God's Blessing Makes Church Yard Sale A Success!

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="1b9005a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC00" FACE="Arial" >Living Hope Christian Fellowship</FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Living Hope Christian Fellowship"><B>Home</B></A></div> <div> Back to  <A HREF="ch_life.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Life"><B>Church Life</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="32ac8043.jpg"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="135" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#000066" BORDERCOLORDARK="#FFCC00" FRAME="ABOVE" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC00 HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <B>Announcements:</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <A HREF="children_s_corner.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Childrens Corner">Children's Corner</A></div> <div> <A HREF="2004_summer_camp.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2004 Summer Camp a Success!">2004 Summer Camp</A></div> <div> <A HREF="2003_summer_camp.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2003 Connecticut Summer Program">2003 Summer Camp</A></div> <div> <A HREF="open_house.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Open House Potluck">Open House</A></div> <div> <B>Church Yard Sale</B></div> <div> <A HREF="women_luncheon_03.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2003 Womens Ministry Fellowship Luncheon">Women Luncheon 03</A></div> <div> <A HREF="30_hr_famine_2003.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="30 Hr Famine 2003">30 Hr Famine 2003</A></div> <div> <A HREF="bowling_party.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Bowling Party">Bowling Party</A></div> <div> <A HREF="discovery_wknd_02.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2002 Discovery Weekend">Discovery Wknd 02</A></div> <div> <A HREF="pancake_breakfast.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Apple Pancake Breakfast Community Social">Pancake Breakfast</A></div> <div> <A HREF="women_luncheon_02.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Womens Ministry Fellowship Luncheon">Women Luncheon 02</A></div> <div> <A HREF="children_s_party.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Childrens Party">Children's Party</A></div> <div> <A HREF="9_11_remembrance.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="9/11 Remembrance Service">9/11 Remembrance</A></div> <div> <A HREF="memorial_day_2002.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2002 Memorial Day Weekend">Memorial Day 2002</A></div> <div> <A HREF="our_move.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Move to the Gales Ferry Community Ce">Our Move</A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="32b00042egerdp.jpg"> <div> <I><B>God's Blessing Makes Church Yard Sale A Success!</B></I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="598" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#000066" BORDERCOLORDARK="#FFFFFF" FRAME="BELOW" RULES="ROWS" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 692 WIDTH="598"><div> <B>May 24, 2003</B></div> <hr> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3b5965b0.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="91" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="2" VSPACE="0">On May 24, 2003 our small congregation held its first <I><B>Multi-family Yard Sale</B></I>, a special fundraising and community reaching event. The event took place at the Gales Ferry Community Center, and it included story telling and free gifts for the children, food, and other activities. With God's blessing, this event provided a great opportunity for fellowship and a good way to reach out to the community.</div> <bR> <div> The following is just a sample of the many comments we have heard as the entire congregation was "energized" by the activity, and especially by the perceived presence of the Lord. </div> <bR> <div> The community church yard sale was a great motivational and inspirational booster for me by seeing </div> <div> so many people coming out on a rainy day, but more so in the couple of people who took the </div> <div> opportunity to sit and talk a spell as they ate Dottie's delicious chili.  I heard many comments </div> <div> from people wanting to know more about our church and interested in how long we had been in the </div> <div> community.  I also believe we planted a 'large seed' on Saturday.  - <I>Felisa Spearman</I></div> <bR> <div> The forecast called for a heavy downpour all day - but it didn't even sprinkle in Gales Ferry until </div> <div> after 4 P.M. (The end of our sale)! A steady flow of people came to look, eat, enjoy Peg's story </div> <div> telling, and to buy. We collected close to $600.00 for the day (Exact count is $588.18). We gave </div> <div> gifts to the youngsters and to parents for young people in their families who were not with them </div> <div> (balloons, puzzles, hula hoops, etc.). Many new faces appeared at the Community Center and are now </div> <div> aware that "Living Hope Christian Fellowship" worships there on Sunday mornings. - <I>Jack Cotter</I></div> <bR> <div> I just want to say that God was with us all day at the yard sale. We all had been praying for decent </div> <div> weather all week so the yard sale would have a chance to succeed. Dottie worked so hard to get </div> <div> everything co-ordinated and ready for the sale. We all brought things from home to sell at the sale </div> <div> and we had lots and lots of variety and volume. Lots of people came and bought until we just had a </div> <div> few boxes of things left at 4pm. when we packed up and went home. The rain held off until exacty </div> <div> 4pm. Now you have to know that God had a hand in it all. Peg told wonderful stories all day to the </div> <div> kids, and everyone else did their share in making the day a real success. The people who came were </div> <div> very friendly and went off happily with their treasure finds. All in all, it was a great day and we </div> <div> thank God for being there with us and helping to make the day a success. - <I>Barbara Poitras</I></div> <bR> <div> What amazes me is how God takes a tiny seed and developes into a "blooming bush". Our small size </div> <div> didn't alter the high spirit that was shared with all. God's Holy Spirit was with us in a big way. </div> <div> The people of the community and from further away ,reacted to our "blooming hospitality". I was </div> <div> pleased with how God inspired the givers and the buyers,and how the inclement weather actually </div> <div> helped us. The prayers were answered and we thank God for His miracles. God blessed our, "HIS" event. - <I>Dorothy Maynard</I></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Copyright © 2003 Living Hope Christian Fellowship  -  All Rights Reserved</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>