Crossroads Notes:

Introducing the 2007 Dot & Fran Team Walking to raise funds to combat multiple sclerosis on Sunday, April 29 in Concord, MA.           This year we have more folks walking than ever before!!           We have a lofty goal of raising $3,000, so we really need help! Please consider sponsoring the team or any individual member. Many of us have family members, friends or co-workers who live with this often debilitating disease.           Here's how to donate online (and it is a secure site): Click here to donate or follow the instructions below. Go to the main website www.msnewengland.org; Click on "Donate to a Walker, Cyclist or Runner"; Check the radio button "Search for a Team"; The team name is Dot & Fran; Hit return or Enter; After our information comes up, click on the name of the team. That will bring you to our fundraising page. Look in the right hand column and click on "Donate to Team". You'll be directed to a page asking for your personal information.           If you'd prefer to donate by cash or check, please give it before the walk to any team member. Checks are payable to National MS Society.           And don't forget to pray for the success of our walk and for the many people and families living with MS! Thanks, Linda Roscoe, Team Captain Spring Cleanup           The Board of Trustees is planning a ‘Spring Cleanup’ on May 5 with a rain date on May 12. We invite and encourage everyone from the church to participate in this opportunity to get our church grounds cleaned up from the ‘ravages’ of winter. Raking, sweeping, mulching, planting and maybe even cutting grass will be the order of the day from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We also plan to shore up the shed before it slides into the woods. Please donate four hours of your time on May 5 to make the outside of your church look like you care about it. NetWorkers Malaria Prevention Program           The NetWorkers Malaria Prevention Program was developed by International Health Ministries in reasons to the tragic human toll of malaria, which claims over a million lives each year. Malaria is the leading cause of death among African children under five and a major health threat to pregnant women.            The economic toll of malaria is also staggering. Malaria can leave people unable to work while also forcing them to use much of their income to pay for treatments.           Fortunately, because malaria is caused by parasites carried by night-biting mosquitoes, the risk of infection can be significantly reduced by sleeping under an insecticide-treated mosquito net. These nets are effective, inexpensive, and easy to use.           The NetWorkers program not only provides nets and malaria prevention education at project sites in Asia and Africa. Local women are trained to make the nets from kits provided which also helps the local economy.           To help with the NetWorkers project, we will offer an opportunity to honor Mothers by making a gift to the project in their name or in their memory. The suggested contribution is $10.00. Beth Denier will have Mother’s Day cards for this purpose prior to Mother’s Day. Deacons Corner           The Deacons recently had a discussion regarding the possibility of sponsoring a ‘multi-meeting informative series on planning for the later phase of life.’ We would like to know how much interest there is in the congregation in such a series. In addition, it would help us in planning to know what topics would be helpful to cover. In April, we will be issuing a short survey and would appreciate your input.           Thanks to everyone who donated snacks and toiletries for the packages that were sent to the military. Several thank-you notes for our February packages have been posted on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. If you have not already read them, please take a minute to do so – it will show you how much your contributions are appreciated.           Tools and Blankets Sundays are coming up. We will be collecting for this event between Mothers Day, May 13 and Fathers Day, June 17. The Tools and Blankets program is a special mission opportunity that supports Church World Service in responding to disasters around the world. Approximately 8,000 congregations and groups across the United States hold Tools and Blankets events, providing more than $3.7 million to help people in 80 nations, including the United States.           The yard sale will be held in June. The tentative date is June 9. In the meantime, when you are doing your Spring cleaning this year, please keep this in mind, and set aside and ‘treasurers’ you find for the yard sale.

Is Your Pledge Up-To-Date?             Church members made a wonderful commitment to support the mission of this congregation in 2007. It is important to honor that commitment. Despite bad weather and school vacations, the Church’s expenses continue so we urge you to keep up with your pledges. If you need to adjust your pledge, please see Jim Brunner. Membership Committee Sponsors ‘Dinners of Eight’           On May 12, (time to be determined) we are sponsoring ‘Dinners of Eight’. For this we are asking you to sign the sign-up sheet that is posted on the bulletin board. What is a ‘Dinners of Eight’ you may ask! You will be invited by some one in the congregation to come to their house for dinner; there will be no more than eight for dinner. The hosts/hostesses will prepare the entrée; the guests will provide other foods for the meal. The number that sign-up will determine how many hosts/hostesses we will need. It is a fun time and a chance to get to know each other better. Look for the sign-up sheet. We are looking for someone with a wheel chair accessible home who would be able to host a dinner. Coffeehouse at BPC April 21, 2007, 7:00 p.m. (doors open) A Benefit for Mission of Deeds with ‘The Goodhues Band’           “We are a foursome, with Kim Goodhue on vocals and autoharp; Geoff Goodhue, vocals, guitar and mandolin; Trish DeCaprio, vocals and fiddle; and Ryan Goodhue, on keyboard and hand drums. Our repertoire covers American "roots" country, Appalachian, bluegrass, Southern gospel, contemporary folk, traditional Celtic, and Irish "pub" songs. We emphasize close two- and three-part harmonies, polished instrumental arrangements, and sincere, energetic delivery.” The Goodhues were warmly received when they played during worship at BPC in January.           The evening will partially be a benefit for The Mission of Deeds, an organization that for many years has provided donated furniture to folks unable to purchase their own. Folks known to our church family have been helped by the Mission, and church member Ray Gibson works for it three days a week. Ray is heading up this coffeehouse project.           Donation for the evening is $10.00. Tickets will be available in advance.           Volunteers to help set up, clean up, and provided refreshments are very welcome! M.A.T.E. Crew Taking Shape for this Year!           A handful of person so far have shown interest in being part of this year’s volunteer crew to work on renovations of homes of the rural elderly and poor in central Maine, through Mission At The Eastward. The week is July 29 – August 3, though you can come for just part of that time. Skilled and unskilled labor welcome. We stay in a dorm of the U. Maine, Farmington. We’ll be joing with a few folks from other churches in Boston Presbytery.           Our crew will also welcome financial contributions, to help with our expenses, and donations of food items (to be specified later). See Rod MacDonald for more information. Presbyterian Nursery School Registration Event           The Presbyterian Nursery School has classes in full swing from September through May. We have started enrollment for the 2007-2008 school year. The following programs will be offered: 3 day program for 4 year olds: M-W-F 9:00 am – 12:00 pm 2 day program for 4 year olds: T-Th 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm 2 day program for 3 year olds: T-Th 9:00 am – 11:30 am           If you know someone who is looking for a quality, yet low-cost pre-school experience for their 3 or 4 year olds, we would appreciate your spreading the word! Interested families should call registrar Linda Benson at 781-272-0081, extension 2 for more details. The deadline is May 1.           There is an opening for another board member if you or someone you know is interested. (They do not have to be members of BPC.) See anyone on the board for information.           Occasionally we will share a few tidbits in Crossroads about this important community service which our church oversees. For now, as you leave Fellowship Hall on Sundays or after week night meetings, remember that there will be a group of toddlers there the next morning. Make sure that you dispose of your trash, lower the tables, raise the shades, pick up all personal possessions and leave the room ready for action.           And spread the word about registration. We appreciate your help.           Submitted by the PNS Nursery Board Computer Donation for Church Office           The church office is looking for donations of one or more personal computers (PCs) to upgrade and expand their current computer resources. The current church OPC has a 2 GHz processor, 256 MB of memory, and 8 MB of hard disk space. Any donations of a relatively modern PC with equivalent or better hardware would be welcome. Not that some employers occasionally donate older PCs to their employees at substantially reduced or no cost. Please watch for such possibilities on the church’s behalf. If you have a possible donation, please contact Peter Rochford at peter.rochford@comcast.net. Five Best Things to Say If You Get Caught Sleeping at your Desk 5. ‘They told me at the Blood Bank this might happened.’ 4. ‘This is just a 15 minute power nap they raved about in that time management course you sent me to.’ 3. ‘Whew! Guess I left the top off the White-out. You probably got here just in time!’ 2. ‘Did you ever notice sound coming out of these keyboards when you put your ear down real close?’ And, the number one best thing to say if you get caught sleeping at your desk… 1. Raise your head slowly and say, ‘…In Jesus’ name, Amen.