Pastor Corner – October 2014

From your pastor…

“All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
Acts 2: 44-45

This Scripture describes the church in its infancy, when it was only a few weeks old. Peter and the other disciples were in Jerusalem, and they were worshiping God together, preaching the Gospel message of Jesus, and caring and loving and supporting each other. They shared what they had as a group to help those in need. This is how the church of Jesus Christ is meant to be: Sharing, Caring, Loving, and Giving together.

In October, the Skeeter Run is an excellent opportunity for us to come together and to help others in need. We are raising funds to fight a preventable disease, Malaria. In 2010, it is estimated that around the world, 655,000 people died from malaria. In that number, 86% of them were children under the age of five. It is a painful disease, and one way it is contracted is from mosquito bites. In 2014, Louisiana Methodists came together and raised $78,000. With 2500 people participating in our Skeeter Runs across the state. We are hoping to pass that goal this year. Nets that are treated to kill mosquitoes only cost about $10 each. We can help a lot of people to sleep safely at night without the worry of getting sick. We are going to walk a mile at City Park. If you cannot walk, but want to come, join us. Hopefully, we can each register and donate $20 per person for the cause. We will also enjoy each other’s company greatly! Belle Chasse UMC’s Swat Team will be joining us, too. The more, the merrier!

On November 8, we will have our annual GIVE-AWAY and Common Ground Health Fair. Four or five families in our congregation have moved houses this year, and many have donated items for our GIVE-AWAY. We have a LOT to share. Also, our church council is planning to cook hamburgers and offer them for free again to our neighborhood. We will have cooking demonstrations by Common Ground, blood sugar and pressure screenings, and safe and confidential HIV testing. It is a wonderful way to serve our community together. Please invite neighbors and friends to come. We will make new friends and offer out of our abundance useful things that others may enjoy.

God has blessed us abundantly. We want to be a church that represents Jesus to the Algiers people.