We did it!  Our 2007 CROP WALK was a huge success.  Our goal was 60 walkers raising $6,000.  Well, we ended up having 65 walkers and raised $6,318.22!  There were 20 walkers who collected between $100 and $1,300 each!  Of course, our success was directly attributed to the generosity of our many, many sponsors. So a big "THANK YOU" to all our sponsors and an even bigger "WELL DONE" to all our walkers.  For this year the total raised for the Venice area was $64,749.  As always, 25% of the funds raised stays here in Venice and 75% are used world wide by the Church World Service Organization.  For more information on either being a walker or a sponsor in a future CROP WALK, please call the church office and leave a message for Joe Franco and Jon Trembley.  They will be happy to call you back. 

Many dedicated women in the HELPING HANDS MINISTRY use their talents to provide hand-knitted caps for newborns at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, lap robes for Hospice and the Dialysis Center, and hand-made clothing for children at the YMCA Day Care.  Clothing has also been sent to children in the Dominican Republic.  If you are interested in donating fabric or knitting yarn to the HELPING HANDS MINISTRY or would like to put your talents to good use, please call the church office and leave a message for Diana Gladden. She will be happy to call you back. 

Six hearty souls from Good Shepherd - Dick & Sally Brettle, Walt & Pat Hickson, Al Logan and Anita Marshall - traveled to the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC to continue our mission work at the Epiphany Church and Preschool in Santo Domingo.  The trip took place the week of April 27-May 3, 2007.  Please keep this project in your prayers.  Donations can be made by check to Good Shepherd with a memo note "2007 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Project".  For more information, please call the church office and leave a message for Anita Marshall.  She will be happy to call you back.

What a wonderful Holiday Season we had!  More than 70 Good Shepherd families volunteered as SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGERS at the WalMart supermarket location during the 2006 Christmas season.  We collected $17,258 which represents a huge portion of thie total $92,697 collected in the Venice area.  Be sure to sign up next season to be part of this wonderful ministry.  If you want to volunteer please call the church office and leave a message for Joe Franco and he will surely call you back.

The theme for this year's VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL was "Take the Plunge-Make a Splash With Jesus".  We had 35 children enrolled for the 4 day session from July 9-12.  The children "visited" a Water Park where they could earn "Splash" points.  During each "visit" they learned about Obedience, Faith, Worship, Courage and Service.  On the lfinal evening we celebrated together with a special program put on by the children and a potluck dinner.  Many thanks to the 20 volunteers who helped make our VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL a 4F masterpiece...food, fun, fellowship and faith teaching.