February Yellow Bags: Refugee Community

Each month we designate a community partner and give you the opportunity to donate items for them.  In January we partnered with the Covenant Presbyterian Food Pantry.  In February our Refugee Team leads the initiative, and we partner with the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

We are helping IRC put together “Go-Bags.”  The go bags are specifically for survivors of human trafficking.  The human trafficking and refugee communities experience cross-over, and IRC is partnering with the Lighthouse Project for this initiative.  Our contributions will provide IRC with a supply of bags that they can hand off to someone ‘on the go,’ someone escaping trafficking.  A survivor leaving trafficking is unlikely to have anything more than the clothes on their back.

Each bag has items that help get them started in a new life.  A donation was made to cover the cost of 50 duffle bags, and now we get to help fill them.  There are a few ways to contribute:

  • Go here Flocknote and sign up. You sign up for what you want to donate, and you are emailed a link that tells you how/where to purchase the items.  The sign up allows us to keep track of donations.
    • After you sign up you can go here to order: Amazon
  • Call the church office and have Teresa help you with the online sign up process.
  • Make a donation to Grace, marked for IRC Yellow Bags.

If you want to learn more about Wichita IRC go here: https://www.rescue.org/united-states/wichita-ks

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Coat Drive

Did you clean out your closets over Christmas?  If so, drop off your old coats at Grace.  KAKE is hosting a coat drive this month to benefit The Salvation Army, and we have a box in our building.  All new and gently used (clean) coats are welcome.

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Blood Drive: February 21

Grace hosts its next Red Cross Blood drive on February 21, from 8 am – 1 pm.  The blood collected at our October 18 drive went to Via Christi St Francis, Labette Health in Independence, Kansas, Kansas Medical Center in Andover, and Girard Medical Center.

  • Every two seconds someone in the US needs blood.
  • One pint of blood (the approximate amount given in a donation) can be used to help up to three people.
  • About 1/3 of the US population is eligible to give blood.
  • Five million patients in the US need blood every year.

Sign up to donate by calling the Grace office – 684-5215, or by going here>

You may use the “rapid pass” and save time on the day of your donation. Go to RapidPass to finish the pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online before coming to your appointment.

 

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January Adult Sunday School

Each Sunday in January adults gather on Zoom at 10 am to for Sunday School.  The class studies the scripture that is used in worship for the week.  Different class members teach each week.

January 3:        Luke 2:41-52

January 10:      Luke 3:1-22

January 17:      Luke 4:14-30

January 24:      Luke 5:1-11

January 31:      Luke 6:1-16

Find the class here:

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Children’s Ministry and Advent

As Advent approached, the Grace Children’s Ministry celebrated the birth of three babies connected to our community.  Grace members were gracious to offer gifts such as handmade blankets, sweaters and books, and I was blessed to deliver them. In addition to the gifts, Grace supplied freezer meals and treats for the new families.

The youngest of Grace children received a “knock and drop” advent bag delivered by some of the older Grace children.  Inside these fun bags was a sticker nativity that little fingers could put together paired with a handmade Christmas ornament designed by the kids in the Excavation Station: baby Jesus sleeping in a nest of hay as the star of Bethlehem shines upon him.  To round out the Advent bag, we included a deck of family Advent cards that offer an activity for every day of Advent.  This is just one way we are trying to encourage others to stay connected to Jesus as Christmas Day approaches.

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