Pentecost Sunday, May 11

Our chancel flower calendar is on the bulletin board in the church office and has several openings. If you would like to donate flowers for a worship service, you can sign up on the calendar or call the church office to let us know (869-9176). Also let the church know what you would like published on the back of the bulletin for that Sunday (whether they are given in memory or in honor of someone or in celebration of some event). Arrangements run about $50 and side vases run about $25 a piece. We usually order from Flower Merchants who will bill you directly, but you can use the florist of your choice and call them directly. Just make sure they call to find out the dimensions of our urn which holds the flowers. The flowers are also yours to take home if you wish after the worship services.

Week of Compassion has begun receiving a number of calls and emails about the growing food crisis in the world and what WOC is doing in response. Indeed, a number of international organizations, including numerous humanitarian agencies, have issued warnings about the rising prices of food and the impact on the world's poor. The World Bank has said that food prices have risen more than 80 percent over the past three years. Violent protests have already erupted in a dozen countries, and scores more face serious food shortages this year. High oil prices, bad weather, food grains (especially corn) diverted to bio-fuel production, globalization of markets, further devaluation of the U.S. dollar and other forces are combining to form a "perfect storm" to put millions of lives of the world's poorest people at risk.

WOC has received a number of alerts from church partners on the ground who are already responding to the crisis in their respective countries, as well as developing additional response plans. Also, WOC is in touch with Church World Service (CWS) and other ecumenical partners about developing a resource with the most up-to-date information available and how, together, we might make the most appropriate, co-ordinated response. In the meantime, WOC is setting up a new designated account, "world food crisis," that will enable interested Disciples to respond. Contributions can be made online by clicking on the link below or sent to Week of Compassion, attn: Elaine Cleveland, P.O. Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN 46206.

What a wonderful evening of theatre! The mystery plays presented two stories from the Bible, Noah and Abraham and Isaac. The audience of 109 people received a blessing. The student actors, directors, and playwrights are remarkably gifted people and thoroughly enjoyed working on this project. Howard Cavner