Called_To_Serve

This year’s ASP volunteers will gather at the church at 8am to carpool in the church van to 1833 Benson Ave. in St. Paul to paint and overall tool orientation/training. Please wear painting clothes. Work gloves (optional). We should be back at the church by about 1:00 pm.

Please take a few minutes to fill out our Good Samaritan Online - Time and Talent Checklist. 

This past holiday STEP’s Holiday Program served over 600 families including 962 children who received holiday toys and gifts cards. This was no small task given that the number of families and children registered and ultimately served was at the highest it has ever been. Despite the increase in need, STEP was still able to serve each family and child with no change in programming. We simply have you to thank for that as once again St. Louis Park and neighboring communities donated in extreme generosity to provide an amazing collection of toys and gift cards for each family to select from as they walked through the toy shop.

Being an office volunteer at Good Samaritan is time well spent by answering the phone, preparing mailings, and helping staff members with tasks. You serve one half day, about 3 hours, morning or afternoon. You get to work with fun people and learn about the church as well as get acquainted with staff and church members. Men and women are welcome! Please contact Mary Parsons or Judy Hillger if you'd like to volunteer.

Good Samaritan needs someone to make a calendar of the office volunteers for the office staff each month; and to find substitutes when needed. There is a very loyal group of people who volunteer on a regular basis and a group who are willing to fill in. It would be helpful to be a volunteer yourself. The job does not take very much time and is a wonderful way to become more familiar with the staff, the people and the workings of the church. Position open to both women and men.  Please contact Mary Parsons or Judy Hillger if you'd like to volunteer.

Being Present and Listening Quietly.

Here's a way you can improve your vocabulary while providing rice to feed hungry people of the world. As you play the word game, Free Rice will donate 10 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program, for every word you answer correctly. If you don't think this adds up you'll be surprised to know that on October 7, 2007, this hot internet game had 830 grains of rice. By November 14. 2007 participants had generated 1.897.053.670 grain of rice - that's almost 2 billion grains in less than 6 weeks. The warning that with the game reads: This game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, and job performance. You can play the word game or learn more about its purpose by visiting www.freerice.com.

Interested in going on ASP 2008? Our ASP trip will be June 14-22, 2008. If you have questions, contact Eric Leill, 952.922.8261 (home) or 612.670.9864 (cell).

Our Toddlers and Twos Sunday School class is in need of 8 volunteers who would enjoy sharing Bible stories and leading simple activities for our 18 month-2 yr. olds during Sunday morning nursery time. Each leader would sign up for one Sunday per month (either 9:00 or 10:30) to share a Bible story and engage children in age appropriate creative activities using our fun and easy to use Toddlers and Twos curriculum. Each Sunday, our Toddler teachers are supported by several nursery volunteers. If you would be interested in serving in this special role, please contact Deb Johnson.

Come join the TWEEN team! We’re looking for 3-4 volunteer adults who would enjoy planning for and meeting with our 5th -6th grade Fellowship Group. The TWEEN Fellowship group meets two Sunday evenings per month beginning Sunday, October 14 from 6:30-8:00 pm. If this is an opportunity that lies within your interest area, please contact Deb Johnson.

• UMCOR needs your help to restore its dangerously low supply of medicine boxes. These kits go to places where medications and pharmaceuticals are not easily accessible. The kits' basic medical supplies mean the difference between life and death for many recipients. They treat common ailments that plague babies, children, mothers, and other adults. Help get supplies to those in need. The cost of a Medicine Box is $425. Support this life-saving gift by giving to UMCOR Advance #982630, Medicine Box.

• Beyen Ketty retired from his job as a fire coal burner in Liberia for the more rewarding Integrated Crop and Pest Management training provided by UMCORâ?Ts Sustainable Agriculture and Development program. The program supports efforts like the Farmer Field School, which introduces local farmers to new agricultural techniques and new crops. Beyen and his wife, Anita, entered the vegetable farming business as a result of the training Beyen received. Now the family is able to raise enough money to send their young children, Dwanah and Theresa, to school for the very first time. They also have been able to pay for their housing a full year in advance.