October brought brisk temperatures to Chester County and a brisker pace of events to Outreach. Our Coventry Food Pantry (CFP) collection is still holding strong; I was especially glad to see an uptick in donations of snack foods towards the health lunch collection for students. Way to go St. Andrew’s! On that note we also delivered a delicious chicken BBQ dinner to the Atkinson shelter – I cannot think of a better way to share our chicken and fellowship!
Speaking of food, I am very happy to announce we had another successful harvest from our newly renovated community garden! In total we donated over 150 pounds of fresh onions, squash, cucumbers, and Swiss chard to local food banks this past summer and fall. A sincere call of thanks goes to Jeff Herrera for all his hard work and dedication to leading our gardening efforts for the congregation.
Guatemala Day was our main event this past month, and what a fantastic day we enjoyed! I hope everyone here was able to appreciate the experience and message our guest speaker shared. I also hope everyone enjoyed a traditional Guatemalan meal at the coffee hour. A special call of thanks goes to Martha Thomae for continuing to promote our sister mission and global partnership. Thank you Martha for the many years of truly excellent work you have done to help our neighbors!
Trick or treat for UNICEF was held the Sunday before Halloween; our children will collected change and donations that will directly support UNICEF. Our students have been learning about the important work UNICEF drives in over 190 countries and territories. The organization strives to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. This is achieved by providing various resources to children in need – from healthcare to education. Here at St. Andrew’s, our students collected funds for neighbors just as we, the adults, are often called to action. While a dime or two might not seem like much to discuss, one coin to help one child goes a VERY long way. Imagine if every person in every church gave one dime to support a child! We learn from Ephesians 3:20 that “all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” So let us all start small like the humble mustard seed – I can’t wait to see how much we all grow in the months to come!
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