I have two questions for my facebook friends. In a few weeks Mathewson Street Church is starting a new Sunday morning meal program specifically for homeless families. Families with children often cannot attend meal sites because it is not considered safe, so we will have a meal program specifically for families and their supporters. We are calling it our camp-style breakfast and we will have church camp or scout camp style songs and skits and games, eat a hearty breakfast, and then children will be invited to participate in church school activities. Then after that they will go to a worship arts program for free music lessons, art lessons, dance lessons, guitar lessons, choir lessons etc. The Christian education dimension will take place in the corners of our meal hall. We have wonderful teachers, high school age helpers and honorary grandparents. This is all part of our program here to build wrap around supports to homeless families by recruiting and training support families. (We are also starting a program to offer wrap around support over the phone or by texting or email.) The students will be given sheets of scripture verses or other inspiring quotes and they can choose which one they want to memorize for the following week. If they recite by memory a scripture or quote, then they get a prize from the treasure chest. There will be plenty of books in the treasure chest and they also get a prize if they tell one of the teachers about a book they are reading. They also get a prize if the can tell in a story how they acted out one of the scriptures they memorized in their life. So it is my task now to compile Biblical passages, quotes from world religions and from inspiring people. Since this program is for homeless children and their supporters, we want to gather quotes that offer encouragement to these children and youth to survive their ordeal. We want them to have a memorization assignment that helps them to be thinking about something that gives them hope and strength throughout the week. (This is also a way to share resources while helping the children feel as if they have earned the prize, rather than being an object of charity.) Now to my two questions: which scripture and which quotes should be included? Also, what should be in the treasure chest? Any help you might offer in this process would be most appreciated. Also, please include in your prayers an appeal for Gods assistance to us in recruiting support families or honorary grandparents for this program. If you prefer to call my cell is 401-632-8318. P.S. the 8:00 Friendship breakfast is still going strong. Still worshiping with 250-350 each week, and we have been able to network to help people find homes.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 18:04:21 +0000