Here’s A Great EXPO Follow-Up Letter

Posted on by Scott

Dear Vfollow upolunteer,

Thank you for stopping by our table at the 2017 Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle EXPO. We are delighted that you have expressed an interest in joining the Prison Ministry. If you have a passion for sharing the Gospel and serving others, we invite you to consider taking the love and truth of Jesus Christ behind prison walls. We encourage you to look through the volunteer opportunities listed below and prayerfully consider embracing Jesus’ call to remember those in prison by becoming a Prison Fellowship Certified volunteer through the SGT’s Prison Ministry.
You are invited to attend our next monthly meeting at Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle on October 3rd, 2017. We meet in Room D-139 (see attached map) from 7:20 p.m. to 9:00 pm.

  1. In-Prison Outreach

Visits the Riverhead Correctional Facility on the 2nd Sunday of each month for male inmates, and the 4th Sunday of each month for female inmates. Prior to the outreach, we meet as a team on the Tuesday before the second Sunday of each month to review the lesson plan that we will be teaching at the outreach.

  1. Prison Correspondence/Mentoring

The purpose of writing the inmates is to continue reinforcing what was taught at the Sunday outreach, as well as to mentor and guide them in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Each month the team returns with a list of names of those inmates who wish to be written to and mentored.

  1. Prison Prayer Partner

Scriptures tells us in Matthew 9:37b: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Jesus tells his disciples: “Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” The Prayer Partners pray each month for the inmates, their families, facility staffing, our team, and others. A list of personal prayers requested by the inmates are sent out monthly to our Prayer Partners.

We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting!

Very truly yours,

Chris Gasparian

Cell: (516) 658-2302

Email: cgasparian@gmail.com

 

What did you think?

Posted on by Scott

We would love to have your feedback about this year’s EXPO! Just click on the link below and take just a few minutes to tell us how the EXPO went for you this year!

 

EXPO Afterglow!

Posted on by Scott

It is Sunday night after the EXPO and I am so IMG_1091gratified at how things turned out this year! Once again Gophers showed up, ministry leaders showed up, and the SGT family showed up!

So many people have to come together to make the EXPO happen. My Administrative Assistant,  Anna Choy, starts it off in May, methodically getting things in order. That process continues even until the day after the EXPO. We try to “wake up” the “EXPO brain” around that time too, making sure everyone knows the date of the event.

But really, August is ground zero for the EXPO. Calls to Tim and Rebekah Hoppe, David Rivera, and Jason Newell are important at that time so we can think about tweaking the set-up, recruiting Gophers, and planning the food menu. We start lining up the Variety Show in August as well. By this time most all of the ministry leaders have checked in, considered their booths, Blue Light Special ideas, etc.; special guests are usually secured by that time.

August is also time for the big blue EXPO banner in the main lobby which draws attention to sign-ups and the EXPO itself. By the end of the month the EXPO stencil is on the front and side entrance sidewalks

Set-up day—the day before the EXPO—is key! Without a good set-up plan and Gophers to execute the plan, there would not be an EXPO. Tim’s plan, Anna’s planning, and David’s availability make this possible!

Set-up-day evening is for ministry leaders! It’s when they set-up and get their exhibits ready (although this year several pushed it to Sunday morning! Hint hint!)

This year there were new ideas, new approaches (like the Home Missions Doll House, a different set-up and approach by The Center and also SGT Kids). There was also new variety—like Tony Carrozzo’s Exotic Snakes and Pastor Rich’s Missions Gadget Table. We also added Naomi Pierro’s show, a Mr. Softee truck, and the SGT Welcome App. And we began acclimating Maureen Arasmo to the Variety Show Emcee role.

I love it when the first service releases and the Exhibit area floods with the SGT family! From that point it’s busy for the rest of the day. The floor gets energized again when the second service lets out. For me, though, EXPO is constant trips between the office and the Exhibit floor, announcements in two services, all the while taking in the spectacle of the EXPO; the busy-ness of it. Talking to our people, checking in with various exhibits, appreciating our special guests, knowing all the time that I have to get focused on the Variety Show. (Among other things, I feel pressure because I try to open the show with comedy but I don’t really announce that I’m going to do stand-up comedy: it’s too much pressure!) Naomi’s show was great today and so was the Variety Show.

In the end, people come together and what we experience is the Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle at its best. No church is perfect. But you would be hard pressed to find a church with people who care more than the people involved in the ministries of SGT!

Thanks to all who played any part of this year’s EXPO! See you next year on September 16! (Save the date!)

 

Erin Sands: A Great Addition to the EXPO!

Posted on by Scott

IMG_1064I just found out that we are going to have Erin Sands at the EXPO! She is part of SGT but you may not know about her business. Erin is a Culinary Nutrition Expert who does nutrition consulting to teach people how to use food to promote health and prevent disease. She has a lot to share about her own journey into wellness as well as many other insights into parenting and child-rearing.

You can find her this weekend at table B-5.

You can learn more about her at her website! 

 

The EXPO Has Loot!

Posted on by Scott

Okay, I’m being silly, but it is true that the are lots of great freebies at the EXPO! Where can you grab hold of the goodies? IMG_1061

First: Check the ministry tables. There are usually plenty of fun and useful freebies to go around.

Second: Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the EXPO Blue Light Specials! There aren’t many but you just might  be one of the winners!IMG_0861

Third: At the EXPO Variety Show we’re gonna play a game called “Gift or Gag.” There will be some good gifts and some “gag” gifts. If you don’t know what a gag gift is, come and find out!

 

How the EXPO Makes a Difference!

Posted on by Scott

The EXPO began when Pastor Zarlengo asked me to create a way for you (SGT family) to learn more about all the ministries available at SGT. This would meet the double need of helping people get involved (which brings about relational connection as well as opportunities to serve others), but it would also  help people discover ministries that could help them. As a result, God gave us the EXPO! The EXPO definitely meets these needs, but, along the way, we have discovered that it meets so many others as well.

Glad to meet you!

I remember, at our first EXPO (this year is our fourth), there were actually ministry leaders who met each other for the first time! It brought about a great opportunity for ministry leaders to fellowship together and even coordinate ministry together.

Bring Your Ministry Shopping List!

Last year, I met a brand new family with children spanning several age groups who used the EXPO to take the opportunity to seek out the various ministries relevant to their family! That’s what the EXPO is all about!

Fun!

The EXPO also gives us a chance as a family to eat together, play together, laugh and be entertained together. Our youth ministry, The Center, and our children’s ministry, SGT Kids, always have great activities. The EXPO Variety Show is always a blast—this year we have an added show featuring Naomi Pierro and friends. And who doesn’t like a photo booth?

Honoring Selfless Leaders of Ministry

Every year I am so proud of our ministry leaders and their teams! For me, the EXPO is an opportunity for those of us who work behind the scenes to find some way to serve these leaders and honor them for all the energy they put into serving others all year.

Come! Participate!

Come to the EXPO this year and participate in as many things as you can. Eat the food, attend the shows, and go by the tables and  be amazed (as I am) at the wide variety of ministries we have at SGT!

 

 

Welcome to sgtmxp SGT Family!

Posted on by Scott

Every year at this point this site turns its focus from being an information vehicle for ministry leaders to being a welcome tool for you, the SGT family. In fact, the entire EXPO is for you!

Hopefully you know by now that the EXPO is happening next Sunday, September 17. The purpose of the EXPO is to make you aware of ministries which you can be involved in, and ministries which can minister to you. Along the way, however, it also serves the purpose to bring us all together around some good food, fun, and family entertainment.

Some of this year’s highlights will be:

  • Pastor Rich’s Missionary Gadgets booth
  • A special afternoon show featuring Naomi Pierro
  • The Annual EXPO Family Variety Show
  • Tony Carrozzo’s Exotic Snake Booth

Special Guests include:

  • Oral Roberts University
  • Xulon Christian Publishing
  • Open Gates Ministry
  • Happy Faces Photo Booth

So, here’s what you can do right now:

  • Download the SGT Welcome App from the Apple Store or from Google Play.
  • Check back here at sgtmxp for daily information about the EXPO
  • Make plans to come and stay all day at SGT next week.
  • Check the app for the lunch menu, show times, etc.

Thank you SGT family for all that you do to make all of these ministries possible!

See you at the EXPO!

 

The SGT Welcome APP (the EXPO APP) is Available for Download!

Posted on by Scott

Ok EXPO Ministry Leaders,

You will remember that I invited you to send me descriptions of your ministry, links to the web, logos, contact information, etc. for the EXPO APP. Not many of you did that, which is unfortunate. However, some of you did. Congratulations. WELL, you can now download the app from the Apple App Store or (if you have an Android device) from Google Play. 

Here’s what I would like for you to do:

  1. Download the app
  2. Find your ministry in the menu under “Exhibitors”
  3. Press the link that shows you where you are located on the interactive map.
  4. Back out of that and choose Interactive Map from the menu and touch the various numbers so you can see how it works.
  5. Register on the app
  6. Look around and see what’s there, etc.
  7. Make suggestions, ask questions, etc.

NOW, here’s the thing. I am still loading information into the app. To the degree that I can do it I will update your section if you have some ideas. No promises at this point and when time is up? It’s up!