St. Clare Christmas Basket Program! Each year we partner with St. Clare to help provide food staples and children’s gifts for the holidays. We have often gotten a corporate donation of toys from Hasbro, but they are unable this year. Thus, specific toys are in definite need. In the sanctuary each week from now until December 16, you will find information about how to provide food for families of various sizes. Your items, put into a cardboard box (or boxes), along with any toys or children’s books, do not need to be delivered to St. Clare until later in December. We will however, collect toys and food baskets here if you wish, or would like help transporting your items. If you wish to make a financial contribution in lieu of shopping yourself, here are the recommended donation amounts: 1-2 person family: $70; 3-4 person family: $95; 5-6 person family: $105; 7 + person family: $115
A more comprehensive list of toys will be sent out soon, but specific toys needed now include: Legos, Lincoln Logs, KNex, building blocks, Magnetix, tractors/ trucks/ cars, dolls and doll house furniture, play kitchen and food sets, puzzles, stacking toys, headphones, basketballs and soccer balls and jump ropes.
Adopt a Gift for Liberty Place Recovery Center Residents and Their Children. Liberty Place Recovery Center for Women is one of our Union Church Mission and Service projects as we support women who are making the courageous and difficult journey to freedom from addiction. While a resident of the recovery center, women are not able to work, so providing for themselves and for their families is always a factor. This year you can help by adopting a resident or their children for a Christmas present. Provide your name and contact information in the basket on the giving table at church, or send it to Dodie Murphy, dodiemurfmsw@yahoo.com or call 859-868-9622 and you’ll be provided with the specific sizes and needs of your resident or their children.
Many thanks for helping make the season brighter for those most in need!
December 16 – Alternative Giving Christmas Market, Acton Folk Center, 11-3! What to get that friend or family member for the holidays? Does your sister really need another sweater? Why not give alternative gifts this year that reach toward your loved ones’ hopes and dreams for a better world? Maybe what your friends and family really want for this year is health care, food and housing for those in need – or maybe disaster relief. Come and shop for that alternative gift for your loved ones.
Volunteers make this event a success!! Can you to make chili and cookies, set up from 10-1, clean up after the event, contribute funds for advertising? (send to Union Church, designate for Alternative Christmas ads). Call Annriette Stolte if you can help with these tasks, 986-9032 or annriette@ roadrunner.com
News from Samuel’s Kids in Uganda with a Special Letter to Union Church
Dear Union Church Members,
We find ourselves in a unique situation these past few days. Please pray for God’s grace and mercy for our children and their safety and our ministry.
Here is the situation:
Security is essential to everyone. Since our last move to our current home, a lot has been happening due to lack of security but finally the welding man has completed all our gates. We still owe him about $1,300 for the gates, which we are supposed to pay him soon, and that will ensure the safety of our kids.
We need to install them in about a week into our current home by November 24.
FOR our next step, we need to raise the money to make our final payment to him so we can collect the finished gates and install them in the perimeter wall.
This will enable us to be free from unauthorized people entering our premises! All the outside entrance is open, so after installing the gates and other doors, we will be able to protect the kids safe. (See below how the fence looks like about the situation.)
Here is the breakdown for the funds needed including their installation:
Main Gate $380
Sliding Gate $470
Kitchen doors & windows $120
Small gates $250
Transport $80
Total needed $1,300
Please pray for our needs at this time and consider how you could help us financially. You can donate via http://samuelskids.org/donate/ or our PayPal account at samuelskidsorg@gmail.com.
Thank you for your prayers and gifts!
Prayer Request:
Pray that we may also be able to complete our kitchen as it has been raining a lot and we are currently preparing meals outside the house. We need to complete our kitchen to avoid any discouragements whenever it rain (pics attached via email) Thank you and may God bless you!
Samuel M. Ssengooba, Founder, Samuel’s Kids Ministries International
Join Ampersand and help us end sexual violence in the Bluegrass. Ampersand Advocates will be trained to provide crisis intervention, victim’s advocacy, and referrals to survivors both over the telephone and in person. Volunteers help answer our 24-hour hotline and accompany survivors to hospitals to support, believe, and advocate with anyone impacted by sexual violence.
If you want to join us in our mission to support individuals and engage communities, then apply to become a volunteer advocate today! Ampersand will be hosting a Volunteer Training in Berea in January 2019. To apply for a spot in this training class, please contact Alexandria Sehon, Volunteer Coordinator at Ampersand, (asehon@ampersandky.org or 859-618-2255.
- Advent Events, including link to Berea College Christmas Concert!
- December 9 Budget Meeting, after Worship and Lunch
- Endowment Bylaws to be Voted Upon December 16
- Pastoral Care in the Season of Light
- Prayer in Action – Inspiration from October’s Worship Wonders
- Youth Group “Cards for a Cause” Fundraiser!
- Union Church Choir performs at Carnegie Hall!
- News of the Family, Birthdays and Anniversaries
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