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In South Carolina there are 19,724 Thrivent members in 20 chapters. Our Midlands South Carolina Chapter is one which seeks to promote and encourage the Care in Congregations program, Care Abounds in Communities Projects, Join Hands Days, the Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity projects, and much more. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a non-profit membership organization that joins with its members to support communities, congregations and individuals in need through volunteer and gifting programs. Consider what the Midlands Chapter did in 2006:
On October 21-17 an amazing group of 160 Lutheran volunteers built houses with Habitat for Katrina victimes. With $40,000 in disaster funds for building materials from the Care in Regions program, the fraternal office of Thrivent for North and South Carolina and George organized the trip. It was a week long trip of constructing new homes, caring about others, and changing the lives of the families helped. Thanks to all who were part of this exciting project and to our regional office for taking the lead in setting it up. We are making a difference where Thrivent is and where Thrivent goes.
A special project of the last member meeting was to bring cards (holiday, birthday, blank, etc.) which could be sent to the chaplains and then distributed to soldiers as they may need them to send back to family and friends for special occasions. You all came through like a charm -- just as we knew you would. A few weeks ago a group of our leadership board sorted and packed the cards. We have shipped eight large boxes of cards to Chaplain Roy Butler, pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church, who is now serving as a chaplain in Afghanastan. The evening included a catered meal with slides and presentations by three chaplains now serving at the chaplain's school at Fort Jackson. We were all blessed by their insights and impressed by their dedication and service. If you missed this evening, you missed another good event.
Although the hurricane season officially began June 1, the more dangerous time is the months of August, September, and October. Therefore the Chapter Board of the Midlands Chapter of Thrivent engaged in a Hands On Project to help encourage families to be better prepared in the case of an emergency. This is true not only for hurricanes, but many other types of disasters as well. As the South Carolina representatives for Lutheran Disaster Response, Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas has been encouraging congregations to focus on preparedness—both for the church itself and for individual households within the congregations. LFS Carolinas printed up boxes with the list of supplies recommended by the American Red Cross to have on hand in case of a three-day emergency. The Chapter Board used these boxes as the basis for putting together sample emergency kits to put on display in all 25 churches connected to the Midlands Chapter. A big plastic tub containing sample items was delivered to each of the churches in the Chapter. Churches were encouraged to put the sample kit on display in a prominent area, and then make the free cardboard boxes from LFS available to members of the congregation, to remind them to prepare an emergency kit at home. A sample kit was also put on display at the South Carolina Synod Office, and news of the project has spread throughout the state, encouraging other chapters to follow our lead.
On your cell phone, add to your address list the word ICE, which stands for "in case of emergency," then put the phone number of your emergency contact person, even if you have that person listed under his or her name on your phone. Rescue personnel and emergency workers know to check on cell phones for ICE and know that is the emergency contact person if they find your cell phone when you've been involved in some kind of accident or emergency.
The Midlands Chapter (that's you and me) received a certificate of appreciation fom the Bradley Elementary School families in grateful appreciation for our valuable contribution (the Happy Feet Shoe Project) in 2007. The certificate was signed by Dr. Erica Fields and Sharlene Golden. Under the logo was this important quote: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change THE WORLD."
MENU will be a Low Country Boil A Gift for Everyone Raffle for gifts from 10,000 Villages Program about fair trade and 10,000 Villages Don't forget to make reservations: Call Thrivent office at 782-3500 or Dot Mathias 788-3095 An important item on the agenda for the evening will be the election of the Chapter Leadership Board for 2008. Watch for a special mailing with the details about this event. Thanks to Nancy Hyatt, Vice President, who has worked hard to insure that we have another excellent slate of leaders to approve. Your presence and participation will be most helpful. As always, we look for people who have an interest in the Thrivent projects and activities to serve on the leadership board and assist in making decisions about the projects which are funded, planning for member events and activities, and promoting and supporting Thrivent with congregations and members. If you would like to know more and perhaps be considered for the Board, please be in touch with Nancy Hyatt at 873-9449 or Bubba Willis at 782-3500 or Dot Jeffcoat at 772.4357.
Your Vote Counts in both the chapter leadership board elections and for the Thrivent Board of Directors. The note above gives you advance notice about the coming chapter election. Watch for details about the Thrivent Board election and be sure to participate.
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