Yes it’s true! We will be going back to Constanza, Dominican Republic on July 28th-Aug 5th, 2012. Will we be painting, mixing concrete, organizing the plaza or playing with the kids? Actually, we will probably be doing all of these things and more. There will be a short information meeting at Christus Victor on Sunday night Nov 6th at 6:00. Please join us if you have any curiosity about it. If you are interested, but aren’t able to make the meeting, please talk to Jody McDermott-Baty for information or any of the past team members for their experiences. Is God calling you to make a difference?

BWANA JESU ASIFIWE Praise the Lord Jesus!  Have you ever thought about sponsoring a student in Tanzania? If you have, now is  the time to act!  The students are gearing up for another school year and our sister parish in Mlowa is currently reviewing  how many students will receive scholarships for the next school year, which begins in January.  Now is the time to let our sister parish know how much we value education and give a child an opportunity to make a difference in this world. No gift is too small! A full scholarship is $360.00 for the year; half scholarship is $180.00 and some of our sponsors use this as a gift idea for Christmas, birthdays or just to reflect the love God has put on their heart. Maybe get a few families together and sponsor a student together.  Envelopes for donations are in the Missions Committee mail slot, or contact Paula Nierengarten from the Missions Committee for more information (651) 683-9012. Asante Sana Thank You!

During the month of September, the Social Ministries Committee will be collecting care package items that will be sent to military personnel who are currently serving our country overseas.

Monetary donations are also needed to pay for the mailing fees. Personal letters are very welcomed – never underestimate the value of a handwritten note. And, of course, prayers are always needed.

Last year, one of the soldiers wrote in her thank you note: “I wanted to say thank you to all the members of your congregation… for the box of goodies, the pictures and, of course, the prayers. It’s a good feeling to know that people are thinking about us. It’s people like yourselves that help keep us strong and stay positive. This package not only brought a smile to my face, but also others in my unit.”

This project is not just about collecting and sending ‘things’ to our troops, it’s about raising morale and letting the soldiers know we care about them.

Here’s how YOU can be a vital part of this service project:
 WRITE a personal note/letter/card (this is the number one request!)
 PRAY for their safety and speedy return home
 kids can DRAW OR COLOR PICTURES OR MAKE A SMALL GIFT
 DONATE money for shipping expenses (flat rate fee = approx $13/box)
 CONTRIBUTE one or more suggested items listed below:
* Peanut butter
* Kids drawings
* Hand-held games
* Energy bars
* Tuna pouches
* Hard candy/mints
* Chewing gum
* Canned fruit (single serving cans only)
* Dice
* Microwave popcorn
* Batteries (assorted sizes)
* Disposable razors
* Beef jerky
* White ankle socks
* DVD’s (movies, TV series)
* Playing cards Magazines (current)
* Energy drinks
* Foot powder
* Earbuds (for stereo/I-pod)
* Baby wipes (small packages)
* Flip-flops (for shower)
* Crossword/Sudoko/Word find puzzles
* Powdered drinks (eg. Crystal Light)
* Playing Cards

**Please – no home-made treats or anything that will melt

LOOK FOR THE FOOT LOCKER IN THE NARTHAX AREA DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER

Please direct questions and comments to Michele Iaria (952-891-1303 or miaria@charter.net) OR anyone on the Social Ministries Committee: Cindy Baubie, Nancy Colin, Barb Damlo (council rep), Alice McCammon, Brenda Kroeten, Lorna Peterson, Tina Reu, Audrey Smith, Peggy Sunwall, Alana Thureen
THANK YOU!

Thursday, July 7
6:00pm Potluck and 7:30pm Concert
Christus Victor Lutheran Church

Awesome! This is what people all over the United States say when they see the Ugandan Orphans Choir perform. Ugandan children are known for their outstanding musical talents, and these 10 children are delighting audiences with songs and tribal dances from their homeland. The Ugandan Orphans Choir is a ministry of Childcare Worldwide and this is the 7th Choir that has toured in the U.S. Childcare Worldwide has ministered in East Africa and around the globe for 30 years and has made a difference in the lives of thousands of boys and girls, helping them to survive and succeed. Plan to come and see this great encounter of “mission in action!”

Please join the recently returned Dominican Republic Mission Team on Sunday, May 22^nd at 9:45 AM in the Sanctuary.  Come & see our pictures & hear about our adventures at the Kid’s Alive Orphanage in Constanza, Dominican Republic.

Thanks to your generous support, on Sunday, August 8, we will be sending off four members of Christus Victor to Tanzania as Ambassadors of our church.  Pastor Kent, Barb Damlo, Malisa Kreutzmann and Paula Nierengarten will travel to Tanzania to strengthen and grow our partnership and ministry with our friends in Tanzania (Bega Kwa Bega/Shoulder to Shoulder).

This is a mission trip of relationship building, not building things, which is the foundation of all of the real building that has been going on in Mlowa, Tanzania these past 11 years.  Here are some of the things our Ambassadors we will be doing:

• Connecting with the students we sponsor and visiting their schools
• Spending time worshipping and building friendships in Mlowa
• Visiting all of the preaching points (Mlowa is a Parish with 1 main site, and 11 preaching points spread out into the surrounding countryside)
• Touring their Agricultural Demonstration Plot
• Exploring the possible need for a well for clean drinking water
• Learning more about their lay leadership training program and evangelism ministry as an incredibly effective model we need to learn from

Your continued prayers and support are greatly needed and appreciated.  If you would like to receive email updates while our Ambassadors are in Tanzania, please send your email address to Pastor Kent at pastor.kent@christusvictor.org.

SUNDAY MINISTRY MINUTES

How many committees are there at CV?  Who is working behind the scenes to make all of the ministries and programs happen, and keep the staff and the property going?  How can you get involved?

These are some of the questions we are going to address this summer with CV Committee Temple Talks.  Throughout the summer, the many committees of the church will give a short Temple Talk during worship about what they do, why they do ministry, and how people can get involved.   There will be hand-outs, maybe some treats, and a time to ask questions and get to know about who and how the ministries of the church happen.