Updated June 4:

• In As Much Ministry food items   In As Much Ministry is a food pantry that addresses food security for people in need within Clay County, Missouri through the generosity of the community and congregations like Hosanna! Your contributions help In As Much distribute over 10,000 lbs. of food to families each week.
  They are focusing on a lot of children for the next three months since children will be home from school and a lot of them may be home alone. They would like to have food on hand that children will not have to cook.
  Please consider picking up an extra item or two the next time you go to the grocery store and place it in our wagon located outside the nursery door.
  Here is a list of their current needs: 
  Canned chicken, Pasta sauce, Kid’s cereal, Granola bars, Canned mandarin oranges, Kids pasta, Pop tarts, Brownie mix, Graham crackers, Toothpaste.

• Our Kids are Generous   Throughout Lent and Easter, the kids of Hosanna! have given $229.35 through their offerings to Emergency Response Rooms delivering lifesaving aid to millions of people caught in war and famine in the country of Sudan.  The Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition will use these gifts to provide supplies for a network local Sudanese volunteer groups that provide food, medical aid, evacuations, and other assistance to civilians trapped in active war zones.  After two years of civil war, these groups have proven flexible enough to ensure resources directly address urgent and changing humanitarian needs.  Learn more at www.mutualaidsudan.org. 
  This summer, the kids’ offerings will help provide space for kids and community groups to step back from the demands of their daily lives, breathe deeply, and be surprised by God at Hollis Renewal Center in Bonner Springs, Kansas (south of The Legends).  For over 35 years, Hollis has embodied hospitality, serving as a place apart for prayer, reflection, learning, and renewal with more than 5 miles of hiking trails across 153 acres of secluded and wooded land.  With our kids’ help, Hollis plans to build a new lodge so Hollis can continue to welcome more people, more often, for years to come. Learn more about Hollis Renewal Center and their Deep Roots, Wide Welcome Campaign at https://holliscenter.org/the-lodge-2-0-campaign.  If you’d like to contribute to this campaign, you are invited to contribute directly at Hollis’s website or by designating your gift to Hosanna! to “Children’s Offering.”  If you’ve never been to Hollis (or even heard of it), we invite you to visit their website to learn about their summer camps and ongoing opportunities for renewal in your life. 

• Vacation Bible School... For Adults!  Adults are invited to supper each evening July 8-10 at 6:00, then conversation with John Kreidler about “Travelling with God:  Being a Serendipitous Christian.” 
  Each evening will include:

  • Bible Study - Unexpected good fortune through old stories

  • Understanding Worship - Unexpected good fortune through old habits

  • Reflecting on Everyday Life - Unexpected good fortune within the same old same old

The topics will match the stories the kids are simultaneously learning:

• July 8:  Abraham and Sarah—planning is nice, but flexibility and a sense of humor are essential.

• July 9: Zacchaeus—staycations are good but best with a party.

• July 10:  Paul—the direct route is not always the best route.

Although connected, each conversation topic is complete on its own, so participants are welcome any evening, even if they can’t attend all three or they are volunteering to help the young people some evenings. ​

• Volunteer for SOAR Special Needs Day Camp   One of the nation’s largest disability day camps happens here in Kansas City area, and we are hoping to send volunteers. 

  • SOAR Special Needs is a local organization that exists to transform the lives of special families and empower them to soar in their local and faith communities. 

  • SOAR is holding their Northland camp in Raytown July 6-10, 9:00-4:00.  Campers are 3 years and older (including adults), with all diagnoses and all levels of special needs.  Day camp pairs fully trained professional teams with volunteers to assure each camper is supported for a safe, fun, and unforgettable camp experience. 

  • Volunteers of all ages (campers love having a buddy their own age!) are invited to help as a 1-on-1 buddy or in areas such as outdoor games, crafts, music, food, and much more! 

  • Although this is the same week as Hosanna’s VBS, the times don’t overlap, and volunteers are not required to attend SOAR Camp all day, every day.  Any help is welcome!

  • Learn more about camp at https://soarspecialneeds.org/soar-summer-day-camp/.

  • Click the “Raytown Volunteer Registration” for details about volunteering.  On that page, click the Role Descriptions link for details about how you can help.

  • If you and/or your child are thinking about volunteering, speak with Pastor Mike so that we can coordinate volunteering.