Crossroads Notes:

News of Our Church Family A blessed gift is given…      On April 8, Jay David and Sue McGilvray-Rivet and their spouses met very early in the morning at Lahey Clinic Medical Center. That day, a kidney was taken from Sue and given to Jay. The operations went very well. The “new” kidney began to function immediately. Now, both are home and continuing to recover very well. Keep them and their families in your prayers…and give thanks to God for all good gifts! Congratulations on a fine auction!      Thanks to our Deacons and their helpers, and smooth-tongued auctioneer Millie Wiegand, for providing a wonderful evening on April 5, and benefiting our church and the Burlington Food Pantry. Each will receive half of the $5,600+ that came in from that event. And thanks to all who contributed to the splendid collection of items and services to be auctioned. Invitation to Holocaust Memorial Sabbath Friday, May 2, 7:45 p.m.      Again this year, we have been invited as members of Burlington’s interfaith community to attend the Sabbath service at Temple Shalom Emeth, at which the holocaust, its victims and survivors are remembered, and prayers given that such events never again occur. It is always a very moving, and educational time.      This year’s special speaker will be Dr. Alfred Viola. A noted chemist and educator, he was a child of the Kinder Transport project during the holocaust when he was 9 years old.      The temple is located at 16 Lexington Street, Burlington. For more information, speak to Rod MacDonald. Spring Cleanup       The Trustees are sponsoring our annual spring cleanup on Saturday, May 10, 9:00-1:00. Please come on out, enjoy the fresh air, and help us put everything outside in shape for summer. Exciting events include leaf raking, gutter cleaning, sweeping, mowing and trimming. Please bring your own lawn tools, and don’t forget your gloves. Electric blowers and very long extension cords are especially helpful. The church does have its own supply of lawn tools. So we can put everyone to work. Bring the family. In case of rain, spring cleanup will be postponed to the following Saturday. M.A.T.E. Crew Taking Shape for this Year!      It’s time to sign to be 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 27 – August 1, 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 joining 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, or to sign up! Burlington Food Drive Volunteers needed on Saturday, May 10th      We need volunteers who will unload the food off of the postal trucks, weigh the food, and sort it by category on May 10 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the St. Margaret's Religious Education Center located at the top of the hill at 113 Winn Street, Burlington. Anyone ten-years-old or older is welcome to volunteer.      We will need to unload and sort approximately four tons of food on May 10, so all groups and individuals are welcome. This is an ideal opportunity for anyone that wants to volunteer in a service project in Burlington. We will also need volunteers to bring the sorted food to the Burlington Food Pantry during the next three weeks after the food drive.      Food and drink will be served to the volunteers, and the event is in a safe, clean and large classroom.      If any group wants to volunteer during the food drive, please call the Burlington Food Pantry first at (781) 270-6625. Missionaries of the Month Rev. Choon Shik and Yen Hee Lim, Taiwan      Choon and Yen Hee Lee were appointed mission co-workers in 1991.      Their current assignment is with the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan’s Aboriginal College Ministry. Choon works in campus ministries at two universities and four college campuses.       Yen Hee is a registered nurse. She works in a handicapped children’s center and in a mobile clinic of the Mennonite Christian Hospital, traveling with the medical staff to remote mountain villages.      Prior to their assignment in Taiwan, the Lims served at the request of the Presbyterian Church of Korea on the medical ship “Salvation.”      If you would like more information go to www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/profiles/limc.htm

Presbytery News       On March 31, Boston Presbytery elected BPC elder Mark Wells to chair the Committee on Preparation for Ministry, and member Kevin Hershey to the Congregational Support and Development Committee. They are adding to our church’s strong participation in presbytery ministry, which also includes Beth Denier (Presbyterian Women and Committee on Education for Mission), Cathy Zeek (Committee on Ministry), David Zeek (Stewardship & Budget), Ken Dewar (Treasurer), and Revs. Rod and Cathy MacDonald. Deacons Corner      We celebrate with the congregation the successful kidney transplant on April 8, from Sue McGilvray-Rivet to Jay David, and are grateful for all the offers of support from many members. Betty Doubek and Lynda Graham-Meho are co-coordinators of member care and are in touch with both families to see what kind of support they would welcome.      In March, with donations received from the Maundy Thursday offering and donations made in lieu of Easter flowers, $351 was sent to the Mission of Deeds.      The BPC Spring Auction 2008 was a great success in so many ways and Deacons and the Auction Committee thank the whole congregation and many others for its success. We received donations of items and services that were very popular and had an enthusiastic and cheerfully competitive turnout for the silent and live auctions.       As Crossroads goes to press, after some expenses the proceeds are approximately $5,660. Fantastic!      At the deacons’ April meeting, Joanne Stephens reported that the Burlington Food Pantry needs people to do grocery shopping on weekday mornings to help fill the pantry shelves. The pantry recently helped 51 families and there is also a great need for donations of food. There will be a meeting for all volunteers on May 1 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Marks Church.      Lynda Graham-Meho has volunteered to serve as a representative from our church on the Burlington Peace Scholarship Selection Committee. Historic 40th Walk for Hunger Sunday, May 4 Starts on the Boston Common, 7:00–9:00 a.m.      The Walk for Hunger began when members of a religious community decided to speak out about the unacknowledged tragedy of hunger in our midst. Now, 40 years later, the Walk includes teams from more than 1,000 religious and community groups. This is a special year. If you’ve ever participated in the Walk, or thought about doing so, this is the year to get involved. Dig out your Walk memorabilia and join the BPC team for Project Bread’s special 40th Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 4. Some of us have been doing this for more than 20 years!      Whether you walk 2 miles, 10, or all 20 of the Walk, you’ll enjoy a festive day walking through Boston and surrounding neighborhoods while you help our hungry neighbors in Massachusetts. Both the Burlington Food Pantry and the Dwelling Place receive funds through Project Bread.      Your pledges feed people through emergency food programs throughout the state and through the many food programs in schools, after school programs, and pediatrician offices. There will be a pledge sheet for the BPC team posted on the bulletin board outside the front classroom.      For more information, call 617-723-5000, visit www.projectbread.org/walk, or speak with Linda Roscoe, BPC Team Captain Networkers Mother’s Day Project Mosquito Nets for Africa and the Blankets and Tools Project      Each year in sub-Saharan Africa, malaria causes more than one million deaths, most of them children under five and pregnant women. Malaria is the number one killer of children under age five. Women are four times as likely to contract malaria during pregnancy and twice as likely to die from it. Using insecticide-treated mosquito nets, coupled with malaria prevention education, has been shown to significantly reduce these tragic statistics.      The Blankets and Tools project provide these badly needed items to disaster victims, refugees, and others in need of help.      Consider honoring a loved one with a donation to the networkers project or to the Blankets and Tools project. See Beth Denier for information on the networkers project and Mother’s Day cards and Whitey Graham for information on the Blankets and Tools project.