Our Savior Lutheran Church and School prides itself on Living Love: Love God. Love people. Serve the world. It is much more than a mission: it is our mantra and we strive to incorporate it into every facet of our daily lives.

On Tuesday, October 21st, members of Our Savior Lutheran Church and School’s executive team joined together in a team building service event at Babycycle, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization located in St. Petersburg, dedicated to making sure no child goes without necessities like diapers, wipes, clothing, or food. Our Savior staff spent their time organizing and packaging over 2000 diapers, over 500 wipes, and inventorying food and clothing items.

“We had a great time working together as a team, challenging ourselves. Let’s see if we can bundle another 200 diapers or go through 5 more cases of wipes. It was amazing to see how much we were able to accomplish and it felt good knowing the impact that Babycycle has on our local community and to those in need,” Pastor Paul Burtzlaff said of Our Savior’s afternoon at Babycycle.

Torrie Jasuwan founded Babycycle three years ago after looking for at outlet to donate barely used baby items that her children had outgrown. In addition to grants, corporate sponsorships and community support, the organization relies on donated items such as diapers, wipes, food / formula, toys / furniture, and new clothing. Once received, donated items are sorted and bundled for distribution to local agencies who work with families in need.

Are you looking for a service opportunity to do as a group? There is always plenty to do at Babycycle and volunteers are always needed! Come with your team, your company, and / or your family! Middle school and high school kids are welcome! You will leave knowing you helped families in our community. Our Savior challenges you to beat them in the “Babvcycle Challenge”…how many diapers can your group bundle?

If you are interested in getting involved or volunteering please email Katie Phelps, Babycycle Agency & Volunteer Coordinator, at katie.babycyclefl@gmail.com. Babycycle will unveil a new and updated website very soon- please check babycyclefl.org often for updated information.

Donations can be made at Babycycle or during business hours at one of the drop-off locations listed below. Please indicate the donation is for Babycycle.

Babycycle Office 1219 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N St. Petersburg, FL   33701	Arnold Jewelers 12293 Seminole Blv. Largo, FL 33778	Thank You Mama 1511 4th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33704
The Littlest Trunk 1466 66th St N St Petersburg, FL 33710	The Posh Tot 7232 Central Ave St Petersburg, FL 33707	YogaBlu 2907 4th St N St Petersburg, FL 33704

 

 

 

Love God. Love people. Serve the world. At Our Savior Lutheran Church and School, this is our definition of Living Love. We participate in Bible Studies, we gather in fellowship, and we work with determination to help make the world a better place. However, It is not only our hearts that are big. In 2014, Our Savior contributed $71,076 to District. We were the largest contributor in the LCMS Florida-Georgia District, contributing 48% of the $147,584 total congregation support from St. Petersburg.

This tangible demonstration shows the “Genius of Generosity” at its greatest! Our generosity: a visible expression of our love for Him. And He will do great things. Thank you for your continued support and generosity.

Cabbage Patch Kids. Tickle me Elmo. Furby, Nintendo Play Station. Many may remember the intense buying craze these one-time popular items spurred.  But in each instance, production quickly increased the supply, thus causing high demand of the items to decrease and the novelty soon wore off. The scenario could be summed up with the bell curve graph used to illustrate the usually short life of the business cycle. So how do companies establish staying power?

Yesterday, I came across an article (posted on the website mindtools.com) titled, “Creating a Value Proposition. Communicating the Benefits of Your Product, Service or Idea, Simply and Clearly” The article takes the view that we are all selling something and emphasizes the importance of helping your target audience see the specific value that your “product” brings to them.

If we were to apply this to Our Savior Lutheran Church and School, we would first need to establish what it is we are trying to sell. Are we selling God? Religion? Sunday worship services at out multiple locations? Enrollment in our schools? Helping others through our various ministries? We attempt to do it all through living love.  Love God. Love people. Serve the world.

It probably sounds odd to relate concepts like the business cycle and staying power to an organization like Our Savior Lutheran Church and School. But in reality, our organization is very much like any other company. Our product is not as tangible as a toy on a shelf or finding a cure for cancer, yet an argument could be made that our product has established the truest of staying power.

“For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.”  -- Daniel 6:26

“Google it.” For many, this statement has become a standard in daily vocabulary. Whether in search of a restaurant that serves peanut butter pie, a random factoid such as what years “The Cosby Show” ran on TV, or directions to Tropicana Field, the words “Google it”, represent the act of using internet technology to find the answer. These words have taken, “look it up” to the next level…to a world where the information, a vast amount of information, is at our fingertips anywhere we are and at any time of the day.

Our Savior Lutheran Church and School began using Google Chromebooks in its fourth grade classroom at the beginning of the school year.  A Google Chromebook is a mobile device that runs on the Chrome operating system (similar to the Chrome web browser) and uses applications to perform computer operations such as word processing, presentations, and charts and graphs. Parent support and response toward the program called, “1:1 Initiative” has been extremely positive.  This week, Mrs. Adams’ 5th grade class also began using the technology.

“The kids are ready to jump right in. They are picking it up very quickly, probably more quickly that I am!” Mrs. Adams explains. “The advantage of introducing this at a young age is that kids are such sponges and ready to work with the technology, while an adult’s learning curve is often more resistant because we learned how to do things through more cumbersome methods.” Mrs. Adams continues, “I think it is wonderful that we are able to expose our children to this and they are able to work with it hands on.”

Technology and the information and power that accompanies it, are here to stay.  Learning to navigate this technology is key to utilizing it productively and responsibly.  The class is keenly aware of the necessity for Internet safety. While working on their projects, they are diligent about asking Mrs. Adams if it is okay to navigate to various sites.

This week, Mrs. Adams’ class is working on a basic research project to introduce search engine skills. The students each picked a historical person or place and are tasked with researching it. Not only does this project teach them the fundamentals of doing research, but also prepares them for the types of things they will be doing later in Mrs. Linder’s 6th grade class.

The devices do not replace hands on, traditional learning, but instead enhances the lessons and reinforces the skills. The students are very engaged with their Chromebooks on their desks alongside their notebooks and pencils for note taking. Excitement in the classroom over this new tool is evident. The class is using the Chromebooks for English skills and history skills, but eventually will use them during math as a way to reinforce the technology.

The Chrombooks enrich the learning experience and provide the path to a wealth of information. In class, one student picked the Eiffel Tower for his project, while another picked the Gateway Arch. As the students wondered what the cost was to build these landmarks, Mrs. Adams challenged them to think not only about the costs to build the landmarks at the time, but to relate the costs to today and compare the two structures. How would one find that information?  Mrs. Adams says, “ Let’s Google it!”

The purpose of Acts of Living Love is to emphasize on giving.  This turns our focus away from ourselves. Instead of our usual thought patterns of “How can I benefit from this?” or “What’s in it for me?”, the questions become, “How can I create a little happiness for someone?” or  “How can something I do let someone know, without recognition or strings attached that kindness is still present in others?”

Giving -- the ability to give is a gift unto itself!  It’s Joyful.  It’s about love.  It’s about compassion.

This Lent season and beyond we encourage you to pass on acts of kindness and share your kindness stories with us!