Sunday, December 29, 2013

New Beginnings - Year In Review

Looking Back on 2013

WOW, last year provided so many blessings, so many experiences of God’s wonderful people!  In the last six months of the year the number of new tenants served by NB nearly exceeded the number served in the entire first year of operation. The Veteran’s programs at St. Pat’s Center and the Hope Recovery Center (of the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs) are responsible for the huge increase.

Somehow, through the grace of God, our church family, friends and acquaintances were able to provide the needed furniture and household items.

There are so many people we would like to thank publicly but that would be virtually impossible in such limited space.  We feel compelled, however, to recognize two couples who have been core supporters of the NB effort from the beginning.  Almost from day one, Sonny and Mike Burnside have generously allowed us to use one of their apartments for a storage/holding facility.

Our “new” furniture van

“She runs as good as she looks!” 

The paint job was courtesy of the former owners, Girls Inc.  It attracts a lot of attention and comments.  We love the look on folk’s faces when we mention that “she runs as good as she looks”.  They’re never quite sure what that means.  But it does run well and the more we use it the more we like it.  We’ve been able to make multiple deliveries and/or pickups in one trip.  The enclosed cargo area makes rainy day deliveries possible.  With the 14’ ramp we’ve loaded some heavy pieces we couldn’t have handled with just two men; it’s a great back saver!  Everything works, even the cargo light which is nice on those rare occasions when we’ve run a little late.  Because it’s enclosed we don’t have to unload it every night and we can store some needed items, like linens and such in the overhead compartment.


We still have a ways to go on our fundraising to cover the purchase price.  If you can help with a cash donation it would be greatly appreciated!  Make checks payable to LPUMC with “NB Truck Fund” noted on the memo line.  Thanks & God Bless You.

Ryan Gasser, from The Word at Shaw and NB volunteer Gary Buettner pose after loading furniture donated by the generous folks at TWS.

Looking ahead to 2014
Watch for News of
Happy Haulers – We are forming work crews for Saturday morning pickup and /or deliveries. We have commitments from two 2 person teams who are ready to experience the fun and blessings of working with our new tenants.  If you can spare about 3 hours once a month on a Saturday give Chuck a call @ 618/781-4538  (PS – fear not - we don’t do appliances)
NB Ministry Team we are in the process of forming a talented team to guide NB through its future levels of growth
Our First Fundraiser – still in the planning stage for February, our first real fundraiser promises to be a lot of fun.  Watch the eNewsletter and church announcements for more information.

A tisket a tasket . . .



. . .check out our “starter basket`

Our new basket offers twelve essential items for new tenants.  Items included are:  toilet paper, bath soap, paper towels, multipurpose cleaner, floor /tile cleaner, dish sponge, dish soap, trash bags,  bucket,  mop, broom, and the basket; all this for only twelve dollars.  Purchased at Dollar Tree, each item costs only a dollar. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Catembe Mozambique-Mosquito Net Distribution



THERE MAY NEVER BE ANOTHER MALARIA VICTIM IN CATEMBE MOZAMBIQUE!

With the help of Lafayette Park UMC,5,697 Mosquito Nets have been delivered to Catembe Mozambique.  Lafayette Park UMC raised $20,000 to purchase 2000 mosquito nets as our 2011 Christmas fundraiser.  Our friends at the Missouri Conference's Mozambique Initiative help gather the remaining funds and with our partners at the Nothing but Net's program managed the distribution of 5,697 nets to the people of Catembe.

Lafayette Park UMC has a covenant relationship with the Catembe United Methodist Church.  We support them with our prayers and a small financial to provide a pastor. But in 2011 we went even further.  Living out our promise to be a church without walls.






You can see all the photos in Picasa web album.


 

Thursday, October 03, 2013

September e-Newsletter

The September LPUMC e-Newsletter is out. There are updates on last months, news on great fall ministries. Check it all out at...

  • CROP Hunger Walk
  • Pumpkin Patch
  • Family Fun Day
  • Blessing of the Animals
  • HomeFirst STL Move-In Kits
  • Charge Conference

Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Kristen Leslie to to train Navy chaplains on sexual assault ministry

In case you missed the story in the St Louis Post Dispatch . . .



Eden professor to train Navy chaplains on sexual assault ministry


Rev. Kristen Leslie began her 2003 book, “When Violence Is No Stranger,” with a verse from Psalms, a nod to her training as a theologian.

“It is not enemies who taunt me — I could bear that; it is not adversaries who deal insolently with me — I could hide from them. But it is you, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend...

 The book’s subject was acquaintance rape, and it got the attention of a chaplain at the Air Force Academy. The school was then reeling from a Pentagon report indicating that 7 percent of its cadets reported being the victims of rape or attempted rape. Nearly 90 percent of the perpetrators were their own classmates.

Leslie, now a professor of pastoral theology and care at Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, was invited to Colorado to consult with academy leaders on how to train Air Force chaplains to deal with sexualized violence on campus.   (Continue reading . . . )

Thursday, September 26, 2013

HomeFirst STL Move In Kit

We are almost there with our next unit, getting another one of our homeless St. Louisan's into a safe, affordable place to live! We would love your help again with move-in kits, I have a list below of what we need. We can arrange pick-up, you can bring by the house on Miami or bring to church on Sunday. Thanks again for your support, and keep us in your prayers!
  • 4 plates
  • 4 bowls
  • set of 4 silverware
  • scissors
  • 4 plastic glasses
  • 2 mugs
  • 2 pots
  • 2 pans 
  • 1 sheet pan
  • pizza cutter
  • spatula
  • mixing bowl
  • toaster
  • misc. tuperware
  • mixing spoon
  • paring knife
  • 3 kitchen rags
  • 3 kitchen towels
  • Oven mitt
  • dish soap
  • hand soap
  • plastic wrap
  • trash can w/ lid
  • paper towels
  • trash bags

 Bathroom Kit:
  • 2 bathroom towels
  • 2 wash rags
  • toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Plastic glass
  • hand soap
  • band-aids
  • Neosporin
  • Kleenex
  • Toilet paper
  • nail clippers
  • shower caddy
  • 4 bars of soap
  • Q-tips
  • Small trash can
  • Bath mat

 Bedroom Kit: (linens and mattresses have already been donated)
  • alarm clock
  • laundry detergent
  • laundry bag/basket
  • hangers
  • table or floor lamp
  • small sewing kit

 Cleaning Kit:
  • broom/dustpan
  • all-purpose cleaner
  • windex
  • paper towels
  • cleaning rags
  • toilet bowl cleaner and brush
  • sponges
  • dishwasher tabs
  • mop

Tuesday, September 03, 2013

September e-Newsletter

The September LPUMC e-Newsletter is out.  There are updates on last months, news on great fall ministries.  Check it all out at.
  • This Fall Adventures In Faith returns
  • SERVE 2013 - Saturday September 7th
  • FRIENDS & FAMILY SUNDAY - September 15th
  • CHOIR NEWS
  • Reconciling Ministries Network National Convocation 

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Lent: Journey To Hope, Beginning



Is it possible for something on the horizon to transform your life now?
• How would you answer this? Really - say it out loud.
  What do your friends think about something on their horizon?
  • Go to your favorite social place and ask them.
 Sometimes different perspectives can help [view] clear our thinking.
  What images come to mind after watching this video? Jot them down, sketch them out, doodle your versions, and look at them again in the morning.
It’s often the path on the road less taken that leads us to the greatest discoveries; this is your opportunity to explore a new and challenging destination. Join us as we take off on a journey of hope and discovery that is guaranteed to change your life in big and meaningful ways. Where is hope? What is its source? What reason is there to hope? “What gets written, gets done." Let these journal pages gather your thoughts so you can revisit them as needed to inspire new thoughts and habits.

NOW, if you could rewrite your answer to the first question, what would it be?

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Journey to Hope - What to expect



Open a new door and find the hope that changes everything.
Weekly topics: first week is Beginning followed by:
  1. relationships
  2. self-esteem
  3. work
  4. temptation
  5. money
  6. suffering
  7. hope
Come for one or stay for all.
We invite you on this Journey to Hope to discover the Hope that can be found in the midst of life’s most difficult circumstances. By pausing our lives to explore everyday circumstances, you'll discover how faith in Christ is relevant every day. With just a few minutes each week, Journey to Hope will inspire you to see real life situations with fresh eyes.

You'll hear different stories from passionate people sharing how hope has changed their lives in unexpected ways with an opportunity to share your experiences and insights. You'll find a companion journal for notes from week to week. And from a short series introduction, to a co-host introduction, to weekly topic videos with guests, you have discussions you can always refer back to whenever you feel the need.


Start a Journal
As you embark on your Journey of Hope keeping a journal can be helpful and enlightening as you make new discoveries about your life and your faith. To help you write down your insights and reflections, as well as give you something to look back on to see how far you’ve come on your journey, you'll find new journal pages weekly.

Write or draw in your journal about your thoughts, conversations with others, things you want to pray about, or questions you may have. Use a notebook, artist’s pad, or a “notes” app for your phone to record your reflections throughout this Series. The weekly downloadable journal pages contain specific, thought-provoking questions, places to draw or write, and exercises to help you process your journey in a more structured way.

May your journey be full of discoveries, uncharted destinations, and above all—hope!

Now that you've blocked this time in your schedule, take a couple minutes to create a sacred space for yourself.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Lent: Journey to Hope



Lent is right around the corner and we have some great opportunities.  Journey to Hope will inspire us to reflect on Jesus’ experiences on the path to the cross in new ways.  It will encourage us to interact with God no matter where we are in life.  By addressing real life circumstances of relationships, self-esteem, work, temptation, money problems, suffering and death, travelers on the journey discover how faith in Christ is relevant to everyday life and how having a faith community can make all the difference.  Journey to Hope, is a sermon series, every Sunday in Lent.  To go along with the series, we will be offering small group studies, Monday and Thursday evenings during Lent.   Please clear your schedule and plan to join us.







We all take our stresses to bed with us. We can't help it. But, in the morning, have you ever thought back over a restless night to cipher how to find peace?
If you ask friends to list the things that trouble them at night, you'll probably get some form of these top 7 causes:
  1. self-esteem
  2. relationships
  3. work
  4. temptations
  5. money
  6. suffering
  7. hope
  8. Scary Movie 5
Trying to find a path through stresses can be enough to give one pause - but help is here! Journey To Hope series examines these 7 words to discover the hope that can be found in the midst of any of life’s most difficult circumstance.