OUR WOMEN

The women of CPC do not have a formal Presbyterian Woman's organization, but do provide support to the ministry of the church.  This ministry is done in conjunction with the Session.  We are called to provide support in many ways, including Fellowship, Missions, Outreach, Christian Education and even kitchen cleaning.  Members are encouraged to explore new ways to fulfill needs and to provide leadership for projects,

On-going Fellowship opportunities supported are Ladies' breakfasts on Wednesday mornings, the Lunch Bunch meeting in the summer and fall, potlucks, summer luncheon, and Christmas and Easter brunches.  Women are asked to furnish soup for the Maundy Thursday Service which also enhances the worship experience.

A picture of the women is taken in the fall and is used on notecards to be sent to Snowbirds and Friends in the winter.  This is an outreach to let our Snowbirds know they are appreciated and that we look forward to their return in  the spring and summer months,

Our women support our Attic Resale Shop as well as our Christmas season Giving Tree Project.  All proceeds from our Attic Retail Shop go to our Mission programs to support charities that are local, national, and international (see Mission tab in Navigation pane). As many of you are aware, the LDF Church has for years decorated a Christmas tree for children that was generally decorated with a wide variety of gloves--many of which were hand made for local children and distributed via the LDF School.  This year, upon receiving ' some information from a long-standing member of our church, the women were apprised of another option.  Namely, they were advised of two programs in the area that address the needs of foster children in Vilas County and in the Lac du Flambeau area.  After some deliberation, several women who have been active in this program, thought this might be an appropriate mission program to support.  Our pastor, in support of the idea, brought it to our Session.  Session overwhelmingly supported the idea.  It may well be a mission program we wish to continue to support in future years.  The two programs are (1) Vilas County Foster Closet and (2) LDF Family Services/ICW.  The following provides a brief idea of the needs of children being placed in the foster program.

VILAS COUNTY FOSTER CLOSET:

Needed items:

** Toys, such as

          1. Dolls

          2. Play dishes and food

          3. Trucks and cars (Not Matchbook ones)

          4.  Lego and Duplo kits

          5.  Coloring Book]s for children and adults

          6.  Card and board games for all ages

          7.  Puzzles--500 pieces or less that would interest children ages 8-18 (Star Wars,

              Avengers, Harry Potter puzzles and horses, cats, and other "cute" pictures.

**  Books for Teen-agers from suggested authors--Jay Asher, Victoria Aveyard, S.E. Hinton,

    Titles such as "The Book Thief, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Fault in Our Stars,

    The Hunger Games, Hatchet, It's Not Supposed to Be This Way"      

**  Books for ages 8-12 such as "Wish, Wonderland: A Novel, The Boxcar Children Series, 

    Ghost Island Mystery, The Magic Tree House Series, Harry Potter Books, Ramona

    Books, Flat Stanley Books, etc."

**  Diaper bags of neutral colors

**  Diapers sizes 3,4,5, and 6

**  Monetary donations to be used by the closet for larger items such as gates, strollers,

    pack 'n plays, high chairs, car seats, and other large items.  They cannot accept used

    items.

LDF FAMILY SERVICES/ICW

This mission program made the following suggestions for needed items.

BASIC ITEMS

**  Toothbrushes (variety),

**  Tooth paste (variety), 

**  Shampoo/Conditioner, 

**  Soap-scented and non-scented, 

**  Hairbrushes (variety), 

**  Towels and wash clothes, 

**  Tampons and pads (variety).

BABIES

**  Bottles (large and small), 

**  Pacifiers.

COMFORT ITEMS

**  Blankets (variety)

**  Pillow cases with cartoon characters,

**  Socks (variety boy and girl sizes), 

**  Underwear (variety boy and girl sizes)

**  Pajamas (variety boy and girl sizes),

**  Slippers (variety boy and girl sizes).

In conclusion, these are two local programs where we can have a very positive impact on the lives of children who "have been dealt a very difficult hand" in life.  We hope that all who read this feel the same way and are willing to assist in lightening the burdens being placed on the foster parents and these foster children who often arrive with the clothes they are wearing and perhaps a small plastic bag of incidentals. To participate in this worthwhile project, contact Carol Gelwicks through the church office at 715-588-7150 for guidance on the most pressing needs for these programs and how to contribute to making the Christmas season more joyful for these foster families.

Currently, we do not have a formal church school program for children.  However, our women have created project bags with activities related to Christian Education.  The children are encouraged to use the materials in the bag while sitting with their parents during the adult worship time.  The women supply the bags with new materials as needed.

Every January, the women get together to tidy up the kitchen cabinets and clean the pews, cushions, and fellowship furniture in the sanctuary as needed.  This cleanup helps to keep our church and fellowship area looking attractive and inviting.

With the help of our members in coming up with new ideas and helping to implement them, we work to keep our church programs interesting and vital.  All women are appreciated and encouraged to participate.