Norm’s Notes

I attended a “Bridges Out of Poverty” workshop in Angola last week. It was put on by Good Will Industries from South Bend. The goal of the 1 and 1/2 day workshop was to help us understand poverty and find ways to help people take steps to get out of it. It was very good. The folks from South Bend have it together.
 
Three ideas stuck with me. 1. We were asked how long would it take any of us participants to double our income.5-10-20 years? We would double it through job training, more education, networking with people we know who have good jobs hoping they could get us into their place of employment. Many thought it would take us 10 years or more to double our salaries. It would take a person in poverty as long or longer to get out of poverty. The lesson? There are no quick fixes to helping people out of poverty.
 
2. Dealing with poverty is the equivalent to pulling an all nighter. Picture yourself after pulling an all nighter. Being poor is like that every day.
 
3. Generally speaking, an 18 year old raised in poverty has the same number of words in their vocabulary as a 5 year old raised in a wealthy home. The 5 year old’s constant exposure to videos and books and books read to them by their parents gives them this advantage. 
 
One of the presenters there told her story of being raised in the housing projects of Chicago. She followed her daughter to South Bend in 2007. She is now in her 50’s. She went through the Bridges Out of Poverty program offered by Good Will and went to college and graduated from our own Bethel College. She is now working on her master’s degree and teaches the very classes she once attended. I went up to her afterward and told her I graduated from Bethel too and encouraged her.
 
Much more could be said. I was moved to help where we can.

 

It’s great to be your Caring Pastor. See you Sunday!
Pastor Norm  
 Caring Pastor
Newer Car, Safer Ministry 
Our ministry partner in Israel is in need of a newer car. His present one has 200,000 miles on it. His wife has a ministry to prostitutes in an international city that has some of the world’s known terrorists nearby. She sometimes transports the prostitutes to safety. We are asking the Lord to raise up through us $25,000, which is the price of a good used car there. The fund has $10,000 in it now. Your special gift will help. Mark it “Israel car fund” and put it in the offering. The funds will be ready when a good deal comes along. Thank you.

July 30, 2015

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Trip with Linda
Saturday, October 17 to Frankenmuth, Michigan.
Travel in comfort on a Cardinal bus. Cost is $45. Sign up and pay at the Connection Center by September 16. You must pay when you sign up.
Leave FMC at 6:45 a.m.
Return at 9:00 p.m.
This trip is filling up fast (only 20 spots left as of today). Make your reservations Sunday if you plan to go.
 
CharlotteStrong#
Linda and I signed up to walk in the Charlotte Strong 5K run/walk. The event is August 15 at Angola High School. Preregistration deadline is August 1. I may have to take ibuprofen before I begin, but it will be worth it. I go to Charlotte’s Facebook page and see over 10,000 likes. If you are within driving distance, come join us on the 15th.