Angel’s Attic
Since the opening of Angel’s Attic in 2014, we have experienced many blessings. It began as an idea to use one of the our Sunday School rooms as a mission gift shop. The idea was to create a non-profit, upscale resale shop whose proceeds will be used for our mission obligations. The initial inventory came from our Church family. We then asked our congregation to come up with a name… thus Angel Attic was born from the angelic mannequin which welcomes visitor’s to the shop. In the second year, we benefited from a couple of local entrepreneurs who closed their businesses and generously donated their inventory allowing our expansion to another room. A further expansion to a third room became necessary due to increased donations of specialty and seasonal donations, which is dismantled weekly for our church activities. We have seen tremendous growth in the shop in the past 5 years with the generosity and kindness of people with their donations as well as volunteering their time and support in other ways for the success of this ministry. The main advertising has been done by word-of-mouth among the church members to the community and also periodic advertisement in the local newspaper.
Patrons are made aware that the proceeds are disbursed solely for mission purposes: 50% towards local missions, 25% for national, 15% for international, and 10% for operational costs. This has greatly been appreciated by the patrons that their contributions are going to improve lives everywhere. This has even encouraged others who are looking for such opportunities to be involved in the life of the church as our partners and friends in mission.
The Angel’s Attic has been a blessing to the church to continue meeting its mission obligations while paying off its mortgage. It enabled the church to maintain its commitment to its ministries without any additional stress. Among the greatest joy and blessings that have come out of this has been the willingness of patrons donating for other ministries of the church. Among the joys from the shop has been the payment of rental support to many who have called in for assistance. Support for the special Olympics groups in the last couple of years. Support for Veterans Home and many ways as the need arises. Highlights of the mission work has been the international one in Ghana. Proceeds were used to purchase an electric piano for a local Methodist Church in the village of Essipon Ghana. Also, one for the patrons volunteered to sponsor the completion of a library at the Essipon Metropolitan Authority School which is nearing completion. Books have been sent to for use through this patron to get the Library ready for use by about 400 students.
Ghana Mission Projects
Bathroom Completion Project by Burlington & English Settlement Churches of Wisconsin, U.S.A.
In 2016, when Rev. Ebenezer Insor took a vacation to Ghana, Burlington and English Settlement requested him to explore a mission project which they could jointly sponsor. Upon his return, Rev. Ebenezer Insor made a presentation to both churches and to the joint council meeting on providing bathroom facilities for an Elementary School in the town of Essipon, near the city of Sekondi in the Western Region of Ghana. Both churches approved the project, estimated at the cost of $10,000 for the construction of 5 girls and
5 boys bathrooms with urinals for the school. The project began in July 2017 and was completed in November 2017 to the joy and delight of the students, their parents and the whole township.
The project was commissioned in December 2017 with ribbon cutting ceremony led by the local chief of Essipon, Nana Abuna V, with the staff, students, parents and the local government representatives in attendance. The next phase of the project that was tackled in the 2018, was the repair of many broken desks which had been stored. About 50 of such desks have been repaired for the use by the students. In addition, a majority of the classrooms, including those of the kindergarten and Junior Secondary school which needed floor repairs have been completed.
The final video narration by the project manager Rev. Lawrence Blay Danquah is a testament of the appreciation for such a gift from Burlington & English Settlement United Methodist churches.
Completion of School Library by a Friend of the Churches
The current phase of the project being worked on is the library room which is being made ready for its opening by July 2020, when a mission group from the city of Burlington in the United States will arrive. Some reading books have already being donated to be shipped down to help stock the library with books for the students. Electricity will be extended to the room to enable the use of technology to enhance the learning of the students. Much has been done to upgrade the room for use as a Library and Media Center equipped with technology capabilities. Work that remains to done are the WiFi and network connectivity, and then the furnishing of the room. Twenty-one boxes of books have already being shipped to stock the library. Due to COVID-19, work has been temporarily suspended.
Water Well Construction Project By Burlington Rotary Club of Wisconsin, U.S.A.
The Burlington Rotary Club approved the proposal made on behalf of the school by Rev. Ebenezer K. Insor for the construction of a well to provide constant supply of water to the bathrooms and for the community. Other phases of this project will be considered as the need arises. With a District Grant Match, The Burlington Rotary Club in partnership with Burlington & English Settlement Churches has completed the Construction of a Water Well to provide constant water supply to the bathrooms built by the churches and also to be used by the village of Essipon. The availability of the water is a great asset to the school since it will allow the exploration of a school garden as a learning clinic for its Agricultural Science course. See attached video for the construction of the well, which began in November 2019 and was completed in March 2020.