All too frequently as they come out of the Lenten season church folks decide it is time to take a break from church. They decide to disconnect from God and Christ for awhile; stop giving offering money, too. And frankly, they choose to focus in on self, because after all, many folks didn’t get to eat chocolate for 40 days and nights during Lent.
Coincidentally, as Easter week began, I heard from an amazing man of faith and vision whom I had the privilege of working with before coming to St. Paul’s. Dr. Myron Glick, the founder of the Jericho Community Health Center, checked in with me to see how I was doing and to see how “my church” was doing during these difficult times for churches throughout the world. He wanted to wish me Easter week blessings and to tell me that I have been in his prayers.
He told me about my friend Chantal who is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the stress she is under due to the anti-democracy forces that are at war with the people in that African nation. Dr. Glick had planned to travel there, but it was not safe enough for him. I then asked about my friend Phebian, who is in Sierra Leone. Dr. Glick told me all about the wonderful work she is doing … babies being born; Dr. Glick loves to deliver babies.
So I asked him if there was anything that St. Paul’s could do for Phebian. Any need that she has right now. He called her and then got back in touch with me. The Sierra Leone clinics desperately needs to replace their solar batteries at the two clinics. They need three but could use four. I told him … “ST. PAUL’s will get it done!”
So after Easter was over … I issued a simple but complicated challenge to all of you. Let’s raise the money for these batteries by asking our friends and family members to donate TEN DOLLARS each. On the Sunday I introduced the challenge we estimated that amongst the folks in church together we had more than 3000 friends, family members and neighbors. THREE THOUSAND people we could potentially ask to donate $10 to get Phebian her solar batteries. THREE THOUSAND people we could even invite to church with us.
We have been posting a visual “meme” on St. Paul’s FACEBOOK page most days that everyone can copy or you can just share our message. A mere TEN DOLLARS … not a lot of money but if just 1/10th of our friends and family members and neighbors donate $10 we will raise $3000 for the medical clinics in Sierra Leone. If just 5% of that group agreed to come to St. Paul’s for church with their friends and families we’d have another 150 people in church on Sundays.
But we have to ask … we have to care about those women giving birth in Africa … those children needing basic medical care … men and women needing surgery who have no other health provider to turn to. And we need to have the courage to associate ourselves with St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
So I am asking you … to give to the TEN DOLLAR CHALLENGE, but more importantly, to ask your friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors to give. Mail a check to St. Paul’s UMC, PO Box 125, West Deptford NJ 08086 marked “TEN DOLLAR CHALLENGE.” Or click on the link below to donate via PayPal or credit card.
THANKS!
Pastor Dave
Please mark your donations “Sierra Leone Clinics.”
We greatly appreciate it when you click the checkbox, “Add $– to help cover the fees.” If you don’t add this amount, the church must pay the fee, so we don’t receive the full amount that you donate.
To designate your gift for our Sierra Leone Project, choose “Special” on the drop-down menu. Once you insert the amount and choose PayPal or Credit Card, on the next screen you will see, “Write a Note.” You can let us know that the gift is for the Sierra Leone Project.