United Christian Ministries March fund-raising dinner will be March 12, at 6 pm in Pierson Hall of the United Methodist Church.  Tickets are $15.  Reservations are required.  Call 330-673-5687.

The PW Coordinating Team will meet on Monday evening March 15. They have begun planning for next year.  There are two open positions on the team for the term beginning next fall: peace and justice representative--who keeps the group aware of social justice issues and activities locally, within the PC(USA) and across the globe; and the vice-moderator, who helps the moderator Ruby Riley.  If you would like to serve on the coordinating team, please contact Patty McCarter (330-297-7933) or Sonja Melton (330-673-0084) 

Daylight Saving Time:  Don’t forget to reset your clocks (Spring ahead!) on Saturday, March 20, before you go to bed so you will be on time for church Sunday, March 21! 

Interested in going to Florida for Spring Break?  College students are invited to go with Kent Prez to Jacksonville, FL.  For a mere $100 all of your expenses will be covered.  Departure is Friday, March 26 and return is Sunday, April 4.  We will enjoy spending time relaxing at the beach as well as serving those in need.  Service will be in a variety of ways.  If you are interested in going or for more details, contact Mark Strickland by phone: (419) 250-2631 or email: kentprez@gmail.com.

Have a Heart...Volunteer for Hospice.  Provide a wide variety of services based on each patient’s particular needs and desires.  Every volunteer will be trained.  Training begins Saturday, April 10.  Call Bernadette Thomas at 330-297-8899 or bthomas@rmh2.org to find out how you can help.

 Women's Book Club meets every Wednesday evening from 6:45-7:30 p.m. Bring your book suggestions. Meetings will be held in the library. For details, contact Anna Meadows.

To donate to the Chile earthquake relief, make checks payable to KPC.  All donations will then be sent to the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program.

Haiti: Give, Act, Pray Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is responding to the major earthquake that hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. Millions of people have been affected by this disaster, and tens of thousands — possibly hundreds of thousands —are feared dead.

PDA is rushing an initial $100,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing and designated funds to help provide immediate emergency relief to the affected people. Funds are being sent through our ecumenical and local partners working in Haiti.

Presbyterian World Mission is gathering information on the safety and status of our mission personnel and ecumenical partners in the area.

For updates on the earthquake and the church’s response, please visit the PDA Web site.
Stand in the gap for those affected by the earthquake. GIVE. ACT. PRAY.

Give — Financial support for relief efforts can be designated to DR000064. Your gifts, combined with others, provide a visible and tangible demonstration of God’s care in the midst of this tragedy. Recovery will be a difficult and long process – one that Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has proven to be faithful through the long haul.
 Act – Stay informed and share information on the need with others. Sign up to receive PDA-RIN email notices to alert you of additional needs. Consider making Gift of the Heart hygiene kits. A shipment of hygiene kits is being prepared by Church World Service to send to Haiti. When widespread disasters occur, there is usually a need to replenish the supply to ensure a sufficient quantity for future disaster situations.
 Pray — Join with others in lifting up the people of Haiti and those seeking to provide aid in this critical time. As the eyes of the world turn to Haiti, let us join our hearts in prayer:

God of compassion, please watch over the people of Haiti, and weave out of these terrible happenings wonders of goodness and grace. Surround those who have been affected by tragedy with a sense of your present love, and hold them in faith. Though they are lost in grief, may they find you and be comforted; Guide us as a church to find ways of providing assistance that heals wounds and provides hope. Help us to remember that when one of your children suffer we all suffer. Through Jesus Christ who was dead, but lives and rules this world with you. Amen.
(Adapted from Book of Common Worship) 

The Lord’s Pantry of Kent Social Services is always in need of non-perishable food items.  Please bring one each week for our food box at the entrance.

You can help.  The PCUSA has been and is very active in providing relief in those areas hit by disaster.  Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is now helping in Indonesia and the Samoan Islands.  You may give electronically by going to www.pcusa.org, type in “PDA” in the search line, then click on Presbyterian Disaster Assistance—Current Response.   You may also give by check, print the disaster area for relief on the memo line.

Please welcome Mark Strickland as our new campus ministry intern.  Mark is a senior at Malone University, with a Bible and Theology major.  Mark will be joining us on Sunday morning for worship, Sunday afternoons for student fellowship brunch, and Wednesday’s KSU student discipleship meetings.

 The Presbyterian Press deadline is the last Sunday of each month. Please submit your articles to kay@kentprez.org or leave a hard copy on the desk in the office.