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

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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

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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!

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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.

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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.”

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The Indiana-Kentucky Region offers several awards that your church or group could be eligible for. Call the Regional Office to receive the Awards Program flyer.

Tools & Blankets Program Awards:

Honor Certificate - donation is the equivalent of at least $5 for every 5 members or $5 for every 2 families

Award Banner - This award is given to the top ten churches in each state (Indiana and Kentucky). Provide the Regional Office with the average attendance in morning worship; the regional office must be able to verify that funds have been received.

CROP Hunger Walk Honor Roll - churches and groups that raise $750 or more or averaged $100 or more per Walker and had at least 5 Walkers are automatically being sent honor certificates after the WALK. Did your church get one?

Circle of Hope Award - for those churches that have participated in all three of Church World Service's programs - Tools & Blankets Program, CWS Kits, and CROP Walk - within a twelve month period.

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• Visit the CWS Tools & Blankets Resources page for graphics, skits and other materials to liven up your Tools & Blankets event.

• Order materials online or phone our national service center, 1-800-297-1516

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