AGM Catalog. It's here, & it's ONLINE!

AGM Catalog is here!  Here's your Cyber Monday solution, get it from the Alternative Gift Market!  Everyone cool is getting a Llama or a chicken this Christmas.  Or maybe a backpack full of school supplies?  So many choices, all of them good.  And something for every budget!

Eastside Academy 10th Anniversary Video

Have you seen the Eastside Academy 10th Anniversary Video?  It really encapsulates the ministry and impact of EA.  I am so thankful for Toni Esparza, the teachers and staff, and all the fabulous mentors who volunteer their time to be in relationship with these recovering kids.  And I am so glad to be part of a church that helps visions like this one be realized and thrive.

AGM comes out tomorrow! And Habitat needs us!

Are you ready to get your Christmas shopping done in one place?  The AGM--Alternative Gifts Market--catalog comes out tomorrow!  I'm so excited!! 

And in other news: Habitat for Humanity is having 9-12 volunteers through NCCC Americorps come for 9 weeks. The volunteers need a place to sleep, shower, and a place to prepare meals or an opportunity to share meals with a host family. If you are interested in finding out more or helping out with this, please contact Jahna Smith at community@habitatekc.org

Operation Christmas Child is GO!!

When we were living in Papua, Indonesia, I had the opportunity to hand out Christmas Child boxes to a group of children who were living in a make-shift home for street kids. Watching those boys open these shoeboxes, for most of them the very first gifts they had ever received, was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. So many of the boys sat quietly, very carefully handling every little pencil and pair of socks, turning them over and over in their hands, just so amazed that someone in America cared enough about them to give them such treasures.

     For my boys, this event was made more powerful because, our last year in America, we had participated in a Christmas Child drive through our friend's church. It was so cool to see the light dawn in my son's eyes as they realized just how much these little shoeboxes--of what to us are everyday items--mean to the children who receive them.

     If you have kids, or if you don’t, or if you want to share the love of Jesus in an important way this Christmas, won’t you get a shoebox and fill it this year?  You won’t regret it.  Collection ends Nov. 21.  The closest drop-off point to BelPres is Pilgrim Lutheran, on 104th & 11th, but there are churches in Woodinville, Ballard, Greenwood, and Tukwilla that are still collecting, as well.  Find out more locations, and how to fill a box, at Operation Christmas Child.

Southern Sudan--PLEASE READ

Dear friends,
Many of you are aware of the atrocities being committed by the al-Bashir regime in Sudan, and the way they are bleeding over into South Sudan, but for those not in the know, I wanted to share some links with you.  Many thanks to Lindy Henry for compiling the Metzger/Boyette links. 

Ryan Boyette is on the ground in Nuba: Interview with Ryan Boyette on Patheos
And for a more recent update: An Update from Greg Metzger
For more on Ryan Boyette: Feature on Patheos.com
For more background on the events at the Sudan/South Sudan border, see this article on MSNBC.

Lets be in prayer about this situation, and lets let people know about it!
Nan

Wycliffe Word Day of Prayer

Hey folks, did you know that 11/11/11, besides being a cool date to write down, is Wycliffe's World Day of Prayer?  I wanted to share this cool link to Wycliffe's resources for this special day.  Pass it on!

While you're at the site, check out all the other cool things Wycliffe Bible Translators is doing these days.  Amazing work done by good people seeking to serve Jesus. 

Dean Wagner is Famous!

Thomson Times latest update has a great pic of a shovel-wielding Dean Wagner, smiling away several feet below the high-water mark on a tsunami affected house.  Great to see!

FPCB IS HOSTING THE MEN OF CONGREGATIONS FOR THE HOMELESS!

FPCB will be hosting the men from CFH during the month of December in the upper campus. We need your help providing dinner or lunch for these men. You can sign up in the beginning of November. For more information, contact the missions department at eford@belpres.org.

AGM is Coming

I know it's a little early to start thinking about Christmas shopping, but I don't think it's too early to start talking about our theology of Christmas.  How would God have us celebrate Jesus' birthday?  One way that I know blesses both the giver and the reciever--and someone else outside of our cosy, tree-trimmed exchanges--is the Alternative Gifts Market.  So many fun things will be in it this year!  Keep your eyes open, and you might find just the right something for your special someones!

30 Days of Gratitude

I think there are other organizations that are doing this, but of course, MAF.org's 30 Days of Gratitude is the one I'm going to mention, right?  Neat idea, they give you a suggestion for meditating on gratitude every day for the month of November.  Pretty cool, right?