SHiNe Fall Mission Fest

Submitted by Jennifer Power

I have spent some time on this blog talking about the importance of serving together as a family, and today I want to share an upcoming event here at St. Paul’s which will help your family do just that. Not only will it provide you opportunities to serve, but it is going to be a ton of fun!

This year, instead of doing a Trunk or Treat, we will have our first ever SHiNe Fall Mission Fest in the Fellowship Area of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on Friday, October 30^th from 6:00-8:00pm. Since this is a new event, I want to help you know what to expect.

COME IN COSTUME

Plan to come in costume (though costumes are not required). We will have a costume contest with the winners announced at the end of the evening.

ITEMS YOU CAN BRING

Although there is no charge for this event, we encourage you to not come empty-handed. Here are some items you can bring to help make this event the best it can possible be:

• Items for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. This article contains some great suggestions of items to pack in shoeboxes (including mini soccer ball or a deflated ball with pump, small flashlight with batteries, toothbrush with holder, pencils, erasers, colored pencils and sharpeners, jump ropes, Band-Aids, hard candy, comb, harmonica). We WILL be packing shoeboxes at this event so the more items we have, the more boxes we can pack!
• Warm clothes (new or clean and gently used) for Syrian Refugees. Here are a couple articles you can read for more information:The Syrian Refugee Crisis: 5 Ways You Can Help and Lutherans to Provide Help for Persecuted Christians, Refugees
• Money to spend on our silent auction (benefiting our mission projects)

MISSION PROJECTS

We will have a number of mission projects (benefiting children and families) represented at the SHiNe Fall Mission Fest. Each mission will have a table with candy for the kids, an activity (game or small mission project), and information about how you can be involved.

The following mission projects will be represented at the SHiNe Fall Mission Fest:

• Baby Blessings Sewing Team
• Guatemala Mission Teams
• Compassion International
• Operation Christmas Child
• Bags of Hope
• ELC Blessings Team
• Syrian Refugees

FOOD

There will be a buffet table full of appetizers and desserts featuring delicious fall flavors (apple, cinnamon, pumpkin, caramel, etc.)

SILENT AUCTION

There will be a silent auction, and all the proceeds will benefit the mission projects represented that evening. Each silent auction item will specify which mission project it benefits. The silent auction bidding will be open from 6:00-7:30pm.

PUMPKIN PAINTING

One of the activities of the evening will be a pumpkin painting contest. All participants will receive a small prize and the winner will receive a prize during the closing program.

CLOSING PROGRAM

From 7:30-8:00pm we will have a closing program featuring some personal sharing from individuals who have been blessed by being involved in mission projects. We will also announce the winners of the costume contest, pumpkin painting contest, and the silent auction.

CANNOT ATTEND? YOU CAN STILL HELP!

We are seeking donations of themed gift baskets, handmade items, gift certificates, etc. of all types and for all ages for our silent auction. Please let me know if you plan to bring an item for the silent auction (jennifer@spldecatur.org) and plan to bring it to the church by October 29^th.

We also need food for the Fall Flavors Buffet. Please let me know (jennifer@spldecatur.org) if you can bring a fall flavors appetizer or dessert and plan to bring it to the church by 5:30pm on October 30^th.

I am looking forward to seeing how God will use this event to bless our families, our community, and our world! Hope to see you there!