FORGOTTEN HARVEST

New Song Church is a depot for Forgotten Harvest. It is a food rescue charity that delivers fresh produce weekly for distribution to the community. This week was several hundred pounds of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. We invite you to come on Thursday afternoons from 3-5 p.m. and days following until Sunday 1 p.m.

Comments from recipients of fresh produce:

"Wow! Fresh tomatoes... I can't remember the last time I had any. I just cannot afford them."

"I took enough to share and distributed to 14 households. Thanks for letting me help others."

"I went home and made stuffed peppers for my family's supper. I had enough peppers that I was able to freeze the rest."

I personally have seen people eating peppers and cucumbers raw the way we eat apples. Thank you to the farmers and Forgotten Harvest for reducing poverty and increasing nutrition.

ISARC Faith to End Poverty - Video 1: Employment

How will residents of Ontario vote this fall? Participate with faith communities in a sign blitz to let politicians know that faith responds to poverty.

More at www.faithtoendpoverty.ca

HELP ME PROMOTE MY CHRISTMAS ALBUM

I have a 15 year musical relationship with 2fish, a band that features the music of Kevin Saunders and myself. We are in the final mix stage and getting ready to release our Christmas CD this fall. It is entitled 'Mystic Ramblers'. We'll be launching a new website in tandem with the album release.

This project involved several quiet miracles and provisions for the journey.

Danny Brooks is a Canadian phenom who came with guest vocals on 2 tracks. See www.dannybrooksmusic.com

Dan Cutrona provided keyboards and creative support. Dan began touring with and performing/recording with artists such as Joe Cocker, The Bee Gee’s, Billy Preston, Donna Summer, Al Green, Deniece Williams, Dion, Petula Clark, Cliff Richard and others. Dan also focused his work in the Contemporary Christian music field, working with artists such as The Archers, Amy Grant, Sandi Patti, Bryan Duncan, Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy, Andrae Crouch, Kelly Willard, Keith Green, and Shelia Walsh. In the mid-‘90’s Dan, through his record label, worked within the worship community, and was blessed to do recordings and play live with Bob Fitts, Kevin Prosch, David Ruis, Delirious, Brian Doerksen, Don Potter, and Graham Kendrick.

If you're like me, I have a limited appetite for Christmas music. It's nice to listen to for a couple weeks and then it sits idle until next year. When we decided to do a Christmas CD, we set the bar high.

First, it needed to avoid the tin pan alley sound and feature songs of Christmas that do not usually get covered frequently (or at least not interpreted our way). We settled on We Three Kings, Go Tell It On The Mountain, Do You Hear What I Hear, Good King Wenceslas and Joy To The World.

Secondly, we wrote Christmas songs that contain the themes but could be played year round. I think you'll agree when you hear them.

Third, we wanted a true variety album. We wanted to tip the hat to musical styles that have influenced us without sounding like karaoke. There is a Baskins-Robbins display that dips into blue-eyed soul, rock, blues, gospel, bluegrass, reggae and middle-Eastern influences.

This one is hitting Canadian Christian bookstores this fall. Watch for it in the catalogue and in-store play.

If you write a blog, do music reviews, promote concerts or are looking for Canadian Content for radio and satellite, please contact me at revkevinrogers@hotmail.com . I would love to send you a promotional copy and talk about the project.

THE STRONG LEADERSHIP TEMPTATION

It seems that we Evangelicals are enamoured with principles of leadership. We place high value on strong, natural leaders with Type A personalities.

But is this God's intention?

Read John H. Armstrong's article here:

http://johnharmstrong.typepad.com/john_h_armstrong_/2011/08/effective-leadership-looks-very-little-like-what-we-often-think.html

FAITH TO END POVERTY

I was recently commissioned by PAOC to be an Ontario representative on the steering committee of Inter-faith Social Assistance Reform Coalition. Their website is found at http://www.faithtoendpoverty.ca/


The Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition was born out of the hope that together a coalition of faith groups could contribute to new public policies based upon greater justice and dignity for citizens of Ontario  marginalized by poverty.

The central message shared by religious communities throughout the world, inspires people of faith to respond to our neighbours in need.

ISARC values

• Human Dignity. The right of all people and their communities to be treated with justice, love, compassion, and respect, and their responsibility to treat others likewise.

• Mutual Responsibility. The obligation of communities to care and share with their people, ensuring that basic needs are met.

• Social Equity. The right of all people to adequate access to basic resources, to full participation in the life and decision-making of their communities.

• Economic Equity. The right of all people and communities to adequate access to the resources necessary for full lives, including access to worthwhile work, fair employment considerations, and our communal responsibilities to use such resources responsibly.

• Fiscal Fairness. The right of all people, communities, and institutions to fair fiscal treatment and the responsibility of all to contribute fairly for the well-being of all.

• Ecological Sustainability. The obligation of communities to practise responsible stewardship of the earth and its environment, so that creation might be preserved for generations to come.