The Posture of Christians Hearts Full, Arms Extended, Palms Up
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God calls on the faithful not to stand on their privilege or withdraw into their "specialness" or to claim the high ground as "better", but to reach out to the world, filled with gratitude and ready to serve. We take that call seriously here at St. John's, even as we take ourselves lightly. We are privileged to have many ways to serve God and the church.
LOCAL
• UCAN, United Churches Assistance Network) 40 Church Lane, Cockeysville, MD 21030, 410-628-2102. UCAN is dedicated to helping those in need in northern Batimore County. Vounteers are needed as receptionists and interviewers as the staff is made up entirely by volunteers. Hours are: Monday fom 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
BALTIMORE AREA
• Paul's Place, Inc. - founded by members of St. John's Church more than 27 years ago, Paul's Place provides a wide variety of services that support people in crisis, as well as programs that help them to improve their abilities and their lives. St. John's parishioners have a long relationship with Paul's Place - cooking casseroles, serving food, volunteering, collecting clothing and holiday gifts, tutoring, serving on committees.
• Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake - The church has contributed to the purchase of a house in Washington Village/Pigtown, and parishioners are helping to build out Habitat houses. For more information, please visit the Paul's Place website, www.paulsplaceoutreach.org/
OCHAN Self-Help Alliance Our Outreach focus for the next couple months will be Ochan Self-Help Alliance, (ochanalliance.org) which supports a community of 4500 households in rural Uganda, a country in eastern sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, there is a great need for assistance in promoting the newly established maternity ward of the community clinic as the safest and healthiest place for the women to give birth. As such, we ask for your support to provide “Mama Kits” – delivery kits (disposable gloves, razor blades, cotton wool, birthing sheets--$15) , and a small gift in the form of a baby layette ($25). Sample “Mama Kits” will be set up in the parish hall next weekend.
INTERNATIONAL
• St. Etienne’s Church, Buteau, Haiti - St. John's Youth Group has traveled to Haiti to work with their youth group on reforestation projects. The partnership will continue this year and will include joint cultural and language exchanges and the establishment of a computer lab.
• St. John's parishioners and families from Friends School donated 20 musical instruments to Holy Trinity Ecole de Musique in Port-au-Prince.
• We received donations of crutches and other simply orthopaedic equipment to send to St. Vincent’s, an Episcopal Hospital for children with disabilities in Port-au-Prince.
• St. John's has hosted the Choir of Holy Trinity during a tour of the United States and has held three annual Haitian Art Shows to benefit the music school, construction of a new church in the mountains and the reforestation project.
• Our Sunday School children have raised money through bake sales and individual contributions for “Nets for Life” which supplies mosquito netting to African communities for the prevention of malaria and to Heifer International to purchase two goats for third world communities.