UPCOMING EVENTS:

> Parking Lot Sale - Women's Closet Exchange - July 22 from 10-5pm

The 1st annual Parking Lot Sale is happening July 22. Women's Close Exchange is a nationally recognized designer resale shop and they're having a sale! Early bird specials are from 8am-10am ($5 entry fee). All proceeds of this sale will go to abused women. For more information call 314-842-8405.

> Open house @ Westminster Christian Academy - July 22 from 1:30-4:00 pm

Westminster Christian Academy Edwardsville will hold an open house on Sunday, July 22nd, from 1:30 until 4:00 p.m. Westminster is a K-12 non-denominational, college-preparatory school and is located at 6279 Center Grove Road in Edwardsville, Illinois. For more information, please call 618-659-4810.

> Fee Fee Baptist Church VBS - July 23-27

Game Day Central: Where Heroes are Made is the theme of this year's VBS at Fee Fee Baptist Church. The sports theme will teach children how to be heroes on and off the field. VBS will take place July 23-27 from 9am to 12:15pm each day at the church. Children ages 5-6th grade may attend the church. It's located at 11330 St. Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton. Call Bonnie Rooney at the church office 314-739-1525.

> Annual Camp Meeting Wesleyan Holiness Church - July 23 at 7:30pm

Everyone is invited to attend the Annual Camp Meeting at 501 N. Bruns Lane in Springfield, IL. The opening service is Monday, July 23 at 7:30pm. After that services will be held daily at 10am, 3pm and 7:30pm through Sunday 29.

The evangelists are Brother Craig Line and Brother Russell Richardson. Special singing will be by the Craig Line family and Russell and Clarice Richardson. For more information please contact pastor Wilson Douglas at 217-546-6505.

> Game Day Central Vacation Bible School - July 22-27 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

First Baptist Church Maryville is hosting "Show the Love" (Middle School VBS).

So, are you ready to get in the game? Register now for the most exciting, free week of the summer! Visit us Sunday morning or stop by the church office to register your children for an action-packed week of fun, including Bible Study, Crafts, Missions, Music, & Recreation. VBS is for children Age 4 - Grade 5. Get ready, cause it’s almost game time!

Are you ready to groove with God? Older kids will enjoy this 70s-themed week of Vacation Bible School geared towards middle-schoolers. Fuel is for students who have completed Grade 6 or 7. To register, stop by the Student Ministry counter upstairs on Sunday morning or stop by the church office. Everything is FREE!

>1st annual Gospel Comedy Extravaganza at Rhema Church on July 28th

We all have our share of problems but Carmen can help instill some laughter in us all. This great comedienne is guaranteed to brighten up any room and fill your soul with laughter with her unique and versatile brand of clean comedy. Carmen Barton is one of the best new female Christian Comics to hit the stage. She is a St. Louis, Missouri native whose vision is to bring laughter and entertainment to the hearts and souls of each audience member through her comical testimony of how Christ has influenced life. This phenomenal new performer is blessed with beauty and wit. Her act, which includes stories of growing up in the church, experiences as the daughter of a pastor, and being a saved single mother, is absolutely hilarious! Carmen had been performing for her co-workers in the break room before beginning as open mic performer at the West Port Funny Bone Comedy Club. She later moved to headlining local St. Louis comedy clubs and in just a short time Carmen had graced stages at clubs, colleges, and military bases all over the Midwest. She has now dedicated her he gift from God to providing Gospel Based Entertainment with and emphasis on comedy to the entire community. Carmen has also been featured at numerous community events such as the 2ND Annual Happenings 4 Youth Rally, the Daniel T. Spratt Foundations Literacy Awareness Benefits Dinner, and the Narcotics Anonymous Annual Convention in 2006. Carmen is great addition to any Gospel Concert or Christian Event; her exciting performances will definitely leave you waiting for her next show. Join us for night of Christan Entertainment at Rhema on July 28Th, doors open at 7:00pm program starts promptly at 8:00pm, tickets just $15.00. For tickets or mare information please call 314-657-7466.

> Friends and Family Day - Redemption Minstries Church - July 29 @ 4pm

Speaker will be Pastor Jennie Collins of Old Path Ministries. The theme is: The way up is by submitting to the right authority.

11804 West Florissant. For more information call 314-921-3993.

> Youth Explosion! The Lord's House of Prayer - July 29 @ 4pm

5483 Union Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63115. Call 314-521-4299.

ONGOING EVENTS & SPECIAL NEEDS:

> Young Single Adult "701" - Every Tuesday night at 7:00pm

Contemporary worship – Applicable Bible Study – Great Fellowship! First Baptist Church O’Fallon 8750 Veterans Memorial Parkway, O’Fallon, MO. Call 636-272-4838 or visit www.fbcoministry.org for more information. Target group = 18-30 year olds! (See 2 Corinthians 7:01)

> New Beginnings Serves Homeless Women in St. Charles

A mother with her two adolescent sons escaping an abusive husband. A young, single mother with no job and no family support. A woman all alone in her last days of life. A couple with a newborn and no means of transportation. Each of these describe people who have become homeless in St. Charles County in the past year and a half. Mary Kay Laingen first became involved in ministering to the needs of the homeless when a group from her church began taking food and clothing to people living on the street in St. Louis. When she tried to help one homeless couple move to St. Charles County, in order to be near the people in the church who would help them, she discovered a limited amount of services here. Her passion to help brought her in contact with Paul Kruse, who founded First Step Back, an organization that helps homeless men get on their feet. Today, what Kruse does for men, Mary Kay and other ministry volunteers do for women and their dependents. Her ministry, New Beginnings, sports a simple purpose statement: “To reach out with the love of Jesus Christ to women and children who have lost hope.” But the ministry itself is anything but simple. With men, you help them get temporary shelter and transportation to work and they can be back on their feet in a short period of time, says Laingen. Women facing homelessness often have a myriad of obstacles to overcome. Besides transportation and employment, many need childcare, medical services for their children, counseling from past relationship abuses, financial counseling and other helps. One important focus of New Beginnings is friendship. “Women are extremely relational. Sometimes they turn back to unhealthy situations time and time again. We try to provide friendship and build long-term relationships with the people we serve,” Laingen says. For more information, contact Mary Kay Laingen at 352-8927, or Pastor Tim Farris at 240-3792, extension 7.

> Shoes for Orphans Souls

Open Arms Orphan Ministry of Calvary Church in St.Peters is teaming up with Buckner Intl for the first annual "Shoes for Orphan Souls" shoe drive to collect more than 5000 pairs of new donated shoes, socks and shoestrings for orphan children in 28 countries worldwide. Donated items should be for children, sizes infant to adult size 10 and need to be new due to customs regulations. For those preferring to make cash donations, $25 will buy a new pair and cover distribution cost.

Payless Shoes in St.Charles, St. Peters, Dardeen Prairie & Wentzville are offering a 10% discount on the purchase of any donated shoes and will collect for pick up.

You can drop off shoes at the following locations now through July 29th:
Calvary Church-3998 Mid Rivers Mall Dr.,St.Peters

Calvary West- 2805 Dietrich Rd.,Wentzville

Contractor Roofing Supply-1760 W.Terra Lane, O'Fallon

C Bennett Building Supply-1700 W. Terra Lane, O'Fallon

First Fruits Produce-156 O'Fallon Plaza, OFallon

For more information about the shoe drive visit www.openarmssupport.com or www.shoesfororphansouls.org or call 636/939-4343
You may not be able to walk a mile in the shoes of an orphan child, but you can help orphan children walk into a brighter future.

> Circle of Concern launches 2007 Back to School Drive

Circle of Concern is gearing up to collect school supplies for 450 local students. Circle will begin collecting supplies in early July to have enough to outfit all the school age children the charity helps. Each child will receive a paperback and a bag containing most of the basic supplies they'll need for the school year. Also shared are special items, such as tissue, teachers request.

Among the items Circle of Concern needs are...Colored pencils, 24ct. crayones & washable markers, glue and glue sticks, fiskar scissors, filler paper & themebooks, two-inch three ring binders, backpacks

During June and early July items can be dropped-off at Circle at 112 St. Louis Avenue in Valley Park weekdays till 3pm or on Saturday mornings.

Gifts to buy supplies can be mailed to: Circle of Concern, PO Box 444, Valley Park, MO 63088. To learn more visit circleofconcern.org.