By MICHELLE SAFFEL

Contributing Writer

COLERAIN – Over a lifetime we have innumerable opportunities to be of service to other human beings and to enhance their lives.

We serve our family members in whatever capacity our role requires. We can serve our community to help make it a more productive and enjoyable place.

And, hopefully, we can use our faith as a catalyst to serve in various forms based on our religious beliefs.

Usually we assume that the things we contribute will be helpful in some small way, but rarely do we grasp that those contributions have the potential to last beyond our own lifespan.

Such is the case for members of Colerain Baptist Church and the community it serves.

When a few ladies from the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) representing Colerain Baptist and Askewville Church of God joined together in the early part of 2014 to launch a quilting project, their focus was on the prospective impact that would occur from the funds generated by a raffle for this hand-crafted quilt. Those women may have envisioned the money being used to build a ramp for an elderly person; or using the funds to offset the expenses of sending a child to youth camp; or to minister and offer encouragement to those behind bars; or to purchase bibles to send to Africa. The possibilities were endless.

As the weeks turned into months, these ladies met and hand-stitched love and faith into this quilt, while they laughed and shared stories, past and present, of children and grandchildren, and of love and loss. Little did they know then that in a few brief months the quilting group would lose a member.

Bernice Brooks was 84 years old when she was tragically killed in an auto accident in February of this year. She had served all her life at Colerain Baptist Church, to include 15 years in the WMU….six as the organization’s director. Her heart was deeply attuned to missions and her life was one committed to the service of others.

While Brooks is no longer here, her service lives on. And that brings us full circle to a chance to fill one of our lifetime opportunities to make a difference.

The king-sized quilt, worked on by Brooks and so many other skilled hands, is ready to be won in a raffle. On Saturday, the Colerain Baptist WMU will conduct their annual yard sale in their continuing effort to raise money to help fund their missions projects. The yard sale begins at 7 a.m. at the church.

Raffle tickets ($2 each) for the quilt will be available for purchase at the yard sale. The drawing will be held at 2 p.m. and the lucky ticket holder is not required to be present to win.

Tickets are also available now from any Colerain or Askewville WMU member or by calling 252-356-4907.