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"A mind once stretched by a new idea
never regains its original dimensions."
- Anonymous
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In Your Home
Educate Your Family About Fair Trade
Are you planning to have a Fair Trade Halloween? It's easy---all it takes is a little planning! Here are some ways to highlight Fair Trade issues in your home this Halloween: - Help your child or grandchild to Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. Trick-or-treaters receive small boxes
to collect money for children around the world. Click here to order your collection boxes.
- Distribute Equal Exchange Fair Trade chocolate to your trick-or-treaters. These are available through Blue
Flamingo thrift, Soul Desires Bookstore, Ten Thousand Villages, and other Fair
Trade sellers. Order early!
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In your church
Educate Your Congregation About Fair Trade
Celebrate Fair Trade Sunday at your church during the month
of October! Invite Blue Flamingo thrift to have a Fair Trade table some Sunday. Also, UMCOR has created a complete worship service around Fair
Trade coffee issues. This can also
be an opportunity for your church to sell Equal Exchange coffee, tea, cocoa,
and chocolates.
The following
statement was approved at the 2004 United Methodist General Conference
encouraging congregations to use Fair Trade coffee:
"Be it resolved that, in seeking an authentic Christian
response to the plight of developing world small individual coffee farmers,
their families, and their communities, the General Conference of The United
Methodist Church urges all agencies of the church, local congregations and
their affiliated organizations that use coffee to purchase coffee for corporate
and personal use through the fair trade partner, Equal Exchange or through
another fair trade organization."
Will your congregation make the switch this year?
Also, Halloween falls on a Sunday this
year, providing churches with the perfect opportunity to promote Fair Trade
issues. UMCOR and the General
Board of Church and Society have partnered with Equal Exchange to distribute
this cool trick-or-treat tote. The trick-or-treat for UNICEF campaign also makes a great children's sermon illustration. Click here to order your boxes.
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Volunteer With the Big Garden
Is your church group looking for an opportunity to ReThink
church? Let us help your church
"Leave the Building" by volunteering with the Big Garden. As harvest wraps up, we will need
volunteers to put our gardens to bed for the season. This is a great volunteer activity for families or church
groups. If your group is
interested in volunteering on a Saturday during September or October, we will
make it work for you! We will
provide audio access to Husker Football, and we will arrange lodging if your group
would like to stay overnight and worship at a United Methodist
church in the Omaha area. Please contact Lisa or
Jaimee at 402.898.9862 or e-mail info@bigmuddyumc.org to schedule a weekend that works
for your group.
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Invite Blue Flamingo to your Ministry Fair
Blue Flamingo thrift store is looking promote Fair Trade while making it easily accessible. Why not invite them to have a table at your craft or ministry fair this fall? It's a great way to educate your congregation about Fair Trade! Call Lisa or
Jaimee at 402.898.9862 or e-mail info@bigmuddyumc.org to talk over the details.
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In Your District
Stand Up Against Poverty Day of
Service
Join us Sunday October 17th from 2-6pm as we Stand Up
Against Poverty by engaging in local mission and justice work. Teams of
youth and adult leaders will
work at local agencies that are meeting poverty needs in the metro Omaha
area. Open to Junior High and
Senior High youth. Registration
materials are available now. To
register your team, or for more information, contact Lisa at
402.898.9862 or
lmaupin@bigmuddyumc.org.
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Globally
Help Victims of the Floods in Pakistan
Pakistan has been devastated by flooding this summer. Up to 20 million people have been affected as the waters cover an area equal to the size of England. Millions are homeless, and 6.5 million acres of crops have washed away in Sindh and Punjab provinces.
"Weeks after the onset of the disaster, millions of people are still in need of immediate assistance in terms of shelter, food, safe drinking water and health services," Church World Service reported Aug. 31. Church World Service is a partner of The United Methodist Church. "With time, the increasing need for longer-term assistance is rapidly rising. Restoration of income-earning opportunities, reconstruction of houses, re-establishment of education and health services are top priority."
The loss of thousands of schools - some destroyed by flood waters and others unavailable while they are being used as shelters - means a disruption in education for a generation of students. Pakistan already had low literacy rates, particularly for girls and women. This summer's flooding further stresses its fragile educational system.
Make a personal donation or encourage your church to take up a collection for the United Methodist Advance #982450.
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Events
September 19th, 11-6
Camp Fontanelle BBQ
Saturdays & Sundays,
September 19th-October 31st
Camp Fontanelle Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch
September 30th-October 2nd
Come to the Hill: A Call to Hope and Action
RTMJ event at Camp Comeca
Sunday October 3rd
World Communion Sunday
October 15th-17th
Children's Sabbaths Weekend
Sunday October 17th
Stand Up Against Poverty Day of Service
October 24th
VIM Team Leader Training in Columbus
October 29th-November 6th
Elkhorn Valley VIM flood relief work in Ewing
Sunday October 31st
Fair Trade Halloween/ Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF
January 17th
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
April 16th
Global Youth Service Day
May 14th
Change the World Day of Service
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| Items to Collect: Pearl Community Center
Pearl Community Center in Omaha has many
on-going needs, especially for its children's programming. Mail or deliver donations to 2319 Ogden
in Omaha, 68111. Checks should be made out to Living Hope
UMC/Pearl Community Center.
- New Computer with movie editing software
- Stereo/Boom box
- Electronic handheld games
- VCR
- Beading materials/books
- Sand art materials
- Finger Paints
- Woodwork/metal work supplies
- Any other art projects for children ages 7-12
- Bakeware
- Pots and pans
- Cooking utensils/measuring cups
- Basketballs
- Footballs
- Soccer balls
- Badminton sets
- T-Ball equipment
- Four Square
- Tennis equipment
- Volleyball sets
- Softballs/bats/Mitts
- Learning equipment
- Updated computer math games
- Hand held math/reading/spelling games
- Educational coloring books
- Workbooks
- Children's bibles
If you are outside the Omaha area, United Methodist Ministries encourages you to support your local community programs.
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Items to Collect: Neighbors United
A partner of United Methodist Ministries, Neighbors United is a coalition of churches who provide community meals, clothing, and outreach in the Leavenworth and Park East neighborhoods of Omaha. They are always looking for teams to volunteer at their Saturday community meal, which is held at the First Baptist Church social hall, 421 Park Avenue. In addition, they are looking for donations of the following items: - men's clothing, especially larger sizes
- paper plates
- napkins
- Kool-Aid or instant tea
- 20 sets of old restaurant-style salt and pepper shakers
Neighbors United will also be putting together men's and women's toiletry kits in September. Requested donations include: - trial-size shampoo
- toothpaste
- deodorant
- razors
- soap
- socks
To volunteer at the community meal, to make a donation, or for further information, contact Kevin at 402.658.8494 or bigred1997@hotmail.com.
Again, if you are outside of the Omaha area, United Methodist Ministries encourages you to support similar agencies in your own community.
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Suggested Reading:
Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not
Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan
by Greg Mortenson
The author of the #1 bestseller "Three Cups of Tea" offers the continuing story of this determined
humanitarian's efforts to promote peace through education.
The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life
by Parker J. Palmer
Now updated, this title has always been about helping
teachers recover their passion for teaching, one of the most difficult
and conflicted professions. Pushed and pulled by regulations and
institutions, teachers can feel ground down and demoralized without
connection with the heart of their vocation.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Journey to
Change the World... One Child at a Time (Young Reader's Edition)
by Greg Mortenson
This edition of the
worldwide bestseller "Three Cups of Tea" has been specially adapted for
younger readers and updated by Mortenson to bring his remarkable story
of humanitarianism up to date for the present.
Books Available through Soul Desires Bookstore 402.898.7600
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