Briefs: Vets Share Stories, Community Gardens, Helping Students

Veterans Share WW II Experiences, Impact on Faith

MOLINE, IL (September 12, 2012) – First Covenant Church will conduct a special Veteran’s Sunday worship service that will include a video interview of four World War II veterans from the church. U.S. Army Col. Timothy Bedsole, a chaplain at the local Arsenal, will be the featured speaker.

The four veterans appearing in the video are Bill and Marilyn Forslund, Elwyn Ecker, and Charles Dismer.

Bill Forslund served in the U.S. Navy and Marilyn Forslund served in the “Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service” (WAVES), which became a division of the Navy in 1942. Ecker and Dismer served in the U.S. Army.

In the recorded interview, the veterans will share about their experiences during the war, what it was like to enter the war and return home, as well as how their involvement impacted their spiritual lives.

Church Hosts Cooking Night for Neighbors

ROCKFORD, IL (September 12, 2012) – First Covenant Church recently sponsored a cooking night in which they used vegetables from their community garden to educate neighbors on healthy cooking.

Congregation members Darla Ruiz, an area caterer, and Pam Parson demonstrated dishes including cucumber soup, roasted veggie pizza, and others to show what can be cooked using fresh vegetables.

It was the second year the church has provided the demonstration. Its garden is one of 60 in Rockford.

Elements Demonstrates Commitment to Education

BRONX, NY (September 12, 2012) – Elements Covenant Church included gospel hip-hop CDs along with school supplies – all contained in 150 school backpacks the church plant provided to students.

The church is located in a community where dropout rates are high, but Elements has a strong commitment to helping students pursue education. The Elements Scholarship Fund is an annual scholarship providing financial support of up to $1,500 to first-year college students.

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