NOTICE, STOP, ACT
“How to Make the World a Better Place” Saturday, October 27

Remember the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)? One unlikely man walking down the road noticed an injured man lying there and took time out of his schedule to care for him (after others had passed by, ignoring him). Jesus tells us this act of compassion is what being a “neighbor” is all about: noticing, stopping, and acting.

On Oct. 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church is co-hosting, with Resurrection Church next door, a wonderful event called “How to Make the World a Better Place.” It’s an all-day learning-adventure on how we can each, in our way, be more neighborly and as a result make the world a little better off. The event is a day of exciting exploration for adults and teens to motivate, mobilize, and activate people to notice, and act, like the Good Samaritan.

The themes of this project are these: Love one another. Notice people and situations that need help. Everyone can do something. Do your “something,” even if it’s small, and do it soon (don’t wait for better timing – it might not come.)

This event combines an inspirational film, motivational speeches by State Assemblywoman Sally Lieber and the Rev. Noelle Damico, who runs the Food and Faith Ministry for our denomination, plus 30 workshops to choose from on gaining new skills, and solving weighty problems of the world from poverty to the environment. There will also be a special afternoon youth action-event as part of the bigger activity. Everyone who attends will receive a book of resource material from all the workshops (not just the three you can actually attend). A delicious lunch of locally-grown and prepared food will be served, wonderful music provided by our own Greg and Bev and others will be provided, and many local non-profit groups will be on hand to tell you what they are doing to make our local world better place. Registration is $20 (covers the day’s activities, lunch and the book) plus some canned or packaged food which will be donated to Second Harvest Food Bank.

Complete details, including online registration, are at: www.sanjosepby.org/HowToMakeTheWorldABetterPlace.htm. You can also register by mail by getting one of the event brochures downloaded from the same web address.

Join me on the exciting journey toward shaping a world where more people act like “neighbors” to those in need. Your spiritual gifts, passion, and personal call will determine how your energies are best applied. God calls us each to use what we’ve been given so that the world will get better through our combined effort. Amen.

(from Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church October, 2007 Along the Way Newsletter)