School Supplies

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT THIS YEAR! The reality of social/economic inequality affords another opportunity to meet mutual needs within our community. Students are beginning to collect school supplies to be given to local elementary school students whose families have difficulty providing them with the necessary items. You donated to Westlawn Elementary school!

WE PROVIDED MUCH NEEDED SUPPLIES INCLUDING

Pencils • Pens • Erasers • Pencil Boxes

Glue Sticks • Elmer’s Glue • Safety Scissors • Rulers

Notebook Paper • Spiral Notebooks • Composition Books

Crayons (24-packs) • Markers • Highlighters

This is another tangible need that we can help to meet, and by doing so, we feel good! That reward is God’s voice speaking to you!

 

Joint NBMBC/UBC Vacation Bible School Report

A wonderful experience was had by all who attended our first Joint VBS of the New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church and the United Baptist Church. We met for 4 evenings with an attendance of approximately 30 people (15 students and 15 adults) most of those nights.

Each evening began with a delicious meal, followed by an all- ages opening program. Our theme was “Living Upside Down” and both the student and adult Bible studies focused on the same material each night. The object of our studies was to encourage the students to live as Christ taught rather than the way the world teaches.

For example, our lesson on non-violence taught about loving our enemies and doing good to those who hate us. We learned, that even though his disciples responded to Jesus’ enemies with violence, Jesus responded with love, healing the servant whose ear Peter had cut off when Jesus was arrested in the Garden.

Our students also had memory verses to learn each night; 7 of our 15 students were able to repeat all 4 memory verses on the last night of Bible School. The younger students had crafts each night, while the teens had one craft project.

Each night we gathered for a closing time, during which we talked about our theme and prayed for people related to the evening’s theme. Each person attending Bible School, adults and students, got a leaf to place on our “upside down” olive tree and picked someone or something to pray for. On our “non-violence” night, we each prayed for an enemy.

Our time together was a big success and new friendships and relationships were established between our two congregations. It was a privilege to be a part of this outreach ministry, and I look forward to working together again in the future.                                        ……Twyla Turner

 

Box Tops for Education Mission Project

The Youth of UBC are still collecting “box tops” for their on-going mission project. This project doesn’t cost anyone anything, except a minute of your time. All you need to do is to check on the labels or boxes of items that you normally purchase to see if they have a pink “Box Tops for Education” label. If so, just cut the label off of the item and bring it to church any time. There is a pink box in the Fellowship Hall, in which to drop the labels. Each label we collect is worth $.10 to the school that receives it. The labels can be used to purchase playground equipment, supplies, or computers for the school which turns them in. We are currently collecting for the Amerikids Preschool located in our church building.

 

Hygiene Kits for the Homeless

Our Students continue to collect travel size soaps, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste and toothbrushes to make hygiene kits for distribution at the Bailey’s Crossroads Shelter. Please remember to collect these items at hotels when you are traveling and bring them back to donate for our project. Thank you for helping us help our less fortunate neighbors.

PROJECTS (SOME PHOTOS ABOVE)

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“SOUPER BOWL OF CARING” in February! We delivered a dozen bags of non-perishables to ACCA Food Pantry, thanks to the church members and the Girl Scouts! Thank you for demonstrating kindness and generosity!

 

December/January

ACCA Winter Outerwear Clothing Collection: Thank you for contributing gently used coats, scarves, hats and gloves for distribution to local day laborers, children and adults through ACCA. We are collecting again this year! 

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Reverse Advent Calendar Bags - Thank you for your support! We had many bags of goodies that were sorted by the Students for delivery to ACCA Food Pantry and Baileys Crossroads Homeless Shelter. Advent is a version of the Latin word meaning “coming.” It is a season at the beginning of the Christian calendar every year that many Christian churches observe as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

 

You have heard of Advent calendars where each day you open a window for a surprise picture or in some cases a piece of chocolate. The calendar helps to build the excitement as we count down to the greatest gift the world has ever received – the birth of Jesus, which we celebrate December 25th each year.

 

This year, the Student Ministry challenged you to consider preparing for the commemoration of the birth of Jesus by using a “Reverse Advent Calendar Bag.” A Reverse Advent Calendar Bag is the idea of instead of receiving a surprise or small gift each day of Advent, you fill a shopping sized bag with small practical gifts for someone in need.

 

Rev. Turner found most of the items for her bag in her house; some items were purchased affordably. Some bags were more personal with non-perishable foods, clothing or hygiene items; they were distributed in our local community through the Baileys Crossroads Shelter or ACCA Food Pantry, depending on their contents. 

 

September 2017

A letter of gratitude received:

Dear Ms. Carole, Ms. T.. Mr. Tom & United Baptist Church Youth ladies;

On behalf of the Nurturing Parenting Program I would like to tell you how grateful we are for the wonderful spaghetti dinner with salad and garlic bread you provided to us Monday night (September 25, 2017) during the parenting program at Fairfax Church of Christ. It was absolutely delicious. Also, it was so smoothly and "effortlessly" done -- it's clear you are real professionals at doing such things. Again, thank you for the incredible dinner and the brownies for dessert as it was done with finesse! We at the Nurturing Parenting Program -- as well as the families attending the program -- are very appreciative of all your support.

We hope to see all of you again soon for another delicious dinner and gathering.

Sincerely,

Debi Hackney Birney

Fairfax County Department of Family Services

Nurturing Parenting Program