Greetings, Bay Shore!
It has been a very busy week, it’s like a hive with many bees/emails/phone calls/mail coming in and out. With my absence most of last week, I am frankly a week behind and hopefully will catch up.
I have two very important things to share with you today.
First, this Sunday we will be livestreaming our service at 10 a.m. Please join us online at 10 am, or later in the day as your schedule allows. Even though we are not worshipping in person right now, please remember to continue your offerings as you normally would.
Secondly, I would like to share more details about Monday’s MLK Day of Service.
Part of the hive activity this week has been our preparation for this event. We have shared our event now with the Synod, through the local group—Bay Bridge, and now through the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel! We are excited how this event has really made our church on Hampton more visible.
But, we are hearing from many that they still aren’t sure what is happening! And that’s understandable, since this has never happened before at Bay Shore.
This Monday, from 10:30-1:00, we will open our doors for those fully vaccinated volunteers who have signed up to be onsite to work on several projects that we will complete by 1:00 p.m. We also will have a pick up system in place for those who have volunteered, but prefer to do the projects at home (we are calling this “remote” on the signups).
What are the projects? We are assembling a couple different kinds of “kits,” and we are making sandwiches for “Just One More” Ministry—which supports and feeds our Hephatha neighbors as well as others.
Both volunteer groups, in person and remote options, will be completing kits and making sandwiches for local charities in our area. In appreciation, and through grants from Thrivent, we are able to provide boxed lunches for our volunteers.
FYI: We have fulfilled our supply list for the number of kits and sandwiches that we have promised to deliver. We hope that next year, with more early volunteer sign ups and gifts, we can plan more. For now, we are grateful for what we will be able to do. Much of this first event is being funded by a generous grant from the Bay Shore Lutheran Church Foundation as a kick start to this new program.
How to volunteer? Please pre-register and sign up by clicking here. Once you volunteer, you will receive more detailed information. Please pre-register, and let us know your preference in volunteering. Julie Murphy, our Chair, will be in touch to help you prepare for the event.
I am grateful for Julie Murphy’s leadership with this idea that I shared with her almost two years ago. Julie, with the full support of the Social Ministry Committee, has handled the responsibility of this new program at Bay Shore. Thank you, Julie!
I participated in MLK Day of Service events in Pennsylvania—and I missed it after moving here. My first experience was at a local church, not my own, that had been doing it for 10 years. They had hundreds of volunteers, and a year long task force that handled the preparations each year. My second and third experiences were at my own church—which we started in faith after attending the other church’s event. Our first year, it was small but well received. Our second year? We doubled in size and really expanded our projects and more. I am prayerful that we too will be impactful this first year and expand each year after. Join me, as you are able, on Monday as we serve others in our community. Let’s make a difference, and also share the good community that we have here at Bay Shore!
Blessings and peace,
Pastor Sarah