Eastern District Synod--Not Your Ordinary Kind of Meeting

Can you tell what's happening in this picture?

This is the plenary session during the first night of the Eastern District Synod. If you've ever been to a Synod or other convention-type gathering, you know that a plenary session is a meeting of the full group where presentations are made and business gets conducted. Usually during a plenary session, participants sit at tables, their agendas and important documents stacked before them, their attention directed toward the leadership personnel seated on the dais and speaking from the lecturn. 

But not this time.

This time the entire company of Synod processed from its usual meeting space to a gymnasium set up as a makeshift factory. There, each of us was handed a plastic apron and a hairnet. We were directed to work stations where we were assigned very specific tasks:

• Open the plastic bag, insert a vitamin/flavoring packet
• Hold the plastic bag beneath the large, yellow funnel
• Precisely measure and dump one of 4 ingredients into the yellow funnel: soy flour, dried beans, dried vegetables or rice
• Remove plastic bag and pass it to the weigh station for quality control
• Seal and stack the bags
• Pack into cardboard cartons for shipping

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

And what was the result? During our one-hour session, we packaged 32,000 servings of high protein meals destined to feed desperately hungry people in Haiti. 32,000!

Best. Meeting. Ever.

Eastern District Synod is Underway

Folks from all 7 of our Ohio congregations traveled to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania yesterday to participate in the Synod of the Moravian Church, Eastern District.I met up with some of them during breakfast this morning.

left to right: Carolyn McCoy (Gnadenhutten Moravian Church), Adelia Hobart (Dover) and Sue Henriksen (Dover).

Lynn Reichman (Sharon), Darrell Johnson (Gnadenhutten), Seth Angel (Fry's Valley), and Bob Geiger (Gnadenhutten).

Becky Canfield (Schoenbrunn)  and Denny Rohn (Schoenbrunn).

Synod officially opened in the afternoon with spirited worship introducing the theme of the whole event: "To Us, To Us This Task Is Given..." After greetings and introductions, we were quickly immersed in sensitivity training surrounding how to/how NOT to go about approaching mission and service opportunities.  Before long, we were being steeped in the challenge of doing mission! Stay tuned. We'll tell you all about what it was like to pack 32,000 meals for people in need....

Creature Comforts

Pastor Rebecca Sisley from Sharon Moravian Church reminds everyone of the ongoing "200 for 200" campaign in honor of the congregation's 200th year of ministry. Regarding the current collection she says, "We currently have 152 items for the Tuscarawas County Humane Society, and 10 days to raise the next 48 before the Adventure Class takes it all away. I have faith that we can do it, but we need your help! Please continue donating cat and dog food items, toys, towels, leashes, collars, bleach, laundry detergent, etc. Please help us support all of God's creatures!"

The church building is open to receive your donations Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., and, of course, Sundays! The church is located at 4776 Moravian Church Rd. SE, just outside of the village of Tuscarawas. (If you're using a GPS, please type in New Philadelphia.)

Service Is the Name of the Game

Some sisters and brothers have been busy serving Jesus by serving in local mission projects. Check out these recent photos that show T-County Moravians in action. 

After trimming trees during the Spring Clean-Up Work Day for Trumpet in the Land,
 the Green Family loads the truck to haul away the remnants. 

Pastor Darrell Johnson gives the shrubs a needed trim
during the Spring Clean-Up Work Day for Trumpet in the Land.

In commemoration of 200 years in ministry, the Sharon Moravian congregation
 has been collecting supplies to support local agencies.
Here are 200 items ready to be donated to the Twin City Food Pantry...

...and here is the growing collection of items earmarked
 for the Tuscarawas County Humane Society.

200 for 200 Campaign

Back in 1815, the steam locomotive was a newfangled invention, as was the humble tin can. Ohio itself was pretty newfangled, too, having met the qualifications for statehood only 12 years previously. The state capitol resided in Chillicothe back then. And on the outskirts of the village of Tuscarawas, the Sharon Moravian Church was established. Things certainly change with the passage of 200 years, but Sharon Moravian Church continues in its mission to welcome neighbors and serve the community in Jesus' Name.

Throughout 2015, as the congregation observes its milestone 200th Anniversary, the folks of Sharon Moravian Church are engaging in projects to continue the legacy of mission and service. The "200 for 200" campaign is a clever way to raise awareness and raise needed commodities for local and global causes. To kick the year off, the church sought to collect 200 needed items for the Twin City Food Pantry. And now the church is aiming to collect 200 items needed by the Tuscarawas County Humane Society. 

If you would like to support both the work of the Humane Society and the Sharon Moravian Church, please join in the effort. Your contributions may be delivered to the church during regular operating hours. Phone 740-922-5507.

Here are items you'll want to choose from: 

-Purina dry dog food
-Purina dry cat food
-wet cat food
-dog and cat treats
-bleach
-paper towels
-laundry detergent
-dish soap
-antibacterial hand soap
-garbage bags (40-60 gallons)
-dog and cat dishes
-toys
-leashes
-collars
-floor scrub brushes
-floor squeegees
-dog/cat crates
-buckets
-towels
-blankets
-scoopable cat litter

There's nothing newfangled about mission and service, but it never goes out of fashion.