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Love Bears Are Ready For Children

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By DIANE LOEBEL, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 10, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - Members of Sanctuary of Light Metaphysical Chapel are collecting teddy bears and instilling them with love and faith for children in need.

For the past couple of months, members have held the teddy bears during church services to instill them with love and faith they hope will be passed onto children who receive them.

The idea for the project came from church member Tedi Lockmiller. "Everybody loves teddy bears," she said. "They always make me smile."

Lockmiller originally thought the teddy bears could be taken to nursing homes. After learning the nursing homes couldn't accept them, the church decided to work with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office to give the teddy bears to children.

Endowing teddy bears with faith and love might seem a stretch for traditional faith communities, but Sanctuary of Light isn't your typical church. With about 100 members, the congregation embraces the divinity of Jesus Christ and that of "other exalted beings."

The church recognizes spiritual healing by the laying on of hands, prayer and meditation. It says beings from the natural world can communicate with those in the spiritual realm.

The Rev. Joanne Smith, who has led the congregation for five years, is listed as "psychic-medium" and healer on Sanctuary of Light's Web site.

The teddy bear project success doesn't surprise her.

"I love the congregation," she said. "They are a wonderful, loving group of people. We are more like a community and family than a congregation."

The church has a food pantry and is collecting food for the holidays.

To suggest a Faith in Focus feature, call Diane Loebel, (727) 815-1081; write her at The Tampa Tribune, 6214 U.S. 19 New Port Richey FL 34652. E-mail

dloebel@tampatrib.com.

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