Love INC At Work

First, the good news:  During the first quarter of 2012, Love INC's church partners met 1,014 adult needs and 893 children's needs.  Through the Love INC ministry center office, more than 3,200 needs of our neighbors were referred to church volunteers!  More than 13,350 hours of service were graciously given by Christians to serve their neighbors in need.  God is blessing lives through Love INC's work of connecting churches to people in our area who need a helping hand.

Now, the somber news (not "bad news;" rather, a call and a tremendous opportunity for God's people):  During this same time period, the Love INC ministry center in any given week had between 26 and 39 volunteer workers from churches who served in it.  This office needs at least 80 Christians from local churches in order to properly run.  We've been experiencing a tremendous load (and accomplishment) for only a few, dedicated people.  

Love INC needs help from Christians.  Love INC was built by its partners as a place for us all to serve, using our everyday skills and talents.  Can you help support Love INC's ministry by working in an office environment?  You can serve Christ in a pleasant place where your efforts will truly make a difference in the lives of people right here in Gallatin County. 

Most serious:  This need is critical.  To operate well, the Intake Office of Love INC needs 40 workers each week (if each worker takes a 2-hour shift, one day per week).  Right now, the Intake Office fluctuates between 8 and 10 workers!  Help is needed from Christians who can listen to a phone call, follow a script, record some information on a form and spare 2 hours per week!  You will find yourself growing and serving Christ in a meaningful way by using a phone and giving only 2 hours each week.  Is Christ calling you?

To be clear: the Intake Office is where people request help over the phone.  Servants of Christ from partner churches are trained and listen to these phone calls. The kinds of calls a worker "takes" depends on their training and experience level, and the desires of the worker.  Some workers even specialize in calling up volunteers from a list to see if they are available to serve a neighbor in need on a given day (volunteers sign up ahead of time, indicating their willingness to offer certain talents).

General office positions are also available (filing, mailing, stocking, word processing, administrative help, etc.).

Would you like to know you've made a difference, a real difference, in God's Kingdom?  Do you want to grow in Christ and in your understanding of life?  Do you like to work behind the scenes?  Do you want to "give back" for all you've received?  Can you spare 2 hours per week?  Want to do something different this summer?  Or, for six months, or a year?  Call Love INC today -- an empty chair is waiting for Christ's servant to fill.  Call 587-3008 or email loveincoffice @ yahoo.com (no spaces in the email address) for info.

"The harvest is plentiful...."  Please, be one of Christ's workers!  Join fellow Christians, meet new friends, serve behind the scenes.  And experience the love of Love In the Name of Christ!  Love INC needs you.  Christ needs you.  


All Love INC ministry workers are volunteers who must be members or regular attenders of a local Christian church and agree with the faith expressed by the Apostles' Creed (which includes faith in the Trinity, the two natures of Jesus Christ: fully God and fully man, and the virgin birth and bodily Resurrection of Christ). 

Love INC Luau!

Calling all Love INC Volunteers!  Mark your August calendars! The 2nd Annual Love INC Volunteer Appreciation Picnic will begin at 6 p.m., Tuesday, August 10, at the River Rock Community Center (101 River Rock Road, Belgrade).

Again this year, all current Love INC volunteers (who have completed a Talent Tithe) are invited to a lively and informal evening of food, fellowship and fun - a celebration with a tropical flare! Bring your family along!  No program, no responsibilities - just a good time together with your fellow servants in Christ. 

Love INC will provide hot dogs, brats, and beverages (and a great luau atmosphere).  Please bring a salad and/or dessert to share.  Love INC Board Members and staff will serve YOU!  See you there!

Iowa College Loves Bozeman

Putting Love Into Action – ten students from Dordt College in Iowa came to Bozeman to serve Love INC in March.  This service group, PLIA, spent their spring break painting, cleaning, building shelves, collecting Personal Care Pantry items from the community, sorting, stocking, delivering items to clients and rearranging our office space for us.  They ministered to the elderly at Mountain View Care Center. 

They processed donated items and they delivered "thank you" gifts (shamrocks) to Love INC partner churches.  They put together and donated a Theme Basket for Love INC's upcoming Plant the Seed Dinner.  The students even purchased building materials and paint from their own funds!  So much was accomplished to enhance the ministry of Love INC! 

The students were housed at First Presbyterian Church in Bozeman where they also helped with a library book sale and prepared and served a Wednesday Lenten meal.  Dean Garbenis (Christian Center) supervised and coordinated the student outreach for Love INC. 

Love INC thanks these students: Amy Parish, Bekah Van Maanen, Bryan Visser, Derek Brumfield, Hannah Hart, Jason Stuhrenberg, Karisa Vander Groef, Kelsey Reitsma, Rachel Endicott, Stephen Pederson for all the help!  And thanks to everyone who serves in the Name of Christ! With God’s blessing, amazing things can be accomplished with willing hands and the gift of donated time and effort!

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.

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!