August @ Amistad

Greetings Amistad --

Here are tentative plans for August Fridays @ Amistad (check the website for updates.) Note that we're taking off the last 2 weeks of August!

Friday, August 6 -- Salad supper and Agape Meal communion around the table, then another look at the Jesus 2000 pictures from the National Catholic Reporter. He was one of us, so let's wonder what He would look like if He showed up now!

Friday, August 13 -- Our lucky day, it's Drumming @ Terry's, 6 - 8 p.m. at her home in Fairfield. Call or email for directions. We'll also celebrate Norm's birthday and wish him well as he prepares to move to Colorado! Bring a drum, rattle, tambourine or shekere if you have one, otherwise we'll have some to share.

Friday, August 20 and Friday, August 28 -- Vacation!! Keith and I are going to Boston to visit Andrew and Chisato, so have a GREAT couple of weeks and we'll see you in September!

Some notes on other August opportunities:

Matthew's fundraiser on Tuesday -- as he continues to work with Team in Training for a triathlon in Pacific Grove this September, Matt writes:

"On Tuesday Aug. 3 from 5-9 pm I will be hosting a dine-and-donate event at BJ's restaurant here in Vacaville and I would love it if you could come. They donate 15% of all regularly priced food sales to the cause. Thank you so much for your continued support. Peace and Blessings, Matthew"

Keith, Terry and I will have an early supper (5 p.m.) at BJ's to support Matt -- it would be great if others could join us! If you don't already have one, please print out the attached pdf flyer and give it to your server for the 15% donation to the cause...

"Half the Sky" book study group -- ... then after our supper at BJ's, we'll gather here from 7-8 p.m. to continue our shared conversation about the VERY powerful book "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide" by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. This week we're looking at chapters 3 & 4.

Mission Project -- Thanks to Kathy and the back-to-school sales at Wal*Mart, we've started filling another Balikbayan Box for our friends in Cebu. Bring rice or Spam, school supplies (please, no crayons -- they melt!), art supplies, children's books, small games and toys for the kindergarten at the Sac-on church. I'll top it off with some Jelly Belly treats, and we'll send it in plenty of time for the holidays. Don't let me forget to show you the latest letter and pix from Luz Bingtan in Sac-on!

More about house churches -- here are links to yet 2 more timely articles about house churches:

Growing number of worshipers make themselves at home from the Denver Post -- "Megachurch, meet microchurch. Growing numbers of Coloradans believe the tiny house church, also called a simple church or an organic church, might be the mightier transformer of Christian lives..."
House Church: Skip the sermon, worship at home from Associated Press -- "The members of this 'house church' are part of what experts say is a fundamental shift in the way U.S. Christians think about church. Skip the sermons, costly church buildings and large, faceless crowds, they say. House church is about relationships forged in small faith communities."

Seems like maybe we're on the cutting edge of something here!

blessings and hope to all --

Marian
www.amistad-vacaville.org