"Stuff"

-- Continued reflection on our relation to our "stuff" --

We decided to continue the group but only meet once a month on the second Wednesday. Someone volunteers to bring a big pot of soup, someone else two loaves of bread, and someone else some veggies or fruit.

We hope others will join us or drop in from time to time. It is especially convenient for choir members who can come from work, eat and relax, and then go to choir practice!

The first meeting post lent is on Wednesday May 12. We will do some sorting of our "stuff" that has been accumulating in one of the classrooms. We will also take stock of how our list of charities is progressing.

If the Youth Groups are interested in helping run a garage sale in the Watembach's yard of all our accumulated "stuff" with the proceeds either going towards this summer's UCC Youth trip or to be used as seed money for next year's trip, then we will likely have the June 9th "stuff" gathering at the Watembach's home.... - otherwise at in the Fellowship Hall at church as usual.

Report on the Garage Sale on June 19th

The Garage sale sponsored by the Stuff Group and the Youth groups raised $1200 for our church's youth program. But there's more! In addition to the maoney raised for our youth, we aso were able to donate many, many bags and boxes of left-over items to support the work and ministries of the following local organizations:

• El Centro (clothes, shoes, and bedding for migrant families)
• Empty Tomb (toys, games, household items and furnishings for poor families)
• Don Moyer's Boys & Girls Club (sporting goods for disadvantaged youth)
• Habitat for Hunmanity (home items for the HouseWorks store)
• WILL-FM (tapes, CDs, and electronics for the Vintage Vinyl sale)
• Local theatre groups (items for costumes and sets)
• Salvation Army (miscellaneous items)
• Goodwill industries (miscellaneous items)
• Mack's Recycling Service (computer accessories)

and, last but not least, a number of items will be used in our new Sunday School program, for example, rugs and pillows for our soon-to-be Beduoin Encampment story-telling area.

Your gifts and donations to the garage sale helped countless others in addition to our young people. Thank you once again!

-- A Lenten reflection on our relation to our "stuff" --

Join us as we spend the season of Lent (2004) examining the spiritual aspects of our relation to our "stuff", that is, the material things we acquire, possess, and live with.

We will contemplate such questions as:

What we plan to do:

As a spiritual exercise, participants will commit to giving away one possession each day of Lent. We will meet weekly to share a simple supper and to reflect on thoughts and feelings that might arise as we let go of things. We also will explore several short readings.

What our group is not about:

• Learning techniques for organizing household clutter
• "Giving up something for Lent"
• The need for charity or helping the poor
• Cleaning out things for a garage sale

Rather, we envision the group as an opportunity to expand and deepen our understanding of what it means to "walk humbly with our God."

We will meet on Wednesday evenings during Lent,
beginning with Ash Wednesday, February 25th, from 5:30 - 6:30 pm at church.

A light supper of soup and bread will be provided.
All youth and adults are invited.
Folks who might not be able to make each Wednesday meeting are nonetheless encouraged to join.

If you plan to join us or want more informaiton - please contact the church number (344-5091) or Ellen Kordik or Tom Watembach at home.