Lisbon Trinity Friends Girls Grasp the Importance of Missions Early

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190th Yearly Meeting Sessions...	Disaster Service Volunteers Aid...
	Girls Grasp the Importance of Missions
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How do you get girls interested in missions? Kathy Weber began with crafts, cookies, a sense of being able to help, and great times of fellowship.

The Missionette Program began in October 2001 to give young girls (grades 4-6) a glimpse into what it means to participate in a Women's Missionary Fellowship Program. The leaders catered their meetings to the interest and maturity level of the girls. Around nine girls attended meetings at the church every Sunday evening from 6 to 7 PM. At the meetings, they talked about specific missionaries and learned a little about their ministries, had devotions, prayer, and any remaining time was spent doing crafts. During the first meeting, each girl chose a missionary and committed to pray for and write letters of support to that missionary for the year. Even their craft items centered around outreach. "Touching Little Lives," an organization providing local hospitals with hand made items for babies, involved the girls in various jobs; stuffing animals, learning to crochet baby hats, even collecting yarn and material for future projects. They also made and sold homemade Christmas ornaments to pay the postage for letters and packages sent to the missionaries.

In November, they spent a Saturday practicing servant outreach. First, they baked cookies to be served at a reception for missionaries Sunday night. Then they divided into three groups and went to the homes of widows in the church where they raked leaves. Finally, Sunday night, the enthusiastic team hosted and served their cookies as refreshments following the service with guest missionaries Jeremiah and Elisha Kutz.

Their biggest project was a Yard Sale this spring. The girls were very excited about this project - most of them had helped with garage sales at home and knew how much work would be required. Their jobs included making signs and taking them to local businesses where they had to ask permission from the business owners to post them. Letters were sent to all local Friends Churches telling about the yard sale. The girls took turns helping with the money, arranging tables, selling hot dogs and beverages, as well as cleaning up. Arrangements were made with the local Salvation Army to receive any items not purchased during the yard sale. They were glad to know that even the remaining items were being channeled right back into the community.

'God has given Margo Arnold and myself a job we love doing! This age group is the easiest to work with---they want to help, they want to learn, they want to give and yes, they are very hard workers. They are missionaries.

Information submitted by:
Kathy Weber, Missionnette Coordinator
Lisbon Trinity Friends Church, Lisbon, OH

Camp Gideon - Not Just for Kids, Not Just for Summer...

Sure, summer is the time of year we celebrate God working in young lives through camping ministry. But, did you know that Camp Gideon offers a place for ministry all year?

Camp Gideon's staff and manager provide facilities where ministry happens to adults and teens throughout the year. The relatively new facilities offer year-round comfort in a unique, private, and reflective setting. Many of the local Friends Churches have begun using this resource for Leadership seminars and retreats, Women's, Men's Couples, and Family Retreats throughout the year! Mt. Gilead's men look forward to snow and sledding during their winter men's retreat. Canton First Friends Family Ministry literally takes over every area of the camp during their Family Weekend Camp with over 90 people participating. More church staffs than we can mention have "escaped to Camp Gideon" for some long-range planning and reflection.

Is your church planning to offer Women's or Men's Retreats? Think again about Camp Gideon! Let's keep Camp Gideon in our prayers this summer and all year long.

Christian Ed. Consultant, Carol Williams, shares with over 80 participants at last fall's CE Retreat, held at Camp Gideon. Participants were greeted warmly by the staff with "bottomless" coffee pots, hot chocolate, and lots of snacks!