Gospel Echoes Auction Raises $98,000

Gospel Echoes Auction raises 98,000.00 for prison ministry.

The 18th Annual Gospel Echoes Team Prison Ministry Benefit Auction raised $98,000.00, April 7 & 8, 2006. Friday night's haystack supper served over 1200 guests. Special guest John Schmid favored the audience of nearly 2000 with his songs from his “Almost Dutch” album and finishing his set with the Auctioneer song that has been used as background music on the Gospel Auction radio ads for the past fifteen years. The Harvest and New Life Teams of Gospel Echoes shared in the concert. Alisha returned from several terms in Bible School just in time to sing with her family the New Life team. Barry Maust former Harvest Team member joined the team to sing “I am glad I know who Jesus is”. Jordan and Sawyer Bender and Kyle Gerber brought some picking to the stage with their self-arranged version “Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Friday night’s mini auction sold various items from cheese curds to coffee mugs and many other items.

Read-A-Thon Grand Prize winners were announced and awarded bicycles.
Cami Miller (age 13) of Goshen won the most pages read category by reading 16,335 pages. Corby Miller (age 10) of Goshen won the most sponsors award with 76 sponsors. Judson Schrock won the most money raised category with $1,190.44. The Read-A-Thon raised $28,529.71 with 196 readers, 1,648 sponsors from twenty churches participating. Prizes were also awarded to winners in each church. All readers received gift packets and many received certificates of honorable mention for their efforts.

A Pancake and Sausage breakfast along with fried mush and tomato gravy was served to jump start sale day. Saturday’s food included barbecued chicken, sandwiches, pretzels, homemade pie and ice cream, apple dumplings, homemade donuts and rolls.

The Saturday auction included over 50 Quilts and wall hangings. A framed Gospel Echoes Logo brought $1700.00. The logo is displayed at the Gospel Echoes office and this year’s contribution was given in memory of the late Amy Beachy husband of Marvin Beachy, founder and president of Gospel Echoes Team. Gospel Echoes logo mugs sold for as high as $130.00 and include free ice cream and coffee for the 2-day event. Beautiful oak furniture included dinging room tables, from Pigeon, MI, a bedroom suite, book cases, corner cabinets. A cherry gun cabinet from Holmes county Ohio was sold.
A storage barn, tack barn, children’s play cabin, a swing set and other larger items were sold on Saturday.

Children had an opportunity to make purchases in kids section in the craft area. Train rides were running throughout the day.

The Gospel Echoes Team funding committee members and womens auxiliary gave leadership to the event. Larry Yoder and Kevin Miller serve as chairman and assistant for the funding committee. Elvie Frey serves as head auctioneer.

Bishop Frank Costantino Dies April 2, 2006

Frank Costantino came to the Lord under the ministry of Max Jones in a Florida Prison over 30 years ago.

For more information go to the link below.


http://prisonministry.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=273&mode=nested&order=0&thold=0

Bishop Frank CostantinoCorrectional Program PresidentBridges of America Bishop Costantino has had a distinguished career in prison ministry and has written books detailing the ministry of aftercare. Bishop Costantino is the President of Christian Prison Ministries - Bridges of America, which he began in 1975. In 1989 he was the recipient of the Prison Minister of the Year award, presented by the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. He has opened and operated residential drug and alcohol treatment facilities around the state, including The Turning Point Bridge, The Sanford Bridge, The Dade County Bridge, the Auburndale Bridge, the Gainesville Bridge , and the St. Petersburg Bridge . He has also developed in-prison drug and alcohol treatment programs, which include 27 institutions from Ocala to Key West. During 1996-1998, Mr. Costantino developed the first statewide Aftercare Treatment Program in Florida. In 2001, he received a Doctorate in Divinity from St. Michael's Seminary in San Clemente, CA. Bishop Costantino was appointed by Secretary Crosby to the Corrections Foundation Board in 2003. Bishop Frank Costantino and his wife Cheryl have six children and 12 wonderful grandchildren and have been married for more than 40 years. (Excerpt from Prison Ministry Press)