Vacation Bible School: It’s Out of this World!
A reminder to all of the kids (and those who care about kids) in our community: Galactic Blast Vacation Bible School is happening this coming week, June 7-11 from 9 am to 11:30 am at Seward Memorial United Methodist Church. Trained volunteers from Prescott, Arizona are spending a week in Seward leading the free event with lots of outer space themed approaches to stories from the Bible illustrating God’s love. All children, ages 3 through 6th grade, are welcome to participate. Come for all five days if you can, but if you can only be present for a few days, that’s OK too. Parents are required to sign a permission slip the first day you drop off a child. The church is on Fourth Avenue, between Telalaska and Oriental Garden. For more information, please call 224-7368 or 491-1191.
CROP Walk update
As the proceeds from the recent CROP Walk (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) continue to come is, we want to say a special thank you to the good folks at Wells Fargo Bank, Moriarty Dentistry, and the American Legion, for their wonderful corporate support of the effort. They joined donors from local churches and the wider community to help make this the best walk ever… our total is up to $7789 with more coming in every day! To donate, visit the online donation site.
Rummage Sale … this is the big one, folks!
The annual Rummage Sale at the United Methodist Church is Friday, May 21 and Saturday, May 22. The sale runs from 9 to 5 both days, or until the goods are gone on Saturday. Lots and lots of recycled treasures await! The church is located at 321 Fourth Avenue, between TelAlaska and Oriental Garden Restaurant.
On Saturday at noon, we begin our 50 cent bag sale to help clear the tables… whatever you can stuff in a grocery bag you can have for half a dollar! But come early to get the good stuff! All proceeds benefit the local ministries of the United Methodist Church.
Persons who have rummage to donate my drop it off at the church by calling 224-5624 or 224-5631 to arrange a time, anytime after Sunday, May 9. If you have a large item to donate and need help with pickup, please call one of the above numbers.
CROP Walk 2010 a success!
The sixth annual Seward area CROP Walk (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) successfully raised awareness and resources to fight hunger and poverty in Seward and around the world. Nearly 75 walkers from all over our community raised about $8000 (the total is still being calculated, and persons wishing to contribute may call 224-7368 or log on to http://www.cropwalk.org and search for the Seward Walk). Enjoy some of the photos of the Walk from Sunday afternoon! (Click on a thumbnail to see a larger image.)
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- Dennis Hansen, director of He Will Provide Food Pantry, and Jackie Campbell.
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- Isabel Barnwell and Rachel Tougas get ready to walk!
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- Brett Chase and MacKenzie Boyett before the start of the walk get into the spirit with balloons!
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- Race organizer Karen Chase with Karen Perry and Duane Chase, led by Charmer Chase!
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- Borough Assembly Member Sue McClure walked with her family!
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- Local pastors Ron Nitz, Ed Hardwick, and Peter Perry (Not pictured, Father Bill Hanrahan who also walked!)
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- A great group gathered in front of the SeaLife Center to start the walk.
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- Brooke Scalzo provides some mom power for the walk…
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- Kyle Schneider, Sue McClure, and Sanna LaVan share in the walk experience!
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- Monty and Florita Richardson manned the turn-around stop!
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- Tiffany Blackburn and Stephaine Mullaly setting a steady pace!
2010 CROP Walk will be the biggest yet!
Seward’s annual CROP walk to raise funds to combat poverty locally and around the world is scheduled for Sunday, May 2. As always the walk will begin and end at the Alaska SeaLife Center plaza. An opening ceremony will launch the walk at 2 pm on Sunday, rain or shine!
This year a post walk celebration is planned with music and goodies at the Van Gilder Hotel. Local musician Mark Teckenbrock will be providing the talent. Local businesses and non-profits, as well as school groups, have found exciting ways to participate with contributions, walking teams, and in-kind support, making this year’s event the one with the most community support ever! Thanks to everyone who is participating.
It is not too late to sign up to walk! Call 224-7368 to sign up to walk and get a walker’s packet. Or you may do so online, by visiting www.cropwalk.org, locate the Seward, Alaska walk on the website, and register to walk. Encourage some online friends to sponsor you, or make a gift yourself, and then join the crowd on May 2, with signs and balloons for the short walk along the waterfront and back. Your efforts will provide support to our local food bank, and to hunger and poverty relief programs around the world in the coming year.
Easter Sunrise Thanks!
On behalf of the churches of Seward represented by the Seward Ministerial Alliance, we want to extend a big thank you to Julie and the rest of the crew down at the Alaska SeaLife Center for once again allowing us to worship as a community at sunrise on Easter morning. So many people came together to make it a special hour of worship. Father Michael Curran of Juneau, our guest preacher, was filling the pulpit at Saint Peter’s and brought us a wonderful message about community. The choir, comprised of nearly thirty local singers under the direction of Sue McClure was superb. Thanks to all who practiced so hard! A wonderful solo and a sign language duet also made the morning memorable. The hymns, accompanied by the seabirds, were joyous. But, as always, Woody stole the show by dancing in his tank. Everyone got a good laugh when the song leader announced, “You may be seated,” and Woody, who had been watching the service while perched on his rock haul-out, promptly jumped back int he water! What a glorious Easter. A special thanks to all the folks who got up early, came out to worship, and supported the work of the Seward Ministerial Alliance with their generous offering for helping folks in Seward with rent, utility, and other emergency assistance throughout the year. Happy Easter to one and all.
Calling All Walkers!
We walk because they walk...
You are enthusiastically invited to get behind the effort to help end poverty and hunger in Seward and around the world! The Sixth Annual Seward Community CROP Walk is May 2, 2010 at 2 pm. CROP stands for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty, and the slogan for the event is “We Walk Because They Walk,” a reminder that millions around the world have to walk long distances everyday to find food, water, and the basic necessities of life.
Seward walkers will walk along the waterfront, beginning and ending at the Alaska Sea Life Center. Local churches and community organizations are forming teams and individual walkers are recruiting pledges for the walk. Local businesses are invited to sponsor the walk with a gift as well. Proceeds benefit our local food bank and a variety of world hunger and poverty relief organizations. Last year’s effort raised nearly $6,000, and we expect the 2010 walk to beat that record!
Sponsors may designate their preferred relief agency, or allow Church World Service, the umbrella organizer, to distribute the funds according to the greatest need. In either case, 25% of the funds received come back to Seward’s own food pantry. Do you know that on some weeks, over 100 people make use of the services of our local food pantry?
Walkers may call the number below to register and obtain a sponsor sheet, or go online at www.cropwalk.org and register there. In fact, you may use the site to recruit walkers and pledges via email!
Call 224-7368 for more information.
This Saturday: Pancakes for a Cause!
The United Methodist Church is sponsoring a community-wide pancake breakfast, this Saturday morning, March 6, 8-10:30 am as a benefit for the local Boy Scouts and their planned trip to the National Jamboree. Come on out and support the scouts. The cost of the food has been donated, so every pancake is profit for the scouts! Volunteers are getting ready to feed you well! Suggested donation for breakfast is $5/ person or $20/family!
Ash Wednesday Services planned for Seward
Ash Wednesday, the holy day in the Christian calendar which marks the beginning of the penitential season of Lent falls on February 17 of this year. Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance. The ashes used are gathered after the palm fronds from the previous year’s celebration of Palm Sunday are burned. The ritual of the imposition of the ashes recalls the ancient Near Eastern tradition of covering oneself in ashes as a sign of repentance before God. In both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions, ashes may be received by anyone, in contrast to the sharing of the sacraments.
There will be two services on Ash Wednesday. Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church will share the imposition of ashes and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper at a mass beginning at 7 pm at the church. Just up the street, also at 7 pm, at Resurrection Lutheran Church, a joint service with the Lutheran, Methodist, and Episcopalian congregations will be held, also with imposition of ashes and the sharing of the sacrament. The prayers of the Ash Wednesday liturgies serve as a beginning to the Christian observance of Lent, a forty day period of spiritual preparation through self-reflection and denial for the faithful, leading up to the recounting of the passion of Christ and the observance of Jesus’ death on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter.
Eating Breakfast for a Good Cause… March 6
The United Methodist Church is sponsoring a community-wide pancake breakfast, March 6, 8-10:30 am as a benefit for the local Boy Scouts and their planned trip to the National Jamboree. Come on out and support the scouts. The church is donating the cost of the food. Suggested donation for breakfast is $5/ person or $20/family!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS TODAY!
Seeds of Faith Preschool says “Thanks!”
Each year, the Seeds of Faith Christian Preschool board invites local businesses to help provide a preschool experience to children in our community who otherwise would not be able to afford it. Seeds of Faith, with teachers Miss Anne (Kesling) and Miss Karen (Chase) have been teaching and loving our community children for well over a decade now. Their work must be appreciated because the community certainly comes through with help! What a joyous response we received this year.
To date $5210 has been received, led by a generous gift from the American Legion Post #5. In addition to the American Legion, sponsoring individuals and businesses include Apex Gym, Bay Traders/Fish House, Progressive Chiropractic, Rhonda Hubbard, Wells Fargo, Seward Branch, Anderson Tug and Barge Co., Storm Chasers Marine Services. The Seward United Methodist Church’s Mission Fund also made a generous contribution to the program. Please convey your appreciation to these local businesses and business leaders who choose to so generously give back to their community.
Thank you all from the Seeds of Faith family… our board, our teachers, and our children!
Watch Night “Taizé” style worship on New Year’s Eve
Join with other worshipers at 7 pm on New Year’s Eve at the United Methodist Church and begin your ringing out of the old and ringing in of the new with a time of spiritual reflection and commitment to living the coming year in a closer walk with God. This will be a joyful, but reflective service of prayer, chant, and sacrament (for those who desire it), in the light of candles and to the simple accompaniment of a piano playing the beautiful melodies of the Taizé community. We will also share in the historic Anglican/Wesleyan Covenant Prayer. All from every spiritual tradition are welcome… come and allow God’s spirit to help you welcome 2010. The service will last less than an hour, leaving plenty of time for other community and family traditions!
The United Methodist Church is located at 321 Fourth Avenue. To hear the style of music from the Taizé monastic community, follow this link.
Christmas Carol Sing-a-long for the Seward Community
All are invited this Friday night at 7 pm for a Christmas Sing-a-long of secular and sacred favorites of the season. There will be lyrics for all to share and even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket, you can “make a joyful noise” as we fa la la la la and ho ho ho from the city sidewalks to the little town of Bethlehem, harking and glory-ing and sleighbell ringing all the way. The location is the Seward United Methodist Church, 321 Fourth Avenue (next to Tel-Alaska). The church will be warm and toasty and decorated for the season. Come on out for an hour or so of singing!
Food Bank Receives funds from CROP Walk
Nancy Osborne (left) and Karen Chase hold a check for $1409 from Church World Service for the He Will Provide food bank. The check is the local portion of the funds raised in last may's fifth annual CROP Walk, sponsored by the Seward Ministerial Association.
Seward’s annual CROP Walk takes place in early May most years, but in November we see some of the tangible results of the community walk to fight hunger and poverty when the 25% of the funds collected by walkers comes back to the He Will Provide food bank. CROP stands for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty. A ministry of Church World Service, CROP walks happen all over the country as walkers recruit sponsors to donate for the worthy cause. One quarter of the funds raised always come back to the local community, with the remainder going to fight hunger and poverty world wide through a vast number of existing ministries sponsored by many churches and denominations. Walk coordinators Nancy Osborne and Karen Chase will present the local proceeds of $1409 this week to the folks down at the food bank!
Preschool Needs a Big Box!
Miss Karen and Miss Anne down at the Seeds of Faith Preschool are in need of a large cardboard appliance box for some activities with the children later this month. If you have a box you can give to this worthy cause, please call the Preschool at 224-7368. We can arrange to pick up a box and recycle it after the children have exhausted it’s play value!
edit: THANKS TO THOSE WHO RESPONDED. WE HAVE OUR BOX! SEWARD, YOU ALL ARE GREAT!
Fun with the Face
Has anyone noticed the face in the mountain above Nash Road? Just for fun we are taking a poll to see who you think the face most cloesely resembles. Cast your vote by sharing a comment at the Seward Memorial UMC website: http://www.sewardumc.com/pages/blog/?p=591
The Face in the Mountain... seen from Nash Road, just past the RR tracks!
Hymn Sing, September 2
Join in the fun at the community hymn sing, on Wednesday, September 2, at 7 pm, at the Methodist Church (321 Fourth Ave). All are welcome to come and shout out their favorites for an hour of good old singing!
Hymn Sing Wednesday Evening
The monthly hymn sing at the United Methodist Church is Wednesday night, August 12, at 7 pm. All are invited. If you like to sing, you’ll have fun at this ecumenical gathering of joyful noise! Come as you are and lend your voice to the praises! The church is at 321 Fourth Avenue. Call 224-5624 for more information!
Vacation Bible School next week, August 10-14
The children of the community are invited to participate in a Vacation Bible School experience at the Seward United Methodist Church, this coming week. Camp Edge will be a fun-filled week of learning about God’s love. There is no charge to participate. Children from age 3 to sixth grade are welcome. Please call Pastor Peter at 224-5624 for more information or to pre-register your child. Or simply come a few minutes early on Monday to fill out the necessary paperwork, including emergency contact info. The event will be Monday through Friday from 9 – 11:30. There is also a session in Moose Pass at the Untied Methodist Church, Monday through Friday from 1 – 3:30. (Children are welcome to come even if they cannot be at all five sessions.)
Are there Old Believers or Orthodox practitioners in Seward?
The Campus Christian Fellowship at AVTEC is gearing up for another year of providing ministry and fellowship to the student population that will be arriving soon! One of our goals is to connect students with religious programs and churches in our community. We know that a few of the students coming this year have Orthodox and Old Believer backgrounds. Is there anyone in town who is currently doing home worship from these traditions? We’d like to be able to point these students your way! Please call Pastor Peter Perry at 224-5624 if you have any suggestions.
The Campus Christian Fellowship expects to be meeting with students every Monday evening at 7 pm at the Methodist Church and other sites for pizza, Bible study, fellowship and fun. Pastor Tom from Resurrection Christian and Pastor Peter from Seward Methodist give primary leadership to the programs with a lot of help from others, and support from the Seward Ministerial Association. Financial support has come mainly through grants from various United Methodist agencies, but we are an ecumenical ministry. Please call Peter if you would like to help with the ministry!
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