Fa Ho Cha Circle Minutes

Fa Ho Cha Mission Circle met at Elliott Ave. Baptist Church for its April meeting.

President Laura Winch called the meeting to order. She shared thoughts from Vital Woman magazine which raised the questions, Could they need me to magnify the Lord? Could it be that through life's everyday living, how I react to problems....I witness? She shared stories about people who just sat and listened, people who had time for others and concluded with the question again, could it be by just being me, I an really serving you?

The minutes of the March meeting were approved as printed.

Treasurer Hazelmary Lawson reported a working balance of $148.05. The items yet to be paid are the White Cross Overseas Cash Quota of $192.00 and a $12.00 subscription to the Vital Woman magazine.

Love Gift and Special Project Associate Beverly Berry reported the yearly (Jan. through March) total given to Love Gift is $140.61. The amount given so far to the Special Project totals $353. Beverly shared a Love Gift Dedication prepared by her mother Mildred Maulding, using Helen Keller as an example of how Love came and set her soul free. Once she had fretted and beat herself against the wall that shut her in---Her life was without a past or future and she actually looked forward to death. But a little word from the fingers of another fell into her hands and her heart leaped up. She didn't know the meaning of darkness but she learned to overcome it. So with our gifts of love to our Love Gift Offering, others may be touched and come to know Christ through works and deeds done by those in our American Baptist Convention.

Coordinator of Mission and Service Ministries Fran Greenfield shared a handout with stories and poems from Missionary Kids (MK) with the basic theme, "God Cares for Us In Many Different Ways", an article about how MK,'s Anna Perkins and Rachel Fox helped with the Tsunami relief efforts and news of a transforming mission encounter when ministers from the GRR and Costa Rica worked together in B Salvador. She included Sharon Farral's Ripples article which told about MPT and MPN (Missionary Partnership Teams and Missionary Partnership Networks), updates on a number of our missionaries and the urgent needs for Gifts of the Heart School and Health kits following the Tsunami tragedy.

Coordinator of Church and Community Ministries Shirley Hayden reminded us of the following:

CWU Spring Friendship Day will be at Emmanuel Temple Church of God on April 29th at 1:00 p.m.
The theme is, "Living in the Light...True Friends are Salt and Light". We are encouraged to take Baby Layettes and the Fellowship of the Least Coin offering to this Celebration.
CWU Annual Meeting/Luncheon will be at St. John's Lutheran on May 26th at 12 noon. The speaker will be Brenda Eheart from Hope Meadows in Rantoul. Springfield CWU will be celebrating their 60 anniversary at this event.
ABW Ministries Spring Rally will be tomorrow, April 19 at Carrolton Mt. Gilead
Linda Moser needs people to help with VBS the week of July 18- 22.

Unfinished Business

We need someone to serve as Secretary. There were no volunteers.

New Business and Announcements:

Our next meeting will be May l6th with Sandy King, Charlotte Meyer and Darlene Bee as hostesses. Laura Winch will have the program.

The Ladies Aid Rummage sale will be April 21, 22 and 23. The sale will begin at 5:30 on Thursday, April 21 and sandwiches will be served. The sale will begin at 7:30 a.m. on the 22^nd and 23^rd and food will be served at lunchtime. There will be a plant sale as well to raise funds for Mission trips.

Elliott Ave. will host the Springfield Children's Choir at a Fellowship event on Saturday, May 14, at 6:30 p.m. There will be cookies, coffee and punch following the performance.

The Pepsi Company is sponsoring a Benefit for Kim Moser and Kathy Geist on May 14^th at the Anchor Boat Club. Cost of the tickets are $10.00.

The Fellowship Ministry will have an All Church Birthday Party on June 11, with dinner and fun and games. The business meeting was adjourned.

Jean Livingstone presented the program about her travels in Spain and Portugal. She shared about the people, the churches, their natural resources and their currency. She concluded with a video about Samuel Escobar and another missionary's work in Spain.

Marge Estrop conducted an Installation Service for our newly elected officers, President Laura Winch and Coordinator of Personal Development Jean Livingstone, using the theme of keeping balance in our lives. She gave them each a tulip, challenging them that even as new growth bursts forth each spring, growing takes place in us as well. She closed with a prayer of dedication.

Hostesses Linda Moser and Jean Livingstone served refreshments and a time of fellowship followed.

Nancy Davison, Secretary