Banquet News

We are looking for Table Hosts for our banquet planned for November 8, 2007. Table Hosts are persons who agree to invite enough of their friends or associates to fill a table at the banquet. The requirements for hosting a table are simple. An individual or couple volunteering to serve as a table host would:

* be interested in and supportive of the ministry of Lois' Lodge;

* invite 8-9 carefully selected guests to fill a table of 10 (including yourself);

* provide a list of guests at least three weeks before the dinner to the
reservation coordinator;

* faithfully pray for the dinner in the weeks preceeding the event;

* attend the dinner's table host prayer dessert to be held several weeks prior to
the event.

There is no financial commitment on the part of table hosts. Dinners are underwritten by Dinner Underwriters who pay for all invited guests and hosts. The role of the table host is simply to fill a table with invited guests. This is a great opportunity to invite friends, business associates, and community leaders who may not know about our ministry. Here, they can hear first hand about the ministry through our program presentation and client testimonies.

Toni Graduates!

Congratulations Toni.

We are so proud of you.

CitizenLink

5-30-2007
Study Suggests Teen Sex OK in "Committed" Relationships
by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor

Urge your lawmakers to renew funding for abstinence education.
Nearly $200 million in abstinence-education funding — and the mental health of American teenagers — hangs in the balance.

New research, to be published Thursday in the American Journal of Sociology, suggests premarital sex doesn't harm the mental health of teens, except those 15 or younger, whose relationships tend to be less committed, USA Today reported today.
"For this study to state that teens 15 and younger tend to be less committed in sexual relationships demonstrates its incredible disconnect from reality," said Linda Klepacki, analyst for sexual health at Focus on the Family Action.
"Research shows us that young girls are much more likely to be pressured into sex by much older boys than older teen girls. The term 'statutory rape' is more apropos for 14-year-olds having sex than the term 'committed.'"
According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 63 percent of sexually experienced 12- to 19-year-olds wish they had waited longer before having sexual intercourse.
"Is this statement not a direct result of an emotional response?" Klepacki asked.
Meanwhile, Congress seems ready to drop two programs that fund abstinence education.
Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said: "People must take the opportunity this week while members are in their home districts to urge reauthorization of Title V abstinence-education funding."

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Watch Stuart Shepard's Stoplight video commentary: "Defending Abstinence."

TAKE ACTION

Contact your representative before Friday and ask him or her to vote to reauthorize abstinence funding.

Find your representative’s local phone number at the Family Research Council’s Web site.
Type your ZIP code in the space provided and click the “Go” button. You’ll be transferred to a page where, toward the bottom, you’ll see a photo of your representative. Underneath the photo, click “info.” Call your representative's district office.

Abstinence

LifeNews.com 5/25/07

GOP Candidates Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee Back Abstinence EdWashington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- With Congressional Democrats looking to strip out the funding of abstinence education programs from within the federal budget, two Republican candidates for president said they oppose the move. Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee say they strongly support abstinence education. Abortion advocates on Capitol Hill don't plan to reauthorize federal funding for the Title V abstinence education program, which expires at the end of June. They claim the programs have not been effective and want to see more money spent on birth control and the morning after pill. "Abstinence education provides a valuable counterweight to peer pressure and the message young people get from the popular culture encouraging casual relationships and separating sex from love, commitment and marriage," Huckabee said. "I am disappointed that funding for abstinence education is not likely to be renewed by the Democrat Congress," the former governor added. "This reversal only emphasizes how important it is for Republicans to take back Congress and win the White House with an authentic conservative in 2008." Brownback said "Abstinence-only programs are great examples of curriculums that send positive messages to young people encouraging them to protect themselves and their future." "Teens who abstain from sexual activity are less likely to have children out-of-wedlock; less likely to live in poverty and on welfare; and more likely to have stable marriages as adults," he explained.

Audit

I am really not intending to brag- OK, maybe alittle. We went through our audit process with flying colors. Results will be posted on website soon. This is really meaningful to me for two reasons. One- I want to be able to assure those of you that contribute to this important ministry that your money is being used responsibly and in a way that honors you and God. The other reason is not unique to our ministry. Most nonprofits are managed by people who have backgrounds in Social Services. This makes sense because our primary purpose is to provide social services. I believe that my educational background and past experience allows me to develop programs that will really benefit the families that we serve. I compare this to small churches that do not have a large staff that specializes in all areas of ministry. The pastor may be pastoring and preaching, and administrating and even answering phones and handling the books. There is a large learning curve for social workers to go through in order to fully understand bookkeeping and financial issues. Social workers and CPAs do not typically speak the same language. I have worked very hard to learn all that I can to understand these processes and to surround myself with people that are knowledgeable in these areas.


The Lord has blessed us with Deana Kocylowsky, our current board treasurer. Deana is a CPA, who works for Wachovia. She reviews our financial reports and our processes on a regular basis. Deana has a servant heart and tons of patience. We are also very fortunate to have Cindy Bonner serving as our Lois' Lodge bookkeeper. It has made a huge difference to have someone on staff solely committed to operating our accounting processes. It is our desire at Lois' Lodge to serve our Lord with excellence. We are always open to your input on how we can do things better. Call us or email us: debloislodge@aol.com or 704-376-8550. Also, please feel free to add comments to the blog as you feel led. Check out our website, http://www.loislodge.org/ and keep coming back to the blog for ongoing ministry updates. DebbieI hope you and Debbie/Cindy know that you can contact us throughout the year as questions arise.
Julie A. Toschlog
C. DeWitt Foard & Company, P.A., C.P.A.'s