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Thank You

Our Generous Hearts
Over $1,000 to help make music happen
-little extra for anthems …
-Mo Bailey & kids

Over $1200 in the plate for deacons this year
Almost $2000 towards Heifer and Samaritan's Purse in one big Sunday of giving
Over $1000 towards Native American ministries
2 Pyoca scholarships!

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Think of all the work and time and energy put in by individuals in these last three years to help improve our church home:
5 Smock Grants in just under 4 years.
5 Smock Grants totaling around $40,000 in funds we've been able to use to ...
     - redo our bathrooms 
     - put in more efficient entryway doors
     - put up a new screen in our sanctuary 
     - purchase listening devices so you can actually hear what I'm saying
Plus another grant through our presbytery to redo our playground:
     - work that has meant more space for our kids to play
     - and work that will mean new and better equipment 
Not to mention those who have kicked in even more money (thank you, deacons) to make sure that Carol's office looks so much better ... and Trisha's office and the baby room have new carpet.

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Think, too, of the ways your money goes to help groups and individuals you may never meet.
Think about how the check or the money you put into the offering plate goes to pay our electricity bill, which may not seem like all that great of a thing ... until you realize that paying the electricity bill makes it possible for the AA group to meet in here on Tuesday nights ...
And how that group truly becomes for some people in our community a way towards salvation ...
And how it becomes a place where those searching for light and a new way forward find community and a place of trust and new sources of healing and renewal.
And think too about how the money you provide goes to keep our furnaces working in the winter and our ac units working in the summer.
Again, this doesn't seem like a big "woo-hoo" moment ...
But, don't forget ... those furnaces and ac units (and septic systems) go towards making this place a home for about ten daycare workers and around 30 to 40 kids - kids anywhere from 4 weeks old to 4th Grade.

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The point is ... you've stepped forward ... 
You've stepped forward to get that one last thing for VBS.
You've stepped forward to make sure that kid gets a few presents for Christmas, and that those children get books.
You've stepped forward to offer bounce houses and to grill hot dogs so that we could just spend a nice early summer evening pouring out some love on our daycare families.
You've stepped forward to schedule blood drives and to sweep floors.
You've stepped forward to come in early to set up and to decorate (like you did yesterday), and you've stayed late to break down tables and stack chairs back up (like you'll do later today).  
You've gone shopping at 5 am in the morning at Walmart when no one else in their right mind would think about doing such a thing, especially since you'll be shopping for fifteen or so families and loading carts down with big ol' hams and boxes of butter as well as bags of oranges and jars of pasta sauce.
You've given.
You've given.

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And this is to say nothing about the time and the energy and money and support you've given towards SAWs ...
Yes, for a pretty small congregation ...
You've given a lot.
Thank you.

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