Win Babson pins a ribbon on John Birky while Gary Zellinger looks on; photo by Clayton Thomas.
David Stanard
April 19 was Orange Ribbon Sunday at SaddleBrooke’s new church, Resurrection Church at SaddleBrooke. On that day all Sunday service attendees were provided with orange ribbons to wear, thereby demonstrating their solidarity with Christians throughout the world who are being persecuted for their faith. A part of an ongoing national movement, the wearing of orange has been encouraged since it is the color of the jumpsuits worn by Christians executed by ISIS.
In addition, and as a part of an overall effort to help the needy in the Tucson area, the church has just completed the first of its two annual food drives. The drives, one in the spring and one in the fall, are organized and run out of the main church in Oro Valley.
Sacks for food were distributed during Sunday services on both April 20 and 27. Then on April 27 and May 3 filled sacks were delivered back to the HOA 1 clubhouse where the Sunday service is held. Church attendees placed their filled sacks behind their cars in the parking lot and the sacks were collected by the youth from the main church and delivered back there by them when the collections were completed. The food was then distributed to IMPACT Catalina, Interfaith Community Services and Grace – St. Paul Episcopal.
Total food bags collected from both SaddleBrooke and the main campus were 320 with an estimated value of $9,000. In 2014 total food bags collected from both the spring and fall drive were 590. This means that with a spring total at 320 bags the church is well on its way in 2015 to exceeding last year’s total.
Resurrection Church at SaddleBrooke holds its all-denominational Sunday worship service at 10:00 a.m. in the Vermilion Room at the HOA 1 clubhouse. All are welcome.