This is our second year joining in the Advent Conspiracy.  This year our church of 500 raised $14,547.66 by committing to a simpler Christmas. Here is the breakdown:

· $600 to Jesus Our Firm Foundation Church in the Philippines for their children’s ministry

· $3011.92 for a Medical Clinic in India run by Brethren missionaries

· $3611.92 for a Brethren orphanage in Puerto Maldonado, Peru (on the edge of the Amazon) to provide fresh water (plus another $1001.19 left from last summer’s mission trip for a total of $4613.11).  They have a well, but this will allow them to build water storage tanks and run pipes to the buildings, which they have not been able to do at this point. 

· $1000 to sponsor two Spirit-Driven Soccer teams through Pump House Ministries in Ashland, OH

· $375 each for the Ashland Christian Health Clinic and the Ninth Street Dental Clinic, both in Ashland, OH

· $952.20 to purchase groceries for “Section 8” (zero income) residents of Martin House apartments in Ashland, OH

· $500 for partial scholarships to Financial Peace University

· $4121.62 for a Local Outreach fun that will be used to meet various requests in coming weeks and months. Our community has been hit hard by unemployment and we have multiple requests each week. 

· On top of this, we sponsored Christmas for 27 households in need, providing food and Christmas gifts and delivering the items on Christmas Eve.

To help people get a better understanding of Advent Conspiracy, we had members of our church body share their testimonies every Sunday morning throughout December.  We also hosted a November Advent Workshop where families could come and make simple, inexpensive, homemade gifts. 

We love participating in Advent Conspiracy and plan to continue doing so!  We feel like the majority of our people are really getting it and focusing on what Christmas is supposed to be about.  Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication to this cause.

Wende Lance- Executive Director
Park Street Brethren Church
Ashland, OH