Thanks for all who participated in our recent food drive in partnership with the Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission.

As a church working together, we collected 198 bags filled with supplies such as pasta, canned meat, soup, powdered milk, chicken broth, oatmeal, canned fruit and vegetables, olive oil, shelf-stable parmesan cheese, rice, beans. These items will benefit the homeless in Philadelphia.

INDONESIA

Indonesia Ministry Immersion - (Queens, NY) – July 2012

This team will work with Indonesian churches in NY, participating in cross-cultural church planting, interacting with Muslims, enhancing partnerships among unreached people groups, connecting people with English as a Second Language, helping with health screening, assisting a food pantry and more.

Rural Hesed Region (Island of Java) – mid-July 2012 

This small team will travel (by foot) off the beaten path seeking to directly minister to people and finding those with a real spiritual interest who will be followed up later by field workers.  The team will use translators to share and pray with nationals.

Indonesian Youth Focus (Jakarta) – Late July 2012 

This small team of high school students accompanied by adults will work with Indonesian Christian youth for evangelism purposes, through sports ministry and teaching English.  The team will visit and learn about Muslim communities, spend time prayer walking and take photos for prayer mobilization purposes.

INDIA

Madurai, India – July 2012

This team will potentially conduct some Vacation Bible Schools in schools and some villages, spend time with orphans, connect and minister to elderly women, could conduct medical camps, work with crafts, work with music, and spend time in prayer.

The Informational meeting for this year’s GPS opportunities was Sunday, February 12, at 10:30 in the Student Center for more information contact Barbara at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

There will also be a meeting on March 4, 10:30 in room 214.

Please attend if you have any interest in any of these 4 opportunities!

“Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice, when He could do something about it.”

“Well, why don’t you ask Him?”

“Because I’m afraid He’ll ask me the same question.”  Anonymous

The Hole in the Gospel, by Richard Stearns is not an easy book to read. I found it thought provoking and convicting, an uncomfortable, yet worthwhile read. I am still contemplating how to incorporate some of the challenges into my life. I agree with the quote, “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” (Flannery O’Connor)

This book is a bit hard to “stomach”.

One’s first question about this book is likely, “What is the hole Stearns is referring to?”

Early in the book he explains that he observed many Christians focus on salvation, the next life, with little concern for what is going on in this life on earth. He feels there is a greater need to also dig in deeper, outside the walls of the church, and actually demonstrate God’s love for the world.

He challenges, “what if we embraced the ‘whole’ gospel of loving God and loving our neighbors.”

Throughout the pages of the book there are examples of ways to dig deeper, to give freely, to actively care, and the help repair the “hole” in the Gospel. Take on the challenge and give it a read!

Some upcoming suggestions/opportunities to serve we can offer are:

• Helping  at a new Monday Lunch Outreach at the Coatesville Salvation Army. Volunteers are needed to serve, mingle, provide food and paper goods, share Bible stories or a testimony, Spanish translation, security, and prayer. Contact Cathy at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
• Helping at a new Wednesday afternoon ESL outreach at the Coatesville Salvation Army. Contact Wendy at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
• Participating in a Food Drive in partnership with the Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission, Philadelphia. Pick up your bags on March 4 & 11 in the church lobby. Drop off your donations March 11 & 18. Contact Kim at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
• Read to Rescue OR Run to Rescue – Use your hobbies to help rescue girls out of trafficking, in partnership with She is Safe (SIS). Check out the link http://sheissafe.org/engage/

Happy New Year!!

Unfortunately there are many in this world who are not looking forward to the year ahead as they do not have the opportunities many of us do have. This year, like many previous years,  looks bleak and many are filled with hopelessness and despair.

On January 11, there is an national focus on increasing awareness of the issue of Human Trafficking and the month of January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

. As we start 2012, the stats say that worldwide, it is estimated that somewhere between 700,000 and four million women, children and men will be trafficked before we turn the calendar to 2013. No region is unaffected, including an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 women and children trafficked into this country each year.

One of our partners, She is Safe (SIS), ministers to this population throughout the world on a daily basis. Check out their website, www.sheissafe.org, to help educate yourself and become more aware of this issue and how you can help mobilize God's people for prayer and involvement as well as help rescue, restore and share the gospel with women and girls in some of the highest risk places around the world. They offer links to videos and books including Forgotten Girls written by the founder of SIS, Michelle Rickett. They also offer initiatives such as Read to Rescue, Run to Rescue and Village Gatherings. I recently finished reading a book on the issue titled, Sold, by Patricia McCormick which I would also recommend. It is difficult to read about the realities and too common story of innocent families tricked into trafficking, but worthwhile to educate ourselves and aim to make a difference. Consider increasing your awareness this month.

Recently a small group of individuals from our church has begun to meet on a monthly basis to pray for the efforts of SIS and to try to make a difference. They meet at 10:10 am on the first Sunday of the month in the conference room. Contact Leslie at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you are interested in finding out more. All are invited to join them.

Same Kind of Different as Me
By Ron Hall & Denver Moore

Ron Hall was a successful international art dealer whose wife Deborah, desired to serve at a local homeless mission. Ron writes of his first experience…” ‘Infect em with love!’ He couldn’t have used a more appropriate word, since infection was probably my greatest fear. Spending hours each week captive in a kitchen that smelled like rotten eggs boiled in Pine-Sol was bad enough. But I fervently did not want to be touched for fear of the germs and parasites I suspected floated in every particle of the air.”  Little did Ron know, he soon would be deeply touched by the homeless people at the mission, in particular, Denver, with whom he develops a friendship.
As a reader I found this book intriguing, educational, thought provoking, and challenging. It was particularly interesting to hear the insights from the point of view from one who is homeless, Denver. His perspective and observations of those serving, of those around him, were unexpected and convicting.
Here is an example, “I knew Denver was sincere when he told me he would not want to trade places with me for even one day. His convictions became clear to me when I laid my key ring on the table between us at one of our earliest meetings for coffee. Denver smiled a bit and sidled up to a cautious question, ‘I know it ain’t none of my business, but does you own something that each one of those keys fits?’
I glanced at the keys, there were about 10 of them. ‘I suppose’, I replied, not really ever having thought about it.
‘Are you sure you own them, or does they own you?’”
Makes you pause and think, doesn’t it?

As this story progresses, so does the friendship. Both of the authors, Ron and Denver, draw closer to the each other and to God, in a very real, non- traditional way.
I will give you one last thought provoking “sneak peek” (also related to keys) to whet your appetite to read this true story. After a long night of praying for Deborah (Ron’s wife who initiated the work at the mission), Denver states, “’God gives each person on the earth a set of keys, keys to live this life down here on earth. Now in this set, there is one key you can use to unlock prison doors and set captives free.’ Denver turned his head just slightly so that the right side of his face was closer to me than the left. He leaned in with his right shoulder and narrowed his eyes even farther. “Mr Ron, I was captive in the devil’s prison. That was easy for Miss Debbie to see. But I got to tell you: Many folks had seen me behind the bars in that prison for more than thirty years, and they just walked on by. Kept their keys in their pocket and left me locked up. Now I ain’t tryin to run them other folks down, ‘cause I was not a nice fella-dangerous-and probably just as happy to stay in prison. But Miss Debbie was different- she seen me behind them bars and reached way down in her pocket and pulled out the keys God gave her and used one to unlock the prison door and set me free. She is the onlyest person that ever loved me enough not to give up on me, and I praise God that today I can sit here in your home a changed man –a free man.’”
What are you using your keys for? This book is worth your time and ponderings in the direction of setting captives free and allowing God to work in and through us.

What a wonderful time of serving together we had here at Christ Community Church the weekend of November 19 & 20. Thanks so much to the 225 families who helped with the outreaches to World Impact (56 meals collected and delivered) and Salvation Army (350 people received a warm Thanksgiving meal).
It is so very wonderful to watch each of these outreaches come together. It is such an example of the body of Christ. Early in the week before the events we sent out an email to try to recruit the remaining items. I was absolutely amazed what came in was exactly what we needed-no more, no less. Everyone came from all different directions, with full hands, big smiles and generous hearts. I know the recipients of these outreaches are very grateful. Please be intentional about praying for those who received these meals. Please pray they would hunger after God and be filled by Him!

There are still more opportunities to give and serve this Christmas season! On Sunday in the lobby there will be a table with 2 additional outreaches.

The Pajama Drive is an outreach in partnership with the Salvation Army. Our goal is to provide 350 pairs of pajamas to the children in Coatesville, and we are almost there! If you have not yet done so, choose a card which will provide a child’s name, gender, and size. Purchase the pajamas and bring back to the church lobby by December 11.

The Angel Tree is a wonderful ministry to the children of prisoners. It is a way to connect parents in prison with their children through the delivery of Christmas gifts. Select one of the remaining “ornaments”, purchase the gifts, and drop them off by December 11. We also need additional people to deliver the gifts after December 11-sign up in the lobby this Sunday to participate in this act of service as well! There is a great book titled, Six Million Angels, by Charles Colson & Mark Earley with many stories of the blessing of this ministry. 

Fishhook International also has a way to help spread the love of Christ in India this Christmas! For $7 per person, Fishhook provides a new set of clothes and a Christmas feast for their native evangelists and as many orphans, destitute children, and widows as they have resources to reach. For most of these, it will be the only new clothing they get all year.  
These Christmas celebrations in India are a marvelous way to share God's love and to point to the Light of our Savior.  They are also a huge encouragement to the Christian community which is only a small minority in a place where it is not easy to follow Christ.  
If you are interested in blessing India with with the love and hope of Jesus this Christmas, you can mail a check, designate it for "India Christmas Fund" payable to Fishhook International and mail it to:Fishhook International / PO Box 910691 /Lexington, KY  40591-0691.

This Sunday is the last day to sign up for our Thanksgiving Outreaches.  We are collecting 50 uncooked meals for World Impact which will be delivered to CCC on Nov. 19 and delivered to World Impact in Chester on the same day.  Also, we are looking forward to serving people in Coatesville through the Salvation Army on Nov. 20.  So, be sure to stop by the table in the lobby this Sunday.

Soon we will have the details of our upcoming Christmas Outreaches:  

• Pajama Drive for the benefit of the children in Coatesville through Salvation Army.
• Angel Tree - gifts for children of those incarcerated in Chester County.

Autumn is always a delightful time and as soon as the first chill sets upon Pennsylvania I start smelling pumpkins, apples, and turkey with gravy.  The kids are back in school and the new season feels a bit like New Year as many of the activities that were dormant during the summer months start up anew with plenty of opportunities to serve or learn something new.  

Opportunities to Serve –
•    One way to serve is to pray. A small group gathers each month to pray for the country and people of Indonesia. You are welcome to join this group.
•    SIS (She is Safe) is a wonderful organization whose purpose is freeing and empowering the world’s most exploited and abused women and girls. Local advocacy groups are one of the ways they partner with others to get the job done! One is starting in this area and you are invited to come on October 2 at 10:15 to learn more and to pray.
•    County Corrections Gospel Mission (CCGM) will be holding a Silent Auction fundraising event on October 21. CCGM provides outreach to inmates and their families, after school mentoring, kids clubs, and sports camps to kids whose lives are impacted by family breakdown, crime, and poverty in the City of Coatesville. They are accepting donations for the silent auction. Contact Josh Crans at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you would like to donate or participate.
•    Thanksgiving brings opportunities to serve the wonderful people of Coatesville and Chester, with additional opportunities in the Christmas season as well. Stay tuned!

Opportunities to Learn –
•    We are excited to host the Director of Arab World Media on the evening of October 9 (7:00). This past spring will go down in the history books due to the huge waves of change in the Arab World.  Come hear this interesting perspective bout these changes and the future of this part of the world.
•    The passion of the Lord is that all peoples praise him. The stakes are high and the cost is great, but the joy is greater. In John Piper’s book, Let the Nations Be Glad, he offers a biblical defense of God's supremacy in all things, providing readers with a sound theological foundation for missions. We are going to have a 3 week class to explore items within this book starting November 6. John Piper’s teaching will be seen on DVD. Some of the topics to be discussed include defining missions and people groups, the urgency of missions, the goal and the fuel of missions, prayer, and suffering.
•    On October 30 you could come to the church in the evening and hear the report from each of the 3 teams that went on global partnership opportunities. Hear first- hand about their experiences and learn about the world.
•    Lastly, starting November 27, Jim Ford, Director of Good Works, will be teaching a class for 4 Sundays on the topic of the God's Hopes and Expectations for the Poor. Come hear the insights he has gained over 20 years of working in this ministry.

Join us this fall as we learn, as we serve.

This past weekend the church was full of people participating in CONNECT '11.

Of our own 36 ministry partners, 21 were able to be here for all or part of the weekend.

It was great to reconnect with so many of them face to face!

On Friday night, various members of our congregation kindly opened their homes to host dinner. These small gatherings allowed members of the congregation to talk with the ministry partners in a more intimate setting.

At 7:30 we were back at the church to kick off the event as a larger group with the focus on Indonesia and Japan.

Bright and early Saturday morning the single adults prepared a pancake breakfast for all. Yum!

Throughout the morning there were breakout sessions highlighting various ministries.

Saturday evening congregation members came armed with lots of home cooked food for an international pot luck meal. The variety of flavors and countries represented was so enjoyable.

After the meal we gathered in the multipurpose room, a room decorated with the flags of many nations above and around us. We heard reports about India and the Middle East.

On each side of the room posters were placed, each with prayer requests directly from local and overseas partners. The evening concluded as individuals traveled the room quietly praying through these requests. What a powerful time before our Maker.

Coinciding with all of these activities Friday and Saturday were age-appropriate, mission-themed events for both teens and children.

The biggest gathering was on Sunday morning as we heard about what God is doing in Egypt and worshiped together as a church body. Panel discussions were also being enjoyed in the chapel.

We would like to thank all our partners who serve throughout the world, the dedicated team of helpers who gave of their time and their talents to serve, and of course God, who made it all possible!

It was fun to watch all the pieces come together for a successful event!

Here are some of the comments we received from your evaluations...

• The Friday night supper provided an informal time to get to know our ministry partners.
• I loved meeting and interacting with ministry partners and hearing from them in the pulpit.
• It was so encouraging to see/hear how God is working around the world.
• The prayer time Saturday night was very effective.
• I spoke to many adults who said they attended the conference because their children wanted to attend all the fun activities for them!
• It was great to see our ministry partners connecting, networking and being encouraged by each other.
• For me the highlight was learning about what is really going on in the world. It is easy to forget that God is at work even when things look grim.

CONNECT ’11 is a missions conference right here at Christ Community Church on August 12-14! Our desire in planning this conference is to give everyone the opportunity to increase in awareness, knowledge, enthusiasm, involvement, and relationships with the ministry partners Christ Community supports. Some of the ways you can “connect” with these partners will be through meal times together, listening to speakers, watching multi-media presentations, and discussions throughout the weekend. Excellent programs planned for elementary students and for middle-high school students. Our theme this year is “Conduct the Light”, based on Isaiah 49:6, “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Come join the excitement!  Sign ups are in the lobby July 24 & 31 and August 7. For more details and a schedule for the week end, click on the "CONNECT Conference" tab to the left of this screen.

Chrsit Community Church has helped to financially support a local ministry called Bridge of Hope for many years. More recently, we have begun to offer support at a deeper level, in the form of mentoring.

The purpose of Bridge of Hope is to end and prevent homelessness for women and children. In 2007, 84% of all families experiencing homelessness were headed by women. Meanwhile, the median weekly income for women working full time is less than 80% of men's earnings. On top of that, childcare sometimes exceeds the price of an already expensive rent.

Through a combination of prayer, professional staff (social workers & counselors), a mentoring group, and a willing single mom, they have seen success achieving the following outcomes:

• permanent housing
• financial stability through employment
• life changing friendships
• increased self esteem & growth in areas of holistic living (parenting; physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness)

Currently there are approximately 20 individuals from Christ Community who are going through 4 1/2 hours of training and will soon be matched with 1 or 2 new families. This is a commitment of about 18 months.

Bridge of Hope embraces the philosophy  that homelessness is more than a housing crisis, it is also a crisis of relationship. Mentoring attempts to bridge that gap with phone calls, gatherings, invitations, encouragement... becoming a sort of extended family to the single mom and her children during a tough season of life.

Christ Community Church partners with a number of families who serve overseas. Have you ever thought about what it is like for an American mom to live in Japan, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Bosnia, or the Middle East? What different challenges she faces?  How different life is for her not to have the resources, extended family, schooling options, supplies, opportunities, extra-curricular activities, and support many of us are used to? How does it feel to send a child to a college in the United States while continuing to serve in another country, or plan a wedding from afar?

As we celebrate Mother’s Day here in the states, please, honor these moms by praying for them.

One mom who we partner with writes, “Each child can still remember and describe with fresh emotion some o f their losses moving overseas: giving up a beloved pet, the dream of driving at 16, leaving behind the woods, and snow”.  The lack of having grandparents within driving distance is a common sacrifice made. The lack of parks (“nice outdoor playground with climbing equipment and nice sturdy swings”) and libraries(English especially) are felt by many. One mom mentioned balancing economic extremes as a challenge, “Mommy, how come we are rich here and poor in America?” More intense spiritual attack has been mentioned, “One thing I have learned is the power of prayer. When I am consistently praying for my children, including those far away that I contact much less, they do better. When I neglect prayer, they do worse. I have to make consistent prayer a priority”.

When asked to describe life on the field, across the board these moms did not focus on these struggles, but instead spoke of God as “faithful and patient to remind me of the rewards of being here especially during times when I want only to think of the losses”.  Some of these rewards include:

• a “simpler lifestyle”
• “being in a place more often in need of God’s protection, provision, and profound care” and therefore seeing it more
• “I didn’t have the kids wanting to do things ‘because everyone else is doing it’. They were different and they knew it and everyone knew it”
• strong family bonds and maturity beyond their years
• “life is all about people and relationships”
• and one mom noted that she is thankful that her children “value people above activities, long for meaningful friendships and opportunities to serve the Lord”

Another mom states, “When we left for the field 20 years ago with a toddler and infant, some of our peers would ask incredulously, ‘You’re going to raise your children THERE?’. Years later during the middle school years, when our peers would hear about some of the sweet family times shared in out context, our daughters’ growing fluency in a second language, the lack of sophistication related to dress/fashion they would jokingly say, ‘Can we send our kids back with you?’”

These moms can also give us great perspective when looking at American culture from a distance. “I have observed that American parents have made almost an idol out of what I would call their children’s future. They will run themselves absolutely ragged trying to make sure they give their children every opportunity, develop every talent, allow them to experience every sport, make sure they develop their intellect so as to obtain a scholarship…Families don’t spend time together. They don’t have time for deep relationships. Friendships are superficial…”
Ouch, does this sound familiar to any of us?

In conclusion, on this day of a focus on mothering, one last thought from the field…” We need daily wisdom to know how to spend our time –how to navigate all these options. Now that is something Christian moms all over the world can relate to –begging the Lord for daily wisdom and entrusting our children to Him”.
Amen!

     You can make a difference in the lives of homeless men, women and children throughout the Philadelphia community by participating in a food drive for Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission.  

     Please take a bag home and return it with non-perishable food items in unbreakable containers.

     Suggested items: pasta, canned meat, soup, powered milk, chicken broth, oatmeal, canned fruit and vegetables, olive oil,       shelf-stable parmesan cheese, rice, beans.www.sundaybreakfast.org 

Collection Dates: April 10 & 17
Pick up bags to fill April 3 & 10

Drop-off Location: Church Lobby

Contact: Don & Barbara at 610.692.6093
             Kim at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)