Spring is upon us or so we think and feel. We continue the Lenten journey but with an eye towards a great celebration. Easter Sunday, the culmination of our journey.

What does April have in store for our Sunday fellowship and Forum? The month will focus on the gathering of members as we celebrate Easter and each other.

4/7: Fellowship and sharing. Nothing currently planned.
4/14: Tentative plan to put together some small Easter baskets for our shut-ins. Much like we have done at Christmas time.
4/21: Easter Breakfast
4/28: Sundae Sunday – A time to enjoy lots of fun “food”. Ice cream, toppings, and other goodies. A mixing of the generations. Sunday school and coffee drinkers!

As always, coffee and cookies depend on volunteers for making and serving on Sundays. A calendar is passed around for sign-up. Please think about it when it comes your way.

To nourish a mind, we must first nourish the body.

40% of Elementary children in Red Wing qualify for Free & Reduced meals. Sometimes school meals are the only meals they can rely on.

According to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), schools in the United States with a subsidized meal rate of 10% or less produced students who scored 551 on reading, second only to Shanghai, China. At the other end, students at schools with a population of 75% or more qualifying for free and reduced meals scored only 446. This data reminds us that US Schools do well by students who come to school ready to learn, but it is impossible to ignore the persistent correlation between poverty and performance.

Packing for the Weekend started in January 2011 at Sunnyside School in Red Wing by sending bags of food home with 30 children chosen by the school.  Each bag contains food for three full meals for the family and additional snacks for children. Because of caring and generous communities, some schools are able to continue the program over the summer months.

Currently, United Way of Goodhue, Wabasha & Pierce Counties sponsors Packing for the Weekend programs in Red Wing, Goodhue County Education District, Lake City, Cannon Falls, Zumbrota, Goodhue and Wabasha.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, 58,623 missing meals were provided across our service area within these school districts during the 2014-2015 school year!!

Wednesday, April 24 at 6 pm.

Pizza and beverages will be provided. Please make every effort to attend if you are serving on a church committee. The meeting will be held in the Fellowship Hall.