The Coughlan Scholarship applications are available by contacting Rev. Cole. For the past number of years we have been very fortunate that students from this Pastoral Charge have received a scholarship. For more information concerning this scholarship, please contact Rev. Cole.

The McDowell United Church Trustee Board gratefully acknowledges a donation from Maxwell Kennedy.

The McDowell United Church Trustee Board gratefully acknowledges

the following donations in memory of Lily Sellars:

Dana & Peter Sellars              Mildred Whalen

Ed & Geneva Penney              Olive Crowley

Cal & Joyce Sellars                 Sadie Gover

Alethia & John Peddle             Jamie & Jerry Keeping

Elizabeth & Maurice Baker     Junior & Jean Loveys

Elsie Rose                                Tim & Linda Oliver

The Ocean View U.C.W. takes this opportunity to thank all those who supported their annual Harvest Thanksgiving Supper yesterday. This was a great success.

For information concerning our Food Bank you may contact:

Bonnie Crummey 598-2803  Sophie White 598-2595 Rev. Cole 598-2943.

Please forward items for Church News to Darryl Butt by Thursday of each week.

October 11, 2009

Thinking Green (for a young reader)

Have you ever had green thoughts? It’s amazing what a few green thoughts can do!

St. Columba House is a community ministry of The United Church of Canada in a low-income neighbourhood in Montreal. It has many programs, including a lunch project. The lunch staff and volunteers had been shaking their heads over the 2,000 pounds of kitchen scraps they were throwing away each year. Then they had a “bright green” idea of getting five composters to produce earth.

Some of the people who lived in the neighbourhood in nearby apartments had been wondering about a small piece of land on one side of the building that nobody used. Could they use this scruffy patch of dirt to grow a few fresh vegetables and fruits?

They put two green ideas together and used the rich earth from the composters to add to the soil. This was such a success that St. Columba thought green again. Why not also use the rooftop patio for a garden of potted plants?

The result has been two summers of herbs, vegetables, and ground cherries growing in buckets. There are salad greens spilling out of gardens made in children’s plastic swimming pools, and kiwi vines and runner beans climbing up the walls. The street-level garden has sunflowers eight feet tall and melons growing out of the compost heap.

The gardening project brought together people of different ages and backgrounds. Many who had been lonely and depressed are now part of this healthy community project.

When we give to the Mission and Service Fund, we can develop green ideas that help people and the earth. Our M&S gifts helped St. Columba. Many other communities have great green ideas—let’s help them, too!

© 2008 The United Church of Canada/L’Église Unie du Canada. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ca. Any copy must include this notice.