Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
A few Sundays ago we heard the Parable of the Good Samaritan read in worship. At the end of the parable Jesus asked the law expert which of the characters in the parable was a neighbor to the man in need. His answer was, “the one who showed compassion.” Jesus then responded, “Go and do likewise.”
In just a couple of weeks, five Apostles will travel to the New Jersey shore to do just that. We all recall the news reports from last October showing the devastation brought about by hurricane Sandy. The damage caused by Sandy was the second most costly in US history. It is in order to expressing our compassion and mercy that we are making this trip. For five days we will work with volunteers from all over to help rebuild what was lost or damaged in the storm. We will be a tangible sign of God’s abiding love to those we serve. We will be witnesses that God has not forgotten nor abandoned those who have suffered so much. And we will be representatives of this congregation which cares enough about others in need that it seeks to address those needs in concrete ways like this. While not all of us can go, we who go know that we carry with us the prayers of those who stay behind. Your spirit will be with us to sustain us in our work, and we thank you for that. We pray that God will bless others through our work.
The cost of this trip will only be around $750, not much when compared to the $60-plus billion of damage caused in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Much of the financial costs are being addressed by FEMA, but there are other costs of recovery that are not covered. If you would like to help with the cost of the trip you can make a donation to Apostles noting that it is for this purpose. Any additional funds will be given to Lutheran Disaster Response for use in the continuing recovery.
You can donate online on our new website at CONTRIBUTIONS then OTHER and designate it as Mission Trip.
On behalf of our work team, I thank you for your support and for sending us to represent your caring compassion and love.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jim
A few Sundays ago we heard the Parable of the Good Samaritan read in worship. At the end of the parable Jesus asked the law expert which of the characters in the parable was a neighbor to the man in need. His answer was, “the one who showed compassion.” Jesus then responded, “Go and do likewise.”
In just a couple of weeks, five Apostles will travel to the New Jersey shore to do just that. We all recall the news reports from last October showing the devastation brought about by hurricane Sandy. The damage caused by Sandy was the second most costly in US history. It is in order to expressing our compassion and mercy that we are making this trip. For five days we will work with volunteers from all over to help rebuild what was lost or damaged in the storm. We will be a tangible sign of God’s abiding love to those we serve. We will be witnesses that God has not forgotten nor abandoned those who have suffered so much. And we will be representatives of this congregation which cares enough about others in need that it seeks to address those needs in concrete ways like this. While not all of us can go, we who go know that we carry with us the prayers of those who stay behind. Your spirit will be with us to sustain us in our work, and we thank you for that. We pray that God will bless others through our work.
The cost of this trip will only be around $750, not much when compared to the $60-plus billion of damage caused in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Much of the financial costs are being addressed by FEMA, but there are other costs of recovery that are not covered. If you would like to help with the cost of the trip you can make a donation to Apostles noting that it is for this purpose. Any additional funds will be given to Lutheran Disaster Response for use in the continuing recovery.
You can donate online on our new website at CONTRIBUTIONS then OTHER and designate it as Mission Trip.
On behalf of our work team, I thank you for your support and for sending us to represent your caring compassion and love.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jim
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