Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there!  Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers, as well, and a lovely Independence Day to boot, since the Scribe now covers a three month period.  This is the quarterly update on the deeds (hopefully not misdeeds) of the Social Ministry Committee. 

First and foremost, we want to thank everyone for their generous gifts to the Lenten Drive for ELCA World Hunger.  What a fantastic outpouring of God’s love we experienced.  The Noisy Offering and the Piggy Banks helped us raise a grand total of $8,190.  

There are a number of projects coming up that you should be aware of (many thanks to the three of you who have read this far and will be). 

First,  we will do our annual Offering of Letters for Bread for the World this month.  The Farm Bill is up for a vote again this year, and as you know, it has a wide ranging impact on all of our lives.  Its 12 sections (actually called Titles for any nitpickers) cover SNAP benefits (food stamps), price supports for farmers, international food aid and export, horticulture, farmers’ markets, and a wide variety of other things (Google “What is the Farm Bill” for more details).  The letters we write to Congress every year for Bread for the World help this and other important legislation get passed. 

Second, our annual Habitat for Humanity build day is coming up on June 8.  We hope to be doing framing this year.  We will need volunteers to saw boards (not fingers), drive nails, and raise the framing.  We also need a few people to organize and bring lunch out for us.  Listen in church for more information about the build and how to sign up.

Third, our Mission Partner, The Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.  They are in the middle of a fundraising effort to celebrate.  You can go to https://nelm.org for more information on the mission and nelm.org/donate/ to donate.  If you are Thrivent members, look at the Thrivent Choice information on that page.  FYI, we recently learned that the mission, despite its name, has no guaranteed support from the synod or the national church, so fundraising is important to support its vital tasks on the reservation.

Finally, our own 60th anniversary celebration is coming up on the 24th of June!  To celebrate our long history of social ministry, we have selected Manna Soup Kitchen to be the target for a giving bonanza.  Christ the King has been a supporter of the soup kitchen since its inception in 1985.  Their mission has evolved since then and they provide a multitude of services to members of our community in addition to their traditional role as a soup kitchen.  We will post a list of needed foodstuffs and attempt to pack Pastor Tim’s car with supplies (just kidding, we’ll have boxes).

As always, we exist to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

The Social Ministry Committee

Anita Ashby, John Condie, Rap Fairly, Deacon Mandy, Robert Maple Pastor Tim, Renata Widder

Noisy Offering Partner for May:

Habitat for Humanity

CtK’s Habitat Build Day is closer than you think!  We will be working (framing, once again) on Saturday, June 8…back at Fox Farms in Bayfield.  This will be the final duplex as we’re building on the last lot Habitat owns in that development.  In the last communication with Habitat, Jessica (Habitat’s director) said they were negotiating on property just outside Durango.  But there are issues with this land and they haven’t been resolved.

 The times for CtK’s work day are 8:30 am – 3:30 pm.  Lunch will be provided for the volunteers.  AND we need volunteers to pound some nails and help with the food prep and set up.  A sign-up sheet will be put out on May 18.  If you have any questions, please call Rap Fairley at 410-474-3571.  Additional details to follow mid May.