Ministry and Service Purpose Group
Contact: Ken Nollen (klnollen [at] iowatelecom.net)
The Ministry & Service Purpose Group exists to empower you and to provide opportunities for you, the congregation, to reach out in ministries of service to those in need outside of our congregation.
We wish to thank all of you that participated in these various events and projects during this past year. Your servant hearts make these things happen! Please feel free to suggest new and different ways that we can reach out to the community, and meet the needs of others in 2009.
Please consider joining us on our work project to Beaumont, Texas coming up very soon on Jan 31 – Feb 7 where we will be working with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate in building new homes for hurricane victims and others in need in that area. A sign-up sheet is at the Welcome Center. See Doug Smid for more information on this opportunity.
Committee members in ’08 were Virgil Dykstra, Verle Boot, Doug Smid, Don Rouwenhorst, and Ken Nollen. Virgil and Verle have completed their terms of service, so we are seeking new folks that are interested in reaching out to serve others to become part of our team. Please consider your interests and gifts in doing that.
Here’s a brief summary of some of the things that we were involved with this past year.
Annual mission / work project:
- About 12 FRC people went to Boothville, Louisiana for one week in February under the auspices of the RCA volunteer office and Southwest Mutual Help Association. We stayed in the Mt.Olive Baptist Church, Theodore Turner, pastor.
- We framed and sheeted a new house during the week we were there. We also learned a great deal about this unique part of the country south of New Orleans in the delta at the mouth of the Mississippi River, which had suffered a great deal of devastation from the hurricanes of 2005.
Local work projects
- FRC provided two one-day work crews that worked on Habitat for Humanity house builds in Marion County. The first day was in June and work was done on a house in Knoxville; the second day was in October working on a house in Pleasantville.
- Work groups were also organized that went to Parkersburg and Attica for one day each to help with storm damage clean-up.
- A third group went to Coralville to help the Reformed Church there clean-up from flooding damage.
- We assisted the local food shelf by having a “fill-the-van” Sunday in November. A large quantity of groceries was donated by FRC members on this day, which is of great benefit to local persons in need.
- Angel Tree Christmas gifts to families of prisoners benefited 7 families with 15 children.
- You helped a number of children in other countries through Mission Walk International.
- FRC continues to host the Free Medical Clinic. Five FRC ladies rotate as hostesses each week.
- FRC also hosts the Farmers Market in our parking lot during the summer months, which Vivian Rippentrop coordinates.
