First Quarter 2005 Update
The members of the Computer Ministry continue to provide valuable service to our partners and
congregation. I have gotten numerous complements since the beginning of 2005 due to the efforts
of all the teams of the Computer Ministry. Our focus of expanding our outreach ministry is
progressing better than I hoped.
The Refurbishing team has taken the responsibility of supplying spare computer parts to
Rosie Maloney, special education technology teacher at Wyandotte High School this past quarter.
This team supplies refurbished materials so she can teach her students how to build computers
She wrote an email to us about the pride she felt watching her students build their own computers
and then pooled their money to buy software. All these students are great kids, and our part
allowed them to channel their efforts into a positive character building experience.
The Education team continues to teach their "Very Basic Computer Class" to the congregation.
The plan in the 2nd Quarter expand the use of these materials to teach the people from the
Grandview Park Presbyterian Church and Front Porch Alliance along with our congregation.
This team will "teach the teachers" from Grandview Park Presbyterian Church so they can teach
from their church the adults within their community. In past years the Technical team has been
working with Martha Richards at Grandview Park to establish a computer workroom. Our plan will
provide the class materials to they can use the computers in this workroom. These adults live
close to to Grandview Park Presbyterian Church which is convenient to attend this class there.
Eventually we want to do the something similar of a neighborhood classroom, materials, and local
volunteers for the Front Porch Alliance.
As we expand into these new community service offerings, my focus turns to the need for more
volunteers to join the Computer Ministry. The growth of serving the congregation and partners
continues to expand, though our models to deliver our offerings will stay the same. To sustain
this growth will require more people power for the Refurbishing, Education, and Technical
Support Teams. I have asked the leadership and members of the Computer Ministry to help
address this need of getting more volunteers involved plus provide the training to allow
these new members to be productive. Finally, we need to seek new ways to utilize non-profit
programs that offer cost effective ways to license Windows software for our refurbished computers
so we can continue our near-zero cost computer offering.
Second Quarter 2005 Update
In my last status report, I wrote about the 2005 focus of the Computer Ministry would be
outreach activity. This quarter I received notes of appreciation from groups such as the
Friends of Sacred Structures and our contact at Wyandotte High School. I thought it
would be best to share with you the exact copy Rick Housh, Technical Support Team leader received
from Rosie Maloney, Special Education teacher at Wyandotte High School.
"I wanted to share a story with you and your very dear friends who help me out at school
with computers for my students. As you know, the students I teach are quite poor, but I have
one particular student (we'll call him Carlos) who is a really hard worker. He mows lawns, he
recycles, he helps his uncle out in the summer laying bricks.
I tell you this because this allows Carlos to be able to afford the internet on his computer at
home, which was one of those from the computer ministry. Now although this doesn't sound very
exciting I did want to tell you that I have recently received an E-mail from Carlos telling me
that his mother and brother have been talking via E-mail. What makes this so important is that
Carlos's brother is serving in Iraq. So your computer has really helped not only one of my
students but the entire family now has contact with one of our brave soldiers.
Carlos is pretty amused by it all; he never thought his Mother would ever get on a computer.
Who knows what all this may mean to the family in the future? Perhaps she will learn some job
skills. Anyway Rick, thanks so much. The work you are doing is important and it is more than a
little appreciated.
Oh, and one other little story. One of my students increased his reading score by 200 points
(not an insignificant amount) just by getting on a chat room. He had no interest in reading
until he found a girl he was interested in talking to!"
Submitted by Tony Liu
Third Quarter 2005 Update
I witnessed an evolutionary advancement within the hearts of the Computer Ministry members
this past quarter. The catalyst was the the job search workshop we hosted on Tuesday, Sept. 13
in Room 316 for our Katrina guests. On Saturday, Sept. 10 Carol Cowden asked me
if the Computer Ministry could help. I then asked the members of the Computer Ministry. Members
from all teams volunteered to help without hesitation or question. Room 316 was packed with
volunteers waiting for our guests to arrive. After the workshop, I received numerous comments
and emails about the pride they felt.
Barbie White encapsulated this feeling when she emailed me
"Thanks for the opportunity,
Tony. I have to say this was one of the highlights of my involvement with the computer
ministry. What a great way the channel the energies of the computer ministry volunteers!
Again, I’m so proud of our church as a whole for the assistance we are offering our guests."
The Computer Ministry is evolving into a greater whole as we continue our outreach focus in 2005.
The feedback from the job search workshop and other outreach projects are examples that we are
moving in the right direction. We have a flexible foundation of offerings and tools developed
by all the members. We have helped others which developed an inner pride to accomplish greater
heights when called upon by the Church.
Submitted by Tony Liu
Fourth Quarter 2005 Update
The Refurbishing and Education teams of the Computer Ministry were very productive the
fourth quarter and throughout 2005. The Refurbishing team delivered 41 computers in the
fourth quarter for a total of 87 computers in 2005. The Education team taught 22 students
in their "Very Basic Computer Class" the fourth quarter.
The significance of these accomplishments means we have the skills that will take us into 2006.
We have the people, materials, and partners to expand our outreach efforts. And we want to
share what we refined in 2005 with our partners. For example, we plan to help the Front Porch
Alliance with their own classroom/lab and train them to teach the "Very Basic Computer" class
themselves. This will require the combined skills from the members of the Refurbishing and
Education teams. The members of the Computer Ministry tell me they are ready.
Submitted by Tony Liu