We have begun a ministry making sleeping mats for Carbondale’s homeless out of used plastic bags. After WSIL-TV did a feature story on our ministry, the number of volunteers each week began to swell. Here three “regulars” in the group display the 20th, 21st, and 22nd mats the group has completed this year. It takes approximately 600 bags to make each sleeping mat.
We have undertaken several projects to beautify our grounds. We have fenced off an area, created a meditation space, and just installed a new sign on our south lawn.
St. James Chapel in Marion is enjoying a bump in attendance in our Monday evening Godly Play atrium. Pictured to the right, St. Andrew’s parishioner Simone Roby practices for presenting her first lesson to our students this week.
The Total Eclipse has put Carbondale on the map this summer, and we wanted to seize the opportunity to attract people to our church to celebrate the cosmic event. We have transformed the parish hall into a quilt exhibit, “The Fabric Art of Joyce Hesketh.” Over three dozen of Joyce’s quality designs are on display. The focal point of the exhibit is her “Total Eclipse” quilt which will be raffled off to support our music program. Tickets cost $10/each or 3 for $25; and can be purchased by mail by sending a check to the church at 402 West Mill Street, Carbondale, IL 62901. We will toast Joyce’s accomplishments at a special reception on Friday, August 11 from 6-8pm. Then, on Sunday, August 20, the evening before the eclipse, we will host an old-fashioned hymn sing featuring the dozens of songs in the Hymnal 1982 that celebrate the “vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, and the planets in their courses.” The Rev. Melvin Gray from San Antonio, TX will lead our singing.
