“Big Day of Serving” Events in October

In an effort to serve those recovering from the recent flood in the Bloomsburg area, the Upper Susquehanna Synod is co-sponsoring “The Big Day of Serving” with Group Mission Trips.

The Big Day of Serving brings together church groups to the Bloomsburg area for ONE DAY of service that will begin the recovery of an entire neighborhood!

Four separate ONE DAY events are planned for October 8, October 15, October 22, October 29.

When you think about The Big Day of Serving, picture this: hundreds of teenagers and adults from youth and adult groups in our Synod area and surrounding states uniting to serve a neighborhood in need. They’ll tackle an area the size of several town blocks and bring help and hope to people by working on projects like cleaning homes, cleaning basements, tearing out drywall, cleaning and beautifying city parks, and cleaning schools and nursing homes.

They’ll be part of a new movement of Christian teens across the country who are uniting to show what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

How do you get involved?  http://www.thebigdayofserving.com/locations/fall-2011/bloomsburg,-pa

  • Register your youth group (grades 6-12) and/or adults for the event in the Bloomsburg area. Registration is $29 per participant. Your registration fee includes pre-event project selection and coordination, a kickoff rally on the morning of the event, supplies and project materials, lunch, devotional materials for mid-day break, insurance coverage, and dinner to finish the day!
  • At least one adult is required for every five youth participants. But you can bring as many adults as you want! Also feel free to bring friends or family members; just sign them up with your group. And spread the word and website with EVERYONE–other churches, scout groups, team coaches, and organizations. Just remember: at least 6th grade.
  • All volunteers should have a recent tetanus shot (within the past five years).
  • Provide materials and supplies to help with the cleanup. We need people to lend the following equipment. We will need at least 12 of each item, to be shared among the work crews:

 Gas or electric power washers

Flat, square “D” handle shovels

Electric cords

Wheel barrows

Gas cans

Push brooms

Garden hose

Squeegees

300-500 watt spot lights

Other materials will be brought by each participating group, or provided by the organizers

  •  St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Bloomsburg is coordinating the collection of equipment. Call the church office at (570) 784-5035. Drop-off your equipment at St. Luke’s from noon – 9pm on Friday, October 7th. It will be labeled and inventoried. Pick up your equipment at St. Luke’s on Sunday, or leave it for the remaining “Big Day of Serving” events, and pick up on Sunday, October 30.

Other Information:

  •  The Bloomsburg area will be divided into four “neighborhoods” and each Saturday our efforts will be focused on one of these “neighborhoods”. This provides the advantages of sharing tools and resources, medical emergency response, positive energy of service, and fellowship.
  • St. Luke’s will be the “hub” for registration, opening worship, and equipment storage. Their address is 1123 Lightstreet Road (Route 487, about ½ mile from I-80), Bloomsburg PA 17815.
  • Agape Ministry will provide box lunches.
  • Salvation Army canteen truck will provide water.
  • St. Luke will provide dinner at 5 pm

Need more information?

  •  Check the website http://www.thebigdayofserving.com. Look under the “Locations” tab for moreabout the Bloomsburg event. Also look up FAQs.
  • Contact Kim Sawyer, Volunteer Coordinator for “The Big Day of Serving” at kksawyer@dejazzd.com
  • Contact St. Luke’s Lutheran Church Office at (570) 784-5035
  • Contact Pastor Karl-John Stone, Assistant to the Bishop, at karljohn@uss-elca.org or (570) 524-9778
  • Contact Gary Hutchinson, Diakon’s Disaster Response Coordinator at billtownfun68@hotmail.com
  • Check out the Upper Susquehanna Synod website for periodic updates on flood relief efforts www.uss-elca.org

Not able to volunteer for one of the “Big Day of Serving” events?

  • The flood relief effort is such a massive undertaking that it needs to be tackled from many different angles. The “Big Days” are one piece of the puzzle, as they mobilize a lot of people to make a big difference. If you are unable to help one of these Saturdays, we encourage you to plug in wherever and however you can serve.
  • To find out more about volunteering on different days in the Bloomsburg area (Columbia County), call the St. Luke’s church office (570) 784-5035 or Agape Ministry (www.agapelovefromabove.org) at (570) 317-2210
  • To find out about volunteering for flood relief efforts in Lycoming County, contact Pastor Gunther Bernhardt at prbernhardt@gmail.com
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