Senior Adult Ministry (SAM)
Senior Adult Ministry (SAM) is designed for people aged fifty-five and over. SAM has monthly potlucks September through the following May. One of our mission outreach activities is a partnership SAM has with Second Harvest Food Bank. We also offer a series of hikes in the spring and fall that are very popular. In addition, we also have opportunities to remember SAM members at home in June and December.
The fellowship in the SAM Family is something to partake in. Become a part of the family!
Seventh Annual Virtual Pie Sale
The Senior Adult Ministry 7th Annual Virtual Apple Pie Sale has just concluded. The sale was a record breaker as we sold $25,530.36 worth of virtual apple pies! This amount will be matched by the Gundlach Family Fund. Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church ELCA will receive $5,000 for their food pantry. This church was affected by the Los Angeles fires and recently the church was in a mandatory evacuation for flash floods and mud slides. Yes, this is the same church that received prayer shawls from Messiah earlier this year.
The remainder of the virtual pie revenue, $46,060.72, (the number in the video was before the final count) will be presented to Second Harvest Food Bank. The presentation is scheduled to occur December 10 during the 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm newscast on WMTV15. Don't miss the broadcast. The on-camera donation to SHFB will then be doubled again to become $92,121.44. This equates into a little over 215,000 meals!
Thank YOU for helping make food available for some very special people.
SAM Christmas Party On December 17th
Join your SAM family and celebrate Christmas with the sounds of the Monroe Brass Quintet.
Enjoy a complimentary baked potato bar complete with chili!
Since SAM provides this complimentary meal, you are encouraged to bring extra items for The Empty Table which benefits the Extended Hands Pantry.
Senior Adult Ministry Hikes
The SAM hike season is officially over as winter is just around the corner. See you next spring!
SAM members brave the cold for the last hike of the season.
Thank you Barb and Walt Herrod for a great year of hikes.
Second Harvest Food Pantry
Fifteen SAMies volunteer every other Monday at Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB).
We sign in at 12:15 pm and our shift starts at 12:30 pm. We traditionally put adhesive ingredient labels on packages. We also work with bulk donations and repackage them into family-size portions. Whatever the task, SAM is there for SHFB!
Come 2:00 pm, the bell rings, and it is time for RECESS! That’s right. Recess at our age is a good thing. One of the volunteers brings treats that we enjoy during our break. Our shift ends at 3:30 pm and we all go home tired but knowing we made a difference in helping get food to the pantries.
SHFB provides food to over 300 pantries in 16 south central Wisconsin counties.
All volunteers must be signed up in advance. To sign up, send an email to SAM@messiahchurch.com to check dates and availability.
SAM Pot Lucks
The official SAM season runs September through the following May.
Potlucks are usually held the last Wednesday of the month in Social Hall located on the lower level beneath the sanctuary. Each potluck features a speaker or entertainer. We start at 12:00 pm with announcements and conclude by 1:30 pm. Members bring a dish to pass and donations for The Empty Table which benefits the Extended Hands Pantry. Occasionally the dates and times are subject to change.
SAM Trips
SAM schedules two trips per year. We offer a kick-off to summer trip in June. The second trip is a Christmas-themed trip in even years or a fall color tour in odd years.
All tours are on 56-passenger, restroom equipped Kobussen motor coaches with professional drivers. Tour prices include transportation, admission fees, meal, tips and gratuities, and a treat for the ride home!
Past trips have included a narrated lunch cruise on the Wisconsin River followed by a wine tasting talk at Wollersheim Winery and Distillery; Christmas with the Clausons in Coloma, Wisconsin; East Troy Electric Railroad catered lunch on the rails with a stop at the Elegant Farmer; and more. These trips all have a special spin on them to make them truly a one-of-a-kind SAM experience.
