Bulletin

This coming Saturday, April 1 (no joke!) we will begin at 9:00 a.m. and work both inside and outside to spruce up our building and grounds. You may choose to work outside on landscaping, window washing, etc., or any of the various indoor jobs if you prefer. Cleaning products and other supplies will be provided but please feel free to also bring your own rakes, shovels, gardening tools, masks, gloves, goggles, knee pads, boots, rags, tarps, etc. Lunch will also be provided. Thank you so much for your service, and get ready to enjoy the opportunity to get to know others as you work together, gain a great sense of accomplishment, and have the privilege of seeing our building & property sparkle! We look forward to seeing everyone there!

We will gather at Camp Wabanna in Edgewater, MD along the Chesapeake Bay on April 28-29 for our women’s retreat. Ellen Zell will be speaking and there will be a variety of activities and fellowship opportunities.

Sign-up deadline is March 31. Limited Space Available!

The Diaconate is dedicating the Deacons’ Fund offering during the entire month of March to Mission to the World’s (MTW) Compassion Offering, a fund that allows MTW to respond quickly to urgent needs around the world. The Compassion Offering is currently being directed to assist those affected in Turkey and Syria by the earthquake that struck the region on February 6, which was the strongest earthquake to hit those countries in a century, and leaves tens of thousands dead and many more injured. The 7.8-magnitude quake in Turkey’s Gaziantep province was followed by aftershocks as strong as 7.5 and 5.6 in magnitude, causing buildings to collapse and debris to be scattered across the region. Thankfully, MTW contacts are safe, but Christian friends are suffering devastating loss, and one family has lost their home and a child. A winter storm in the region is making the disaster more difficult to deal with and hundreds of thousands of people are impacted. MTW’s Compassion fund will help show God’s love in tangible ways to those affected by the devastating earthquake. The donations will go towards providing food and water to those in need and support rebuilding efforts. Funds will also be used to send believers from surrounding cities to care for people’s spiritual and emotional needs after this tragedy. Our generous contributions will help ensure that those affected are able to recover and rebuild their lives.

For more information, please see https://www.mtw.org/stories/details/trauma-upon-trauma-mtw-poised-to-help-earthquake-victims-in-turkey-and-syria. Thank you!

The Afghan family we have been part of helping is in need of home furnishings. All basic donated furniture items are needed such as beds, dressers, coffee tables, couches, accent chairs, kitchen tables and chairs, etc. If you are interested in helping the family in different ways, please also respond. We would like to be a blessing to these families in as many ways as possible, showing them the love of Christ.

Gaithersburg HELP needs Spanish speaking volunteers for a special, short-term project.  Each year, we conduct an annual survey.  Data on client satisfaction is required by many of the organizations that provide grant funding to us.  The ongoing high demand for food and other services has placed a significant burden on our current volunteers. During May, we’ll be calling all clients served in April.  Calling is done from home, whenever you’re free. Written instructions for survey interviewers will be emailed in mid-April.  The survey is only seven questions.  Interviewers fill out a simple online form for each client response.  Support will always be available.