April Mission Outreach Team Meeting

The Mission Outreach Team met on Thursday April 14, 2021 at 7pm in the gym.  

Members present: Joanne Blew, Linda Clay, Judy Greig, Katy Grenfell, Nancy Koch, Cheryl Kunkle, Cindy Mengel-Smith, and Beverly Moser.

Nancy opened the meeting with prayer.

Correspondence

Thank-you notes were received from the following organizations:

Christmas Spirit Foundation – Trees for Troops - $445

Bethany Children’s Home - $250 and white gifts

Family Promise - $625

Turn to Us - $250.

Requests for funds were received from the following organizations:

Guatemala Healing Hands Foundation

Victory House of Lehigh Valley

Old Business

Nancy noted that despite the low church attendance due to the pandemic, Mission Outreach was still able to meet it’s 2020 goals.

Daffodils were not distributed to the shut-ins this year because the Zion office did not receive information regarding the purchase of the flowers from the American Cancer Society. We hope to be able to resume this activity next year.

Nancy investigated the fund distribution options with the Peace Corps so the funds collected at last year’s chili cook off to support Nick Newton could be distributed. The team decided to support the Country Funds, which support Peace Corps Partnership Program projects in a specific country, which in Nick’s case was Senegal in Africa. This will ensure that when Volunteers return to the field, the donation can be used to help small towns and villages similar to where Nick was serving.

New Business

The Gathering Place Mission in Weissport.

 The church has two mission outreach programs that can use our assistance. The Shepherd's Clothing Closet, run by Anita Wiser and the Brown Bag Take-Out Dinners.

The mission outreach team will sponsor two drives in the month of May to help with these programs. The first is a canned goods drive, and the second is a gently used or new clothing drive. Totes will be set up at the church entrance for the congregation’s donations.  Nancy will compose a write-up for the bulletin and Visitor.

The Weissport church also needs volunteers to help distribute the clothing on the second Saturday and the third Wednesday of the month from 9am to 2pm.  Several mission members volunteered to help.

Bus Stop Snack Program

The team decided to start the bus stop snack bag program again in September.  The congregation will be asked for food donations beginning in August. Nancy will get the school calendar and bus schedule. We will ask Ken to once again send out the letters to the parents.

Upcoming Events

The outdoor church service at Beaver Run Rod & Gun club is scheduled for Sunday September 12^th.

The chili cook-off will be scheduled for a Sunday in October.

Distribution of Funds

The committee requests that the financial secretary distribute funds to the following organizations:

Family Promise - $500

Peaceful Knights - $250

Turn To Us - $250

Healthy Smiles - $250

Big Brothers/Big Sisters - $250

One Great Hour of Sharing - $525

Peace Corps - $ 416 collected plus $34 from mission outreach funds for a total of $450

Guatemala Healing Hands - $52 from medical supplies carry over plus $48 from mission outreach funds for a total of $100

Blanket Sunday balance - $60

The date of the next Mission Outreach team meeting has not been determined.