One of the suggestions as to how we spend our time during Lent is in service 
to others.  This season as a church we will be focusing on the issue of homelessness.  It is important that as people of Christ, we remember our “neighbors” and extend the gift of compassion and hope.  Alan Burt, of Homeless Not Hopeless, will be joining us.  We will also be using his book “Blessings of the Burden” for discussion in some of our Wednesday night midweek services.  He writes, “Clearly we should not scorn and judge those who fall to the streets.  Our Creator wants us to love and help our neighbors in need.  Like lifeguards, who simply pull people out of the water because they have fallen into the water, we should be pulling people out of homelessness because they have fallen into homelessness”.  Alan will help give us a better understanding of homelessness of Cape Cod.  Beth Wade, our former Christian Ed director and current Director of Champ Homes, will also be joining us to tell us more about that organization which provides and maintain a safe, supportive and nurturing home environment for formerly homeless youth and adults.

Our young people will be educating our congregation with “Moments for Mission”.  J2A will be working with Beth Eldredge on homelessness awareness.  Our confirmands will be shooting a documentary on the issue.  Our young friends will be looking at the books “Fly Away Home” and “Benjamin Brody’s Backyard Bag”, both about homelessness.  They will present one of them in dramatic form for our intergenerational service on March 22nd.  And, on March 25th, we will host a The “Cardboard City” Overnight Retreat for middle - high school students, and adults to raise awareness about homelessness in America. The overnight will include activities, group discussion, prayer, building “houses” out of cardboard and sleeping in the cardboard houses on our front lawn.