The following is information on current missions at North Church. For more information, or ways to get involved, please contact the church office at 651-777-4044 or north@northchurch-mn.org.
North St. Paul Area Food Shelf:
North Church is continually collecting non-perishable food items and monetary donations for the North St. Paul Area Food Shelf. A shopping cart is located in our Narthex for donating non-perishable items. Monetary donations can be made in the church office (please make checks out to North St. Paul Area Food Shelf).
The Gathering is Thriving!
The Gathering, in partnership with Lyngblomsten Services Inc. of St. Paul, is a group respite program designed to give people with early/mid-stage memory loss a day of cognitive and social stimulation while their caregivers enjoy 5 hours of respite. The Gathering is held twice a month in 9 churches across the metro area. Since October 2008, North Church has been part of a 10 church consortium offering this program to our community and meets in 3 churches in White Bear Lake. As a member of the Northeast Consortium, North supports The Gathering financially and with volunteers and participant referrals (members of supporting churches wishing to participate in The Gathering go to the top of the waitlist).
Here is a summary of 2012 for the NEC (Northeast Consortium) of The Gathering:
-88 volunteers – 9 volunteers from North Church
-49 Gatherings were held, equating to 245 direct respite service hours
-almost 5000 volunteer hours were given
And across the 3 county metro area:
-244 volunteers
-29 church partnerships (10 different denominations)
-4 consortia (Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, and Minneapolis)
-over 200 caregivers served
-82 participants
-60 potential participants on the wait lists
-over 15,000 volunteer hours given
Volunteers:
If you ask any of the volunteers from North, I’m sure they will tell you that their volunteer experience with The Gathering is some of the most rewarding work they do. We often hear that their Gathering days are the highlight of their week with much joy. New volunteers are always welcome! Trainings are held monthly on the second Monday. Call Betsy Hoffman for more information: 651.414.5291 or 651.777.8962.
Participants:
Anyone interested in learning about The Gathering for a loved one to become a participant may call Betsy Hoffman at 651.414.5291 for information and/or an intake to be done. Thank you North Presbyterian Church for supporting such a wonderful program! We are making a difference in our community by serving people with memory loss and their loved ones.
Get Your Sunshine Bag!!!
A mission for all women (youths to seniors) of North Church
Let us join together and support the Sunshine Bag mission. This mission helps the St. Paul Council of Churches and Church Women United in hosting the Union Gospel Mission and Native American Christmas parties which are held in St. Paul. What a joyous way to help these children of St. Paul experience a Merry Christmas.
Please pick up your Sunshine Bag, all of which were lovingly made by Jane Wolfram and Kathy Richardson, at the display in the Gathering Area. You can’t possibly miss it!
‘Thank You’ Jane and Kathy for the time and effort you put into this project.
HOW IT WORKS: For each day of personal sunshine:
–Put a coin (a penny, a nickel, a dime, a quarter depending on how bright your day is) in the bag.
–Bring your bag to church on the last Sunday in October and place your coins in the special Sunshine Bag located in the Gathering Area.
–Each year we will continue to collect your gifts on this last Sunday in October; our Women’s Sunshine Sunday.
OUR SUNSHINE POEM:
This little bag I give to you
And just a line explains,
‘Tis not for cloudy weather
Nor when it snows or rains.
But every day the sun shines brite
if only for a minute,
Just open up the Sunshine Bag
And drop a coin in it.
Do this thru all the year
And at the close we’ll gather
To count the coins and see
Who had the most good weather.
If you have any questions, please contact Pat McKisson.