Cover Stories:	In The Spotlight:	Features:
The Christmas-Thanksgiving Connection	United Services Enrich Congregations	Yearly Meeting
Hispanic Friends in Eastern Region	Pink Flamingos Raise Lots of Green	Yearly Meeting Highlights
Christian Camping Around the World	Small Churches Can Make a Big Difference	Publishers of Truth Essay Contest Winners
	Community Basketball Clinic Scores Big	Guarding Our Hearts With Gratitude
	Shiloh Chapel Neighborhood Bible Clubs	Thanksgiving: The Standard, Substance and the Secret
		The 5 Finger Prayer Guide
		Christian Modesty - A New Look for the New Generation

Just imagine waking to a flock of plastic, pink flamingo lawn ornaments on your front lawn. As you walk outside into a wave of pink, you notice a warning sign stating that you have been "flocked" and that these plastic flamingos are "dangerous creatures" who can only be removed by professionals, for a small fee...

For the Damascus Friends Youth of Damascus, Ohio, raising funds for their summer missions trip to the Dominican Republic, the flamingos were an effective, fun, tool.

Weeks before the "migration" began, warning posters had been scattered throughout the church, bulletin and website which stated, "watch for the flamingos." Next, the teens from the Mission Team produced a video to be shown on a Sunday morning in all three services. The hilarious video explained what to do if you were to be "flocked" including how to pay for the "flock" to "migrate" to another home -- sharing the experience and the cost!

"We had two flocks of 12 flamingos (2 large and 10 small)," explained Beth Grimm, Youth Pastor at Damascus. "When I would receive a call from a flockee, I would call one of our team members who would pick up the flock and take it to the next location. Lots of laughter and discussion on the location of the flocks took place on Sunday mornings. Judy Wheeler kept the website with the current listingof location of both flocks.The flamingos roamed throughout the congregation for six weeks with 55 homes experiencing the flocks...and many more who wished they were...but time ran out and we were getting tired!."

"Flamingo Insurance" was available for $25 for those who absolutely DID NOT want the flock in their yard (only 2 certificates were sold). At the conclusion of the event, flamingos were displayed in the lobby with a sign "Make a donation, Take a flamingo" for those who had missed out and another $80 were raised.

The Flamingo Flock donations totalled approximately $1,300 and with the other donations we raised a total of $1,430!!! (who would have thought!)

Information provided by Beth Grimm, Youth Pastor for Damascus Friends Church, Damascus, Ohio