Glen Avon Presbyterian Church

MISSION OF THE MONTH: April 2011

Mission of the Month for April is Renaissance Transitional Living Program. This program is an outreach to 16-21 year olds. Renaissance helps youth gain self-sufficiency by providing a healthy environment, support, and resources that promote independent living, wellness, stability, and personal growth. We can support this program by providing gift cards for grocery stores or discount stores (such as Super One, Cub, Walmart, K-Mart). These gift cards can be in small amounts; even a $5 card is helpful, as staff members help young people learn to budget money and shop for bargains at discount stores and thrift stores. They also teach residents to cook for themselves and to prepare for independent living. Some of the items needed are pots and pans, plastic food storage containers in various sizes, kitchen linens, such as dish towels, dish cloths, and pot holders, measuring cups and spoons, and cooking utensils. Please put donated items in the blue bin in the north narthex.

We can also give monetary donations to this Mission by making a check to Glen Avon Presbyterian Church and clearly marking Renaissance Transitional Living in the Memo line. Thank you for your generous giving!

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Contributions of food and money in March were matched by MN Food Share and the Feinstein Foundation. Thank you so much for participating in this wonderful program to relieve hunger in our area.

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Another enjoyable Mission opportunity is being an afternoon or evening host at the Seafarers Center. As part of their outreach, the Seafarers Center likes to have local people on hand for an hour or so to chat with these sailors who are far from home and unfamiliar with our area. Please call Rev. Tom Anderson at 218-727-5897 and let him know when you and a friend might be available to provide this low-key outreach. The Center also welcomes baked goods to have on hand for these visitors from around the world. If you like to bake, or have extra banana breads or cookies, the Seafarers would love to have them so they might provide refreshments to their visitors. These ministries are ongoing and busier as the shipping season picks up, so a few baked goods at a time or an hour or two of visiting once a month can make a big difference in the lives of people far from home.

We are all making a difference by giving of ourselves, our time, our talents, and ministering to others in these small ways. Glen Avon’s Mission of the Month program is becoming known in the area and other groups have been inspired to give because of our example.

Luke 6:38 says, “give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” (RSV)