By Keith A. Josey, Lay Pastor, Mission of the Holy Spirit
I would like to take a moment to thank each of you for your continued prayers and support for the Mission of the Holy Spirit and the families we serve.
As we prepare for another holiday season, I encourage each of you to continue to be seed planters through your gifts and giving to a ministry that impacts so many lives.
Since September, we have been fortunate to have nine of God’s children baptized, with the help of Rev. David Davenport. We have reconnected with ODU Nursing School, and have a core of interns to work alongside our families for the next year. We have also seen many of our young children take positive strides towards academic success and developing their gifts.
This could not be possible without people like you, who care enough to partner with us and help change lives. Often the changes needed take some time to become evident, and require patience and a strong belief that we all play an important role in creating a community where spiritual, educational and psycho-social needs can be nurtured through the great works you assist us in providing.
Please remember us in your steward-ship, pledges and gifts because all of our young people are counting on you.
Click here to learn more about the Mission and how you can help.
Meet Mission volunteer Shari Parker
I would like to take a moment to thank each of you for your continued prayers and support for the Mission of the Holy Spirit and the families we serve.
As we prepare for another holiday season, I encourage each of you to continue to be seed planters through your gifts and giving to a ministry that impacts so many lives.
Since September, we have been fortunate to have nine of God’s children baptized, with the help of Rev. David Davenport. We have reconnected with ODU Nursing School, and have a core of interns to work alongside our families for the next year. We have also seen many of our young children take positive strides towards academic success and developing their gifts.
This could not be possible without people like you, who care enough to partner with us and help change lives. Often the changes needed take some time to become evident, and require patience and a strong belief that we all play an important role in creating a community where spiritual, educational and psycho-social needs can be nurtured through the great works you assist us in providing.
Please remember us in your steward-ship, pledges and gifts because all of our young people are counting on you.
Click here to learn more about the Mission and how you can help.
Meet Mission volunteer Shari Parker
In
1993 at the age of 10, Shari Parker first came to the Mission with her
sister LaToya-- so she has grown up as a Mission member. Asked why she
has continued to stay with the Mission, she said, “The Mission has
helped me figure out life and go in a positive direction. I found out
for myself who God is. Now that I have my own family, I feel it is
important to bring children up in that same environment so they can
learn to make good decisions.” She has many friends in the Mission, and
has brought a number of friends and family members to join the church.
Shari feels that the Mission has helped nourish her gift in music. She
was also able to find a job that she loves with the help of the Mission.
When asked how the Mission has impacted the lives of other members, she replied, “The Mission gives them a strong foundation to make better decisions, and helps guide them when bad things happen in their lives.”
Shari also has a strong sense of “giving back.” She has helped with many fundraisers, including car washes, yard sales, book sales, etc. She has taught Sunday school, helped with the Food Pantry and Angel Trees, and facilitated the Dare2Dream Abstinence program. She has been a member of the choir for years, and is now the choir leader and drummer. She is also a member of the Board of Directors, and helps as needed with Bible study. She provides a positive role model for Mission girls, and often serves as their mentor.
In the future, Shari would like to see the choir grow in numbers as well as in the variety of musical instruments included. She would also like to take the choir to other churches and organizations so more people will hear the Mission message. Her personal life’s dream: “To record spiritual music for the world to hear.”
When asked if she had anything else special to share with others about her life in the Mission, she said, “I was the first person to get married at the Mission. Rev. Bev Tucker performed the ceremony & his wife Julia was there, as well as Mr. Keith and all the people I looked up to. Getting married and having a proper family is so much better because I grew up without that. God has blessed us.” And clearly God has blessed the Mission with an amazing young woman, Shari Parker!
When asked how the Mission has impacted the lives of other members, she replied, “The Mission gives them a strong foundation to make better decisions, and helps guide them when bad things happen in their lives.”
Shari also has a strong sense of “giving back.” She has helped with many fundraisers, including car washes, yard sales, book sales, etc. She has taught Sunday school, helped with the Food Pantry and Angel Trees, and facilitated the Dare2Dream Abstinence program. She has been a member of the choir for years, and is now the choir leader and drummer. She is also a member of the Board of Directors, and helps as needed with Bible study. She provides a positive role model for Mission girls, and often serves as their mentor.
In the future, Shari would like to see the choir grow in numbers as well as in the variety of musical instruments included. She would also like to take the choir to other churches and organizations so more people will hear the Mission message. Her personal life’s dream: “To record spiritual music for the world to hear.”
When asked if she had anything else special to share with others about her life in the Mission, she said, “I was the first person to get married at the Mission. Rev. Bev Tucker performed the ceremony & his wife Julia was there, as well as Mr. Keith and all the people I looked up to. Getting married and having a proper family is so much better because I grew up without that. God has blessed us.” And clearly God has blessed the Mission with an amazing young woman, Shari Parker!
The Mission Food Pantry is nearly empty, and Mission families depend on
food from the Mission to feed their hungry children. Non-perishable
items are needed, such as canned soup, meat, vegetables and fruit. We
also need pasta, rice, cereal and other healthy dried goods. Please
consider a food drive for your EWC, EYC, Outreach or other church group.
For more information or to arrange a drop-off time, please contact the
Mission at 757-858-0010 on Mondays or Wednesdays. Thank you for helping
us to feed His lambs, and God bless you! 
For many of the children at Jackson-Feild Homes, the Christmas season
is a very difficult and painful time of year. They don't have the happy
memories of feasts, or gifts, or family gatherings. For them, the entire
holiday season is little more than a 6-week period just like any other
time of the year.