Many of you have asked how you can directly impact our community.  Here’s your chance!  The church has two families from William Lynch School who need our help this coming year.

We want to give the families a food basket and the children gifts at Christmas and on birthdays.  You can help make it happen!

Family #1

• Girl 6 years old in kindergarten birthday l0-1-04,
  shirt size 6T,Pant size 5-6T Shoe size: 1 above toddler age
  She would like for Christmas “Tinkerbell” hat and gloves – actually, anything Tinkerbell
• Girl 3 years old birthday 2-1-07,
  Shirt size 3T-4T, Pant size 4T,shoe size 7.
  She would like “Princess” hat & gloves, anything of Princess and the Frog
• Boy 1 year old Birthday 4-26-09,
  shirt size 2T, Pant size 18 mo- 2T, shoe size 5 infant.
• Girl 18 years old, date of birth 10-11-92
  shirt size medium, pant size 3 junior, shoe size 7

Family #2

• Boy 13 years old in the 7th grade, birthday 9-11-97,
  Shirt size 12, pant size 14, shoe size 5-1/2
  Special clothing request is for jeans, Toy request, legos or game boy advance game
• Boy 10 years old Grade 4, birthday 6-20-00,
  Shirt size 8, pant size 9 slim, shoe size 2,
  Special clothing request: jeans, wants a bike
• Boy 6 years old, in Kindergarden, birthday 10-22-04, shirt size 6, pant size 7 slim, shoe size 13,
  clothing request: jeans with hook & eye type closure,
  Toy request: Dart guns, Nerf type
• Girl 3 years old , birthday 1-4-07,
  Shirt size 4, pant size 5,shoe size 11. Clothing request: jeans l, long sleeve shirts
  Toy request: anything Dora

Please prayerfully consider helping these folks out. Donations may be dropped off at the church office.  If you would rather just give money, Bonnie Graves and Virginia West will act as your elves.  Thanks!

After much work and anticipation, your photos from the amazing Trunk-R-Treat event last Saturday are available for FREE download.  We’re still working on some of them (technical difficulties, ya know), so please bear with us.

Two ways to get them:

1. Visit our search page (CLICK HERE), enter your ID number that you got at the event, and download your photo(s).  If you don’t find them, try just browsing around the photo gallery.
2. Come into the church office (during normal business hours) and we’ll print them for you (yes, FREE)

Thanks again to all who participated in and volunteered for this wonderful community event!  See you next year!

Thanksgiving is coming fast!  You can start your giving of thanks by joining with our own UMW in supporting this year’s World Thank Offering.  The event is called, “Break the Bank.”   Salem has had the largest offering for the last few years – lets keep up the good work!

The World Thank Banks need to be turned into the office or brought to the meeting. The meeting is November 11 at 10:00 at the church. It’s a fun meeting because we get to separate all that money.  Please come join us!!!

Taking care of folks in an emergency is a powerful way to show Christ’s love.  If you missed the Red Cross Shelter Operations training in June, or would like a refresher, Oak Grove Baptist Church will be hosting a training on Saturday, November 13th from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. There is no charge for this training and lunch will be provided.

In case of an emergency, both Salem UMC and Oak Grove Baptist would likely be called upon to be shelters, so it makes sense to work together and get acquainted beforehand.

Since a meal will be provided, Oak Grove has asked that we let them know how many from Salem UMC will be attending.  Please contact Dixie Norfleet at 729-4551 by November 5th (or earlier!).

The gathering for Festival of Sharing is Oct. 10. All kits & monies should be at church by noon on Oct 8th.

We are still collecting Best Choice/Always Save UPC’s, eye glasses, cell phones, used ink cartridges, Campbell labels. Please leave these in baskets at the display in the South (Main) Entrance.

A while back, we were asked to help out with the Fall Book Fair at the Upper Elementary School.  Well, folks, you pulled together and God has blessed your efforts!  Mrs. Ball at the Library there called to let us know that our church was so generous last fall that they don’t need money for the Fall Book Fair!   How awesome is that?!

Don’t get too comfortable – there’s still a great need in our community.  The Spring Book Fair and January school supply drive is coming fast and your support will be needed.   Thanks again to all who contributed to this outreach.   God is GREAT!

One of the outreach and support ministries that Salem UMC participates in is the Festival of Sharing. It’s a powerful way that you can impact the lives of people through the region.

Festival of Sharing workers

Thank you to so much to the person/persons who left the baby items at the South Entrance displays, they will be put to good use.   Both Displays have some kits that have been started and only need couple items to finish. More than one person can fill a kit.  You can also get a list of kit contents at www.umocm.com/festival.htm.

Everything is greatly appreciated.  Thanks a million, Bonnie Graves

The famous Salem UMC Trunk-R-Treat 2010 event  is coming fast!  This event is an amazing outreach and service to the Salem community.  It brings THOUSANDS of folks to our doorstep (seriously!).  If you would like to participate or find out about this far-reaching community ministry, there will be a Trunk or Treat meeting Wednesday August 25th at 6:30pm in the church library.

Lots of folks are needed to pull off an event of this scale.  There are many different ways to help:

• Candy & donation helpers (in-costume, probably at WalMart)
• Hospitality (help folks get signed-in and pointed in the right direction)
• Parking and traffic flow hosts (keeping things flowing and safe)
• Behind-the-scenes help
• Car hosts (decorate your car and hand out treats!!!)

We’ll see you there!

Both services were blessed last Sunday (the 8th) by Dr. Bertz from Gideons International.  Did you know that Gideons International is an interdenominational association of Christian businessmen and professional men who are members of Protestant/evangelical churches? Their members are dedicated to saving the lost through personal witnessing and the distribution of God’s Word in more than 190 countries around the world. (text from their website)

The majority of Gideons live and serve in their local communities, making this ministry very effective and efficient because . . .

• They know the local language and customs.
• They know where the hotels, schools, prisons, hospitals and other places where God’s Word needs to be distributed are located.
• Sometimes, The Gideons International is able to establish local groups of Gideons in countries where traditional missionaries aren’t allowed to go.

If you would like to support their ministry, please click here to donate.

Thursday, August 12th, the Salem UMC,  in affiliation with the Southwest Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association will host a support group meeting at the church beginning at 2:00 p.m.

Anyone who is a family member, friend, or caregiver to someone suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease is welcome to come and learn more about the disease, care options, and experience mutual support from others dealing with the devastating disease. Each meeting is free and open to the public. For more information contact Rose Kinerk at 573-729-6818.