Glimpses of Redemption: English Language Learning Program at Forked River

When Forked River Presbyterian Church (FRPC), a congregation with a vision and heart for community outreach ministries, formed the non-profit Mandorla in 2002, their first step was to open Precious Journey Preschool. Retired school principal and Elder Gloria Mako, a member of FRPC and Special Projects Coordinator for Mandorla, says, “I wanted create a multi-cultural experience because I knew the children would be moving into the global community. Even though Forked River had a tiny multi-ethnic population, we offered non/limited English speaking scholarships to make that possible.” By early 2006 the outreach included informal, free English Language Literacy (ELL) classes for adults with an all-volunteer staff. ELL attendance grew to 18 adults, with 15-18 children attending activities coordinated by volunteers.

There was also a growing awareness that they were only touching a small part of the growing immigrant population of the community. Having struggled with the issues of enthusiastic volunteers and limited funds and knowing that other congregations faced similar issues, the church applied for and received a $29,800 grant in 2007 from Presbyterian Women’s Creative Ministries to begin LEAP (Learn English at Preschool), an expanded community outreach ministry for adults and preschool children. In addition to addressing community needs, the LEAP will develop a model that can be shared.

In Forked River barriers between people are crumbling as relationships are built and stories told. In the LEAP classrooms, families learn that they are cared about, loved, and encouraged to participate without the fear of embarrassment or humiliation. And blessings flow in all directions, enriching the lives of teachers and volunteers who feel privileged to be a part of welcoming the stranger and building a transformed community.

By the way, the Mandorla, an ancient symbol of hope and healing, consists of two circles coming together and overlapping to form an almond shape in the middle. In this case, the Mandorla symbolizes the coming together of the church and the community at large.

Food for Thought: Do you know how much your burger costs the earth?

The Food and Faith site of the Presbyterian Hunger Program is "chock full" of good information. The following is directly from there.

Grain

It takes 12 pounds of grain to produce one pound of hamburger. This could make eight loaves of bread, or 24 plates of spaghetti. Grain consumption by livestock is increasing twice as fast as grain consumption by people. Cattle consume 70 percent of all U.S. grain.

Rain forest

While not all hamburgers come from the rain forest, for every pound of rain forest beef, approximately 660 pounds of precious living matter is destroyed, including 20—30 different plant species, over 100 insect species, and dozens of mammals and reptiles.

Water

It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of hamburger. This could be used to grow more than 50 pounds of fruits and vegetables. Half of all water consumed in the United States is used to grow feed and provide drinking water for cattle and other livestock.

Three Cents-Ability Grants Announced

The Cents-Ability Grants Committee approved grants of $750 each to three hunger projects chosen from the Break Free From Hunger catalog of the Presbyterian Hunger Program. (In accordance with the Cents-Ability Program guidelines, 60% of the funds collected is used for grants outside the bounds of the Presbytery.) One of the projects is located in nearby Trenton, NJ; the others are in Gambia and Ethiopia.

The ISLES Community Gardens Program is a community development and environmental organization that fosters a permanent and community-based solution to the problems of hunger and urban blight. ISLES maintains 43 gardens that provide fresh produce to low-income families in Trenton. The benefits include fresh garden produce that provides nutrition and promotes healthy lifestyles; a place for after-school activities in which students learn about sustainable living concepts; and an opportunity for senior citizens to become intergenerational links with the community.

The Development Program for the Meshangir Community Near Dembi Dollo, Ethiopia was developed in response to a request of the Meshangir people of Ethiopia. For countless generations, the Meshangir lived as nomad hunters, but their lifestyle changed dramatically when the Ethiopian government disarmed the people, making it necessary to transition from living as nomad hunters to living in a settled community. The program introduces sustainable food production techniques and develops income-generating products based on the traditional skills of the people.

In Senegal, the Moringa tree has been called the “miracle tree” because it is easy to grow and provides significant nutritional benefitis. Church World Service worked with local partners in Senegal for several years on a Moringa pilot project. Our gift to the Gambia Nutrition Program is an expansion of the pilot project into the West African country of Gambia. This expansion will extend the benefits of the Moringa to many more mothers and children while offering an opportunity for scientific research to validate the Moringa’s nutritional and socio-economic benefits.

Food for Thought: Lord I want to be GREEN and CHRISTIAN in my HEART

I don’t want to have to deal with climate change! I feel hopeless and powerless when I see pictures of polar bears stranded on ice, or think about the rising ocean temperatures and sea levels that we know will eventually submerge an entire nation, or when I visit a rapidly disappearing glacier high up in the Bolivian Andes and learn about the effect on the people who depend on it for their water.

But after a long time of hoping global warming would go away (a.k.a. being in denial),I’ve come to terms with the need to make some changes in my lifestyle. A lot of them are cosmetic: compact fluorescent light bulbs, alternative energy sources, less driving. They’re becoming good habits that I really like.

But there’s a deeper change that I really struggle with, and that is the need to turn away from the individualism and materialism of our market-driven society. I need another kind of change—a paraphrase of an old Slave Song: “Lord, I want to be green (and Christian) in my heart.” And that means a deep spiritual change leading to voluntary simplicity, real community, and the genuine abundance of “enough”—which is, after all the abundant life that God offers us.

That kind of change isn’t easy in a world where we hear the story “more is better” 24/7. But we have God’s promise of shalom, and we have hope that calls us to committed and active engagement with the “principalities and powers” and compassionate relationship with all of creation.

It may not be quite as easy bein’ green on the inside, but “it’s beautiful and it’s what I want to be.”

Wishing you traveling mercies and many glimpses of redemption on your journey with Jesus.

For a really good article which says this so much better than I can, check out Peter Sawtell's recent article "Only a symptom" in Eco-Justice Notes.

Hunger Resources Available at the Presbytery Office

Looking for "good stuff" to enliven your hunger program? The following are available at the Presbytery office in Tennent. Some are for purchase, others are free.

1. Hunger Next Door, an 8-minute video from Shoprite's Partners in Caring is a good introduction to hunger in our communities; free.
2. Just Eating? Practicing Our Faith at the Table, an excellent curriculum, for 5, 7, or 13 sessions, that explores various aspects of our relationship with food and ways to practice our faith. Leader's Guide is $6.50, Partipant's book is $3.
3. Cents-Ability Kits containing info on: Getting Started, Worship Resources, Educational Resources, Promotion, and Sample Forms. Free.
4. Talking with Children and Youth about Sweat-Free Ts: a script to introduce Sweat-Free Ts to upper elementary and middle school-age students. Adaptable for younger and older groups. Free.

There's more, and I promise to add to this list. In the meantime, if you're looking for something, please feel free to call or e-mail.

Food for Thought: Reeseisms (for making a difference)

Sometimes cleaning out your desk can yield forgotten treasures along with a neater desk, and I just found one that the Rev. James Foster Reese provided at a workshop a few years ago. He called them "Reeseisms (For Making a Difference." I call them uncommon sense. Here they are:

1. "Don't put your dog in every fight"
2. "Don't argue if you can't win."
3. "Don't think you will learn something from the second kick of a mule." (Mark 6:10-13)
4. "Don't be known for much speaking as for speaking much."
5. "Don't self-sacrifice unless this is your last cause or you know you will rise on the third day."
6. "Don't believe that just because it is right, it is necessarily smart."
7. "Don't forget, you can learn something from a jackass!" (Numbers 22:22-35)
8. "Don't risk more than you can afford to lose."
9. "Don't think you can get clean clothes without agitation."
10. "Don't always believe a meeting is more important than a birthday party."
    

Which one would you like to work on? I think I'm going to work on one a week.

Wishing you traveling mercies, many glimpses of redemption on your journey with Jesus, and the joy of making a difference.

Feast and Fast in Lent or Anytime

We are called both to attend to the sacredness of Creation and to respond to it by active participation in the protection of Creation. This list from Presbyterians for Restoring Creation uses the metaphors of feasting and fasting to invite both these elements of caring for Creation into our Lenten observance. Which ones will you choose?

1. Feast on foods lower on the food chain such as whole grains and vegetables.

2. Fast from purchases at national chains by shopping at local stores.

3. Feast on the light of God by having one meal by candlelight.

4. Fast from television.

5. Feast on the beauty of community by calling or visiting with a loved one.

6. Fast from extra energy use by adjusting your thermostat when you will be away for more than a few hours.

7. Feast on local agriculture by finding out the location of the closest farm stand, farmers’ market, or grocery stocking local produce (and then supporting it!)

8. Fast from giving consumer products as gifts and instead give donations or subscriptions on someone’s behalf to worthwhile organizations (such as giving a PRC gift membership!)

Read more ideas for Feasting and Fasting.

A Super Souper Bowl Story

It's always exciting to hear stories and creative ideas from churches. Candy Peterson from Morning Star sent this in:

"By the way, we did take your advice and do the 'Souper Bowl of Caring,' but we didn't collect money for it (we are going to have another Cents-Ability collection at the end of this month and didn't want to interfere with that); we just collected soup, and people brought lots of it! We stocked our food pantry with soup as well as giving quite a large amount to an outside ministry named Lakewood Outreach Ministry, a ministry that cares for the homeless people in our area. We have joined with them and helped to raise money for 'tent kits' and food."