Day One with WI-VIMers

By jcrowl | Published: June 28, 2010

Today was the first day with the WI-Vimers at our work sites.

We are working on two work sites at this point in the week.  The first is continued work on the Liberty Street Project.  It was a great day.  Since most of this crew were here last year it was right to work since the dry wall and supplies were already in place.  Great!  So they made it down the stairway, almost finished drywalling the dining room and also painted the master bedroom.  Thanks for hard work to Ron, Ron, Sharon, LaVina and Trevor.  Thanks to Katelyn, our mission assistant, and to Jan and Larry for hosting our meals at their beautiful deck.

The other site was out in Elo.  We had our ramp crew — Andy and Mel — along with Colton, Kevin and Dylan at work with Mike.  It was fun at dinner (thanks for inviting Dan and I to dinner) to listen to Andy describe how the team traveled to Elo — kinda an over the river and through the woods tale!

Planning going on for tomorrow — continued work at Liberty Street, visiting a new site, visiting an organization that has seniors with home repair needs and more.

What a blessing today has been!  Keep us in your prayers as we work together.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments closed

Countdown to Mission to GCCP

By jcrowl | Published: June 9, 2010

Tonight an e-mail was sent to our 2010 GCCP Mission Team members and/or their parents reminding them of things they might want to pack for the mission week to God’s Country Cooperative Parish.  At this time in the evening (8 p.m.) four days from now we will be wrapping up our orientation session at Newberry UMC for the mission week and heading back to our home away from home — Halfway Lake Resort.  There we will spend some time chatting and then turn in for some sleep to fuel our work.

I know that I have learned to prepare for mission weeks and then sit back. (I think of the song “Standback” that we sing.)   I try not to have expectations because in the long run that really limits me and our teams during the weeks.  I do know though that I can expect good experiences, greeting old friends and meeting new friends.

Some of our regular team had the opportunity to visit one of the work sites at GCCP this past January and meet the owner.  What a gift.  Then in April we learned of the possibility of two more sites and are excited to work at all the sites in coordination with Katie, her interns and our worksite coordinators.  At the same time we have been talking with and praying for those who will be served in the Keweenaw this summer.

So I ask our readers to pray for us, for our teams and the people we will serve.   For God to keep us all safe in our travels and safe during all our work and play.  We’ll keep you posted

Thanks,

Bandmom

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments closed

GCCP Mission Week & More

By jcrowl | Published: May 18, 2010

Our week of mission to GCCP will be here before we know it!  We will leave after our church service at Grace UMC on June 13th about 11 -11:30 a.m.   We will meet with Katie Peterson, our contact and leader for the week and her interns, at 7 p.m. at the Newberry United Methodist Church.  We will have orientation and then head to our home away from home at Halfway Lake Cabins. On Monday we begin our week of service.

Today Dianne Hansen, our AGMK cook surpreme and Sarah Anderson (nickednamed mini-Julie since she is my legs) met to plan out our menus.  I will tell you Dianne is going to be preparing some great meals for us to enjoy and to sustain us during the week.  There will be an Italian Night, a Mexican Night, an All Birthday Night — wow!  We will share two meals with Katie and various folks at the East End of the U.P.   And ladies from Grace UMC and friends will be preparing cookies, cakes and bars for us to munch for snacks.  We also planned our untensils and needs from a practical standpoint.  Thank you ladies for being so conscientious about this phase of our preparation.

To fund raise we have  a booth at church and we are selling “hammers” for $1 or more, a quilt raffle and individual and team sponsorships. We have had many generous donations.  Last weekend three of the team members worked at a home planting trees and more to earn donations to their funds for mission.  We still have other opportunities for yard work, and car  and dog washing, available for the guys and gals going on mission to earn money for their individual funds.

This week paperwork will go out to all team members.  This is a very important part of our preparation and we do use this material during our week for administrative purposes.   Please remember that a notary will need to endorse these forms.  We are hoping to meet together at my House (Bandmom’s home in Hancock) June 4th to share a meal and to turn in paperwork and answer any questions folks may have about the week.

Schedule

I had the pleasure of talking to Lars this morning and e-mailing with Paul and Maryann about our upcoming worship time at Houghton Baptist Church this coming Sunday, May 23rd.  We are looking forward to joining this community for services at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. to share song and the story of our work in the Keweenaw and on the Eastern End of the U.P.  We will be focusing on 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 for our message.

Then in two weeks we will be worshiping at our home church, Grace United Methodist Church in Houghton.  We are excited about sharing our plans for the upcoming mission season all in context of the widow of Zarephath written about in 1 Kings 17.  This service begins with Praise at 9:15 a.m. and the Worship service at 9:30 a.m.

As we come to the end of May we also come to the end of our monthly visits to area nursing homes until this coming September.  We’ll really miss our friends at Houghton County Medical Care, Cypress Manor, Portage Pointe and Bayside Village during our summer work.  But, we can’t do both our mission weeks and sing each weekend at the various sites.  We are — gasp — getting older and there is only so much energy available.  However, we will have one last visit to BAYSIDE VILLAGE on May 30th — so  we’ll get hugs to tide us over the summer months.

Then we will be preparing to be joined by the following groups for the following mission weeks here in the Keweenaw:

WI-VIM June 27-3

Royal Oak UMC July 11-16

Trinity UMC, PA Aug 8 - 13 along with some folks from  WI

More soon — pray for these mission weeks and these times of worship.  Keep our country and our leaders in your prayers and our local churches.

Bandmom

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments closed

We Never Know The Time or Where or Why

By jcrowl | Published: April 20, 2010

As many of you know if there was anyone who was surprised by my need for emergency surgery last Wednesday it was me.  But there you have it.  Pain, nausea and so on called on me to ask Dan to take me to the emergency room.  It was only a short while before the surgical team was called into the hospital and I was scheduled for surgery.  Thank God.  I can tell you I felt God by my side the entire time and felt calm.  It helped that I had a really great surgeon and team.

I have been home and slowly recovering while focusing on rest.  Not an easy thing for me to do.  But I have been upheld by your prayers and those of friends near and far.  Plus the care of Dan and I with meals, visits and your cards. Today I had my first post-op visit with the doctor and things are going well.

Which causes my focus to shift to our summer of mission.  As I tell folks “my laptop is not that heavy.”  I am still at work.  We are still looking forward to your teams and to taking our team to the east end of the U.P.

So I give thanks with a grateful heart for life and for a great husband and friends as I recover.

I be back with AGMK news soonest.  It will be a schedule (although I can’t sing for awhile) and other information.  Look for it.

Bandmom.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments closed

Schedule News

By jcrowl | Published: March 29, 2010

This is a busy time of year and so we are going to be making some changes in our schedule during the month of April.  Please note that the following will be ONLY for April.

First Saturday, April 3rd, Cypress Manor, CANCELED

Second Saturday, April 10th, the Guys will sing at Houghton County Medical Care at 2 p.m. (Julie downstate at the VIM Training)

Second Sunday, April 11th, Portage Pointe, CANCELED

Fourth Sunday, April 25th, Bayside Village, Sing at 2:30 p.m. Leave Julie’s house at 1:30 p.m.

If you are visiting Houghton, MI this Holy Week and are looking for Protestant services, the following services will be taking place at Grace and it’s sister church in Hancock:

Maundy Thursday Services, Hancock UMC, Quincy St, Hancock 7 p.m.

Good Friday Services, Grace UMC, Houghton, 201 Isle Royale St. (across from the Carnegie Historical Museum), 7 p.m.

Easter Sunday, Grace UMC, Houghton, 201 Isle Royale St., 9:15 a.m. Praise, 9:30 a.m. Worship Service, breakfast to follow at 10:45 a.m.

If you are Roman Catholic and care to travel a bit further north, our other home church, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Calumet on Rockland Street has the following services at the following times:

Maudy Thursday, 6p.m. with Adoration to follow.

Good Friday, 1 p.m. Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

Good Friday, 6 p.m., Living Stations of the Cross

Easter Vigil, 9 p.m.

Easter Sunday, 11 a.m.

A blessed week to you all,

Bandmom

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments closed

Hosanna — It’s Palm Sunday and More

By jcrowl | Published: March 28, 2010

Some years ago I (Julie) was at a conference in New Orleans and was still in the city on Palm Sunday.  What a gift that experience has come to be for my faith walk.  I decided to skip the morning activities at the conference (it wasn’t a Christian Conference, but a work related one) and attend church.  So quickly checking with the hotel I found one not too far away that I could take a quick cab to and from the downtown area.

When I arrived at the church I was curious to see many folks, young and old, standing near the building.  There was a man with a guitar, another with a donkey on a lead, several pastoral staff in raiments and children running too and fro.  At the start of the service — outside — the church bells trilled several times.  A person standing next to the pastor climbed a palm tree and pulled leaves down onto us standing around the tree.  The pastor blessed the fronds and this small army of faithful, led by a man on the donkey, accompanied by the guitarist, began moving out into the neighborhood waving the fronds and singing “All Glory Laud and Honor”.

I was amazed to see folks from the neighborhood come out of their homes and begin singing and marching with us.  Several came from a diner with napkins tucked into their collars.  All returned with us to the interior of the church where the service continued after our walk and we shared communion together.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have every neighborhood recall Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem?  Wouldn’t it be nice if we all could sing: “All Glory Laud and Honor” understanding the glory is due our Lord and Savior for what He took unto Himself for us?  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all break bread together, know that we are bound by His sacrifice and His resurrection?  Imagine all that coming to be true!

Today I was grateful to have a parade of children and the young at heart at Grace UMC this morning at the beginning of the service.  Of course I participated remembering all the while the walk in New Orleans.  I am hoping today all the while that wherever you are in your walk that you are able to celebrate this Palm Sunday.  It is the entry to the most holy of weeks for the Christian Church and for our hearts a time of rich celebration, praise, contemplation and sorrow winding its way to joy.

Mission to GCCP

One of jobs Mike and I had this morning was to confirm those going to God’s Country Cooperative Parish with our team.  I am sooooo excited.  We found that this morning Ross, Eric, Katalyn, Katelyn, Kevin, Sarah, Mike, Carol, Dan and I have committed to this trip.  I know that others are contemplating it and we are so looking forward to their “Yes” so we can join together to make a difference in the lives of others.   Before we know it we will be climbing into our cars and leaving for our work week!

Prayer

For our nation and those who recently attended a conference calling for the end of faith based initiatives.  Pray that God will speak to each one in a huge way and help them understand that a) He is real, b) He loves them and c) He is the answer.

For a friend’s sister who has a cyst on her liver

For Brenda, for recovery from surgery for a brain tumor

For a friend to come and know the Lord

For mission teams from WI-VIM & Royal Oak, UMC and for Trinity UMC who is considering coming on mission in August

For our mission team to GCCP; for our fund raising.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments closed

Thoughts on Thursday

By jcrowl | Published: February 11, 2010

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven…

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

Winter is evident all over –even locations where snow and cold temperatures are not the norm.  Each day of winter brings us closer to spring.  And to summer.  And to our season of mission.  Here is how our season of mission is lining up today:

The week of June 13th — AGMK/Grace UMC to God’s Country Cooperative Parish

The week of June 26th — Royal Oak UMC to AGMK Mission Projects in the Keweenaw

The week of July 11th — WI-Vimers to AGMK Mission Projects in the Keweenaw

In August a renion/recovery week working on siding a project in the Keweenaw

Having had several years of going on mission and hosting mission weeks we are excited about the opportunites to make a difference in lives and to be in relationship with other like minded folks.   A blessing in the making.

SCHEDULE

While we wait for the season of mission, we continue in our mission of music!  Here is our schedule for the coming weeks:

Saturday, Feb 13th 2 p.m. — Sing at Houghton County Medical Care Facility

Sunday, Feb 14th 3 p.m. — Sing at Portage Pointe at the hospital

Sunday, Feb 28th 2:30 — Sing at Bayside Village, L’Anse.  Leave from Julie’s driveway at 1:30 p.m.

PRAYER

We celebrate Ash Wednesday on Wed Feb 17th, the begging of Lent.  We exeprience Lent in the weeks that follow, culminating in the Passion of Good Friday and the celebration of Easter.  February is considered the month of Love with Valentine’s Day right in the middle of the Month.  But consider this — (John 3:16-17) 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.    While romantic love is of the earth, this love from God — the giving of His only Son– is the love of eternity.  I pray that you feel and know this expansive love today.

Bandmom

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments closed

More About the “Break Your Cabin Fever” Event

By jcrowl | Published: January 13, 2010

Below is the news release that was sent out to the media about the “Break The Cabin Fever” event.  Enjoy.

Jan. 13 — Newberry – Step out of your house, get out of your routine and attend “Break Your Cabin Fever” Sat., Jan. 30th at the Newberry United Methodist Church.  The event is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will feature The Amazing Grace Praise Band from the Western U.P.   Light refreshments will wrap up the afternoon, which is sponsored by GCCP.

The band will sing favorite hymns and praise songs, a few country favorites and a “her”.  Members will share laughs and tales about their journey to AGMK, Inc., which is their 501-(3)-C non-profit ecumenical music and construction ministry.

The group was in Hulbert in 2009 on mission and will return this June to work in the God’s Country Cooperative Parish under the direction of Deaconess Katie Peterson.  Also this summer AGMK will be hosting three work groups to work on several mission sites in the Keweenaw in the Western U.P.

For more information about the “Break Your Cabin Fever!” event call: 906 293-5711.  Newberry UMC is located at 110 W. Harrie St. in Newberry.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments closed

BREAK YOUR CABIN FEVER!

By jcrowl | Published: January 11, 2010

The flyer says it all (double click on image to make it full size):

Flyer promoting Jan 30th event

Flyer promoting Jan 30th event

Posted in Invitations, Music, On The Road, Uncategorized | Comments closed

Joy of Sharing Life

By jcrowl | Published: January 8, 2010

Each month September through May the Amazing Grace Praise Band travels around to four area nursing homes and sings and shares with the residents.  This was our first ministry and continues to be one that provides great joy, not only to the residents of the nursing homes, but also to the members of the band.

While there we pray, we sing (hymns, praise songs and a her), we praise the Lord and we share our lives.  We share about our families and we also share about what the band is doing.  Somehow each hour passes quickly and it isn’t unusual for Mike to try to sneak a few more minutes of song and merriment into the our allotted time.  As Bandmom I receive lots of ribbing from the guys and the residents when I try to hold the line.

Of course when we do “end” our time with “free hugs” and conversation I have to tell you that those folks who live in the nursing homes love it.  Why?  I think because they are some of the most untouched folk in our world and they hunger and thirst for touch, connection and caring.

But I think the thing that is most important about our visits is this:  We come to bring them hope.  I always love it when Mike shares and talks about hope.  He tells them about Jesus and that Jesus is hope.  He says for those who believe in Him in the end “We win.”

This weekend when we visit Portage Pointe we will be singing and visiting during the 100th birthday of a gentleman.  And he wants to dance the jitterbug.  We gave Larry, our lead guitarist some suggested songs and Mike says he practiced on the way as the band traveled home from a gig at the end of December.  So think of us Sunday as we accompany a 100 year old dancing.  Hmmm…may we all live to praise the Lord by dancing on our 100th birthday.

SCHEDULE

Saturday, Houghton County Medical Care at 2 p.m.

Portage Pointe, at 3 p.m.

PRAYER REQUESTS

For Amber, who needs prayer to return home.

For Dianne who will be having surgery later in the month

For our Troops around the world

For Dan who has a terrible cold

For the 2010 Mission season and those who will be joining us in mission

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments closed