COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY CONCERNS
Faith Lutheran is committed to the local community and the world in it's
support of concerns and relief efforts.

LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE
Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is a collaborative ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA.org) and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS.org). Following a major domestic disaster, LDR seeks to minister holistically to the unmet needs of those affected, regardless of faith or creed. Lutheran social ministry organizations serve as LDR affiliates providing:

Spiritual and Emotional Care

Hardship Grants

Long-term Recovery

Volunteer Coordination

MISSION STATEMENT:
To demonstrate Christ's compassion
for people by promoting hope, healing, and
wholeness for disaster survivors.

For more information, go to www.elca.org/giving

GUIDES TO TALKING TO OUR CHILDREN ABOUT WAR

With increasing news about war and with talk about the threats of terrorism, children, their parents and caregivers may feel uncertain and robbed of a basic sense of safety and security. We all share concerns about the horrors and dangers of war and terrorism. However, as adults and parents, it is our job to help our children and each other cope as best as we can with concerns that will confront us as individuals, families, communities and as a nation.
Your calm ability to listen to our children’s concerns is one of the most powerful ways of helping them to learn, understand and feel safe and secure in the most important part of their world---their families.

Click here to visit the LFSCO homepage...

Lutheran Family Services is looking for Receiving Home Foster Parents.

LUTHERAN URBAN SERVANT CORPS
Participants assist with projects for both Lutheran and community agencies throughout the Denver Metro-area.

DOUGLAS COUNTY TASK FORCE

COMMUNITY CONCERNS Faith Lutheran is committed to the local community and the world in it's support of concerns and relief efforts.
PROJECT GRACE- May 2008 MUSIC FOR A MISSION CONTINUES Those who attended Music for a Mission I left with smiles on their faces, and exclaiming that “we need to do this again!” The good news is that we listened to your request. In partnership with Christ, Holy Cross, and Holy Shepherd Lutheran churches, Faith Lutheran Church of Castle Rock announces Music for a Mission II. This benefit concert supports Project Grace, its mission of outreach to the devastated Gulf Coast region of Mississippi. This event will be held Sunday, May 18 at Christ Lutheran Church, located at 8997 South Broadway in Highlands Ranch. The concert begins at 6:30 pm, featuring musicians from Faith, Christ, Holy Shepherd and Holy Cross Lutheran churches. Talented musicians from these congregations will provide a fine venue of music including instrumental and vocal ensembles, and solo performances. There will be a dessert intermission, and a freewill offering will help provide materials for the projects undertaken by the volunteers who participate in the ongoing mission trips. A small percentage of the money may be used to offset costs incurred by those who participate in the mission trips. Proceeds from the concert will also impact Grace Lutheran Church in Long Beach. MS. Their Good Samaritan Fund enables the church to assist families by paying for medical expenses, car repairs, rent payments, etc. They also buy Wal-Mart cards and grocery store vouchers with that money. Plan to make the short trip to Highlands Ranch on the evening of May 18, and you will be in for a musical treat that will put a smile on your face. If you need additional information, contact Faith’s Minister of Discipleship, Cindy Buschagen, at 303-688-3476 or by email (discipleship@faithcrco.org). . Click here to find out more about Faith Lutherans's Project Grace
YOUR INTERNET SEARCHES CAN EARN MONEY FOR LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE How many times a week do you use an Internet search engine like Yahoo!, Google, or Ask.com? For many people, the answer is probably "A whole bunch." What if Lutheran Disaster Response earned a penny every time you performed such a search? Now it's possible. GoodSearch.com is a new search Web site that donates half of its revenue (about one penny per search) to the charity of the searcher's choice. You use it just as you would any search engine, and GoodSearch is powered by Yahoo! so you are guaranteed good search results. To start using GoodSearch, go to www.goodsearch.com. You will see two boxes -- the search box and a box that says "Who do you GoodSearch for?" Simply enter in "LDR" and start searching. You can even download a GoodSearch toolbar (www.goodsearch.com/toolbar) for your Internet browser so that you have a search function always at your fingertips. A penny for every search may not seem like much... but imagine if 1,000 people searched twice each day using GoodSearch. Over the course of a year, LDR would make over $7000. GoodSearch makes it easy to support your favorite non-profit organization... and all you have to do issomething that you already do anyway. Please spread the word about GoodSearch, and start searching for Lutheran Disaster Response today!
LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is a collaborative ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA.org) and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS.org). Following a major domestic disaster, LDR seeks to minister holistically to the unmet needs of those affected, regardless of faith or creed. Lutheran social ministry organizations serve as LDR affiliates providing: Spiritual and Emotional Care Hardship Grants Long-term Recovery Volunteer Coordination MISSION STATEMENT: To demonstrate Christ's compassion for people by promoting hope, healing, and wholeness for disaster survivors. For more information, go to www.elca.org/giving
GUIDES TO TALKING TO OUR CHILDREN ABOUT WAR With increasing news about war and with talk about the threats of terrorism, children, their parents and caregivers may feel uncertain and robbed of a basic sense of safety and security. We all share concerns about the horrors and dangers of war and terrorism. However, as adults and parents, it is our job to help our children and each other cope as best as we can with concerns that will confront us as individuals, families, communities and as a nation. Your calm ability to listen to our children’s concerns is one of the most powerful ways of helping them to learn, understand and feel safe and secure in the most important part of their world---their families. Click here to visit the NCCEV Web Site for more information
CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD NEED YOUR LOVE! Turmoil and poverty in our world have caused children in many countries to be orphaned or abandoned. These children will blossom when they are rooted in the security of a loving home. Lutheran Family Services of Colorado is partnering with Lutheran Adoption Network to give families, couples and single adults the opportunity to adopt children from Eastern Europe, Asia and South America. LFSCO is an accredited adoption agency, with 55 years of experience serving in Colorado. LFSCO is sponsoring a series of forums to discuss opportunities to adopt children in Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Columbia, China, Vietnam and many other countries. Adoption professionals with extensive experience working specifically in Mongolia, Philippines and Russia will lead the forums.
Lutheran Family Services is looking for Receiving Home Foster Parents. Married couple without children at home to live at foster home in Wheat Ridge, providing short-term care for up to 6 children. Contract contingent upon completion of foster parent training program & other licensing requirements. E-mail resume to foster@lfsco.org or fax 303-922-7335 or call Kirsten Nelson at 303-217-5857.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Would you like to reach out to vulnerable children and families through the work of Lutheran Family Services (LFS)? LFS will host its 12th annual benefit gala in Spring 2006. We are looking for volunteers to serve on the planning committee. The committee will determine venue, menu, theme, entertainment, and will help put together a fabulous silent auction. Time commitment is a few hours each month. Proceeds will benefit programs including crisis pregnancy counseling, adoption, foster care for abused and neglected children, care management solutions for older adults, refugee resettlement and disaster response. If you are able to help, please call Michelle at 303-217-5860. Please consider donating to the Refugee & Asylee Program at Lutheran Family Services LFS provides the supplies and basic needs of a family in their first apartment. We are always in need of assistance to furnish the appropriate items for a family. Below we provided a list of basic necessities that are always in demand. Blankets-all sizes Twin sheets sets or singles Full sheets sets Glasses Silverware Dishes- Sets for 4 and up Pillows-new Shampoo and toothpaste To donate, please contact Sidney Guy at 303-217-5189 or Sidney.guy@lfsco.org (Denver) or Vanda Franowicz 719 314 0223 or vanda.franowicz@lfsco.org (Colorado Springs)
HAVE A CAR YOU NO LONGER NEED? Consider donating to Vehicles for Charity to benefit Lutheran Family Services of Colorado - making a difference in the lives of individuals and families in our Colorado communities. Here are Easy Steps to clean up your yard and help others… Call 303.922.3433 or 800.579.9496 or email development@lfsco.org to find out more about the LFS vehicle donation program. You must have the title to the vehicle per state law. We will need to know the condition and the location If the car doesn’t start, we will make arrangements to have the vehicle picked up. OUR PREGNANCY COUNSELING PROGRAM HAS THE NEED FOR: newborn girl outfits newborn boy outfits infant car seats preemie outfits These items must be NEW. Thanks! For more information please contact Kate DeTrent, 303-217-5840 or kate.detrent@lfsco.org. Donations can be dropped off at 363 South Harlan Street, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80226 Please consider donating to the Refugee & Asylee Program at Lutheran Family Services LFS provides the supplies and basic needs of a family in their first apartment. We are always in need of assistance to furnish the appropriate items for a family. Below we provided a list of basic necessities that are always in demand. TABLES AND CHAIRS *** HIGH PRIORITY Bedding and pillows -all sizes, preferably new or gently used blankets Towel sets – preferably new Dishes, silverware & Glassware - Sets for 4 and up, Pots & Pans w/appropriate utinsels, Toiletries, Cleaning Supplies To donate, please contact Riad Bayor at 303-980-5400 or refugeedonationscentral@lfsco.org (Denver) or Vanda Franowicz 719 314 0223 or refugeedonationssouth@lfsco.org (Colorado Springs) More information on our programs can be found at www.lfsco.org
LUTHERAN URBAN SERVANT CORPS Participants assist with projects for both Lutheran and community agencies throughout the Denver Metro-area. Click here to find out more about the Urban Servant Corps
LEND A HELPING HAND IN CASTLE ROCK Volunteers needed for Victim's Assistance Program The town of Castle Rock Police Department's Victim's Assistance Program is seeking volunteers. This program assists victims of crime by providing immediate crisis assistance, referrals and follow-up support..Special criteria must be met to be eligible for the program. More information is available in the Town's website at www.CRgov.com. Those interested should contact the Victim's Assistanvce Coordinator, Carol Malezija at 303-663-6110 by the end of August. The Philip S. Miller Library, here in Castle Rock, is in need of volunteers. Contact Angel at 303-688-7637 or 303--946-6893 if you are interested in learning about this volunteer opportunity in our community.
DOUGLAS COUNTY TASK FORCE The Douglas County Task Force continues to address needs of many people living in Douglas County. The shopping cart in the narthex is used for the purpose of collecting donations for the Task Force's Food Pantry. In addition to canned & dry food items, paper products, diapers and toiletries are also welcome. Task Force of Douglas County Volunteers: the heartbeat of the agency! The Task Force of Douglas County is experiencing a need for volunteers the likes of which we have not seen since our beginnings in 1984. The Task Force assisted just over 2000 people in need in 1997 and in 2005 the agency assisted over 11,000, an increase of approximately 550% in less than 10 years. . Volunteers are the heartbeat of the Task Force and our most valuable asset. People who volunteer and work to help others have a healthier outlook on life and consistently report being happier. Consider this… 1). Volunteering is a chance to help. 2). Volunteering is an opportunity to learn. 3). Volunteering builds self esteem. 4). Volunteering is fun. 5). Volunteering is an opportunity to make friends. 6. Volunteering is fun! 7). Volunteering is an opportunity to make a difference. The Task Force could not operate without our volunteers. Many more are needed for us to keep up with the ever, increasing need to assist the less fortunate in our community. We promise an experience that is challenging and rewarding. For more information and a volunteer application please call Crystal Babos, at 303–688– 1114, tfdccbabos@yahoo.com. Task Force of Douglas County Volunteers: the heartbeat of the agency!
SEEDS OF HOPE Rocky Mountain Companion Synods Project Fund "A church as vibrant and alive as the Malagasy Lutheran Church faces exciting and sometimes overwhelming challenges as it ministers in a context of chronic poverty and political uncertainty. Developing capable leaders is essential. You can participate in equipping leaders for the church in Madagascar by contributing to Seeds of Hope, a fund that will support leadership development projects in our Companion Synods of Mahajanga and Antsiranana." www.rmselca.org
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF COLORADO Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with people in need and community volunteers to build decent, affordable housing. The houses then are sold at no profit and with no interest charged. Habitat for Humanity of Colorado provides matching funds and resources to the Colorado affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing organization. Since 1976, Habitat has built more than 125,000 houses in more than 80 countries, including some 45,000 houses across the United States. The Commitment of the ELCA to Habitat for Humanity : Upon the direction of the 1995 Churchwide Assembly, the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 1996 approved a relationship between the ELCA and Habitat for Humanity International. habitatcolorado.org
The ELCA World Hunger Appeal and Program * "The World Hunger Program is the way the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) addresses chronic hunger and poverty around the world and here in the United States. The World Hunger Appeal, the fund-raising part of the World Hunger Program, collects specially designated offerings and donations from ELCA members, congregations and friends to fund the work of the ELCA and its partners (including Lutheran World Relief and the Lutheran World Federation) in poverty relief and development." * www.elca.org
FAMILY DISASTER PLANNING "Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services--water, gas, electricity or telephones--were cut off? Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away." Find out what the American RedCross recommends to prepare your family.