Rector’s Update: 2 ways to invest in our youth!
Hi Restoration,
Last night I and about 45 others had such a fun dinner in our fellowship hall. I got the privilege of telling our story, the story of Restoration, as I invited folks to live God’s story of connecting to Him, to others, and to the needs of the world through our church. We have so many new people who are wanting to get involved and wanting to be members. Our team is excited to get to know them and excited to introduce them to you on membership Sunday, June 12th, when we sign The Big Green Book (see above).
Our High School Students are doing some GREAT things!
Good things grow here and our high school students are making them happen. Here are 2 ways that you can be involved:
Willston Web
This project was conceived by Jonathan Buchholz, who serves on Restoration’s Race+Reconciliation Advisory Team. He is also finishing his junior year at Thomas Jefferson High School. He has discerned an opportunity to serve out of his experience in learning web development. He realized that it was such a valuable skill and that some of his friends did not have access to the same training from which he has benefited.
So, out of years of friendship, Jonathan and his friend Ricardo are launching a coding bootcamp this summer for Justice High School students in partnership with Comunidad (an organization with whom Restoration partners in serving Afghan refugees). Ricardo is one of Comunidad’s youth leaders and the bootcamp will be held at the Willston Multicultural Center from June 13-17. To carry out their mission of increasing interest in programming and teaching practical skills for students who might otherwise lack access to computer science opportunities, they are seeking 2 kinds of donations: 10 used laptops and $3,000 to purchase computers for the highest performing participants. To find out more about the program, please click here. If you would like to donate a used laptop, please fill out this form and bring the laptop to Restoration on May 22 or 29. If you would like to make a financial donation towards new computers that will be given in August to the most promising boot camp participants, please click here. Restoration is really proud of the initiative that Jonathan and Ricardo are taking to offer this opportunity to an under-served community. Thanks for your prayers and support of the project!
And there’s more…
Nogales Noche is on June 3rd!
A team of high school students & leaders is going on a mission trip this summer, July 9-16, to the border town of Nogales, Mexico. The Nogales mission team will be joining in the work of a missionary community, the Cuirim House that is bringing a little of the kingdom of God and the love of Jesus to a city on the Mexico side of the US-Mexico border. Join us on June 3 from 7-9 pm at Restoration for a Nogales themed dinner, a silent auction, games, and a chance to learn more about supporting the trip! Please RSVP and let us know that you are coming!
Want to help our students get to Nogales? We are seeking donations for the silent auction. It can be almost anything that is of value to you– that you think will be valued by others: use of your season tickets to see the Nats, a private music lesson, a nice bottle of wine, a really fast wheel set, a basket of delicious jams, a few days at your beach house or ski house or lake house or house house… I love that we are right in that section of Acts 2-4 where the church was figuring out how to share their possessions for the benefit and flourishing of others. If you have a valuable something that you would like to donate for the Nogales Noche silent auction, please give a shout to Lexi. She would love to chat with you! And thank you so much.
In the midst of our busy spring, I take a few minutes each day to walk in my neighborhood, to visit with folks and hear how they are, to experience the wondrous beauty of the flowers in Arlington, to breathe and to remember. God is doing so much in our church. My thanksgivings can go for pages(!) in my journal. I love experiencing all of this with you. You are a gift and it is a grace.
See you on Sunday,
David
