjan in July. The team has seen a great change in the regional and local teams.

Praise God for the many people who understand the vision and mission of OCC. DRC now has a great team of prayer warriors, men and women who meet every weekend to pray for the impact of OCC, for the containers of gift boxes to be received, and for the donors and for the children who will receive the gift boxes.

Pray for the authorities in the government to sign the exoneration for the containers received this year, 2009-2010. The parliament has asked the government to suspend all kind of exoneration to maximize the funds of the government so DRC needs divine intervention.

Dominican Republic

Pray for the new officers that are in charge of customs to continue to facilitate a smooth customs – clearing process.

Pray for safety for the National Leadership Team members as they travel to different regions to conduct training for this season.

Georgia

Pray for an amazing National Leadership Team Strategic Planning time in the capital. One-year and five-year goals were set, each member assigned tasks, and vision was cast to preach the gospel and disciple all the children of Georgia in coming years.

Pray for a renewed vision to reach the tens of thousands of refugees that have been relocated after the South Ossetia conflict in 2008. OCC volunteers have already been involved in these camps and border villages.

Honduras:

Pray for the selection of new National Leadership Team members to fill the roles of Church Mobilization Coordinator, Prayer Coordinator, and Resources Coordinator.

Pray for the political turmoil the country is facing.

Pray for the new Regional Leadership Teams that are expected to soon be in place.

Malawi

Pray for the National Leadership Team Coordinator‘s assistant who is sick.

Pray for the National Leadership Team Coordinator‘s goal of establishing a committed and accountable National Leadership Team to lead existing Regional Leadership Teams.

Pray for a scheduled trip (Nov. 5-7) to Malawi by the Regional Director and Regional Manager whose main objective is supporting the development of this National Leadership Team.

Niger:

Pray for the political instability in this country and its affect on the National Leadership Team and OCC.

Pray for the Letter of Exoneration to be secured in the midst of a difficult political environment.

Pray for those who went to the Volunteer High Impact training to be multipliers by reaching many children in this Muslim-majority country.

Thanks again to everyone that helped make our first OCC such a huge success!

Permalink | Comments(0)

USDA Report Reveals Highest Rate of Food Insecurity Since Report was Initiated in 1995

November 16, 2009
Written By: Andrea Baker

It was stunning to see this report out today...know that we make a difference every month in our own neighborhoods! USDA REPORT REVEALS HIGHEST RATE OF FOOD INSECURITY SINCE REPORT WAS INITIATED IN 1995

	Economic Research Service Report Demonstrates Need for Action

	WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2009 - USDA's Economic Research Service's (ERS) today released its annual report on Household Food Security in the U.S., which revealed that in 2008, 17 million households, or 14.6 percent, were food insecure and families had difficulty putting enough food on the table at times during the year. This is an increase from 13 million households, or 11.1 percent, in 2007. The 2008 figures represent the highest level observed since nationally representative food security surveys were initiated in 1995. The full study is available at "The Obama Administration has put in place unprecedented measures to promote job creation and combat hunger in our Nation, a problem that the American sense of fairness should not tolerate and American ingenuity can overcome, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The Department of Agriculture's nutrition assistance programs provide a safety net that improves food access to those with critical needs, but addressing the root of hunger requires a broader strategy. By improving access to federal nutrition programs and working with our partners at all levels of government and society, we can make progress in our effort to reduce and eventually eliminate childhood hunger." This year's report also reveals that one third of food insecure households had very low food security (food intake of some household members was reduced and their eating patterns disrupted at times during the year). This is 5.7 percent of all U.S. households or about 6.7 million. This is up from 4.7 million households (4.1 percent) in 2007, and the highest level observed since nationally representative food security surveys were initiated in 1995. Even when resources are inadequate to provide food for the entire family, children are usually shielded from the disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake that characterize very low food security. However, children as well as adults experienced instances of very low food security in 506,000 households (1.3 percent of households with children) in 2008, up from 323,000 households (0.8 percent of households with children) in 2007. The fundamental cause of food insecurity and hunger in the United States is poverty - marked by a lack of adequate resources to address basic needs such as food, shelter and health care. The Obama Administration has taken aggressive action on these fronts through the expansion of critical services for Americans most in need. The historic investments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, with a focus on long-term job creation, are a major part of this effort. The Recovery Act provides tax relief for working families, job training, unemployment insurance, income support and affordable housing to needy Americans and their children. A central part of the Recovery Act included a significant increase in nutrition assistance benefits for the 36.5 million people (half of whom are children) who participate in USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program. It also provides resources to the state agencies that administer the program, helping them to deal efficiently with increased caseloads. "As the Obama Administration works to foster a robust recovery for all, it's important to recognize that we have another opportunity to improve the health and nutrition of our children when Congress begins to debate the Child Nutrition Reauthorization," said Vilsack. "It is vital that we make it easier for families and administrators to bring eligible children into the program and to eliminate gap periods when children struggle to find the nutrition assistance they need - at breakfast, during summer, and in after-school settings." USDA's National School Lunch program serves 31 million children a healthy meal each school day - for some children in need, this is their most important meal that day. USDA is working with states to increase the use of technology to make low-income children whose families already receive SNAP automatically certified for free school meals and to promote policies that make it easier for eligible families to participate in SNAP. Also, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC program, ensures mothers and their children have access to nutritious options as well. Nearly half of all infants in this country participate in WIC. "During challenging economic times, the pool of those in need of vital food assistance expands," said Vilsack. "USDA's role - along with our partners - is to ensure individuals do not fall through the cracks, and can access nutritional services with dignity and respect." www.ers.usda.gov/features/householdfoodsecurity/.

Permalink | Comments(0)

Operation Christmas Child A Success!

November 4, 2009
Written By: Andrea Baker

Sunday, November 1, saw the culmination of 2 months of collection for our first Operation Christmas Child. Samaritan’s Purse has been sponsoring Operation Christmas Child for over 10 years, distributing millions of gift filled shoe boxes to children around the world. St. Luke’s found this outreach program to be just what we believe in and set out to collect and fill 100 boxes. You responded with hundreds of items from small toys and stuffed animals to soap and toothpaste, enough to fill over 150 shoe boxes! A big thank you to the many volunteers that came together on Nov 1 and in just an hour packed those boxes! A collection basket will be available throughout the year so we can continue to collect specific items as we look to fill 200 boxes in 2010!

Permalink | Comments(0)

Recent Entries

Momento's of Home

Can't Beat the Heat

This Morning's Office

Pro Deo Et Patria

While I Wait

Categories

Angel Food Ministries & Outreach

Communications

Pastor Martha Kester

Vestry