The Diocesan Dialogue
Current Issue
January 2007
Coffee Hour: What's Perkin' in the Parishes
Editor's Note: The information presented
in this column is compiled from parish newsletters.
If you haven't recently received an
e-mail version of "This and
That - Living Boldly", please send an e-mail to jhatch@episcopal-ut.org
and ask to be added to the list.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD—Families of St. Paul's Episcopal
Church in Vernal recently presented and blessed 48 shoe box gifts for
Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse. Every
year, Operation Christmas Child delivers millions of gift-filled shoeboxes
to children-inneed all over the world.
This was St. Paul's third
year to take part in the project. St. Paul's shoeboxes were delivered
to Ashley Valley Calvary Chapel where they joined gifts collected by
their members. Together, the shoebox gifts were delivered to a collection
station in Salt Lake City and, from there, were on their way to children
around the world. Operation Christmas Child is an amazing ministry,
and very personal, since the families buy, pack and wrap the gifts,
praying for the recipient and sometimes sending a note or picture to
the child who will eventually receive the shoebox.
"My husband
and I took our six grandchildren shopping for shoebox gifts when we
visited them in Denver in October," commented the Rev. Nina Stasser,
Rector of St. Paul's, "and not once did they ask for something
for themselves. They were so focused on giving to someone else who
would not receive a gift unless we sent it. Such a simple way to share
the love of God!"
VERNAL AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, TREES FOR CHARITY—St.
Paul's, Vernal, took on a new local outreach project this year,
creating and entering two trees in the local Trees for Charity event.
Over 50 trees were entered by various individuals and organizations.
The auction raised almost $150,000 for various local charities. St.
Paul's full-sized tree, "The Nativity," raised $7500
for the Uintah County Search and Rescue (the charity designated by
the congregation).
The tree was first auctioned for $4500 and then
offered back by the buyer for a second auction, which brought a purchase
bid of $3000. A small, children's tree, "Wings of Peace," a
very creative all white and silver table-topper, was entered in the
silent auction portion of the event. Its sale benefited the scholarship
fund for the Uintah School of Music and the Arts. Some of the ornaments
on the small tree were made by children during Sunday School. Leah
Davis and Ann Ames, of St. Paul's, were the coordinators for
the church.
Trees for Charity proved an amazing and successful outreach
project, in which a modest investment in materials and time provided
donations that a small congregation could never match on its own, noted
Stasser.
YA YA NIGHT—The women of St. David's, Page, gathered
in December to wrap toys collected for Toys for Tots.
GOOD NEWS FOR
THE POOR—A Wednesday night series with potluck to explore the
Gospel of Luke was held during December at St. John's, Logan.
The parish also held a "12th Night Family Party" on Jan.
5 with a special visit by the three Wise Men.
TREASURES AND TROPHIES
2ND ANNUAL DINNER AND AUCTION TO BENEFIT ALL
SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH SUDANESE EDUCATION FUND
A dinner and auction
will be held on Feb. 3, with hors d’oevres beginning at 5:30
p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $10 per person. For information
about how you can help (giving donations, soliciting donations, creating
a theme basket) or making reservations call 581-0380. All Saints is
located at 1710 Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City.
Return to current issue Table of Contents
or Dialogue main page » |
