March 2010
Lenten Mission Challenge
Make a Mission Commitment During Lent The Mission Committee of Ft. King would like to challenge each of you to set aside just a little time for others during the 40 days of Lent. Traditionally this is a time for reflection and prayer. That is certainly important. But it is equally valuable and meaningful to move from reflection to action, from the quiet place of prayer to the outward demonstration of God’s love in the world. There are a number of small mission opportunities listed below. Some, for one or two people; others, for larger groups and / or families. Take your pick and be sure to sign up after Church on one of the Sundays in early Lent, or speak with Mary Beth Neely or one of the other members of the Mission Committee. Mission commitment choices for Lent _ Prepare a Wednesday dinner for congregation family (Up to five people or 5 pairs) _ Do yard work and fix up work for member of the congregation (2-5 people) _ Clean windows of the Church (2-3 people) _ Do small Church painting projects (2- 3 people) _ Oil the Church pews (2-3 people) _ Help repair 10 miles of the Greenway on Sunday, March 7th -- afternoon (5 – 15 people) _ Work in Salvation Army Soup kitchen 2-4 people each of three times: March 8th, 15th, 22nd -- evenings _ Feed the Need Church garden – get it started on Sunday afternoon March 14th(5 – 15 people ) _ Distribute Access to Health Care Information on Thursday, March 4th -- morning (10-12 people) _ Work in Interfaith food pantry/ warehouse on Friday, March 12th-- 1-4 PM (3 – 4 people) _ Prepare a Wednesday night dinner on March 24 for Interfaith Emergency Services (2-4 people) _ Work on putting together hygiene kits for Haiti – Church World Service (10-12 people)
The Mission Committee will be auctioning off “services” donated by talented members of our congregation to help raise money to defray the cost of the Appalachia Mission Trip. For example, we have already received “donations” such as preparing a simple tax form, giving a Tai Chi experience, leading a hike and taking a family photograph. It will be a great way to showcase your talents, get to know members of the congregation, and help us raise money for our mission trip. The silent auction will be held for these services during the Lenten Wednesday evening study and supper gatherings. So, if you are willing to make a service donation, please contact Mary Beth Neely, or a member of the Mission Committee. Thanks!
Jamaica Medical Mission
The Medical team went on mission to Jamaica June 14-21, 2009. Our own Dr. Pam Lewin joined this team of doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, optometrists and opticians. Over 900 patients received care from a team of 22 that went in 2008.
Back Pack Program
Oh, No!! It’s Friday!! How can we think bad things about Friday? What happened to TGIF? Many children in Marion County actually dread the weekend! These children get two substantial meals at school during the week, but may go hungry during the weekend where there is a lack of food in their household. We praise God our schools have a Food4Kids backpack program to alleviate this problem. This Interfaith organization provides food for many of our needy children by sending a backpack filled with food home with a child on Fridays. It is pleasing to note many of our Ft. King members are helping our school children with this important need and many other needs. Our Sunday School mission project collects food items for the Food4Kids backpack program. The Sunday School children and adults have collected more than 300 pounds of food so far this school year. It is also wonderful that two of our church members, Rhea and Keay Forman are filling 19 backpacks with donated food at the Interfaith Center and then taking them to our adopted school, Ward Highlands. Harvey and Kathy Bohner, Steve Mitchell, and Lucille Rowoldt are assisting teachers and students with their needs at Ward Highlands. Mary Beth Neely and Harvey are also helping at Wyomina Park Elementary. Emerald Shores and Dr. N. H. Jones Elementary Schools are fortunate to have Bernice Henry helping those students. These schools are very appreciative of the help that our Ft. King members are giving to their schools and have reported that we are definitely making a difference in the lives of their children. Please contact Harvey Bohner if you are interested in helping at Ward Highlands or one of the other schools. Above all, please pray for all of our children that they will have all that is necessary to do their best in school.
Congregational Mission trip to West Virginia June 19 thru June 27, 2010
Trip in 2009.
Mission Resolution
The new year is here and it is time to make some New Year’s Resolutions. How about resolving to be a part of the
Appalachia Service Project (ASP) mission team. Join fellow Fort King family members as they go and serve the desperately
poor of Appalachia. The group will rebuild, fix-up, create, and build those things necessary for folks to live in a safe, dry, and comfortable place. Most importantly the group will build relationships with each other, the people they serve, and God. Last year’s group had a great time and many are going back this year, so why don’t you throw your name into the hat and become part of the team. The trip will be from June 19 through June 27, the total cost will be approximately $340. A $65 deposit will be due by January 17
th, 2010. This will be a great way to start the year off on the right path to creating a better Kingdom. Take a chance on the opportunity to not only transform your life, but the life of someone else. If you have any questions ask Sally Layendecker or Andy Gans. 
Pictures from 2009 Mission trip to West Virginia!
Memorial Receptions
Volunteers needed to provide sandwiches and cookies for memorial service receptions.
Please contact Barbara Welling at 680-9003.
Help Needed!
Last year, Ft. King selected Ward- Highlands Elementary as our adopted school. Several members of our congregation volunteered their time to assist teachers or help in the library or some other area of the school. The staff at Ward-Highlands was so appreciative of their help . The need is even greater this year with the increase of students and responsibilities the teacher has in the Marion County schools. Please consider volunteering at Ward-Highlands. Any amount of time or days of the week would be very appreciated. We hope to begin our volunteer work in late September or early October once the necessary forms are completed. What a great opportunity to serve God by assisting those who have the great responsibility of educating God’s most precious gift to us…our children. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the form below and return it to the church office. Please contact Harvey Bohner (622-1333) if you have any questions or concerns about this project. Ward-Highlands Volunteer NAME____________________________ PHONE NUMBER___________________ EMAIL ADDRESS (optional)
Cakes for Detention Center
The good folks at Ft. King have, for years, provided a small sheet cake for the Detention Center once a month to celebrate the birthday of everyone housed in the Detention Center who has a birthday that month. Often, it is the only celebration that they get. We are in need of volunteers to bake cakes and, if possible, deliver them to the Detention Center. Please contact either Onalee Mease at 687-3160 or Jean Winkler at 625-1667 if you are willing to perform this worthwhile mission once or more times a year.
Congregational Care Meeting
“Cooking with Friends" The Congregational Care Committee, is organizing a cooking day to prepare soups and stews. These heartwarming meals will be given to those members of our congregation needing assistance after an illness/hospitalization, birth of a baby or death in the family. The committee is looking for any volunteers, male or female, to get together for a few hours in the church kitchen. All the ingredients will be provided ahead of time. We just need your ideas, culinary skills, and fellowship! Please consider helping to make this a success. When two or three are gathered together in Christ's name, there He will be also. To volunteer call Jane Norling at 208-5590 or Chris at the church office. Time and date to be determined by volunteers.
We extend our Christian faith and assistance to others in need in our community and the world by supporting these programs:
Greetings from Church Without Walls.
Church Without Walls is privileged to have some truly dedicated, I mean day-in and day-out, volunteers. I was honored to meet with one such person. Pastor Don Stanton retired to Florida in 1995 thinking he had it nice (he was not an ordained minister yet). In 1999 he went with Bob Johnson to a Level Six Juvenile Justice Facility and discovered a need to go back to work. After 30 years out of school Don earned degrees in Psychology and Ministry. All because of meeting a bunch of kids he describes as “throw away kids.” he states, “Our prison system is flooded with kids from 14–18 years of age who do not understand the first thing about common sense. Too many of them have parents more focused on their own pleasure than on raising up the children to whom they gave birth”. Don now spends his nights working in a Women’s Facility and his days volunteering as a Life Coach in the Lowell Men’s Facility as well as helping Pastor Jim with bible study and one-on-one counseling at the Juvenile Detention Center in Ocala. During the 2004 hurricanes he assisted with the care of detainees housed in temporary facilities and re-met at least thirty men he first met in his early years teaching Bible study with Bob. But those are not the ones he focuses on because the four young adults he corresponds with on a regular basis are his heroes. The process of helping a young person in prison begins with one-on-one care. Caring enough to get to know the person and starting a relationship that will last the rest of your life. Step two is writing to your young person on a regular basis, giving him/her a reason to excel away from everything familiar. Breaking a bad habit is easy when away from the bad influences which started the behavior that landed the kids in prison. It’s helping the kids continue to believe there is a better life after they return to their parent’s home, when most of these kids have nowhere else to go after being released, which is the really tricky part of helping these kids. The first year is the most important. While incarcerated most people have no problem believing in a higher power because they have nothing else to believe in. After being released it is very important that these kids find a home church to help remind them of the Jesus they learned about in prison. Pastor Don’s greatest wish is for Christians to open up their hearts and allow these young people into their church home and treat them as family. Will you open up your heart? In Christ’s Love, Joyce-Ellen
Youth Reach
Youth Reach restarts SAFE Program This year Youth Reach was a victim of the economic downturn affecting so many families in our neighborhood and was unable to fund SAFE or PACT through our traditional grant funding sources. Through volunteer efforts Youth Reach was able to offer the SAFE program this spring. Our first all volunteer-instructor class culminated in May. It was a great success; within two sessions one parent received a note from the teacher who had been writing refer- MISSION rals almost daily, revealing a surprising positive turn in her child’s behavior. Mom had never had a “good news” note sent home before. She was thrilled, the teacher was happy, and the child was proud of himself. Over the weeks, referrals decreased dramatically for all participants; children experienced a more successful school day and parent frustrations diminished allowing for a more positive family environment. At the end of the eight week series, parents asked us to continue meeting informally, as it was a great source of support. Youth Reach is very grateful to our volunteers: Dee Westfall, the Dean of Students at Eighth Street Elementary, Amy Mannik, Marion County School Psychologist, and Alison Collier, of Brave Hearts Counseling, who gave one night a week for eight weeks to help the youth in our community, and we appreciate First Presbyterian who donated the rooms. Youth Reach hopes to duplicate our all volunteer SAFE class again this fall when school resumes. If you are interested in volunteering as a facilitator and have a background in working with youth or counseling, please call the Youth Reach office (624-2001). Our board president, Rev. Jim Bullock, initiated a Mentoring Coalition in conjunction with the Marion County Children’s Alliance. Rev. Bullock has been on a mission, attending many different churches bringing a message of awareness and the need for mentoring to all corners of Marion County. If you are interested in mentoring youth, or maybe a teen mother, or a grandmother coping to raise grandchildren by herself, please call the Children’s Alliance. Mentoring is a great way to model a better path in life, and is very rewarding to the mentor. Through Rev. Bullock’s dedication to the issue, flyers in Spanish and English are circulating, and a billboard advertisement for mentoring is seen by hundreds of motorists every day. Thanks to all of you Youth Reach has been able to make a difference in families in our community; we truly appreciate your support and interest in our programs and endeavors. Please keep us in your prayers that our programs are funded this year.
G
enesis House
Genesis House contact for interest and more information Jazmine Achumba at 629-0055 ext. 308.
Habitat for Humanity
Contact Susan Hicks at 361-6153 to volunteer Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday 8-2 (or any part there of) We really need help to complete this home
Parent Advisory Council of Marion County
The Parent Advisory Council, in partnership with the Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) to inform parents and community representatives of relevant guidelines and/or changes to the School Board’s policies and rules. For further information, please call Yvette Mitchell, Representative,
Parent Advisory Council at352-351-4075. 13 N.E. 36th Avenue Ocala, Fl. 32170 624-2001
Interfaith Emergency Service Interfaith Hospitality Network
Interfaith Emergency Services, Inc.'s Food Bank is experiencing low volumes in the warehouse. Please make it a habit to buy one non-perishable food item each time you go food shopping. Start your "Grocery List" with a line reading "1 non-perishable food item", then put this item in the car or your purse and drop it off in the box provided for this mission in the Narthex on your way into church. If each member of our church can do this, the box will be overflowing every week. Each month our church is responsible for feeding the residents at Interfaith Emergency Services, Inc. Thank You in advance for all your mission work. If you would like any further information, please contact Interfaith at 629-8868.
MARION COUNTY CHILDREN’S ALLIANCE
CHILDREN’S ALLIANCE BEGINS WORK ON FAMILY VIOLENCE On the second Tuesday each month, we are meeting at the Ocala Police Department on Pine at noon for a “Bag the Violence” lunch. It is a time for parents and others who work with children and youth to meet the school and community officials and to discuss ways we can overcome bullying and violence. Bring your lunch! A drink and dessert will be provided.
CHILDREN’S ALLIANCE BOARD MEETING Marion County Children’s Alliance This emerging group is led by a Board of Directors including the Directors of DCFS, the Regional Manager of Juvenile Justice, the State Attorney, the Legislator from our District, The Director of United Way, the Superintendent of the Public Schools, the Representative of the Faith Community, the head of the Judges in the county. The vision of the Alliance is to create a community that values all children and families, accomplished by nurturing the family environment while providing, effective services of the highest quality. It has a coordinator, Dr. Mike Jordan. The head of the board is Sheriff Ed Dean, and it has quickly moved to find grant money for a Director. It now has 34 agencies as a part of its Steering Committee. This group is quickly at work in building better Communication, Coordination , and Collaboration in helping children and youth at risk and their families in this county. It is something we have long needed in Marion County. Many are very excited that we have this group underway. Alliances are forming across the State of Florida in every county, but in Marion County we are ahead o of most all the other counties, because we saw the need before Tallahassee began to ask counties to form Alliances. It is going to take the whole community working together to really deal with the problems of children and youth at risk in our county. We need to not only agencies, but also Faith Communities and business to join forces. This group has the mission to make this possible. You can come to their meetings at the Sheriff’s office. We also introduced people to the One Church (or Faith Community) One Child program. We are looking for 12 Faith Communities to take on one youth & family who are just starting to get into trouble. The idea is for Faith Communities to turn around these folks before they get into deeper trouble. We already have six faith communities on board with this program. The Faith Community Network is looking for five new after school care programs to be started this year. If you know of any group interested, let us know. The Alliance has started a group called the Violence Forum that is seeking to overcome violence in Marion County. We are encouraging the city to get behind its curfew laws for people under the age of 16. We are also starting new programs in the evening where youth can congregate with supervision. The Faith Community Network is also asking Faith Communities to take on one youth who is 11-14 years old and coming before the judge for the first time. The Faith Community would reach out to this youth through it’s youth program and provide mentoring and tutoring. They would work with the youth’s case worker from Juvenile Justice to help turn the youth around. If you have interest or know of others who might be interested, contact Jim Bullock at 694-4121. The Children’s Alliance meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Sheriff’s auditorium.
D
omestic Violence CENTER Needs donations of sheets, bleach, trash bags and paper products. Please leave your items in the basket in the narthex.
Children’s Advocacy Center Kimberly Cottage
The Children’s Advocacy Center is a non-profit organization which provides support for abused and/or neglected children. It was organized one year ago and has chosen not to seek government funding, rather to seek community support. The agency is asking churches and their members throughout the community to participate in a faith initiative project. Various ways of assisting, as well as, donating funds, could be; become a mentor at the Center, volunteer at the Center, provide refreshments for the children, add the children and the staff to your prayer list. If you are interested in helping make a difference in a child’s life, call Debra Gelinas, Executive Director, at 369-2341.
