Sherwood Presbyterian Church believes that being a faithful church involves not only reaching out to our local community, but impacting the broken world with the love of Christ. Our goal is not simply attracting people to our church but sending them back out to make a difference in the world.
Ministry to AIDS Orphans in Zambia, Africa
In December 2004, our church’s first year of existence, we believed God did not want us to keep ignoring the HIV/AIDS pandemic, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where 2/3 of the world's AIDS victims live. So with the help of World Vision and our parent church Lake Grove Presbyterian Church we began a long-range partnership to sponsor AIDS orphans in Zambia, Africa and to provide financial suppport.
In July 2005, Pastor Len and member Bud Decker traveled for 12 days to Zambia to meet their sponsor children, to see firsthand the devastation of HIV/AIDS, and to hear of the powerful work that World Vision is doing in the name of Christ to holistically rebuild entire communnities. Then, former staff member Brian Craker traveled to Zambia in July 2006 to see the impact of clean water on villagers' lives.In 2006 & 2007 we hosted the “Sounds of Hope” benefit concert at Stella Olsen Park in Sherwood to raise funds for AIDS orphans and to encourage child sponsorship. We will be hosting a Zambia Water Walk/Run on Sunday, September 26, 2010.
Child Sponsorship
Our church now sponsors nearly 70 children and has donated an additional $20,000 to the work of World Vision in Zambia. We encourage you to consider changing a child's life through child sponsorship at a cost of $35 per month.
If you're already a child sponsor, here's how to write a letter to your sponsor child: Send a letter and/or photos in a regular size envelope with 96 cents postage to:
World Vision Zambia
P. O. Box 31083
Lusaka, Zambia
Be sure to write your child’s ID# on the back of the envelope and on your letter itself.
Missionaries Jon and Sharla Rubesh
Jon Rubesh served as our worship director prior to sensing God's call to full-time, career missionary work in Thailand. Jon, his wife Sharla, and their two children Sean and Anna left in February, 2006 and are now serving full-time with TEAM in Chang Mai, Thailand. You can email them or visit their blog.
