for Mid-Hudson Love INC’s 2nd Annual Cookie Walk on Saturday, March 27th. Bakers are needed to bake 4-5 dozen (or more!) home-made, specialty cookies. We would also like to have a couple of volunteers to coordinate delivery of the cookies to Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church on Friday, March 26th between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. People are also needed to help at the event: set up Friday from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. and during the day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Sign-up sheets are at the Welcome Kiosk in the Fellowship Hall. CONTACT Karen Gomba  for further information or visit www.mid-hudsonloveinc.org.

This is a great way to find out more about the organization and its wonderful ministries. It will be held on Sunday, March 14th from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Fishkill. It’s a casual drop-in Open House with tours of the Personal Care Pantry every 15 minutes, and light refreshments available. The Annual Meeting at 4:15 will include inspiring testimony and exciting challenges, and if you’ve been volunteering and have not been to a training session, or you’re open to becoming a Love INC volunteer, join us at 3:15 or 4:45 for one of our Volunteer Orientation sessions. CONTACT Karen Gomba for further information or visit www.mid-hudsonloveinc.org.

There are some additional ways that you can contribute to our CMP ministry, besides actually working on homes. Please consider volunteering to help with one of these positions:

 Expense Tracking Coordinator– work with our site leads to keep track of our onsite expenditures, fill out expense forms, make sure receipts are turned in, and report to the CMP team on expenses for each site.

Lunch Coordinator:  - make sure that the work teams have lunch provided

Donated Material Coordinator - keep track of what has been donated or offered to CMP in terms of materials, appliances, cars, etc. and where they are.

Site Evaluator- do technical evaluations of work to be done on new site applications

Visitor Coordinator - make sure we have a visitor for each new site. CMP visitors are people who go to new sites to spend time with and listen to the resident.

 Sign up on your Connection Card. If you have any questions, please CONTACT Karen Gomba or Kevin Warren.

If you are interested in helping us get ready for VBS, please join us Wednesday mornings at 10:00 in Room H. Save the week of August 16th – 20th for Sonquest Rainforest VBS! CONTACT Sheryle Silvern at s.silvern@hrcrca.org

If you have ever thought of singing with the Chancel Choir, you are welcome ! We will begin rehearsing beautiful music for Lent and Easter very soon. This is a good time just to try it out, no big commitment needed. We would love to have you ! The choir rehearses Thursdays 7 to 8:30. If you would like more information, contact Edwina Pratt or Sherri Hondorp.  Sign up on the Connection card!

Do you love parties? Like to organize fun events? Then have we got a place for you! The HRC Events Team is getting ready to plan for 2010, and would love to have your input on ideas that would bring us together for fellowship outside of our Sunday services. For more information, CONTACT Linda Smith or Barbara Cassaro

Can you commit to one two-hour time slot per month (day of your choice) to serve the Lord by visiting Mid-Hudson Love INC clients? We are in need of site visit teams, to visit clients prior to making furniture deliveries. Please go to www.mid-hudsonloveinc.org and click on News/Events for more information and consider whether you or someone you know might be able to help with this important ministry. We rejoice that God has given us the privilege of serving Him, for Jesus tells us, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

The Odyssey choir meets the third Tuesday of each month under the direction of Lynn and Wayne Morrison. Our next gathering is Jan. 19th at 7:00 at the Arlington Reformed Church parsonage, 129 Ray Blvd.There are several Odyssey activities needing volunteers:

An Odyssey Bible Study will be led by Pastor Steve Dambra and will meet the first Tuesday of each month. The first session will be on February 2nd.

As a response to God’s love for us, everyone attending Odyssey works on a service project or activity as part of the worship service. If you have ideas for service projects or enjoy creating simple activities, we need you!

For further information on any of these opportunities or to receive Odyssey emails, please CONTACT Chris Snider.

The Chancel choir will begin rehearsing Christmas music each Thursday until Christmas Eve from 7:00 – 7:45 pm in the Music Room. We would like to invite all who would like to join us (including high school students) for the season. We are participating in the 6:30 and 8:30 Christmas Eve services. Even if you are unable to do both services, they are identical so you can choose whichever service fits your schedule. CONTACT Edwina Pratt

This month we honor Sara Irvin with our game ball. Sara has been active with our Women’s Guild, the Hopewell Chorale, singing at the local nursing homes and most recently served as a Stephen Minister leader. Thanks, Sara, for all that you do in the name of Christ