Oklahoma Disaster Relief

You are invited to attend a fundraiser luncheon at Grandin Court Baptist Church, 2660 Brambleton Ave at noon in the Ministry Activities Center. As we continue to remember residents of the Midwest, Virginia Baptist Disaster Relief is monitoring the needs of tornado ravaged Oklahoma. Right now, our units are on standby and awaiting specific requests. The response to the tornados in Oklahoma has been overwhelming from the many nearby state Baptist Conventions, national organizations, as well as unsolicited volunteers. Funds are needed to provide direct aid to those that were under/uninsured or as new needs are identified. Virginia Baptists expect to play a significant role in future rebuilding efforts. Many have asked about how you can respond. On Sunday, June 23, immediately following the 11:00 a.m. worship service, a spaghetti lunch will be held in the Ministry Activities Center. All donations to this event will go directly to the Virginia Baptist Disaster Relief fund. You can learn more about this and other disaster response by visiting the VBDR facebook page.

Church-wide rummage sale

A church wide rummage sale will be held in the Ministry Activities Center of Grandin Court Baptist Church on Saturday, August 3^rd from 8:00am – 4:00pm.  Our church rummage sale is back and has a new date! This unique event allows our church to raise funds to assist those in immediate need right here in our community.  Please plan to attend!

– Submitted by Teresa Richards

Quigg Lawrence shares these photos from the Church of the Holy Spirit Rwanda mission trip.

It was a special day to support Southwest County’s Loren Wright in her fight with cancer.  On Saturday, May 18 in the parking lot of Penn Forest Worship Center, Loren’s friends held a fundraiser to help take some financial pressure off of Loren and her husband.  You can read more about Loren and her fight with cancer here.  “Knowing that people are out there and they care… knowing that you have the community support makes a big difference,” said Loren. The fundraiser organized by Lisa Carleno, Stacey Beard and Kellie Mirasola was a big success and featured a Silent Auction, Zumba class, car wash, various vendors, hair chalking and mini mani’s from the CSHS Cheerleaders, as well as lawn games and face painting.

Loren Wright, along with her husband Craig and son Aidan, sat in a rocking chair outside and enjoyed speaking to everyone who came to support her. She said when she first arrived and everything was being set up, she had tears streaming down her face… “I was very emotional,” she said.  Seeing all the love and support from those around her in the community overwhelmed her.  Loren quickly recovered and in her usual happy manner embraced those who came to see her.  And of course, in true Loren fashion she pulled out her camera and started snapping pictures of the memorable day.  You can see Loren’s beautiful pictures here.

RN Hannah Rafidi, OB/GYN Dr. Kevin Walsh, Nurse Manager Lisa Radford, and Bob Canfield-Knights of Columbus. Photo courtesy of Katie Fagan

The Knights of Columbus from several local Catholic churches purchased an OB ultrasound machine and gifted it to Blue Ridge Women’s Center on Saturday, May 11. Priests Kevin Beaton, Rene Castillo, Monsignor Joe Lehman, and Monsignor Thomas Miller, respectively from St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church, St. Gerard Catholic Church, Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church, and St. Andrew’s Catholic Church graciously opened their doors for various fundraising events. This second machine will allow Registered Nurses to verify pregnancy dating and display the heartbeat at 8 weeks or further for twice as many women. Medical Director and Lewis-Gale Physicians OB/GYN, Dr. Kevin Walsh, oversees the medical services provided.

– Submitted by Katie Fagan

We are excited to announce that we will be launching The Revival Scene Roanoke Community Church as an extended campus of the Lynchburg House of Prayer sometime later this summer! It will be an extension of the LHOP community with the same leadership and vision, just a different campus!

We are looking for a core group of about 30 people to partner with us in serving and launching this new church plant in the Roanoke area. If you have friends who live in the Roanoke area, please pass this on!

There will be an interest meeting on Monday, May 20th, at 7 pm for anyone interested in hearing about our vision. We will be meeting at 3004 Hereford Road in Roanoke. If you are interested in seeing what God has put on our hearts for the city, please come on out!

Check out our brand new facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/TheRevivalSceneRoanokeCommunityChurch

Lynchburg House of Prayer

7701 Timberlake Rd

Lynchburg, VA 24502

Submitted by Charlotte Thornhill 

Fellowship Hall

Address: 2505 Electric Road

Free – Open to the Public – All ages welcome

The Health Fair will feature:

Door Prizes – Car Seat Safety – Back Pack adjustments – Healthy Snacks cooked on site

Vendors:

Carilion Clinic… High Risk Diabetes

LGMC… Weights and BMI

Tuck Chiropractic – Dr. Camidge

Miller Motte Technical College - Chair massages by: Massage therapy students

Cosmotology students:makeup/nails

Jefferson College O.T. Dept

Backpack adjustments

Hand massages

Home Health Equipment

Healthy Eating snacks cooked on site by Dieticians

Jefferson Surgical Clinic - Dr R.L.Keeeley

Carilion Clinic Podiatry – Dr. John Clements

Lions Club- Vision Testing

Health & Fitness: Gold’s Gym

Dr. Steve Harris: Plastic Surgery

Dr. Kara Matala: Osteoporosis

Submitted by Maggie Caldarella

Students, faculty and parents at Faith Christian School gathered together at an assembly on Thursday, May 2 to celebrate Project Faith, their annual service day, which was held on April 26.

Project Faith involved 600 volunteers including students, teachers and parents who offered much-needed volunteer hours to eight different organizations in the Roanoke area. This year’s Project Faith served Acts 2 Ministries, Manna Ministries, Blue Ridge Women’s Center, The Salvation Army Main Building, The Turning Point Battered Women’s Shelter, The Red Shield Lodge Men’s Shelter, The Salvation Army Thrift Store, and Feeding America. Representatives from each organization were present at the assembly and thanked the students for their hard work.

Greg Elliott, the Director of Manna Ministries said, “The help that Faith Christian School brought us was not only powerful but it was part of a much bigger picture… you helped us to serve better.” At Feeding America, 4,600 pounds of food were processed in three hours, which according to Robert Rogers, Director of Volunteer Services for Feeding America, “represents 3,670 meals served.” He went on to say, “it’s hard for me to express in words how much we appreciate what you did… You are creating a legacy of caring.” Katie Fagan, Director of Development from Blue Ridge Women’s Center was impressed with the work ethic of the volunteers who came to work at that location, “we peeked out the window a few times and every time we looked, everyone was always busy… You helped our yard be more beautiful with the plantings and mulching that you did,” she said.  Evelyn Jordan, the Executive Director of The Turning Point Battered Women’s Shelter said, “your work brought smiles to our faces.  You reached out your faith to our families.  Mike Moffitt the Program Director of The Red Shield Lodge said, “The most important thing is that you revealed the love of Christ through your work.”

Project Faith is not only an incredible way for the school to give back to the community; it also serves as a fundraiser for Faith Christian School. Every year, the students send out letters to potential donors prior to Project Faith. This year’s goal was to raise $175,000, but the students, faculty and parents certainly surpassed that goal by reaching a whopping $189,907!

Stacey Lilley, the Project Faith Coordinator said, “I’ve been involved with Project Faith for eight years and Chair for six years. For me, I saw how moving it is the first time I volunteered. Part of our motto is to serve. When we can emulate our motto, I think that’s just wonderful.”

On March 17th, Windsor Hall was filled with busy people of all ages – 46 participants, to be exact, helping with four projects identified by our Mission Committee to assist people in our community and our world.

We began with lunch and fellowship and then got to work! The children and youth, with adult supervision, facilitated a food drive at two local Kroger stores, collecting peanut butter, tuna, and cereal, which was then taken to the Rosalind Hills Baptist and St. Francis House food pantries. We estimate the value of the food to be over $800.

We had a group working on making cards for our prayer ministry team here at Windsor Hills, as well as cards to be sent to veterans in a local assisted living facility. Great job, everyone! We also began preparing school kits for Conference and were able to complete more than a dozen, and with extra supplies and cash donations we will make many more. Thank you for your generosity.

We had a team of 5 go to Christ Episcopal Church to assist Family Promise in preparing the 14 cots for the homeless families who would be sleeping there that night. It involved cleaning and disinfecting, and many hands made light work.

Thank you Windsor Hills UMC! We are answering God’s call to reach out to others in our community and the world.

You can view photos of “Change the World Sunday” in a slideshow above, or in a gallery with captions here.

- Submitted by Kris Stutsman

Picture a Life Without Cancer Benefit for Loren Wright

Saturday, May 18th from 8-2

At the Penn Forest Worship Center across from Cave Spring High School on Chaparral Drive

Organized by Lisa Carleno, Stacey Beard and Kellie Mirasola

Happenings:

-Yard Sale (need donations. contact kellie mirasola at kelliemirasola@aim.com  or Lisa Carleno @ lcarleno@yahoo.com

-Baked Goods Sale (need donations, contact kellie mirasola at kelliemirasola@aim.com  or Lisa Carleno at lcarleno@yahoo.com

-Silent Auction (need donations use contacts above)

-Kids zone with Lawn games, petting zoo, face painting and more

-Zumba class and Jane Seymore from Golds Gym will be doing a Brazilian Butt styled class

-Concessions

-Car Wash

-Vendors-Thirty One, Origami Owl, Tastefully Simple, Scentsy, Paracord bracelets and necklaces by John Breedon, and many many more

-Hair Chalking and mini mani’s from the CSHS Cheerleaders

-Cotton Candy and Lemonade Stand

Submitted by Kellie Mirasola