News and Notes – September 5, 2012
28th Annual Fall Bazaar
It’s almost that time of year again. Join us for the FALL BAZAAR. It is one of the largest events in our church. It is truly like nothing you have seen before. The entire congregation pulls together to put on one of the biggest recycling events in the High Country. Please join us. We will work the entire week, so stop by and see what all the fuss is about.
Fall Studies Will Begin Soon
Small group studies are a great place to make new friends and grow together. These small groups are extremely important at Boone UMC. Our Adult Sunday School classes are open for all age groups, with something for everyone. Classes meet at 9:55 a.m. every Sunday, and guests are always welcome. The classes vary in format and size, so you are sure to find a class that meets your needs.
From Luke Edwards – Moraho Boone UMC!
That’s Kinyarwandan for hello. I returned last night from three weeks of extending our church’s arms to East Africa. It was an incredible experience and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. The first ten days I spent in Addis Ababa, the bustling capital of Ethiopia. I worked alongside three incredible pastors in the Ethiopian Evangelical Church, teaching principles of Christian leadership to Ethiopian young adults, most of whom worked in campus ministries from all across the country, some traveling twelve hours by bus to get there. These young adults are the future leaders of Ethiopia, they are the hope for a peaceful and just Africa. These young people were taught about the importance of intimacy with God, servant leadership, and other vital attributes of a Christian leader. One topic in particular that was very well received was the day spent on vision. The young adults worked on clarifying the vision that God had placed on their lives. Everyone was grateful to Boone UMC for hosting this conference and sending me to be with them. It was a beautiful picture of our faith, an American young adult swapping stories of ministry and life with Ethiopian young adults, all to the glory of God.
The next week Andy Ellis and Carolyn Thompson joined me in Rwanda, where we spent the week seeing the ZOE Ministry in action. The ZOE Ministry empowers aids orphans of Africa to follow Christ and care for themselves independent of outside aid. We were awestruck by the stories of Christ radically redeeming these children. We heard from countless orphans who had depended on begging, stealing, or indentured servitude to survive, who now provide for themselves and even help others. ZOE works with the local government in Rwanda to identify orphans in rural regions and forms authentic community among them, while training and empowering them to live healthy, productive, Christian lives. The faith, maturity, and radical generosity of these children was unbelievable. I can’t wait to tell you more about this trip in the coming weeks, but until then know that because of your sup port and prayers The Holy Spirit was moving powerfully in the lives of young Ethiopians and Rwandans.
For more information visit iliteam.org or zoeministry.org.