Making Progress

Our second mass planning meeting went well tonight. Pastor Jeff opened with prayer and we quickly reviewed previous activities and discussed some new ideas.

First, the subcommittees reported on their projects.

• The Publications Committee will be sending out letters to churches in the community asking permission to make presentations about the Embrace AIDS project and give parishioners a chance become more aware of the AIDS crisis and to donate to the cause. In the near future the committee will be planing the multimedia presentations.

• The Sporting Events Committee is going to be meeting in the next week to plan a community sporting event to raise funds for the project.
  

• The Gift Brochure Committee has printed out a number of copies to be available for distribution. These brochures allow people to buy gifts through the CRWRC to be given to AIDS victims and the poor in other countries.

• Second, there was discussion about World AIDS Day on December 1st. There were several volunteers who will be making presentations and distributing donation envelopes.
  
  The presentations will be at First CRC of DeMotte and Bethel CRC.

Second, we discussed several new ideas for the project.

• AIDS Awareness worship services were suggested. There would be one service at First CRC of Demotte and one service at Bethel CRC. The services will most likely take place in late January or early February. There would possibly be an offering at both services.

• Change for AIDS. This project would include placing donation buckets for spare change at Covenant Christian and Kankakee Valley sporting events. There will also be posters and brochures available to explain what the Embrace AIDS project is all about.

• AIDS Benefit Dinner. We have hopes to contact a speaker who is known nationally and would be able to speak on the topic of AIDS and having a Christian perspective on the crisis. The dinner would most likely be at the beginning of May 2009 and those who wish to attend would buy a table with the proceeds going to the Embrace AIDS project. There is a lot to plan and this would probably be our biggest fundraiser.

• Embrace AIDS T-shirts. Several students volunteered to design and order them and we hope to be able to have them available in the next three to five weeks.

Thanks for taking the time to read this! We ask that you would keep this project in your prayers.

In Christ,

First CRC & Bethel YPS