Community "Messiah" Sing-Along To Help Love INC

The 8th Annual Community "Messiah" Sing-Along will be presented on Sunday, December 20, at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church (26 W. Babcock) in Bozeman. 

For the past seven years, community members have come together at First Presbyterian to form an impressive choir to sing Handel's "Messiah".  We are treated to a joyous musical event for the Christmas season.  The famous words and music of Handel's composition echo in us as we leave: "King of kings! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  And Lord of lords!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!" 

There is no admission price, but a freewill offering will be taken. This year, the offering will be shared with Love INC along with the church's youth mission.   Thank you, First Presbyterian Church! 

We encourage everyone to this impressive choral event.  The Messiah Sing-Along has become a staple of Bozeman's Advent season.  If you want to sing in the lead choir, rehearsal will be Saturday, December 19, at 9:00 a.m.  Call First Presbyterian Church (586-9194) for details.

"And He shall reign forever and ever!  Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  Forever and ever!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!"

Christmas on Oak Street

You're invited!  Love INC will begin the Advent season this week with a Christmas season open house at its office.  Volunteers, ministry coordinators, supporters, prayer warriors, church staff and leaders, businesses, agencies and everyone interested in Love INC -- you are all invited!

Please join us on Friday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.  Tour the offices, meet staff, check out the new ministry areas (warehousing for Personal Care Pantry, Meat Ministry, Linen Closet, as well as the Biblio-tek Library), visit with friends and enjoy refreshments.

Call 587-3008 for directions to the Love INC office, if you are unsure of our location.

Tickets On Sale Now!

Christmas Village Tour!  Visit a wonderful world of Christmas at the Love INC Christmas Village Tour!

Tickets go on sale today!  This tour is in a private home with more than 1,000 lighted buildings in extensive, incredible miniature Christmas village displays.  Animation and landscapes.  New and antique - some rare pieces.  Plus, 12 themed Christmas rooms including a Nativity collection, Elf Library, Gingerbread Kitchen, Nutcracker Room, Santa's Room, handmade Christmas quilts, and so much more!  Be amazed and walk in childlike wonder -- must be seen to be believed!

Two days only!  Saturday, November 28 (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) and Saturday, December 5, from 1-5 pm both days.  Tickets are $5 each, available at Van's IGA in Bozeman, Lee & Dad's in Belgrade, and Leslie's Hallmark in the Gallatin Valley Mall.  Invite your friends and family to kick off the Christmas season by entering a magical Christmas world.  Directions to guide you to the tour are printed on the tickets.

The tour is self-guided.  Come, enjoy and stay as long as you'd like.  Children are welcome, but must be supervised by an adult.  Since stairways are involved, the tour cannot accommodate strollers or wheelchairs. 

All proceeds from the delightful Christmas Village Tour support the on-going ministries of Gallatin County Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC). 

(Note: If you would like to volunteer to greet guests as they tour a room, please contact Love INC: loveincoffice@yahoo.com; volunteers are needed.)

Biblio-tek Grand Opening!

Come to the Grand Opening of Biblio-tek, Love INC's new lending library, on Friday, November 20, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.  The library is located at 101 E. Oak Street in Bozeman; the door faces west.  Refreshments will be served.

Biblio-tek is the name of the Phyllis Kessler Memorial Library.  Its books, in excellent condition, have been provided by individuals and partner churches.  They are available for checking out or reading on site.  The library is open 10-4, Mon-Fri.  You can schedule access to the library outside of regular hours by contacting the Love INC office.

Personal Care Pantry News

In mid-October, several of the dedicated and very active church members who volunteer at the Love INC Personal Care Pantry met with staff at the Love INC office. Libby Cameron, Coordinator of the PCP, led the meeting.

Meetings like this are important for the ministry to stay attuned to the needs of clients and volunteers. They also help improve our operations. One of Love INC's core values is to strive for excellence. With good feedback and great ideas from those who do the ministry, the Personal Care Pantry continues to become better equipped to meet the huge volume of needs it faces each month and to work well for the volunteers who serve each week.

Even one of Love INC's youngest volunteers, infant daughter of PCP volunteer Liz Rowe attended the October meeting, along with her mom!

The PCP is stocked with donations from partner churches. In October, the PCP served 85 households in Gallatin County. That translates into a lot of product from the churches and individual donors to keep the pantry going!  

The PCP currently is low on shampoo and conditioner, toilet paper, paper towels, dryer sheets, baby powder, children's toothpaste, and wide-toothed combs.  If you'd like to help a family in need, a donation of any of these items can be brought to the Love INC office.

Please pray for God to bless and guide the incredible PCP ministry workers, representing their churches on the front lines.

Relational Ministry Training

This week, Gallatin County Love INC will take a significant step in its life: it will receive training from the National Headquarters to become a Level II affiliate. In other words, it will be receive the tools to prepare for, launch and implement Relational Ministry in our area.

Relational Ministry is a longer-term ministry involvement with clients that includes teaching and mentoring on a variety of life-skills topics while holding clients accountable and supporting them through our faith, prayer and material means. It is all accomplished by volunteers from partner churches, so it can develop in Gallatin County only according to the goals and desires of our partners.

For many years, Gallatin County Love INC has been working hard to have the pieces in place to implement Relational Ministry. This year, after a self-assessment against best practices, after an examination and approval by the National Headquarters, and after much prayer, we have been given the green light to take the next step. The training this week is the culmination of the contributions of many hard-working and generous Christians (volunteers, donors, pastors, board members and staff) and partner churches that want to do more.

Relational Ministry is important, because it can transform the lives of the Christians involved in it, as well as the lives of hurting neighbors who need churches to lead them to wholeness.

The training, held in Hudsonville, Michigan, will be attended by Nancy VanDyken (Executive Director), Jim Good (Coordinator of Volunteers), Joyce Kamp (Board Member) and Rev. Bryan Clark (Gallatin Valley Presbyterian Church). Please ask God to bless the training and Relational Ministry as it develops in Gallatin County.

Library Opens

Biblio-tek, the Love INC library, is now open. The library hours are 10 am - 4 pm, Monday-Friday. The library stocks Christian books.

In the near future, we will have a way for patrons to access the library before and after normal hours. We will also have a computer with Internet access in the next few weeks (currently not available).

Books in Biblio-tek are available for reading or checking out. Currently, books are checked out and returned on an honor system. Please try to have books returned within 3 weeks of checking them out. First-time library patrons are asked to fill out an information card.

The library is located at 101 E. Oak Street in Bozeman (the door faces west). Watch for an upcoming grand opening, but meanwhile, you may use and enjoy Biblio-tek!

Utility Shelving Needed

Love INC is blessed to have been selected to receive some substantial in-kind donations from businesses and corporations, to arrive soon. These items will benefit needy families right here in Gallatin County.

Our landlord has graciously offered space in a warehouse setting for storage of the items between the time we receive them and the time they are placed with clients.

We need utility shelving to store the items in the warehouse. If you or someone you know could provide some utility shelving, please contact Love INC. It doesn't have to be fancy. Used shelving that is still sturdy would work. Either wood or metal shelving is acceptable.

This shelving will be put to good use - enabling church volunteers to continue to serve our neighbors in need!

Annual Meeting Report

Early on an icy, snowy October morning, pastors, Church Ministry Coordinators, the Love INC Board, staff, and dedicated volunteers gathered to conduct Love INC business (and to enjoy breakfast and fellowship).

The Annual Meeting, held today, is a regular business meeting of partner churches, as required by Love INC by-laws. Thank you to everyone rose so early and braved the weather!

Representatives from the partner churches elected the 2010 Board of Directors: Larry Addink, Bill Harn, Rev. Jim Jenkins, Joyce Kamp, Rev. Bill Kern, Judy Kingma, Kim Lambrecht, and Larry Sonnenberg.

Any additional members to begin their term in January 2010 will be approved by the elected board.

The group recognized the contributions of retiring Board member, Jim DeJong and thanked him for his tireless service.

Board President Larry Addink addressed the group, stressing the importance of the Love INC ministry in Gallatin County, especially since poverty in our area would otherwise remain more "hidden" and more difficult for churches to connect with in the absence of the linking ministry of Love INC.

Kim Lambrecht, Treasurer, reported on the financial condition of Love INC.

Nancy VanDyken, Executive Director, reviewed the ministry activities and developments of 2008 and 2009. She outlined the direction Love INC has been working toward since its inception, God's provision along the way, and how Love INC will seek to implement a new phase in its life in 2010: becoming a Level II, Relational Ministry, affiliate.

Many thanks to Love INC partner, Christ the King Lutheran Church, for hosting the Annual Meeting again this year! And thanks to everyone who helped and participated in this important business meeting, ensuring the continued health of Gallatin County Love INC.

Annual Meeting

The Love INC Annual Business Meeting will be held on Thursday, October 8, at 7 AM, at Christ the King Lutheran Church on Durston in Bozeman.

The business meeting, per Love INC by-laws, is held annually to update all partner churches about Love INC's financial condition, ministry activities and long-term plans. Importantly, the nominees for the Board of Directors will be voted upon by church partners' representatives at the meeting.

As Love INC ministry leaders, Love INC Church Ministry Coordinators from each partner church will attend the meeting or send a representative in their place. Partner church pastors are warmly encouraged to come, meet the Board of Directors, and visit with staff and volunteers. Any interested party is welcome to attend.

A light breakfast will be served. Christ the King Lutheran Church is located at 4383 Durston Road, across the street from Heritage Christian School.

Hope for Kids in Need

As the calls to the Clearinghouse multiply, a common theme continues to be the absence of God in many clients' lives. Although we give people who request it a booklet of the Gospel of John, together we all need to communicate better the hope of Christ and how God can change lives.

Additionally, Love INC serves many single parents who mention that their kids ask questions about God but they don’t have answers. We recently discovered a children’s DVD series of Bible stories that proved to be just what we were looking for. We decided to approach the publisher to seek a discount on a large volume order. They were interested. Additionally, they sent us a sample: a combination young child's Bible (book) and DVD set. Parents can read the Bible to their children, and be touched by its message themselves; together parent and child can watch the DVD. (If you are wondering, yes, most needy families do have DVD players while they lack other necessities). The publisher offered the Bible and DVD for a lower price than what the DVD alone initially would have cost.

We hope that Love INC will be able to offer this wonderful message to families, delivered by Christian volunteers from partner churches. For this to happen, once or twice a year, churches or individuals who have a heart for this ministry, would contribute to help pay for an order that would last through the year.

We estimate that if just (!) 6 to 12 churches or individuals contribute $50 per quarter, together we can place this attractive Bible and DVD in the hands of families who are asking for it. That would be enough to meet the demand of the one to two weekly requests we receive from families with children who tell us they want to know more about God.

If you can help, please send a donation to Love INC, PO Box 7117, Bozeman, MT 59771 Mark on your check: Bibles/DVD. It will only take 6 people (or churches), who give 4 times per year, to touch local families who are in need and who want to hear of God. If you (or your church) want to be involved in delivering these items, and meeting these clients, please call us. Thank you!

CMC Meeting Reminder

Church Ministry Coordinators will meet for their semi-annual, on-going training on Sept. 10, 2009, at the Love INC office (upstairs meeting room). CMC's meet at least twice a year as a group to receive news and updates, and guidance on how to accomplish their ministry tasks in light of new developments.

Two training sessions are offered: noon and 6:00 p.m. This training is not a repeat of anything CMC's have received before. Semi-annual training is required for all Love INC Church Ministry Coordinators (even well-experienced ones).

Many exciting developments are occurring at Love INC! At this meeting, CMC's will learn how to best involve their respective churches, and how to share these great ministry opportunties.

Picnic Pictures

About 50-60 volunteers from a variety of Love INC partner churches recently came together for food, fellowship and fun at the Aug. 11 Love INC picnic.

What a blessing! A whole community center full of hardworking, giving Christians who were sitting back, relaxing, laughing and enjoying each other in Christ's Name! We met new friends and reconnected with old ones.

Staff brought hot dogs and polish sausage, condiments and buns, and served the volunteers.

The purpose of the picnic was to thank the people who are Love INC, to meet each other (since we all serve in different capacities and often don't cross paths) and to simply enjoy a couple of hours together in the love of Christ.

Many thanks to everyone who helped set up and clean up, and for everyone who came! Here are a few pictures of the event, which was held at the River Rock Community Center.

We had such a good time (and ate such yummy salads and desserts), we hope to have a picnic again next year!

Picnic for the Volunteers

A potluck picnic for current Love INC volunteers will be held on Aug. 11, 6-8 pm, at the River Rock Community Center (Take Amsterdam Rd. to River Rock Rd. and watch for the sign and balloons). You are considered a current volunteer if you have a Talent Tithe on file or you have served through Love INC in the past twelve months.

This is an opportunity for staff to thank the volunteers who do the work of serving others and who are the Love INC ministry! We will provide hot dogs, brats, buns and condiments, along with tableware and beverages. Tables and chairs are available in the pavilion (so we can have the picnic rain or shine).

Volunteers, please bring your choice of a salad or dessert (or some other type of side dish). Bring lawn chairs and blankets if you desire. Volunteers' families are welcome.

This will be a fun time to eat and meet! See you at the picnic on Tuesday!

Clothes Closet Moves

The Love INC Clothes Closet is moving this week, July 27-31, to its new location just west of the intersection of Jackrabbit Lane and Main Street in Belgrade. If you drive by, we are in one of the new units in the rust-colored building (northwest corner of the intersection, just west of the apartment/hotel).

Many thanks to the volunteers who are working hard on this move: Betty House, Pat Ungersma, Morgan Hinesly, Mark Logan, Ryan Connelly (and youth from Lion's Ridge), and Andy Leep. Also thanks to Jim DeJong, Tony Jansma, and Mark Kredit who helped prepare the new space through their construction, plumbing and electrical talents. Eileen Matzinger coordinates the Clothes Closet.

Love INC Trailer Needs Drivers

The new Love INC trailer, pictured here, needs reliable, experienced drivers. This great (brand new!) trailer was recently donated for the Love INC Furniture Ministry and the Moving Ministry.

Here's the idea: each partner church assembles a team of people who can help needy families pack and move their belongings (within Gallatin County). One member of the team serves as captain - the contact with Love INC. One person must have the appropriate vehicle to pull the trailer (with hitch), and must be experienced in driving a 7'x16' trailer.

Plus! We are looking for mature Christians who can reliably drive this trailer to help with our furniture ministry: pick up donated furniture and unload at our warehouse, and deliver furniture to neighbors in need.

All Love INC volunteers are Christians attending Christian churches in Gallatin County. Email for info!

Biblio~tek

As you can see, the Phyllis Kessler Memorial Library, Biblio~tek, has some good-looking space. The Kessler family has been working to get the space designed and constructed. Diane & Harry Johnson and Laurie Scott set up the furniture and computer, and installed software this week. Soon they will begin organizing the shelves and stocking. We'll have non-fiction and fiction, inspirational, theological, devotional, kids books... and a computer for web access. In addition, each full partner church will be given one "cube" area of shelf space to stock with its important books about Christianity. This will be a great place for Christians to hang out, bring their friends, find a good read, do research, disciple others or pray!