Each
month Old Stone Church designates one mission partner as our focus
of the month. All loose change in the offering plate that month will
go toward the selected project.
Our
Mission Focus for
March, 2010 is
One
Great Hour of Sharing
This
special offering enables us to express our gratitude toward God in a
special way, by caring for those in most need. Monies from this
offering go to the Presbyterian Hunger program, Disaster Assistance
Fund and the Self Development of People. In recent weeks, we have
learned about the work of the Disaster Assistance program as we
continue to hear reports of the devastation in Haiti. Working with
other groups to provide a unified program of assistance, the
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program is helping with short needs
for food, shelter and housing and also making plans to work with
groups wanting to do long-term rebuilding.
The Self Development of People Fund makes small grants to help
people get on their feet starting small businesses. In the Cleveland
area a group who teaches women ex-offenders to weave and create
fabric, and a group of young African Americans who are designing
interesting, affordable clothing that is also wearable art, have
received grants.
Your donation to this offering, as well as your loose coins in the
collection plate during the month of March, help to feed the hungry,
enable the church to respond to people devastated by natural
disasters and encourage people to develop small businesses and
become independent entrepreneurs. More information will be
available through inserts in the bulletins this month. You are
invited to take and fill a fish bank and use the One Great Hour of
Sharing calendar for March to become more aware of the needs of
others this month. These materials are available in the Church
Lobby.
Palm
Sunday—Pretzel Sunday
During the middle ages, pretzels were developed as a
visible reminder to people to pray during Lent. On Palm Sunday,
March 28, the children will bake pretzels and sell them during
coffee hour. All the money from the sale will be donated to One
Great Hour of Sharing.
Remember
to save the special
coupons labeled Box Tops for Education from General Mills and
Kimberly Clark products. A collection basket to receive the
coupons is located in the
Church Office. The Tremont Montessori Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) will redeem
the box tops for
school supplies for the students.
With our new commitment to Tremont Montessori, the Mission Committee
now has a solid mission direction which includes children through the
Old Stone Foundation and Tremont Montessori School, women in
transition, families facing homelessness, and the Goodrich-Gannett
Neighborhood House in Cleveland. Overseas we support the Stepping
Stones School's preschool program and teacher training program.
More
Old Stone Mission Partners