The McDowell U.C.W. takes this opportunity to thank all those who recently supported the food drive they had on to support the Pastoral Charge Food Bank.

Congregational Contributions (Re: Allocations –3^rd Quarter 2009)

Congregation              Allocation        Amt. Realized    Difference

McDowell                    $23,104.50      $18,969.61      - $4,134.89

Ocean View                   25,645.50        21,238.00         -   4,407.50

The following are the amounts that each Congregation is responsible for between October 1^st and December 31^st, 2009.

McDowell      $ 11,836.39

Ocean View  $ 12,956.00

To be considered a paid contributor for 2009 on the Blackhead – Western Bay Pastoral Charge, each contributor must pay a minimum of $205.00

to the Pastoral Charge budget and a minimum of $40.00 to the local

 Church and Cemetery Fund.

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 25, 2009

Ants in Pants

Grace United Church in Dunville, Newfoundland, is located on Placentia Bay. With an average church attendance of 14 and mean age of 70-plus among the congregation, the church is being held together with prayers and the undying love and devotion of it members. Their concerns are that of most churches today: how to keep the church open, how to attract new members, how to live out our Christian faith?

Grace United is so small and has such limited means that they were concerned how they could “love others as themselves.” But one thing that all congregations can do, regardless of size, is to support the

Mission and Service Fund. Grace United took that to heart. Here’s how they tried to do their bit.

Last fall, they held a “Loose Change Sunday” on the first Sunday of each month. One woman from the congregation made an M&S money bag for each person. These were the size of a regular coin purse, and each bag had all six M&S colours. The bags can sit on counters, bureaus, desks, wherever they can be a constant reminder of M&S. The Grace United congregation also had a small bucket decorated in the colours of M&S.

Aaron, a five-year-old M&S Enthusiast’s Assistant, was the collector. At the first of the month he was so excited about collecting M&S gifts, you would think he had ants in his pants! He kept asking, “Is it time yet?” When the moment arrived, he took the M&S bucket to each person and watched, with eyes that only a child can have, while the coins dropped in. The more coins he collected, the more excited he became. “‘Mommy, look at all the money!” he would marvel. “Wow, the bucket is getting heavy.” Needless to say, the congregation made sure that he had a lot of coins for his bucket.

Grace United is proud to contribute to the Mission and Service Fund, which helps so many. The church may be small, the little collector young, and the congregation mature, but Grace United is united with us in United Church efforts. Every little bit counts!

© 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.