Last week at Fellowship Friday, Mark Brisson of Fun Spot shared with us the concept of the Boaz Blessing.
Boaz was able to bless Ruth by having his harvesters leave a little extra behind for her to glean. This gesture cost Boaz little. He gave up a bit of inventory and spent a minute or two giving instructions to his employees.
But his effort meant a great deal to Ruth. In the same way, we can look for opportunities in our work to be a blessing to someone else.
When the Spirit leads us to give, even a few moments of our time or a bit of lagniappe can provide abundantly for others.
We have two Fellowship Friday meetings each week: one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Locations change, so there's likely to be one in your area soon. On Feb. 3, we'll be at BankFirst in Oviedo at 7:30 a.m. and Jason's Deli in Altamonte Springs at 1:30 p.m. For other Fellowship Friday dates and times, check the website.
We hope to see you there, and while we pray we can be a blessing to you, we pray even more that we can help you be a blessing to others.
Showing posts with label Giving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giving. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Friday, August 6, 2010
Called to restore a historic Jamaican church
By Jim Whitten
On the north coast of Jamaica, cruise lines are building a mammoth new terminal at Falmouth Harbor, just 20 miles from the tourist haven of Montego Bay. When the terminal is completed, probably by November, cruise ships will unload passengers by the thousands. Time had passed by Falmouth, despite its deep-water harbor on the Atlantic Ocean. Now it will be a tourist destination.
Falmouth was founded in 1790, but the Anglican Church designated a site for a sanctuary as early as 1771. Some tombstones in the site's graveyard predate even that.
Trelawny Parish Church of St. Peter the Apostle, with its classic Georgian architecture, was completed in 1796. The bell tower, containing three carillon bells, stands 60 feet tall - still the tallest structure in Falmouth.
The church's three-foot-thick walls are made of local limestone. The floors, altar, pews and decorative interior woodwork are native mahogany. Intricate stained-glass windows were dedicated at various times to adorn the church.
But many locals have moved away, to jobs in Montego Bay or elsewhere, and now this 214-year-old church is vacant and in disrepair. The altar area cannot be used because of wood rot. Stucco is falling off the walls. The grounds are overgrown with weeds, and the graveyard is turning into a briar patch.
But there is always hope. Joyce Ledbetter worked for the cruise lines in Jamaica for several years before retiring to Orlando. She was asked to return to Jamaica to help complete the Falmouth cruise terminal. When she discovered Trelawny Parish Church, she felt called to help restore it. "I knew this was a holy place," she said, "and I could feel the prayers of the faithful that had permeated the church. I have stopped at that old church so many times and prayed there. It has a comfortable feeling."
Joyce learned that the Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, the Rt. Rev. Alfred C. Reid, sent a yearly stipend for maintenance, but it was very small and did not go far.
When those boatloads of cruise passengers disembark at Falmouth, the main road will take them right past the church. Joyce has a vision to restore that historic holy place, giving it new life and giving future generations new hope. We should not forget the past for the sake of the future. We must treasure our religious heritage and preserve landmarks that honor religious freedom and our Christian way of life.
Joyce contacted chamber member Jim Whitten to bring the plight of Trelawny Parish Church to the attention of her friends in Central Florida. With the help from Steadman White and Joseph Nunes, a "Save The Church" committee was formed. Nunes contacted the bishop, who approved sprucing up the church grounds and painting the interior. The Episcopal Jamaican community is supporting Ledbetter's dream with bake sales and fundraisers.
Donations in support of this effort may be made to Joyce Ledbetter, for the Trelawny Parish Church of Falmouth, Jamaica. Send your donations to the attention of Jim Whitten, St. Mary of the Angels Episcopal Church, 6316 Matchett Road, Orlando FL 42809.
For additional information, contact Jim Whitten
A longer version of this article appeared in the July 2010 issue of Episcopalian Central Florida.
On the north coast of Jamaica, cruise lines are building a mammoth new terminal at Falmouth Harbor, just 20 miles from the tourist haven of Montego Bay. When the terminal is completed, probably by November, cruise ships will unload passengers by the thousands. Time had passed by Falmouth, despite its deep-water harbor on the Atlantic Ocean. Now it will be a tourist destination.
Falmouth was founded in 1790, but the Anglican Church designated a site for a sanctuary as early as 1771. Some tombstones in the site's graveyard predate even that.
Trelawny Parish Church of St. Peter the Apostle, with its classic Georgian architecture, was completed in 1796. The bell tower, containing three carillon bells, stands 60 feet tall - still the tallest structure in Falmouth.
 |
If this church looks familiar, it may be because it was seen in the 1973 movie "Papillion." |
But many locals have moved away, to jobs in Montego Bay or elsewhere, and now this 214-year-old church is vacant and in disrepair. The altar area cannot be used because of wood rot. Stucco is falling off the walls. The grounds are overgrown with weeds, and the graveyard is turning into a briar patch.
But there is always hope. Joyce Ledbetter worked for the cruise lines in Jamaica for several years before retiring to Orlando. She was asked to return to Jamaica to help complete the Falmouth cruise terminal. When she discovered Trelawny Parish Church, she felt called to help restore it. "I knew this was a holy place," she said, "and I could feel the prayers of the faithful that had permeated the church. I have stopped at that old church so many times and prayed there. It has a comfortable feeling."
Joyce learned that the Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, the Rt. Rev. Alfred C. Reid, sent a yearly stipend for maintenance, but it was very small and did not go far.
When those boatloads of cruise passengers disembark at Falmouth, the main road will take them right past the church. Joyce has a vision to restore that historic holy place, giving it new life and giving future generations new hope. We should not forget the past for the sake of the future. We must treasure our religious heritage and preserve landmarks that honor religious freedom and our Christian way of life.
Joyce contacted chamber member Jim Whitten to bring the plight of Trelawny Parish Church to the attention of her friends in Central Florida. With the help from Steadman White and Joseph Nunes, a "Save The Church" committee was formed. Nunes contacted the bishop, who approved sprucing up the church grounds and painting the interior. The Episcopal Jamaican community is supporting Ledbetter's dream with bake sales and fundraisers.
Donations in support of this effort may be made to Joyce Ledbetter, for the Trelawny Parish Church of Falmouth, Jamaica. Send your donations to the attention of Jim Whitten, St. Mary of the Angels Episcopal Church, 6316 Matchett Road, Orlando FL 42809.
For additional information, contact Jim Whitten
A longer version of this article appeared in the July 2010 issue of Episcopalian Central Florida.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
...And I do appreciate you being round....
Paulette Weir at Christian HELP is looking for Facebook users to give HELP some help.
If you have a Facebook account, just click this link to vote for Christian HELP Foundation Inc. in the Chase Community Giving promotion. Chase will give $25,000 to the charities with the most votes.
When you get to Chase's Facebook page, just enter "Christian HELP Foundation Inc." in the search box.
Paulette tells us that this year, Christian HELP is helping more people than at any other time in its 18-year history. "Yesterday, in the first hour and half of being open to job seekers, we saw 70 people," she says. "The lobby was so jammed packed all day that we had to line up chairs outside for people to sit."
With so many people needing assistance, Christian HELP can use all the help it can get.
If you have a Facebook account, just click this link to vote for Christian HELP Foundation Inc. in the Chase Community Giving promotion. Chase will give $25,000 to the charities with the most votes.
When you get to Chase's Facebook page, just enter "Christian HELP Foundation Inc." in the search box.
Paulette tells us that this year, Christian HELP is helping more people than at any other time in its 18-year history. "Yesterday, in the first hour and half of being open to job seekers, we saw 70 people," she says. "The lobby was so jammed packed all day that we had to line up chairs outside for people to sit."
With so many people needing assistance, Christian HELP can use all the help it can get.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
