Thursday, November 09, 2006
Good Article on "Scientific" Criticism of Religion
Here's the link to the issue of "To the Source" that contains the article:
http://www.tothesource.org/11_8_2006/11_8_2006.htm
http://www.tothesource.org/11_8_2006/11_8_2006.htm
Friday, November 03, 2006
Survival of the Sacred
I thought this was interesting and so obtained permission from www.tothesourc.org to reprint it:
A group of leading atheists is very puzzled by the continued existence and vitality of religion. As biologist Richard Dawkins puts it in his new book The God Delusion, faith is a form of irrationality, what he terms a “virus of the mind.” Philosopher Daniel Dennett compares belief in God to belief in the Easter bunny. Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith and now Letter to a Christian Nation, professes amazement that hundreds of millions of people worldwide profess religious beliefs when there is no rational evidence for any of those beliefs. Biologist E.O. Wilson says there must be some evolutionary explanation for the universality and pervasiveness of religious belief.
Actually, there is. The Reverend Ron Carlson, a popular author and lecturer, sometimes presents his audience with two stories and asks them whether it matters which one is true. In the secular account, “You are the descendant of a tiny cell of primordial protoplasm washed up on an empty beach three and a half billion years ago. You are a mere grab-bag of atomic particles, a conglomeration of genetic substance. You exist on a tiny planet in a minute solar system in an empty corner of a meaningless universe. You came from nothing and are going nowhere.”
In the Christian view, by contrast, “You are the special creation of a good and all-powerful God. You are the climax of His creation. Not only is your kind unique, but you are unique among your kind. Your Creator loves you so much and so intensely desires your companionship and affection that He gave the life of His only son that you might spend eternity with him.”
Now imagine two groups of people—let’s call them the Secular Tribe and the Religious Tribe—who subscribe to these two worldviews. Which of the two tribes is more likely to survive, prosper and multiply? The religious tribe is made up of people who have an animating sense of purpose. The secular tribe is made up of people who are not sure why they exist at all. The religious tribe is composed of individuals who view their every thought and action as consequential. The secular tribe is made up of matter that cannot explain why it is able to think at all.
Should evolutionists like Dennett, Dawkins, Harris and Wilson be surprised, then, to see that religious tribes are flourishing around the world? Across the globe, religious faith is thriving and religious people are having more children. By contrast, atheist conventions only draw a handful of embittered souls, and the atheist lifestyle seems to produce listless tribes that cannot even reproduce themselves.
Russia is one of the most atheist countries in the world and there abortions outnumber live births by a ratio of two to one. Russia’s birth rate has fallen so low that the nation is now losing 700,000 people a year. Japan, perhaps the most secular country in Asia, is also on a kind of population diet: its 130 million people are expected to drop to around 100 million in the next few decades. And then there is Europe. The most secular continent on the globe is decadent in the quite-literal sense that its population is rapidly shrinking. Lacking the strong Christian identity that produced its greatness, atheist Europe seems to be a civilization on its way out. We have met Nietzsche’s “last man” and his name is Sven.
Traditionally scholars have tried to give an economic explanation for these trends. The general idea was that population was a function of affluence. Sociologists noted that as people and countries became richer, they had fewer children. Presumably primitive societies needed children to help in the fields, and more prosperous societies no longer did. From this perspective, religion was explained as a phenomenon of poverty, insecurity and fear, and many pundits predicted that with the spread of modernity and prosperity, religion would fade away.
The economic explanation is now being questioned. It was never all that plausible anyway. Undoubtedly poor people are more economically dependent on their children, but on the other hand, rich people can afford more children. Wealthy people in America today tend to have one child or none, but wealthy families in the past tended to have three or more children. The real difference is not merely in the level of income. The real difference is that in the past children were valued as gifts from God, and now they are viewed by many people as instruments of self-gratification. The old principle was “Be fruitful and multiply.” The new one is, “Have as many children as enhance your lifestyle.”
The prophets of the disappearance of religion seem to have proven themselves to be false prophets. Even though the world is becoming richer, religion seems to be getting stronger. The United States is the richest and most technologically advanced society in the world, and religion shows no signs of disappearing on these shores. China and India are growing in affluence, and the Chinese government is not exactly hospitable to religion, yet religious belief and practice continue to be strong in both countries. Europe’s best chance to grow in the future seems to be to import more religious Muslims. While Islam spreads in Europe and elsewhere, Christianity is spreading even faster in Africa, Asia and South America. Remarkably Christianity will soon become a non-Western religion with a minority presence among Europeans.
My conclusion is that it is not religion but atheism that requires a Darwinian explanation. It seems equally perplexing why nature would breed a group of people who see no purpose to life or the universe, indeed whose only moral drive seems to be sneering at their fellow human beings who do have a sense of purpose? Here is where the biological expertise of Dawkins and his friends could prove illuminating. Maybe they can turn their Darwinian lens on themselves and help us understand how atheism, like the human tailbone and the panda’s thumb, somehow survived as an evolutionary leftover of our primitive past.
by Dinesh D'Souza
tothesource.org
October 26, 2006
A group of leading atheists is very puzzled by the continued existence and vitality of religion. As biologist Richard Dawkins puts it in his new book The God Delusion, faith is a form of irrationality, what he terms a “virus of the mind.” Philosopher Daniel Dennett compares belief in God to belief in the Easter bunny. Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith and now Letter to a Christian Nation, professes amazement that hundreds of millions of people worldwide profess religious beliefs when there is no rational evidence for any of those beliefs. Biologist E.O. Wilson says there must be some evolutionary explanation for the universality and pervasiveness of religious belief.
Actually, there is. The Reverend Ron Carlson, a popular author and lecturer, sometimes presents his audience with two stories and asks them whether it matters which one is true. In the secular account, “You are the descendant of a tiny cell of primordial protoplasm washed up on an empty beach three and a half billion years ago. You are a mere grab-bag of atomic particles, a conglomeration of genetic substance. You exist on a tiny planet in a minute solar system in an empty corner of a meaningless universe. You came from nothing and are going nowhere.”
In the Christian view, by contrast, “You are the special creation of a good and all-powerful God. You are the climax of His creation. Not only is your kind unique, but you are unique among your kind. Your Creator loves you so much and so intensely desires your companionship and affection that He gave the life of His only son that you might spend eternity with him.”
Now imagine two groups of people—let’s call them the Secular Tribe and the Religious Tribe—who subscribe to these two worldviews. Which of the two tribes is more likely to survive, prosper and multiply? The religious tribe is made up of people who have an animating sense of purpose. The secular tribe is made up of people who are not sure why they exist at all. The religious tribe is composed of individuals who view their every thought and action as consequential. The secular tribe is made up of matter that cannot explain why it is able to think at all.
Should evolutionists like Dennett, Dawkins, Harris and Wilson be surprised, then, to see that religious tribes are flourishing around the world? Across the globe, religious faith is thriving and religious people are having more children. By contrast, atheist conventions only draw a handful of embittered souls, and the atheist lifestyle seems to produce listless tribes that cannot even reproduce themselves.
Russia is one of the most atheist countries in the world and there abortions outnumber live births by a ratio of two to one. Russia’s birth rate has fallen so low that the nation is now losing 700,000 people a year. Japan, perhaps the most secular country in Asia, is also on a kind of population diet: its 130 million people are expected to drop to around 100 million in the next few decades. And then there is Europe. The most secular continent on the globe is decadent in the quite-literal sense that its population is rapidly shrinking. Lacking the strong Christian identity that produced its greatness, atheist Europe seems to be a civilization on its way out. We have met Nietzsche’s “last man” and his name is Sven.
Traditionally scholars have tried to give an economic explanation for these trends. The general idea was that population was a function of affluence. Sociologists noted that as people and countries became richer, they had fewer children. Presumably primitive societies needed children to help in the fields, and more prosperous societies no longer did. From this perspective, religion was explained as a phenomenon of poverty, insecurity and fear, and many pundits predicted that with the spread of modernity and prosperity, religion would fade away.
The economic explanation is now being questioned. It was never all that plausible anyway. Undoubtedly poor people are more economically dependent on their children, but on the other hand, rich people can afford more children. Wealthy people in America today tend to have one child or none, but wealthy families in the past tended to have three or more children. The real difference is not merely in the level of income. The real difference is that in the past children were valued as gifts from God, and now they are viewed by many people as instruments of self-gratification. The old principle was “Be fruitful and multiply.” The new one is, “Have as many children as enhance your lifestyle.”
The prophets of the disappearance of religion seem to have proven themselves to be false prophets. Even though the world is becoming richer, religion seems to be getting stronger. The United States is the richest and most technologically advanced society in the world, and religion shows no signs of disappearing on these shores. China and India are growing in affluence, and the Chinese government is not exactly hospitable to religion, yet religious belief and practice continue to be strong in both countries. Europe’s best chance to grow in the future seems to be to import more religious Muslims. While Islam spreads in Europe and elsewhere, Christianity is spreading even faster in Africa, Asia and South America. Remarkably Christianity will soon become a non-Western religion with a minority presence among Europeans.
My conclusion is that it is not religion but atheism that requires a Darwinian explanation. It seems equally perplexing why nature would breed a group of people who see no purpose to life or the universe, indeed whose only moral drive seems to be sneering at their fellow human beings who do have a sense of purpose? Here is where the biological expertise of Dawkins and his friends could prove illuminating. Maybe they can turn their Darwinian lens on themselves and help us understand how atheism, like the human tailbone and the panda’s thumb, somehow survived as an evolutionary leftover of our primitive past.
by Dinesh D'Souza
tothesource.org
October 26, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
New Surgeon-General's Report on Second-Hand Smoke Released Today
On the basis of this new report, there is clearly only one safe way to relate to second-hand tobacco smoke: Don't! No level of exposure is safe. Smoking in any indoor space places non-smokers at risk. There is no ventilation system that can eliminate the risks. The conclusion is clear: Non-smokers cannot be around smokers while they are smoking anywhere in the building without hazarding their health.
This gives special significance to the Smokefree Kettering Campaign in which we have been participants. Clearly the City Council has a duty to protect all non-smokers from the very clearly proven hazards of second-hand tobacco smoke in all restaurants, workplaces, and public buildings. To fail to do so would be to neglect their responsibility for the welfare of the public, especially shameful when so many of the public are children.
We hope that the whole state of Ohio will go smokefree, but until it does, it is clearly the duty of the City of Kettering to protect its citizens. No one is trying to ban smoking or to deny smokers their rights. All that is being asked for is the right to not smoke - to not be exposed to a known health hazard when one goes to a restaurant or to work.
Why not contact your elected city officials and let them know how you feel?
To see the full report, click on the link or go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm
This gives special significance to the Smokefree Kettering Campaign in which we have been participants. Clearly the City Council has a duty to protect all non-smokers from the very clearly proven hazards of second-hand tobacco smoke in all restaurants, workplaces, and public buildings. To fail to do so would be to neglect their responsibility for the welfare of the public, especially shameful when so many of the public are children.
We hope that the whole state of Ohio will go smokefree, but until it does, it is clearly the duty of the City of Kettering to protect its citizens. No one is trying to ban smoking or to deny smokers their rights. All that is being asked for is the right to not smoke - to not be exposed to a known health hazard when one goes to a restaurant or to work.
Why not contact your elected city officials and let them know how you feel?
To see the full report, click on the link or go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Disaster Relief Needs
I just received this from Ohio Conference:
Pastors,
Last fall I indicated that the needs would continue to come infollowing Hurricane Katrina. They are doing that now. Below is what has come from the OHVOAD secretary. The Lord may lay it on your heart for you and your church to connect with some of these needs. I wanted you to have the full info.
Marwood
Subject: Priority Volunteer Needs
Hurricane/Tornado/Other Cleanup Priority Needs - April 12, 2006
Urgent Need - ROOFERS for Mississippi Gulf Coast
Until a home has a roof, nothing else can be done. Any repairs to the inside remain on hold until the blue tarps are gone and a solid roof is in.
Mississippi needs experienced roofing volunteers now. While there are manyvolunteers in the pipeline that can do interior work of all kinds, without the roof, everything else waits. One experienced roofer that can lay out a roof can supervise a team ofvolunteers to complete the work. If you can do this, contact Robert Sharp at umcoreast@bellsouth.net now.
Tennessee Tornadoes
TENNESSEE -
On April 2nd, severe storms spawned deadly tornadoes that led to multiple fatalities and severe damage in western Tennessee. Assessmentas to the need for early response teams has been done.
Certified EARLY RESPONSE TEAMS requested - from Daphne Moses, Memphis Conference UMVIM Coordinator 4/12/06
"Because the tornados hit in such rural areas of West Tennessee, the organization of relief has been very slow. Our own Memphis conference early response teams have been working since 2 days after the storms. We are asking for early response teams NOW in the Dyersburg, Tn area. We only need teams that have chain saws and/or equipment such as bobcats,4-wheelers, etc to move the debris to the right-away. It is estimated that these teams will be needed for the next 3-4 weeks. Team leaders should call Allen Burnett at 270-554-9405, aburn@comcast.net. Teams can stay in a UM church in Dyersburg, but will be responsible for their own meals."
Grenada
Rev. Cato of Grenada has asked us to share that disaster recovery teams continue to be needed on the island of Grenada after the devastation of Hurricane Ivan. Rebuilding and/or major repairing of churches, Manses, church schools, and island properties due to Hurricane Ivan. Most members of the seven local churches experienced damage to their homes and churches and schools owned by the Methodist church incurred major damage or complete devastation. To schedule a team, contact Rev. C. Stilson Cato, Superintendent Minister by calling 1-473-440-2129 (O & fax) or 1-473-406-8978 (cell) gmeth@caribsurf.com or juditha@caribsurf.com
Heart Butte reservation in Montana
There is an opening at the Heart Butte church for a mission team June14- 30 due to a recent cancellation. They also have openings Sept/Oct (they haven\'t had snow till the end of Oct. the last few years). They need to fill these spots ASAP. Please reply to love2trvl@imbris.com.
Burned Churches
With the recent news about burned churches in Alabama an issue that many thought was over has resurfaced. But the fact is arson has continued even when cluster burnings like those in West Alabama weren't making national news. One such church is Star Hill CME Church, Gloster, MS. Located in rural SW Mississippi, the church burned in Feb. 2003. There are some 50 active members. It is a 7000 sq ft. metal building and significant interior finishing is needed. The windows are in. A framing team is needed immediately, and additional teams are needed for completion of the interior. The only team scheduled in the immediate future is from Salem MissionaryBaptist Church of Fruitland, Tennessee, itself a church rebuilt from arson". Housing is available at the local National Guard Armory in Gloster. Rev.Donaldson is the contact for teams to the Mississippi Star Hill Church. Please give this need prayerful consideration. Contact: Rev. Daniel Donaldson, National Coalition for BurnedChurches - 731-784-5235 dwdonaldson@frontiernet.net
As the cluster of burned churches in West Alabama move into recovery, andif they request UMVIM teams, a message will be sent and also posted at www.umvim.org.
BELIZE SCHOOL:
Received from: Cam Collins, Belize Project Coordinator.The following need was sent previously but has had no response. Please consider this important project as you plan upcoming missions.The Methodist School Principa's cottage in Burrell Boom Village, (about half hour north of Belize City) burned to the ground. The Belize District needs 3-4 teams to provide "love and muscle" ASAP, essentially this is a start-over. Smaller teams are likely better than larger. Local journeymen will be available to supervise/assist. Details posted on www.belizemissions.org. Cam Collins, <cam_collins@topproducer.com>, Belize Project Coordinator,UMVIM / 800.494.0146, call after 6pm CST please
Pastors,
Last fall I indicated that the needs would continue to come infollowing Hurricane Katrina. They are doing that now. Below is what has come from the OHVOAD secretary. The Lord may lay it on your heart for you and your church to connect with some of these needs. I wanted you to have the full info.
Marwood
Subject: Priority Volunteer Needs
Hurricane/Tornado/Other Cleanup Priority Needs - April 12, 2006
Urgent Need - ROOFERS for Mississippi Gulf Coast
Until a home has a roof, nothing else can be done. Any repairs to the inside remain on hold until the blue tarps are gone and a solid roof is in.
Mississippi needs experienced roofing volunteers now. While there are manyvolunteers in the pipeline that can do interior work of all kinds, without the roof, everything else waits. One experienced roofer that can lay out a roof can supervise a team ofvolunteers to complete the work. If you can do this, contact Robert Sharp at umcoreast@bellsouth.net now.
Tennessee Tornadoes
TENNESSEE -
On April 2nd, severe storms spawned deadly tornadoes that led to multiple fatalities and severe damage in western Tennessee. Assessmentas to the need for early response teams has been done.
Certified EARLY RESPONSE TEAMS requested - from Daphne Moses, Memphis Conference UMVIM Coordinator 4/12/06
"Because the tornados hit in such rural areas of West Tennessee, the organization of relief has been very slow. Our own Memphis conference early response teams have been working since 2 days after the storms. We are asking for early response teams NOW in the Dyersburg, Tn area. We only need teams that have chain saws and/or equipment such as bobcats,4-wheelers, etc to move the debris to the right-away. It is estimated that these teams will be needed for the next 3-4 weeks. Team leaders should call Allen Burnett at 270-554-9405, aburn@comcast.net. Teams can stay in a UM church in Dyersburg, but will be responsible for their own meals."
Grenada
Rev. Cato of Grenada has asked us to share that disaster recovery teams continue to be needed on the island of Grenada after the devastation of Hurricane Ivan. Rebuilding and/or major repairing of churches, Manses, church schools, and island properties due to Hurricane Ivan. Most members of the seven local churches experienced damage to their homes and churches and schools owned by the Methodist church incurred major damage or complete devastation. To schedule a team, contact Rev. C. Stilson Cato, Superintendent Minister by calling 1-473-440-2129 (O & fax) or 1-473-406-8978 (cell) gmeth@caribsurf.com or juditha@caribsurf.com
Heart Butte reservation in Montana
There is an opening at the Heart Butte church for a mission team June14- 30 due to a recent cancellation. They also have openings Sept/Oct (they haven\'t had snow till the end of Oct. the last few years). They need to fill these spots ASAP. Please reply to love2trvl@imbris.com.
Burned Churches
With the recent news about burned churches in Alabama an issue that many thought was over has resurfaced. But the fact is arson has continued even when cluster burnings like those in West Alabama weren't making national news. One such church is Star Hill CME Church, Gloster, MS. Located in rural SW Mississippi, the church burned in Feb. 2003. There are some 50 active members. It is a 7000 sq ft. metal building and significant interior finishing is needed. The windows are in. A framing team is needed immediately, and additional teams are needed for completion of the interior. The only team scheduled in the immediate future is from Salem MissionaryBaptist Church of Fruitland, Tennessee, itself a church rebuilt from arson". Housing is available at the local National Guard Armory in Gloster. Rev.Donaldson is the contact for teams to the Mississippi Star Hill Church. Please give this need prayerful consideration. Contact: Rev. Daniel Donaldson, National Coalition for BurnedChurches - 731-784-5235 dwdonaldson@frontiernet.net
As the cluster of burned churches in West Alabama move into recovery, andif they request UMVIM teams, a message will be sent and also posted at www.umvim.org.
BELIZE SCHOOL:
Received from: Cam Collins, Belize Project Coordinator.The following need was sent previously but has had no response. Please consider this important project as you plan upcoming missions.The Methodist School Principa's cottage in Burrell Boom Village, (about half hour north of Belize City) burned to the ground. The Belize District needs 3-4 teams to provide "love and muscle" ASAP, essentially this is a start-over. Smaller teams are likely better than larger. Local journeymen will be available to supervise/assist. Details posted on www.belizemissions.org. Cam Collins, <cam_collins@topproducer.com>, Belize Project Coordinator,UMVIM / 800.494.0146, call after 6pm CST please
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Desmond Doss Dies
Desmond T. Doss Dies at 87
Desmond T. Doss, the only person to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for noncombat achievements in World War II and the first conscientious objector to receive the medal died Thursday at the age of 87.
Doss, a longtime North Georgia resident, died in Piedmont, Alabama, where he had lived for the past two years. Doss was born Feb. 7, 1919, in Lynchburg, Va. The Seventh Day Adventist was serving as a medic in the Army's 77th Infantry Division on May 5, 1945, when he helped approximately 75 wounded soldiers escape capture on the island of Okinawa under Japanese attack.
Doss often told interviewers that his religious convictions required strict adherence to God's law, including the Sixth Commandment, Thou shalt not kill. Still, Doss was a patriotic American who wanted to serve his country. In 1942 Doss enlisted and was given conscientious objector status. He refused to carry a weapon and to perform duties on the Adventist Sabbath of Saturday. For his bravery Doss received the military's highest award, the Medal of Honor from President Harry S. Truman on Oct. 12, 1945. The Army had estimated the number of men Doss saved at 100, while Doss modestly stated it was closer to 50. The Army eventually settled on 75, which is stated on the citation.
Doss is the subject of a 2004 documentary "The Conscientious Objector," produced by Terry Benedict, a Santa Monica film producer and Seventh Day Adventist. More information on the film can be found at www.desmonddoss.com. The award-winning film is rumored to be the inspiration for a forthcoming theatrical movie based on Doss's life. In 1990, a section of Ga. 2 between U.S. 27 and Ga. 193 near Fort Oglethorpe was named the Desmond T. Doss Medal of Honor Highway. Channel 3 news anchor David Carroll emceed the dedication ceremony, and remembers Doss as "a quiet patriot who inspired by example rather than words." Carroll met Doss in the 1980's at the opening of the Medal of Honor Museum in Chattanooga. He said Doss "was always very generous in sharing his story and memorabilia so that future generations would understand his beliefs and motivations." Doss was among the soldiers profiled in WRCB's Veterans History Project, which ran from 2002 until 2005. Doss's story, along with hundreds of others, is now included in the Library of Congress.
Doss is survived by his wife Frances and son Desmond T. Doss Jr.
Funeral services will be Saturday, April 1, at the Collegedale Seventh Day Adventist Church
Graveside burial services will be Monday April 3 at the National Cemetery in Chattanooga.
Visitation will be announced by Heritage Funeral Home in Fort Oglethorpe.
Desmond T. Doss, the only person to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for noncombat achievements in World War II and the first conscientious objector to receive the medal died Thursday at the age of 87.
Doss, a longtime North Georgia resident, died in Piedmont, Alabama, where he had lived for the past two years. Doss was born Feb. 7, 1919, in Lynchburg, Va. The Seventh Day Adventist was serving as a medic in the Army's 77th Infantry Division on May 5, 1945, when he helped approximately 75 wounded soldiers escape capture on the island of Okinawa under Japanese attack.
Doss often told interviewers that his religious convictions required strict adherence to God's law, including the Sixth Commandment, Thou shalt not kill. Still, Doss was a patriotic American who wanted to serve his country. In 1942 Doss enlisted and was given conscientious objector status. He refused to carry a weapon and to perform duties on the Adventist Sabbath of Saturday. For his bravery Doss received the military's highest award, the Medal of Honor from President Harry S. Truman on Oct. 12, 1945. The Army had estimated the number of men Doss saved at 100, while Doss modestly stated it was closer to 50. The Army eventually settled on 75, which is stated on the citation.
Doss is the subject of a 2004 documentary "The Conscientious Objector," produced by Terry Benedict, a Santa Monica film producer and Seventh Day Adventist. More information on the film can be found at www.desmonddoss.com. The award-winning film is rumored to be the inspiration for a forthcoming theatrical movie based on Doss's life. In 1990, a section of Ga. 2 between U.S. 27 and Ga. 193 near Fort Oglethorpe was named the Desmond T. Doss Medal of Honor Highway. Channel 3 news anchor David Carroll emceed the dedication ceremony, and remembers Doss as "a quiet patriot who inspired by example rather than words." Carroll met Doss in the 1980's at the opening of the Medal of Honor Museum in Chattanooga. He said Doss "was always very generous in sharing his story and memorabilia so that future generations would understand his beliefs and motivations." Doss was among the soldiers profiled in WRCB's Veterans History Project, which ran from 2002 until 2005. Doss's story, along with hundreds of others, is now included in the Library of Congress.
Doss is survived by his wife Frances and son Desmond T. Doss Jr.
Funeral services will be Saturday, April 1, at the Collegedale Seventh Day Adventist Church
Graveside burial services will be Monday April 3 at the National Cemetery in Chattanooga.
Visitation will be announced by Heritage Funeral Home in Fort Oglethorpe.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Appeal for help in humanitarian work
I recently received this request for help from the Columbia Union. If you are interested, call the church office. (To protect people's privacy, we won't put names and numbers on the web.)
R.W. is a student from La Sierra University who is volunteering in Mississippi with Katrina recovery activities as field director of WeCare Katrina. Their program is focused on utilizing youth groups and church groups that come in to help with house gutting (taking everything out of a house, down to its studs), debris removal, and a relief center that distributes in-kind donations such as groceries, cleaning supplies, furniture, etc. "We provide them with accommodation, food, work, transportation, and a general program," Chelle says.
Her most immediate need is an assistant, "another staff member to help with the program. Basically I am looking for someone who is reliable, who is comfortable in a managerial position, who can get things done, is practical, and is able/willing to work from the 26th of Feb to the 5th of April (if push comes to shove, they can come a few days later, but we would prefer those dates). It would be a very versatile position - they would basically just help run a program that sometimes brings in over 150 volunteers a week. They would be getting room and board paid for, they would get a stipend, basic medical coverage, etc."
She is also looking for youth groups, school groups and church groups (adults or mixed) and individual volunteers, especially in April, May and June. "If you know of anyone who may fit this position or is interested in humanitarian work
... Monte Sahlin
R.W. is a student from La Sierra University who is volunteering in Mississippi with Katrina recovery activities as field director of WeCare Katrina. Their program is focused on utilizing youth groups and church groups that come in to help with house gutting (taking everything out of a house, down to its studs), debris removal, and a relief center that distributes in-kind donations such as groceries, cleaning supplies, furniture, etc. "We provide them with accommodation, food, work, transportation, and a general program," Chelle says.
Her most immediate need is an assistant, "another staff member to help with the program. Basically I am looking for someone who is reliable, who is comfortable in a managerial position, who can get things done, is practical, and is able/willing to work from the 26th of Feb to the 5th of April (if push comes to shove, they can come a few days later, but we would prefer those dates). It would be a very versatile position - they would basically just help run a program that sometimes brings in over 150 volunteers a week. They would be getting room and board paid for, they would get a stipend, basic medical coverage, etc."
She is also looking for youth groups, school groups and church groups (adults or mixed) and individual volunteers, especially in April, May and June. "If you know of anyone who may fit this position or is interested in humanitarian work
... Monte Sahlin
Thursday, January 26, 2006
News from Canvasback - and a Request
I just received this from Jacque Spence. Not only does it remind us of the providence of God, but it invites us into an opportunity to serve others. [David VanDenburgh]
I don’t know about you, but sometimes it seems to me like God’s timing is anything BUT perfect. In March, we will be sending a team of Christian youth to Kosrae to repair the SDA church as well as dental and eye teams to serve needy patients in the Kosrae Hospital. God’s leading was very evident in the planning of this mission, which was scheduled months ago. Key to the logistics of the mission, however, was locating a warehouse where we could gather and load supplies and building materials for shipping. When none of our usual contacts came through, we prayed about the need for a warehouse. Several months passed with no answer, and my faith began turning to worry. Would God provide a warehouse in time? Finally, last Monday I pled with God, “You know how badly we need a warehouse, and we need it NOW. PLEASE DO SOMETHING!” Just then the name Norm Koerner popped into my head. Norm was our first landlord when we moved our headquarters to Benicia 20 years ago, but I hadn’t spoken to him for some time. So I called him up and told him about our plight. Funny, he said, he had a warehouse that he’d been trying unsuccessfully to rent out for months. “I think Someone has been saving it for you,” he said. The warehouse turned out to be everything we needed: spacious, surrounded by a secure fence, and more than able to accommodate a 40-foot container for loading. So now we have a warehouse and a container but we still need a lot of additional items to fill that container. In addition to building supplies, we have a list of basic items need by the church and school:
Pulpit
Communion table
Piano
SDA Bible textbooks
70 NIV Pathfinder Bibles
Globes and maps for classrooms
Student desks (50-60)
Teacher desks
Chairs
Furniture for the school apartments (couch, chairs, tables)
Washing machine
Microwave
Small freezer
Vacuum cleaner
Sewing machine
Chainsaw
Jumper cables
Hard drives, Dell compatible – 10 GB or better
Volleyball net & volleyballs
Basketball hoops & basketballs
Ironing Board
Weed eater
Some of these items seem so simple and mundane, but out in those remote islands they are precious. I want to make sure that the container is filled to overflowing with these treasures. If is the Lord is moving your heart to donate either items or cash to purchase the items, please don’t delay! The container is scheduled to ship at the end of this month, so that gives us little time to work. I must admit that I’m a slow learner. I’m still a bit worried that we won’t have everything we need by the time the ship leaves at the end of this month. Will God’s timing once again be perfect? Stay tuned...
Jacque Spence
Founder/Executive Vice-President
PS: Another 40-foot ocean container will soon be headed for the Marshall islands. We need to put two vehicles in that container for use by Canvasback missionaries on Majuro, the main island. Since cars there rust out before they wear out, vehicles with about 100,000 miles are appropriate. We need a small sedan for our Clinic Director and a minivan, station wagon or small SUV for our Health Educator and her family of three. If you can help, please call us at (800) 793-7245. Thank you!
I don’t know about you, but sometimes it seems to me like God’s timing is anything BUT perfect. In March, we will be sending a team of Christian youth to Kosrae to repair the SDA church as well as dental and eye teams to serve needy patients in the Kosrae Hospital. God’s leading was very evident in the planning of this mission, which was scheduled months ago. Key to the logistics of the mission, however, was locating a warehouse where we could gather and load supplies and building materials for shipping. When none of our usual contacts came through, we prayed about the need for a warehouse. Several months passed with no answer, and my faith began turning to worry. Would God provide a warehouse in time? Finally, last Monday I pled with God, “You know how badly we need a warehouse, and we need it NOW. PLEASE DO SOMETHING!” Just then the name Norm Koerner popped into my head. Norm was our first landlord when we moved our headquarters to Benicia 20 years ago, but I hadn’t spoken to him for some time. So I called him up and told him about our plight. Funny, he said, he had a warehouse that he’d been trying unsuccessfully to rent out for months. “I think Someone has been saving it for you,” he said. The warehouse turned out to be everything we needed: spacious, surrounded by a secure fence, and more than able to accommodate a 40-foot container for loading. So now we have a warehouse and a container but we still need a lot of additional items to fill that container. In addition to building supplies, we have a list of basic items need by the church and school:
Pulpit
Communion table
Piano
SDA Bible textbooks
70 NIV Pathfinder Bibles
Globes and maps for classrooms
Student desks (50-60)
Teacher desks
Chairs
Furniture for the school apartments (couch, chairs, tables)
Washing machine
Microwave
Small freezer
Vacuum cleaner
Sewing machine
Chainsaw
Jumper cables
Hard drives, Dell compatible – 10 GB or better
Volleyball net & volleyballs
Basketball hoops & basketballs
Ironing Board
Weed eater
Some of these items seem so simple and mundane, but out in those remote islands they are precious. I want to make sure that the container is filled to overflowing with these treasures. If is the Lord is moving your heart to donate either items or cash to purchase the items, please don’t delay! The container is scheduled to ship at the end of this month, so that gives us little time to work. I must admit that I’m a slow learner. I’m still a bit worried that we won’t have everything we need by the time the ship leaves at the end of this month. Will God’s timing once again be perfect? Stay tuned...
Jacque Spence
Founder/Executive Vice-President
PS: Another 40-foot ocean container will soon be headed for the Marshall islands. We need to put two vehicles in that container for use by Canvasback missionaries on Majuro, the main island. Since cars there rust out before they wear out, vehicles with about 100,000 miles are appropriate. We need a small sedan for our Clinic Director and a minivan, station wagon or small SUV for our Health Educator and her family of three. If you can help, please call us at (800) 793-7245. Thank you!
