Indiana & Kentucky

Follow the Kits to New Windsor, Maryland in November

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:23:39 -0500

Join our work team as we travel to New Windsor, Maryland, to help prepare CWS kits for shipment to wherever needed, and assist SERRV by preparing hand crafted items for resale.

Kits trip flier (PDF file 103 Kb)

2007 Caring Congregation banner winners

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:02:55 -0500

Congratulations to our Caring Congregation Banner winners for 2007. These congregations in Indiana and Kentucky have registered their average worship attendance with the CWS Regional Office, sent their funds in calendar year 2007, averaged at least $5 per attendee, and submitted a banner award application form to the regional office. The top ten churches in each state receive a banner. To register your attendance, request an Awards form from the IN-KY Regional Office.

Kentucky Top Ten (banners first awarded 12 years ago)
Ranking	Avg per Attendee	Congregation
1	$ 21.47	First Christian, Versailles	10th banner
2	11.49	Woodland Christian, Lexington	8th banner
3	8.75	Walton Christian, Walton	2nd banner
4	7.81	First Christian, Paducah	8th banner
5	7.25	First Christian, Georgetown	4th banner
6	6.30	First Christian, Frankfort	8th banner
7	6.24	Zion United Church of Christ, Owensboro	7th banner
8	6.13	Fairview Christian, Louisville	1st banner
9	5.55	First Christian, Paris	1st banner
10	5.34	Flemingsburg Christian, Flemingsburg	4th banner

Indiana Top Ten (banners first awarded 17 years ago)
Ranking	Avg per Attendee	Congregation
1	$ 59.10	Maple Grove UMC, Auburn	13th banner
2	37.35	New Lisbon Christian, Union City	11th banner
3	23.50	Charlestown Christian, Charlestown	4th banner
4	21.97	Prince of Peace CoB, South Bend	14th banner
5	14.68	Bethany UMC, Fort Wayne	3rd banner
6	11.75	Wolcott Christian, Wolcott	2nd banner
7	11.55	North Liberty CoB, North Liberty	7th banner
8	10.75	Goshen City CoB, Goshen	7th banner
9	9.64	Rural Friends, Union City	5th banner
10	9.39	First Christian, Peru	1st banner

Visit CWS on our online networks

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:18:54 -0500

Church World Service has a MySpace page: http://myspace.com/cwscrop. We encourage you to explore the page and point others there, and if you already have a MySpace profile of your own, become a "friend" and spread the word.

CWS has created a "group" at www.Facebook.com. If you are a Facebook member, we hope you'll search for our group (Church World Service) and join it--and invite your friends!

We've also consolidated our YouTube presence at http://youtube.com/churchworldservice and created a "playlist" for CROP Hunger Walk videos that have been created by folks across the U.S. Take a look and become a subscriber.

Lastly, people can now download a variety of CWS banners and buttons for their own website, blog, or profile at http://www.churchworldservice.org/buttons.

Thanks for passing the word!

Circle of Hope Regional Newsletter

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:11:54 -0500

News from our regional office, available as a PDF to print out and distribute.

Step by Step Fall 2007

2007-08 Kits Project: School Kits

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:55:05 -0500

The 2007-08 regional kit project is focusing on School Kits. Delivery instructions (May 2-14) have been mailed to all those who have pledged resources this year. If we missed you, download the instructions below.

2008 School Kit Delivery Instructions (PDF file 293 Kb)

To complete 3,000 kits, we still need a few items (blunt scissors, spiral or cloth bound ruled paper, and supporting funds). The details are on the schedule and volunteer form linked below. We are also accepting requests from those who want to help assemble kits May 9-22. Download the schedule and volunteer form below.

2008 Assembly promo plus needs (PDF file 112 Kb)

Simple Design for CWS School Bag (PDF file 63 Kb)

Hartman Mischler Award

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:40:57 -0500

Annabel Hartman

Annabel Hartman of Indianapolis was selected by the Regional Advisory Board to receive the Marvin Mishler Lifetime Service Award. Annabel was recognized for her long years of dedication to Church World Service. She has not only maintained a high level of activity in CROP WALKS personally, but she has raised a CROP family as well! All of her children provide leadership in CROP WALKS in their own communities, and one, Howard, is Regional Director of CWS-Texas. Annabel and her late husband Grover were named to the Indiana CWS/CROP Pioneer Hall of Fame in 1986 in recognition of their efforts during the first 40 years of Church World Service in Indiana.

Annabel has participated in all 26 years of the Greater Indianapolis CROP WALK, and accompanied family members in several others as well. She continues to promote the support of Church World Service through her congregation, Center United Methodist Church, at Robin Run Retirement Community where she lives, and through Church Women United in Indianapolis. Annabel received her award in a special presentation by CWS Regional Director, Judy Dunson, during the October 21 worship service at her church in the presence of all four of her sons.

The Mishler Lifetime Service Award was established in 2003 in memory of Marvin Mishler who was instrumental in founding and serving as the statewide coordinator for the CWS/CROP Friendship Farms and Friendship Acres program in Indiana. He continued active support of Church World Service through the Goshen CROP Auction, the Elkhart County CROP Canvass, and in establishing two CROP WALKS in Elkhart County.

CROP Honor Roll 2006

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:23:05 -0500

Judy Ellis (Lexington KY) has served on the Fayette Co. CROP Hunger Walk Team since 2000, and is the current Coordinator. She is a member of Second Presbyterian Church (Lexington), and was honored in October 2006 with the Faith in Action Award from God’s Pantry, the local agency which receives the CWS grant based on the funds raised by the CROP Hunger Walk. Judy actively promotes the CWS Tools and Blanket Program at church and, for the past eight years, has served as her church’s representative to the Downtown Christian Unity Task Force (co-sponsors of the CROP Walk). She and her husband Glenn have two adult daughters with four grandchildren. Judy plans to retire in 2009 after 40 years as a Registered Nurse.

Robert (Bob) Mayhugh (Indianapolis IN) has served since the mid-l980s on the Greater Indianapolis CROP Hunger Walk Team, most recently as the logistics coordinator (assures all resources are in place for Walk Day) and webmaster. He serves as the representative of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, one of the local recipient agencies. He is a past SVdP Conference President and served for 20 years as the Referral Coordinator. Bob and his wife Geri have two adult children, and are members of Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Parish. He recently retired from AT&T.

Gary Richard (Warsaw IN) helped reactivate the South/Center Kosciusko Co. CROP Hunger Walk in 1999, and since this has served as Coordinator, Co-Coordinator, and Treasurer. Gary also served on the IN-KY CWS Regional Advisory Board 2002-04. He is a youth pastor at Harrison Center Church, working with the children’s club. He and his wife Ann have three children (ages 10, 12, and 14), and owns G & R Siding in Warsaw.

Kids Kit Assembly 2006

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 10:44:46 -0500

Children Raise $6,000 for Water Well

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 12:08:15 -0500

Children from Dyer (IN) United Church of Christ celebrate raising more than $6,000 through their Harvest of Pennies to underwrite a well in Malawi, part of the CWS Africa Initiative. They began their project in Fall 2003 by collecting once a month from their congregation of around 150 members. By May 2004 they had raised $5,000; in August 2004 when they presented their check to Church World Service, they had collected more than $6,000, a record offering for this small rural congregation! Read their story in the spring issue of Circle of Hope, the Indiana-Kentucky regional newsletter.

Tools & Blankets $1,000 Plus Club

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:39:48 -0500

A tip of the hat to the forty churches in Indiana and Kentucky who supported the CWS Tools & Blankets Program in 2005 with donations of $1,000 and above. Thank you!

INDIANA
New Lisbon Christian Church, Union City	$ 4,575.00
St John United Church of Christ, Vincennes	$ 4,575.00
Mexico Church of the Brethren, Mexico	$ 4,209.00
First Christian Church, Peru	$ 3,466.00
Goshen City Church of the Brethren, Goshen	$ 2,578.00
Center United Methodist Church, Indianapolis	$ 2,339.00
Friedens United Church of Christ, Indianapolis	$ 2,332.00
North Liberty Church of the Brethren, North Liberty	$ 1,940.00
First Presbyterian Church, Elkhart	$ 1,925.00
Zion Community Church, Millersburg	$ 1,762.00
Prince of Peace Church of Brethren, South Bend	$ 1,667.30
St Peter Un Church of Christ, Carmel	$ 1,560.00
St Paul's United Church of Christ, Evansville	$ 1,554.09
Irvington Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis	$ 1,515.00
First United Church of Christ, Clay City	$ 1,445.00
Walnut Creek Un Methodist Church, Warsaw	$ 1,325.00
First Christian Church, Martinsville	$ 1,277.64
Huntertown United Methodist Church, Huntertown	$ 1,221.00
Salem United Church of Christ, Fort Wayne	$ 1,209.00
First Christian Church, Valparaiso	$ 1,203.00
Zion United Church of Christ, Indianapolis	$ 1,167.00
Crescent Avenue Un Methodist Church, Fort Wayne	$ 1,145.86
Bethel United Church of Christ, Evansville	$ 1,099.00
First Presbyterian Church, Valparaiso	$ 1,067.03
Rossville Church of the Brethren, Rossville	$ 1,020.00
Fishers United Methodist Church, Fishers	$ 1,000.00
Rock Run Church of the Brethren, Goshen	$ 1,000.00
First Baptist Church, Sullivan	$ 1,000.00
KENTUCKY
First Christian Church, Liberty	$ 1,911.00
First Christian Church, Frankfort	$ 1,852.00
Woodland Christian Church, Lexington	$ 1,762.00
Southern Hills United Methodist Church, Lexington	$ 1,756.00
First Christian Church, Versailles	$ 1,690.00
Nicholasville Christian Church, Nicholasville	$ 1,275.00
First Christian Church, Somerset	$ 1,200.00
First Christian Church, Paducah	$ 1,185.00
First Christian Church, Corbin	$ 1,100.00
Crestwood Christian Church, Lexington	$ 1,097.00

What Do We Need to Have a Tools & Blankets Celebration?

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:33:40 -0500

First -- set a date. Call the Regional Office to order resource materials that will help you spread the word about your Rainbow Sunday.

Then -- get the word out. Make use of your church newsletters, bulletins, meeting times, and worship announcements to inform the congregation of the Tools & Blankets Program. Challenge them to earn an Honor Certificate for the church by giving a gift of at least $5 for every 5 members.

Next -- build enthusiasm. Use the Action Pack -- it includes skits, worship resources, and activities for young and old. Be creative.

Finally -- call the Regional Office at (888) 297-2767 and let us know how it went! We are always looking for new, creative ideas that we can share!

Ideas You Can Use!

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:25:43 -0500

Blanket the World With Love

Netting the Harvest

Tree of Hope

Photos: Wilma Jacobs

Thanks to Wilma Jacobs of Trinity United Church of Christ in Mount Vernon, Indiana, for sharing these great ideas! Adapt them to use in your own church or be creative and dream up your own ideas. Be sure and share new ideas with the Regional Office so we can spread the word!

"Rainbow of Caring" - For each $5 donation, add a puff of tissue paper to a rainbow. Use the Tools & Blankets poster as the "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow. For the other "pot of gold", use a display of "tools" -- rake, shovel, watering can, blanket, etc.

"Netting the Harvest" - Order a CWS Fishing Net from the Regional Office. Attach a colorful fish for each $5 donation. Use some of the fish in the Children's Moment.

"Tree of Hope" - Use an artificial tree, such as a dogwood, and adorn it with various cutouts of tools of hope. Some examples include a water pump, shovel, blanket, seeds, and so on. Contact the Regional Office for graphics or pictures if you need to. Hang the tools on the tree like Christmas ornaments.

"Give with the Heart" - Have members place a heart on a display (each one represents a $5 donation) in memory of or in honor of a family member or friend.

"Blanket the World With Love" - Cut blankets out of scrap wool and have members place on a globe. Each one represents a $5 donation.

"Hug the World" - A facsimile $5 bill was altered to include the CWS logo and the back of the "bill" served as a pledge form. Each member filled out a pledge form and placed it in the offering with their Tools & Blankets donation. The "dollars" were pinned to a CWS Blanket.

Contact the Regional Office for help with any of these suggestions, to share your own great ideas or to order Tools & Blankets Program materials.

Program Flourishes in Frankfort KY

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:23:23 -0500

With the odds stacked against them, First Christian Church of Frankfort KY is one of the most generous churches in the IN-KY region. Their TOOLS & BLANKETS offering Sunday coincided with Laity Sunday as well as a huge ice storm. One woman stopped the project coordinator, Eva Evans, in the church parking lot and said, “I hope you haven’t sent that money in yet, I haven’t had a chance to give.” Eva said, “I don’t know how much she gave, but it was really important to her.” Living in the state capital, many church members are state employees. The bigheartedness of members who themselves face difficulties financially is reflected in the $2,300 raised this year.

Eva was drawn to the Tools & Blankets Program because of the interdenominational aspect, as well as being impressed by the situations where the resources are used both nationally and internationally. For example, last year 4,500 Blankets were provided for Iraqi refugees in Jordan and in Kentucky 600 Blankets were given to provide warmth during ice storms in the Vanceburg area. Funds supported Cambodian village well construction as well as established cow banks. Eva provides updates like this to the Christian Women’s Fellowship, Sunday School class of 50, and in the church newsletter. She has found the Church World Service website helpful in getting up-to-date information.

When asked if she had advice for other groups considering this project, she simply stated, “Just do it! It’s a great project for children, families, circles, Sunday school classes – anyone! It’s a fairly inexpensive way to get involved. Five dollars buys a blanket!” With the help of the CWS resources, First Christian Church has used this program as a way to help those in their Saturday night service, which is geared towards the non-churched, to see a bigger picture of their church. Eva says, “It gave them a real education about the different things First Christian Church does and helps them to know that the church is outwardly focused towards those in need.”

Children's Bulletin and CROP Clothing Order Form

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:10:14 -0500

These regional resources are available for you to use in your CROP Hunger Walk.

Children's Bulletin for CROP Hunger Walks (PDF or Microsoft WORD)
Order form for CROP related t-shirts, sweatshirts, children's shirts, and hats

Meet CeeCee

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 10:46:14 -0500

Photo: Sue Bates

CeeCee is the CROP Walk mascot created by Avant Gard of Indianapolis (Jennifer Smith, owner and creative talent). Actually CeeCee has a twin as well. Both reside at the Regional Office and are available for limited use at fairs, conferences, church functions, CROP events, etc.

CeeCee is made of lightweight foam board, covered by water repellent bright red and white fabric. The stop sign logo measures about 36 inches from side to side (and top to bottom), and is worn with an adjustable harness over the wearer's shoulders.

While CeeCee cannot be shipped, the costume (in a protective bag) can be picked up and returned to the CWS Regional Office in Indianapolis. To schedule CeeCee for your function, call 317-923- 2938 (Indianapolis calling area) or 888-297-2767 (toll-free from throughout the region).