10/31/2010

It’s been a busy couple of weeks at the Power House in Baltimore, Maryland.

It started out on Sunday, October 17, with Morning Worship. We had a good crowd that day, which included the return of a few people who hadn't been to church for some time. As a part of the service, we consecrated the balcony for the purposes of peace.

At Kids' Church that afternoon we learned about Nehemiah leading the people to build a wall around Jerusalem. The kids then had the challenge of using Legos to build a wall around me and the rug I was sitting on.

When Nick came in to the Celebration Service that night he shared some of his good news with me before sharing it with the congregation. Though he hadn't been trying to quit, he hadn't touched a cigarette since he'd gotten in the font to be baptized. He had tried unsuccessfully many times before but was now cigarette free for 5 weeks. To conclude the Celebration Service we shared in an especially good potluck dinner together.

88 kids participated in SonRisers that Wednesday morning. This despite the fact that the 6th and 7th grade classes, traditionally the core of our SonRisers participants, were on an overnight field trip.

We worked on the Peace Pavilion on and off throughout much of that day. This included a trip to IKEA to buy some area rugs (thanks to a contribution for that purpose), a visit with the principal at school 34 which concluded with setting up a schedule for her students' participation in the pavilion, and Joshua coming over at the end of the day to help move the last of the exercise equipment out of the way.

The Mid-Week Service started a little late that evening. This was because there was an anniversary party at the NA meeting. They had a buffet meal in celebration and were winding down just as the service was getting ready to start in the other room. We took a couple of minutes to help them clean up and get the back room shut down for the evening before starting our prayer time.

With the last of the equipment now downstairs, we took some time Thursday to put a fresh coat of paint on the steps to the balcony. Later that day I got cornered by a political candidate who was inappropriately seeking my endorsement for him to use in the community.

I was able to visit with the folks at the other school near the church on Friday. The teachers there had become disinterested in participating in the Peace Pavilion so I got some additional information in the principal's hands for their consideration.

That afternoon Patty from the Dundalk Congregation came by and we went to the airport. She and I were on the same flight to Cleveland together. We were going there for meetings with people throughout our mission field. We, along with several others from our area, spent the weekend in Ohio.

While I was out, Tamara and Robert were responsible for Pizza Church on Friday and Sundae Church on Saturday. Earl presided and Vonceil ran the AV equipment for a memorial service at the church on Saturday. Gloria presided and Earl brought the message for Morning Worship on Sunday while Bill Brian took the lead of the lesson and crafts at Kids' Church that afternoon.

Before leaving Ohio on Sunday, the Kramers from the Wadhams Grove Congregation in Michigan met up with us. They had filled their van with the Peacemobile items that were on loan to another congregation when we picked up the trailer there in August. Most of the supplies fit in Sarah's car and a couple bags of puppets went in Marian's back seat so that they could get reunited with the materials we had here in Pigtown. That night Sarah and I unloaded her car at the church.

I got a call from Marjorie on Tuesday. She said she was just a couple blocks from the church and had Halloween supplies for us. I met her at the church and received twelve dozen toothbrushes and nearly 100 tubes of toothpaste to hand out with our Halloween candy this weekend.

110 kids participated in SonRisers activities this Wednesday morning. Each week when kids come they are given a card with a scripture for the week on it. If they save them and bring in six different verses they can get a free T-shirt. We gave out our first T-shirt of the year this Wednesday.

Much of the rest of the morning and early afternoon was spent setting up the "Peace for Me" displays in the Peace Pavilion. Though a tight fit, we were able to set up 12 different learning centers focusing on the topic. I made a call to Michigan that night to make sure I had the right materials with each center. Though we have things generally arranged, we continue to make adjustments and organize some of the supplies. Pictures of the progress are posted at http://pigtownpeacepavilion.blogspot.com/.

That afternoon just before the NA meeting we had a major toilet malfunction in the men's room. Those who arrived to the meeting early had to walk through the puddles we were trying to mop up. Those who arrived late were greeted with a very strong smell of bleach.

Earl brought the Peacemobile puppets with him when he came to Mid-Week Service on Wednesday evening. He lives in the same retirement complex as Marian's mother so Marian had left them there with them.

We spent Thursday on paperwork. This included getting the newsletters for Kids' Church and Pizza Church written, printed, and ready to mail, as well as printing and distributing letters to the teachers for their preparation in bringing kids to the Peace Pavilion.

That evening we noticed quite a few more helicopters overhead than usual. We turned on the news and learned that there had been a shooting (which turned fatal) in front of a home where several members and friends live. We went by a little later to make sure everyone there was ok.

Since Halloween in on Sunday, the kids at school 34 had their annual Halloween parade through the neighborhood on Friday. This year, not only did I get to greet the school kids, I got to see Bryce play his trumpet as his school's marching band came to lead the parade.

While waiting for the parade to start I met up with a young adult who had been very active in church activities as a youth. He had just gotten out of jail on Thursday after a three month stay so he was getting his bearings and making plans to try to stay out of jail in the future.

Friday night brought Pizza Church. We had guests who were in town for the Medical Science and Healing Spirit workshop that Ron runs each year. They shared pictures and stories from some of the medical missions they'd been on in recent years.

Some folks used the church for a birthday party on Saturday afternoon. That evening we spent some time on detail work in the Peace Pavilion and preparing the front room of the church for Sunday night's trick-or-treat crowd.

Looking ahead to next week we have our full schedule of activities. In addition, Don Compier will be our guest speaker during Morning Worship on Sunday. We'll have some Peace Pavilion volunteer training after Morning Worship on Sunday. There'll be trick-or-treating at the church on Sunday evening. Newsletters go in Monday morning's mail. On Monday afternoon we're having a teacher in-service at school 34 in preparation for the teachers bringing children to the Peace Pavilion. First grade students will open the Peace Pavilion on Thursday morning. Next weekend Tamara will be participating in a Young Adult Retreat next weekend.

Along with the individuals and activities mentioned, please keep the following families in the forefront of your prayers:

The Meyers Family
The Squirrel Family
The Ruby Family
The Gray Family
The Lydick Family
The Graham Family
The Ayers Family
The Bonnett Family

Thank you for your continued prayer support.

Jeff and everyone at
The Power House
“Building the Kingdom of God Here and Now”
PowerHouseMD@Juno.com
www.pigtownchurch.org
http://thisweekatthepowerhouse.blogspot.com/