$61,266 - that is how much we raised through our "In Harmony for Cancer" CanCare Concert this past Saturday! That is better than we have ever done. All of it goes to minister to those battling with cancer through the incredible work of our CanCare volunteers.
There are so many folks to thank. First of all, I want to thank everyone who gave in some way to help us create these funds that can change lives. That includes those of you who bought items, those of you who provided items for the auction, and those who simply gave a donation or a sponsorship. I want to thank our Leadership Team headed up by Susie Howard and Jill Angove. Their hours of dedication and their excellent leadership equipped all of our volunteers to do their work so well. I need to thank Neal Kuhlhorst for providing the primary staff leadership for this event. We could not have done this without Neal supporting our volunteers. We also had a number of corporate partners who underwrote many of the expenses associated with this event.
Neal has talked about how this concert is transitioning from a JCPC event to a community-wide event. That is a great thing as we bring more and more folks together to do something good. This good work can only grow beyond the present outreach with the help of more community partners.
Finally, I am grateful to God for the beautiful weather and the spirit of cooperation that I attribute to the work of the Holy Spirit. That Spirit of the Risen Christ is at work whenever there is something good that brings healing, wholeness, and hope. John's gospel talks about the Holy Spirit being like the wind at work in all sorts of places: "You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going." (John 3:8a, NIV) Last Saturday evening, I think I heard the sound of the Spirit blowing through the music of Banks and Shane, the inspiring words of Kay Royal, and the joyful conversations of those who gathered on our ballfield. May that same Spirit continue to blow in our world today!
Prayer for Today
Gracious God, may the Spirit of the Risen Christ blow through our lives today. Use us to be instruments of peace and healing in the broken places of our world. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
