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Minute for Mission
Prison Ministry
by Rick Greene
God of the air in our lungs, at the end of my life, I will ask,
“Did I do enough?" Will there be less prisoners, less widows, less
orphans, less suffering? Will I have cared about the people you care about? Will I have made a difference? Keep your words in
my mouth until I do. Amen.
Rev. Sarah Are, A Sanctified Art LLC
Before America's era of mass incarceration took hold in the early 1970s, the number of individuals in prison was less than 200,000. Nearly five times the number of people are now serving life sentences in the United States as were in 1984, a rate of growth that has outpaced even the sharp expansion of the overall prison population during this period.
In the United States, there are seven million citizens active in the U.S. criminal justice system; over two million U.S. sisters and brothers are incarcerated; 1 in every 100 men, 1 in every 1,700 women resides in a state or federal facility; and this country incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country in the world.
Incarceration is a fundamentally isolating experience. Often, incarcerated individuals have extreme difficulty communicating with their family members and friends on the outside. They can also become isolated and disconnected from their faith. At First Community, the Ministry of Presence has had a prison ministry for a few years—visiting inmates, encouraging letter writing, etc.
Besides writing to incarcerated individuals, this group actively supports gathering information and writing to the Parole Board to support the release of specific inmates. Even though the courts have ruled that an inmate's sentence is over, the Parole Board has the authority to hold the person until there is proof that the inmate can safely re-enter society.
Prayer: God of the air in our lungs, at the end of my life, I will ask, "Did I do enough?" Will there be less prisoners, less widows, less orphans, less suffering? Will I have cared about the people you care about? Will I have made a difference? Keep your words in my mouth until I do. Amen. (Rev. Sarah Are, A Sanctified Art LLC)
If you would like more information about the Ministry of Presence, First Community Church, and its other Mission programs, please email us at mission@FCchurch.com
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Rafiki AIDS Ministry
Recounting a Rewarding Experience
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by Trudy Krishner
I could never have imagined that a chance encounter over lunch at First Community North would be the experience of a lifetime.
But there I was, listening to Dr. Terry Davis talk about Rafiki, the AIDS Orphanage outside Nairobi, Kenya, that Dr. Davis’s loving stewardship - in partnership with First Community Church - had championed for many years.
I was all ears. After all, when I was young, I had wanted to join the Peace Corps, serving in a faraway place like Africa, but then life intervened, and that dream got away from me. Still, I managed to chase that dream in several other ways: I tutored in a Head Start program in an all-Black school. I had written several novels that scratched my itch for social justice. I had been a community college professor teaching inner-city teens and young adults. I had been an advocate for peace through many community organizations.
So, when Dr. Davis asked if I might want to travel with a small group to the Rafiki AIDS Orphanage in March 2023, I didn’t stop to think. YES! was my immediate answer.
If I had stopped to think, I might have hesitated. After all, I was 76 years old (bring arthritis cream!). I wasn’t sure I could withstand the long flight (buy compression hose!). I wondered if my feet could endure the long walks (wear sturdy sneakers!). I wondered if I could afford it (redeem that CD!). And I knew little about the unfamiliar African country, Kenya (Was it in East or West Africa?).
But as I learned about Rafiki and read about Kenya, my heart swelled with praise for the mission that Rafiki embodied. Started in 1998, Marafiki Global AIDS Ministry is a non-profit, faith-based volunteer workforce trained by medical and pastoral care professionals to provide HIV/AIDS families with spiritual support and life-care assistance. It provides food, clothing, accommodations, education, medical care, a safe Christian environment, and loving support to children in Kenya who are affected by HIV/AIDS. (http://www.rafikichildrencenter.org/)
When I arrived at the orphanage in Kikuyu town, Kenya, our five-person party was immediately surrounded by love. The children swarmed around us, hugging and giggling excitedly, eagerly posing for our cameras with their “banana smiles.” While there, we were able to treat the orphans to a pizza party and a bounce house; we were able to plant trees that would outlive our visit; we were able to enjoy not just the sights but the sounds of Rafiki: the moo-ing of the cows in their pens; the snapping of peas by the women fixing lunch; the singing of the choir from Tanzania; and the dancing of the visitors who had come to celebrate the dedication of Rifiki’s beautiful new chapel. My love for Rafiki grew by leaps and bounds, and I now fully understand the meaning of “Rafiki,” the Swahili word for “Friend.”
Back home, I consider myself a lifelong ambassador for Rafiki, eager to praise the good news of the excellent work being done there. I share my pictures and stories. I explain about the mission. I have “adopted” twin girls – Ruth Wangare and Lucy Wanjiru - with a monthly sponsorship. Above all, I continue to carry the love from these many friends – known as ‘Marafiki’ – in my heart.
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Wilondja Family updates:
- Received a car donation from the Rush Family. Thank you so much, Rush Family!
- Shirley is working on transferring the title, getting the registration, insurance, etc.
- Wilondja Family’s apartment lease ends in August.
- Mary Busby helped the family find a new place and helped the family sign a lease.
- Mary has helped the family understand how to pay all their bills, rent, and continues to support with ESL lessons every week.
- Les continues to transport family members to their appointments.
Other RMT Activities:
- RMT video – pictures and videos have been completed and the video is being edited. The RMT video will be ready soon.
- Donations – CRIS (Community Refugee & Immigration Services) picked up all donations from the Lincoln Road Chapel. All future donations can be dropped off at CRIS Office at 4645 Executive Drive.
Help wanted:
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Volunteers - Are you interested in supporting these families or joining the RMT? Supporting resettling refugee families is extremely rewarding. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Shirley Barney Shirley.Barney@hotmail.com
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Heart to Heart
Monthly Update
by Yohan Kim, Heart to Heart Food Pantry Manager
The mission continues at Heart to Heart. As of this writing, the Drive-Thru saw 286 families and the Pop-Up Pantry had at least 95 at the sites where they deliver. The sites include HOPE Resource Center, Riverview International Center, Franklinton Farms, Commons at Livingston, Commons at Grant, and Southpoint Place. And behind the scenes, a volunteer handbook has begun review and refinement by our staff and ministry team. We hope to publish it in time for the kickoff season in the fall.
The Father’s Day Shaving Supply Drive at First Community netted the pantry $40 and 50 pounds of razors and shaving cream from the congregation. Our next themed drive for the congregation will be a request for soap and lotion on Sunday, July 16. We’ll be taking donations of bar soap, body wash, and lotion. Donations of food, diapers, formula, and toiletries are always welcome in the designated drop-off locations at First Community South.
There are several new partnerships being developed over the summer. Please stay tuned for some exciting updates in the days to come. Meanwhile, we continue to do all we can to see God in all and welcome all in the presence of the divine.
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Wednesday Evenings
As the school year comes to an end, our youth team heads to Camp Akita for the summer. Many of the students have camps, vacations, and other activities over the summer as well, so they can't volunteer regularly. This means our Wednesday evening volunteer shift is now available for anyone to volunteer, starting this week! During this shift, volunteers fill empty dry goods boxes, stock food and other items, and prepare the next day’s Drive-Thru.
Sign up for Wednesday Evenings
Order Unloading
About twice a month, Heart to Heart orders a truckload of dry goods from Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Once the truck delivery is complete, volunteers are needed to unpack, sort, and stock the items. This is an afternoon volunteer shift and requires a bit of heavy lifting. Our next truck comes June 12, and we are still looking for about 8 helpers.
Sign up for June 12 Order Unloading
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Mission Workday
Amy is hosting another Mission Workday. These periodic volunteer opportunities are made available on days when both students and adults may have the day off due to a holiday, and Heart to Heart would otherwise be closed. We take this time to clean, organize, and repair things used by all Missions of the church! Tasks will depend on the number and ability of volunteers. Upon arrival, check-in inside the Annex in Room A104.
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In The Garden
Updates from the Share and Learn Gardens
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The Share and Learn Garden at First Community North sits on the property behind the Mary Evans Child Development Center. All the produce grown in the garden comes directly to Heart to Heart. The garden is managed and harvested by a small but mighty and fun group of volunteers. Master Gardeners Cheryl and Loren VanDeusen, and their daughter, Kate Paulson, are the group's leaders. The group convenes on Tuesday mornings, weather permitting. We receive weekly updates from Kate Paulson during the growing season, including these excerpts below. | | |
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May 29, 2023
Happy Memorial Day FCC Share and Learn Gardeners!
This is Cheryl and Loren reminding you that we will return to the garden tomorrow morning at our 9am usual time. Last week was a busy time - the rest of the tomatoes were planted and the cages put up! David and Carol brought and planted the Marigolds to beautify the outside beds. A crew weeded and then planted more peppers. Mike and Bruce set up all the cucumber frames and then moved the bean arch! On top of that everyone had a hand in planting cucumber seeds, pole beans, okra and carrots! What a week! Pictures will follow at the end of this email.
This week we need to:
- plant more pepper plants
- over-seed the cucumber bed
- plant more collards
- replace any failing tomatoes
- add soil and plant 2 small raised beds with SunGold Tomatoes
- spread mulch around some beds
- plant 2 large pots with blooming succulents at ends of inside beds.
We will be dropping off extra tomato plants to H2H on our way to the garden - if you, or anyone you know, would like some plants, please text me at (614) 824-7870 today so I can bring them to you at the garden.
Kate is off on a well deserved Alaska cruise celebrating her and Matt’s 50th birthdays! She is still monitoring the garden watering system via wifi control!
We hope you all have a great Memorial Day celebrating with family and friends as we remember those who gave their all to keep us free and safe.
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May 30, 2023
Thank you all this morning for all your hard work and good cheer! Your friendship and love are also so therapeutic for healing Loren’s back. I think next week will be a lite work time - over-seeding the cucumbers and some weeding. Erik is coming by the end of the week to redo the watering system on the pepper bed and pots by the white arches. We will be in touch about work needed next week. Stay cool and hydrate as it heats up this week!
Love you all - Loren and Cheryl
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June 5, 2023
Morning Gardeners,
We will need a short gardening session tomorrow. The microburst on Saturday evening that sent the parking lot tent flying also sent our tomato cages and row covers flying. Loren, Kathleen Lennon, Janie and I spent close to two hours last night repairing the cages. Remarkably we only lost one tomato plant!! Pictures to follow at end of this message.
This week we will need to do:
- weeding all beds
- over seeding the cucumber, okra, carrot and flower beds
- repair covers on the row covers which got damaged in the storm.
We hope to see you all in the am!
Loren and Cheryl
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June 12, 2023
Morning Gardeners,
We will need a session tomorrow at 9am to repair row covers, put green plastic mulch between the cucumber supports to keep the weeds down, do the same as much as we can with silver in the pepper bed, weed and over-seed the carrot and flower memorial beds. I will not promise it to be a short session as I did last week but we should be done by our two hour work time! I will bring Kate’s water dispenser so we can keep hydrated. Kate is still unable to join us as she is still under Covid quarantine. She is doing well on the Paxlovid drug and should be joining us next week.
I want to thank Loren, Jane, Bob and Anne for helping me last Thursday afternoon. Bob weeded and over-seeded the cucumber beds, Janie and Anne weeded and continued to plant the pepper bed and Janie and I replanted two of the kids beds with new tomato plants. The original tomato plants were damaged by the microburst storm of 2 Saturdays ago.
This past Saturday, Jessica Compton, the manager at the Staders on King Avenue called to say she had plant donations for the gardens and Trading post. Loren and I picked them up Saturday evening and again early Sunday as our car could only hold so many. We will bring a flat to give to the teachers to put in pots to beautify the playground. Loren is repotting this week so we can give to H2H clients. I am checking with Amy Caskie to see how else we can use these donations. Jessica wants us to be one of their charities throughout the year. In the past the Trading Post sold other donated merchandise.
See you tomorrow at 9am. If it is raining, we will have a work session at 11am on Thursday June 15th.
Thanks again. Cheryl and Loren
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Darkness to Light
Sexual Abuse Prevention
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Upcoming All Church Events | |
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