PORTLAND – The Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Greater Portland will join churches nationwide on a 40-day study of “The Purpose Driven Life.” The book, by California pastor Rick Warren, was the top-selling nonfiction book in 2003.

The campaign will begin with a “kick-off” simulcast on Saturday, April 24, at the Vineyard. Breakfast will be served beginning at 8.30 a.m. and the simulcast will start at 10. The first of six weekly messages will begin Sunday, April 25, and end with celebration Sunday, June 6.

The Vineyard offers two services each Sunday, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. There will be children and youth programs centered on the purpose-driven theme during the period. In addition, contemporary worship music and dramas will be offered each week.

All who participate in the “40 Days of Purpose” campaign will receive a free copy of “The Purpose Driven Life” book and a personal study guide on the purpose of life.

Information on the “The Purpose Driven Life,” “Host Homes” or the “40 Days of Purpose” campaign can obtained by contacting the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Greater Portland at 854-8339 or www.vcfgp.org.
Grant awarded
WOOLWICH – A family foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to GlobalQuest, a nonprofit educational organization that offers semester programs in Thailand for high school seniors and for students between high school and college.

An additional $25,000 has been offered as a challenge grant if GlobalQuest can raise equivalent funds by Jan. 31, 2005. The purpose of the grant is to help expand the reach of GlobalQuest.

Founded in 1999 by former Chewonki Foundation President Tim Ellis, GlobalQuest seeks to enhance global understanding in an increasingly interconnected world, to address the ineffectiveness of the second semester of the senior year of high school and to assist those deferring college for a year in solidifying their interests.

GlobalQuest is still accepting applications for fall 2004 and spring 2005 from current high school juniors and seniors. For inquiries or application materials, contact Ellis at 443-5451 or [email protected].
Wedding scrolls
TOPSHAM – A growing number of couples are forgoing the traditional wedding favors, such as matchbooks with their names on them, and spending their money instead on American Cancer Society wedding scrolls.

The paper scrolls come in five colors and are personalized according to the couple’s wishes. A typical message says that a donation has been made in the guest’s honor to the American Cancer Society in memory of a loved one or in honor of a cancer survivor. The couple’s names and their wedding date appear at the bottom.

To learn more about the scrolls – which could be used for graduations and bar mitzvahs, as well – contact Nancy Dest at 800-952-7664, ext. 4630, at [email protected].