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Greetings!
We were once again reminded lately how unique The Christmas Village ministry is when asked for a one or two word description for an announcement someone was publishing. Our description usually has to say what we aren't in order to say what we are.
To say The Christmas Village is an 'unwed mother's home' is totally inaccurate since we have served several wives who came from abusive situations or situations where there was pressure to terminate the pregnancy.
To label us as a shelter, while technically correct, is incomplete as we are more restrictive than any other shelter in the area in who we accept and the behavior and activities required to remain at our home.
To fully complete the scope of our mission you also have to include job skills training, home skills training, adoption agency, and, most importantly, we strive to be a Christian home, not an institution.
Please remain in prayer for us as we continue to wait on the person God has prepared for our house manager. Brenda and Michael
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Changes at Village Confections |
Village Confections is under new management. Edie Lea and Lou Van Velkinburgh are baking and managing the new Village Confections and Village Designs. We would love for you to come visit for a cup of coffee and some sweets, or if you have some time, come volunteer and help us earn funds and teach our residents job skills.
Baking the petit fours that Miss Lou is known for and serving up beignets on Saturday mornings, we have added a new aspect: one of a kind jewelry designed to your specifications. These designs will make somebody very happy this Christmas.
Village Confections is located on the square in Canton at 127 North Union Street. New hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and 9:00 to noon on Wednesday and Saturday. Telephone number is 601-667-4311.
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Just like any family, we love a celebration. One of our residents recently celebrated her birthday with a lunch at Red Lobster after church service in August.
Her tears of joy and the comment "Nobody has ever made me feel this special" is one of the small blessings that make being a part of The Christmas Village so special to so many of our volunteers.
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Save The Date: December 16th |
The Roster of Entertainers has been completed! This year is going to be another sensational evening of celebration of Christmas with music to suit every taste. Tickets this year are reserved seating. All ticket sales will be through the Belhaven Center For The Arts website beginning November 1st. Orchestra seats: $20, Balcony: $20.
is proud to present the 2011
Slate of Entertainment for The Greatest Gift Concert
Benefitting the Christmas Village Foundation
Friday, December 16, 2011, 7 p.m. at the
Belhaven Center for the Arts
Host:
Sam Haskell
Performers:
Blues:
Dorothy Moore
Contemporary Christian:
Bridget Taylor
Country:
Georgia Thomas
Gospel:
The Williams Brothers
Jazz:
Kristian Dambrino
Traditional:
Mary Haskell
Guy Hovis
Will North
Finale:
Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet
This is the premier musical event of the season...a great event to bring a busload from your church, or have early dinner or hors d' oeuvres and come to the concert in lieu of your small group Sunday School party!
For our sponsors we are adding a sponsor exclusive pre-concert coffee and dessert mixer with the entertainers. Desserts will be provided by Mangia Bene (Bravo!/Broad Street/Sal & Mookie's). For more information about sponsorships and supporting The Christmas Village |
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Action Item!!
Volunteer Opportunities |
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We feel that our most important committee for The Greatest Gift is our Thank You Basket committee. All the entertainers perform for free and several pay their own travel expenses from out-of-state to be here.
Because the baskets are so important, it is more than one small group or committee can be tasked. We need volunteers from 12 to 15 different organizations (churches, civic, schools, sororities) to take ownership of providing one item for 12 baskets. In this manner, all twelve baskets have the same items, but no one organization has the burden of the entire project.
We want the baskets to reflect Mississippi hospitality. Some commitments are earthenware crosses, cheese straws, and fresh biscotti. Some groups have a business owner that is making the donation while others are taking collections within their organization and purchasing from a company. If your group decides to go the collection route, may we suggest Every Day Gourmet or Brock's (Maywood Mart) are two retailers that specialize in Mississippi-made gifts.
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Action Item!! Volunteer for Fall Flea Market |
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Each year The Christmas Village and Village Confections put on a costume and become Cafe du Canton, purveyors of coffee and beignets. As thousands converge on Canton, we receive the blessing to raise a month's worth of expenses in a single day...but we always need help.
In order to pull it off, we need about 15 to 20 volunteers to work 4 hour shifts. The early shift starts at 5 a.m. making coffee and setting up the outdoor serving area. Customers are knocking on the door that early!
The midday shift helps make the transition from beignets to petit fours.
The afternoon shift helps with tear down and clean-up. Everything is over by 5 p.m.
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| "License to Live" and the new "We Love Life" tags |
Grant Mississippi's unborn babies a "License to Live" by helping their mothers "Choose Life." Simply take your current tag to your local tag office and order a new Choose Life tag or "We Love Life" tag for just $31. You don't even have to wait until your current tag expires! Your new tag will be mailed to you. It's that easy!
A portion of the car tags are donated to pregnancy resources centers, of which The Christmas Village, is a recipient. The economy has people cutting back on many things, including specialty tags. So donations from the Choose Life Tags have dwindled which means that not as many resources are available to organizations trying to save our babies. It seems that there is a lot of competition and an ever growing number of Specialty Tags on the road. If you don't have a Choose Life Tag, PLEASE consider purchasing one. |
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Prayers:
House Manager
Expansion
Vehicle
Discernment
Former Residents and babies
Adoptions
Needs:
Volunteers - driving, housesitting, game night, Flea Market, Greatest
Gift thank you baskets
Vehicle
Walmart or Target gift cards (for undergarments and hygiene products)
Art & Craft teachers
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Christmas Village Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit that supports the following:
- The Christmas Village is a Christian residential ministry for women who are being pressured into terminating their pregnancy. We provide them with the resources and life skills they need to choose life for their unborn child.
- Village Confections teaches the residents of The Christmas Village job skills and also provides financial support for the ministry.
- Village of Hope Adoptions is our adoption agency, licensed in 2009.
- Village Creations is our newest venture of teaching job skills to residents that will focus on helping them earn money during their stay at The Christmas Village.
Please visit Village Confections located on the historic square in Canton: 127 N Union St, Canton, MS or visit our website, www.VillageConfections.com. To place an order, call 601-667-4311.
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