Each year at Christmas we conspire together to celebrate the gift of Jesus in a way that brings lasting hope to others. The challenge for all of us is to make some sacrifices during the Christmas season and instead of spending a lot of money on presents to focus on giving presence to others.

Advent Conspiracy is an invitation to dream up creative ways to bless those you love by making something or giving a relational gift that involves time together. Search the web, peruse Pinterest, and do something different this year. The money you save can create space to bless those in need through Advent Conspiracy.

In previous years, God has used us to provide communities with clean drinking water and to put a roof on a Habitat for Humanity house!

This year we are focusing on blessing others through the gift of food! Our Advent Conspiracy offering will be divided to support two efforts:

COMPASS PROGRAM FOR GRAHAM ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
Food is an extremely important factor in helping children grow and flourish. Each week volunteers spend time loving homeless and low-income children from Graham Elementary. This includes helping with homework, teaching life skills, and then gathering around tables to enjoy family style meals. Each week over thirty children and volunteers are fed at Compass. Through Advent Conspiracy, we hope to be able to provide dinners for 2014!

SCHOOL LUNCHES FOR HILL TRIBE CHILDREN IN THAILAND
The House of Blessing (HOB) in Chiang Mai, Thailand provides a hot meal for 50 children each day. The purpose is to provide good nutrition for the disadvantaged ethnic minority children served by the HOB. This project will be managed by missionary Kim Brown and the staff of the HOB. It is anticipated that this project will improve the overall nutrition and general health of each of the children attending the HOB, enabling each child to be more consistent in school attendance and increase their ability to learn.The cost for lunch is just 45 cents a day per student. You can view this project and many other great ones at International Ministries’s website – http://www.internationalministries.org/projects.

Join us in bringing hope through Advent Conspiracy! Checks made out to Central Baptist Church with Advent Conspiracy in the memo line can be sent to the church or placed in the offering plate on any Sunday.

If you would like to give a gift in honor of a loved one you can print this Advent Conspiracy card to give to them as a way of telling them about the gift!

Join us for some great chili and support a great cause!

On Saturday, February 23rd we will be having a Chili Supper to support the Loami Food Pantry from 4 to 7 PM!

The Chili Supper will be at Central Baptist Church in New Berlin, located at 600 West Birch St in New Berlin.

You can eat-in or carry out.

Costs for Eat-in:
-$5 – Bowl of chili, 2 cookies, and a drink
– $3.50 – Hot dog, chips, 2 cookies, and a drink

Costs for Carry Out:
– $5 – 14 oz chili

There will also be numerous door prizes – to enter, just bring 2 items for the Loami Food pantry (they are in low supply of canned fruit and non-perishable fruit juices)!

In addition, 35 door prizes will also be given away. Everyone is eligible to participate in the door prize drawing. To participate in the door prize drawing, a person must bring 2 cans of fruit or 2 cans of non-perishable fruit juice or one of each. (These are the items in greatest demand at the pantry.) A person does not need to be present to win a door prize.

Here is a list of the door prizes that will be given away…

Capones Hideout, New Berlin: 2 – pizza dinners

Charter Fitness, Springfield: 5 – complimentary 1-month passes

County Market, Springfield: $25.00 gift card

Coz’s Pizza & Pub, Springfield: $25.00 gift card

Firehouse Subs & Fulgenzi’s Pizza & Pasta, Springfield:1 bottle of BBQ sauce and two children’s fireman’s hats & 2 – 7 in. cheese pizza coupons

Fulgenzi’s Pizza & Pasta, Springfield: (2 sets) 4 – 7 in. cheese pizza coupons

International House of Pancakes, Spfld.:1 – 3 complimentary pancake short stack or stuffed French toast meals

Jones Boys Market, Ashland: 2 sets – $15.00 gift certificates for brats

Kathy’s Kitchen, Virginia: Gift basket of Kathy’s Kitchen products

LongHorn Steakhouse, Springfield: 2 – $10.00 gift coupons

Mel-O-Cream Donuts, Springfield: 3 sets – 1 dozen donuts with a coffee mug (and also 1 T-shirt)

Noodles & Co., Springfield: 5 sets – 4 free bowls of any one of their entrées

Onofrio’s Classic Sauces, Springfield: 2 sets – 4 flavors of Onofrio’s Classic Sauces

Scentsy: Plug-in warmer & (1) scent bar

Schnucks Market: $25.00 gift card

Shepps Bar & Grill, New Berlin: 2 sets – 2 dinners

Velata Chocolate: $25 gift certificate

Warren-Boynton State Bank, New Berlin: 2 – $25 cash

Please join us and bring a friend, all are welcome! All proceeds go to the Loami Food Pantry, we would love to support them in a significant way as they continue the great work of blessing those in need of food!

If you have any questions, let us know.

Our 27th annual Feast of Plenty free Thanksgiving meal will be held here at Central Baptist Church one week from today. There are still many opportunities for you to be a part of Feast of Plenty this year. They are listed below:

Volunteer opportunities are still available. We are in most need of meal delivery drivers and clean up help from 2-4 p.m. Please call the church office to sign up (217-523-3639).

Donations of hats, gloves, socks, and scarves are still needed and will be appreciated. We have not yet received many and with the weather getting colder the demand for these items will be great. Drop off your donation in the Serve the World Center.

Desserts are still needed. Please bring your donated dessert to the church office by 5 p.m. next Wednesday.

Fundraiser Remember to come out and support the Feast of Plenty Fundraiser at Noodles and Company on November 19, 4-9 p.m. 10% of sales from the evening will go to our Feast of Plenty. If you donate 2 items (hats, gloves, socks, or scarves), Noodles and Co. will give you a coupon for a free bowl on another visit.

Financial Support It takes around $3,000 to make Feast of Plenty happen each year. With food costs on the rise this figure may be even higher this year. If you would like to help in this way, you can make your check payable to Central Baptist Church noting “Feast of Plenty” in the memo line.

Finally, please remember to Pray for our volunteers, volunteer coordinators, and everyone with whom we come in contact with on Thanksgiving Day.

If you would like to volunteer in any way or have any questions, please email us.

We have an opportunity to partner with Graham Elementary,  the Family Service Center, Westminister Presbyterian Church, and other people in the community to be a blessing to children at Graham Elementary School.

Beginning on Tuesday, October 16th a new Compass program will start for Graham students and be held at Westminster. The program will take place from 3 PM to 6:30 PM every Tuesday that Graham is in session. Compass is a free after-school program for homeless and low-income elementary students. The goal of the program is to help all of the students through tutoring, life skills/enrichment, and a full balanced dinner to perform academically at or above grade level.

To do this, the program needs volunteers and support. For us, this is an opportunity to demonstrate the love of God for children who could benefit from love from additional caring adults in their life. Ideally volunteers will be able to be there most Tuesdays. There are different roles and time slots for volunteers to fill.

Schedule for the program:
– 3:00 – 3:15 – Walk from Graham to Westminster
– 3:15 – 3:45 – Snack
– 3:45 – 4:15 – Homework
– 4:15 – 5:15 – Life Skills Lessons
– 5:15 – 5:45 – Family Style Dinner
– 5:45 – 6:30 – Finish homework/games

There are multiple ways you can be a part of this!
– tutor/mentor – pick your favorite age group and help out with homework, work with a child during homework
– kitchen helper – set up snack and dinner, clean up after each
– life skills instructor – commit one hour a week for one month, teach 10 students about one of your hobbies
– donate – from time to time there will be needs ranging from school supplies to clothing

For more information you can check out the Compass web site.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, you can email Josh.

Vacation Bible school is coming soon! This year our theme will be Sky: Everything is possible with God. At Sky VBS, kids imagine what it would be like to bounce among the clouds, soar with eagles, and reach for the stars. The Bible comes to life in new and powerful ways as kids explore why nothing is impossible with God. Through every experience, kids find that they can trust God. VBS will be held at our Springfield campus on June 25 to 29 from 6 PM to 8:30 PM.

You can register at this site.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Dulci Harms.

Central Baptist Church is partnering with the New Berlin Brownie Scouts to provide a food stand at the New Berlin Community Garage Sale on:
– Friday, May 18th (4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) and
– Saturday, May 19th (9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.).

The food and drink sales will be located at 403 East Illinois Street (located downtown, along Old Route 36). All proceeds will go to the New Berlin Brownie Scouts. Food and drink served will be hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, homemade cookies, soda and bottled water.

Join AARP and the Springfield Senior Center to help fight senior hunger in November! Join Us at the Kick-Off Event!

What: Springfield Food Drive Kick-Off Event
When: Wednesday, November 2, 2011, from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
There is a $10 entry fee for the event and all proceeds will be used to purchase food vouchers that will benefit hungry seniors in Springfield. We will have a festive atmosphere with music, snacks and a nice way to support the senior center food pantry.
Where: Café Moxo, 411 East Adams, Springfield, IL 62701.

Questions about AARP’s food drive efforts, please feel free to call AARP Illinois at 1-866-448-3613 or contact us via email at aarpil@aarp.org.

Click to view the promotional flyer.