HERALD-LEADER — April 26, 2018
The community of La Motte will be a hopping place next weekend, as the population of the town will virtually quadruple.
That’s because two major events will take place on Saturday, May 5.
First, the La Motte Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo) will be hosting a Worldwide Walk to Fight Poverty in Africa, and over 1,200 people from across the Midwest are already registered for the walk.
The massive walk starts at 5 p.m., in addition, a new event called “La Motte May Days” will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. at the town baseball field.
The event will feature live music by the Dingleberries, food, jumpers and face painting. A fireworks display will take place at dusk, preceded by an ‘open stage’ with La Motte native and music legend Razor Ray Theisen of Bellevue.
All proceeds from the “La Motte May Days” event will go to help local communities.
The Deacon of the Church Of Christ in La Motte, Dan Kahl, said that even though the two events are not connected, the fact that they are on the same day will prove to be mutually beneficial to the participants of the Worldwide Walk and the surrounding communities.
“With over 1,200 people coming for the walk, we decided to reach out to the City of La Motte,” said Kahl. “We can help fight poverty in Africa and help the surrounding communities at the same time.”
The Worldwide Walk in La Motte is one of 311 walks to be held in 42 countries in 18 different time zones. The closest other walk next Saturday will be in Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
“Our district includes congregations from a vast area, from Philadelphia to Colorado, from Michigan to Missouri,” said Kahl, who noted that the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) Chapel was dedicated in La Motte in 2012. Members of the congregation worship in the former Catholic Church, which had been closed in the 1990s.
“I think it is important for our church to let people know that our main mission is to help people in our local communities, to be involved in the community with love and friendship,” said Kahl. “All are welcome and encouraged to come and join in the walk, as well as the community celebration for La Motte.”
Registration for the World Wide Walk starts at 2 p.m. with a free T-Shirt for anyone who wants to join in the walk.
About the Worldwide Walk and the Church
The Worldwide Walk to fight poverty in Africa is a joint effort of Iglesia Ni Cristo members across the globe, and is one of many international campaigns of the INC’s socio-civic programs aimed to strengthen the bond between the congregations of the Church Of Christ and the communities in which they serve.
The INC also continues to support five self-sustaining resettlement communities in the Philippines; along with 17 eco-farming sites, like the one recently established in Ladybrand, South Africa.
About the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) or Church Of Christ
The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) or Church Of Christ is a global Christian Church that upholds Bible-based Christian teachings. It comprises 7,000 local congregations and missions in 143 countries and territories (around 370 local congregations and missions are in the US and Canada alone), and its membership consists of 133 ethnic groups and nationalities.
The INC continues to fulfill its pledge of sharing the gospel and extending help, to the best of its ability, through aid and services, promoting education, socio-economic well-being, environmental awareness and health improvement. This is done with the help of local governments and community establishments, through the Aid For Humanity Program of the Felix Y. Manalo (FYM) Foundation and also the worldwide volunteer force of the INC Giving Project. See INCGiving.org for more information.
Outreach projects of the INC will ramp up as the INC prepares for the yearlong celebration of its 50th Anniversary in the West – July 27, 2018. Celebrating a half-century of missions beyond the Philippine borders, congregations will be honoring the milestone by continuing and bolstering its global humanitarian presence.
Original Source:
Bellevue Herald-Leader
By David Namanny
