New Partner Church in West Yellowstone

The Community Protestant Church (PCUSA) in West Yellowstone became a Full Partner Church of Love In the Name of Christ at the Love INC board meeting on May 4.  What a blessing to have a partner church strategically poised and ready to respond to needs in their unique community, located at the gateway of our nation's oldest national park!

Resources from the other Love INC partner churches to the north (in and around Bozeman) and individual Christians around Gallatin County will be connected through Love INC to supply the Community Protestant Church with goods and products to serve their neighbors.  Likewise, Love INC will provide ministry/service opportunities to the church, connecting them with people with verified needs in the own community. 

Four members of the West Yellowstone congregation traveled the 90 miles to Bozeman to attend Love INC's Plant the Seed Dinner in early May.  Love INC staff and representative board members will visit the church for a Love INC Awareness Day on June 13.

Welcome, CPC of West Yellowstone!

If your church is not yet a Full Partner of Love INC, or if you are unsure whether your church is, please email us: loveincoffice@yahoo.com. All Full Partner churches of Love INC are Christian congregations that subscribe to the faith described by the Apostles' Creed.  For more information, visit http://www.loveincgc.org/.

PTS Dinner Thank You

Thank you to everyone who worked hard and contributed to Love INC's fundraising banquet on May 4! The auctions (silent and live auctions) raised more than $16,000 to support Love INC’s service to transform the lives of our neighbors in need.

Many people express interest in knowing how the dinner went.  The attendance, with 61 hosted tables, was the second highest in our 15-year history!  The Plant the Seed event as a whole raised more than $50,000 for Love INC.  Here is the breakdown (these are rounded, preliminary numbers of gross receipts):

• Table Hosts: $11,600
• Business Sponsorships: $12,000
• Auctions (live and silent): $16,200
• Offering: $14,800
• Total PTS Dinner:   $54,600

Thank you!  The commitment and gracious support of God's people are wonderful blessings!  We trust God will use these gifts to further His purposes as we seek to follow His will. 

The funds raised will be used to serve local residents who suffer a variety of needs.  During 2010, we will offer a program called "Relational Ministry" to local churches, designed to equip congregations to work with and move people with chronic needs into a new place of wholeness and ability (to move them out of chronic need).  Please pray for Love INC as we seek church involvement to build this significant program during the coming year.

Again, many thanks to everyone who has "planted the seed" for Love INC to serve and grow during 2010!

Plant the Seed Dinner Reservations

The 2010 Plant the Seed Dinner will be held on May 4 at the MSU Strand Union Ballroom.  Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a silent auction; the dinner program begins at 6:30 p.m. 

Partner churches are submitting fantastic Theme Packages that will be auctioned either at the silent auction or in a live auction.  A full, served meal will be provided.  Ministry booths will be available for viewing Love INC activities.  Don't miss out on hearing the plans for 2010 as Relational Ministry is introduced.  Join your friends, meet the Board of Directors, find out what remarkable things God is doing through Love In the Name of Christ.

To reserve your table and gather with 500 Christians from across Gallatin County, call Love INC today or email loveincoffice @ yahoo.com (with no spaces).  This is a table hosted event - a person, couple or group serve as a table host by purchasing a table of 8 meals or a table of 10 meals, and then inviting others to join them.  A table of 8 is $200; a table of 10 is $250.  Reservations are required.   Deadline: April 26.  Call and reserve your table today!

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!

Auto Mechanic: A Ministry Leader

Love INC is looking for an experienced auto mechanic to serve as the lead volunteer in our Car Clinic ministry.  After serving since Love INC's beginnings, Bob DeYoung, our Car Clinic master mechanic, is seeking to retire.

This is a volunteer position. The Car Clinic operates one Saturday per month, usually for about a half day.  Clients are screened and make their appointments in advance through the Love INC office.  Car repairs are limited to a number of specified, manageable types. 

The Car Clinic leader needs to be a dedicated person with appropriate experience and skills, who will work with a team of volunteer mechanics, as well as serve as the main information resource for the Car Clinic.  He/she must be a member of a local Christian church. 

Car repair can be a killer for our neighbors in need.  Car clinic mechanics have a great time together, spending one Saturday morning a month making a difference in people's lives. Please contact Love INC and use your skills to lead a ministry!  loveincoffice@yahoo.com

Board-Staff Planning Retreat

The Board of Directors and staff met on March 5-6 for Love INC's annual planning retreat.

This year's agenda was jam-packed as the group worked hard over the two days to focus on the development of Relational Ministry. Much prayer had preceded the retreat for God to guide and direct the plans and discussions.

Relational Ministry is a higher level of operation for Love INC. It seeks to involve many churches and volunteers in the education and mentoring of neighbors in need. The purpose of Relational Ministry is to "teach a person to fish" (transformation) rather than merely to "give a person a fish" (emergency relief).

Pastor Brian Empie (River Valley Christian Fellowship) used his expertise and giftedness to facilitate the discussions and brainstorming.

As invited guests, Ginny Ferre' (Coordinator of Love INC's Finding Financial Freedom program) and Pastor Bryan Clark (Gallatin Valley Presbyterian Church) contributed input and insights with their presentations on Friday.

With thanks to God, Love INC now has a plan in place to begin the hard work of moving to a deeper level of involvement in clients' lives -- all for the purpose of mobilizing Christian churches and transforming lives in the Name of Christ.

After the intense work, the Board and staff left on Saturday afternoon with agreed goals and steps to follow for the year. Pastor Bill Kern (Gallatin Valley Christian Church) and Executive Director Nancy VanDyken celebrated with a ride om Pastor Bill's motorcycle.

Now Hiring: Position Opening at Love INC

Gallatin County Love In the Name of Christ is seeking a skilled and experienced Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director.  This is a new position with responsibility solely to providing administrative support to the Director.  It is a part-time, paid position.  Candidates must agree with Love INC's statement of faith and core values.  A position description, core values and application form are available by emailing loveincoffice@yahoo.com.   Join Love INC today and put your skills to use in this vibrant and growing Christian ministry!  Deadline for applying is March 31, 2010.