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We sponsored several
activities during the year as we sought justice for God’s creation. These
activities included God’s Gift of Water, Equal Exchange Fair Trade coffee
and tea sales, Earth Sunday, and Blessing of the Animals.
Our Blessing of
the Animals October 24 was conducted in Roper Park with a myriad of
animals and their owners participating. Fr. Jim led the service and our
youth provided the music. We had a contest to see who could make the
closest guess as to the number of animal crackers in a jar. The winner was
awarded a gift certificate to Earth Pets, a natural food pet store.
Earth Sunday, April 25, provided the opportunity for a special 10:30 am service.
Hymns, sermon, and special prayers were offered to celebrate God’s
creation. Gainesville’s mayor-elect, Pegeen Hanrahan, spoke on “Challenges
to Gainesville’s Environment” during the 9:15 am Sunday school hour.
If it had been
possible, we think Fr. Gordon would have delivered his sermon from the
beautiful red maple tree that stood in front of the pulpit! The tree was
given by the William Gibbons family in memory of William’s father and
planted in the church play yard by our youth following the service.
The “Great Plant
Giveaway” during the social hour was a huge success with many people
bringing their plants to give to others. All plants were eagerly taken
home.
Equal Exchange
Fair Trade coffee and tea sales
were initiated and immediately were a hit with parishioners. These sales
benefit farmers in underdeveloped countries, assuring them a fair price and
a livelihood for their coffee and tea. The coffee and tea were offered
twice monthly following the 8:30 and 10:30 am services, and once monthly
following the 6:00 pm service. We also had a sales table during the Holy
Trinity Bazaar December 3 and 4.
We continued our
God’s Gift of Water project by holding two cleanups of Sweetwater Creek
in Paynes Prairie March 20 and November 20. Sweetwater Creek is one of
the main water arteries that flow directly into Alachua Sink which, in turn,
empties into the Florida Aquifer from where Gainesville gets almost all of
its drinking water. These cleanups, done in collaboration with the Florida
Park Service, yielded over 800 pounds of debris.
In addition to these
activities, we made monetary contributions to Friends of Paynes Prairie,
Alachua Conservation Trust, Friends and Volunteers of Refuges and the
Gainesville Neighborhood Nutrition Network. Harold Nugent was named
Volunteer of the Year by the Florida Park Service and Melody Marshall gave a
presentation, “Caring for God’s Creation,” at All Saints Episcopal Church,
Jacksonville.
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