www.SanTanSun.com
Spirituality
June 7 – 20, 2014
Risen Savior collects, donates 3.6 tons of food BY MEGHAN MCCOY
Risen Savior Lutheran Church and School’s four-week food drive yielded 3.6 tons of food for the Chandler Christian Community Center’s Chandler Food Bank and the congregation is deeming the community outreach program a success. “Knowing that there are some in the Chandler area that struggle to even put food on the table while our cupboards are full was just unacceptable,” says the Rev. Ron Burcham, Risen Savior Lutheran Church and School senior pastor. “We also knew that as individuals, we could make a difference, but if we pooled our resources and asked for God’s blessing we could have a substantial impact.” The program began the first week after Easter and concluded Sunday, May 18. In conjunction with the drive, Burcham prepared a four-week sermon series about feeding people in need, whether spiritually or through food assistance. “It was marvelous,” says food drive cochairman Bryan Newman. The sermon focused on the Miracle of Five Loaves and Two Fish, with a message that not just one person can feed 5,000 people, but together, as a congregation, a huge difference can be made. To make his point and to encourage the congregation to donate, Burcham displayed the collected food on the altar. “We had people dropping food by the church every day of the week,” he says. “What a privilege to witness the generosity of God’s people and their
Spiritual Reflections Share your spiritual reflections...
FOOD DRIVE: Trinity Donovan, CEO of the Chandler Christian Community Center, the Rev. Ron Burcham, senior pastor of Risen Savior Lutheran Church and School, and food drive co-chairman Bryan Newman stand among the results of the congregation’s four-week food drive. Food drive cochairwoman Kathleen Newman is not pictured. Submitted photo
desire to make a difference in someone else’s life.” Six members of the congregation gathered after church the last day of the drive to begin counting what was collected. “It took the six of us five hours to box and move the food outside of the sanctuary to be picked up from the food
bank,” says Newman, who added that the food filled one and a half trucks and a van. He says they collected 8,241 food items that had an estimated value of more than $16,000. The donations weighed 7,244 pounds, which is equivalent to 3.6 tons of food.
The spiritual leaders of SanTan Sun-area churches, temples, mosques and other religious and spiritual gathering places are invited to contribute their Spiritual Reflections in essay format by sending their thoughts, enlightening insights and other writings of a spiritual nature to news@santansun.com. Be certain to put “Spiritual Reflections submission” in the subject line, and keep your articles around 200-300 words, or they may be edited for length. Include your first and last name, title and facility name, address, phone number and website. Spiritual Reflections are printed on a space-available basis, and submission does not guarantee print. The opinions represented in this column are those of the author and not that of the SanTan Sun News.
SEE DONATIONS PAGE 68
SUNDAY WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Sunday Mornings Traditional Worship
7:30 & 11:30 A.M.
Contemporary Worship 8:50 & 10:10 A.M. Sunday School
Sunday Evenings CORE (6th - 8th Grade)
6:00 P.M.
High School Youth Group 6:00 P.M.
8:50 & 10:10 A.M.
Adult Forum Bible Study 8:50 A.M.
RISEN SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL 23914 S. Alma School Road, Chandler, AZ 85248 SW CORNER OF ALMA SCHOOL & CHANDLER HEIGHTS ROADS
Phone: 480-895-6782 • Email: info@RSLCS.org • Website: www.RSLCS.org
67