Adventures in Community Outreach - A Day of Service

In addition to my full-time job as Creative Services Director for a radio station, I serve as the Director of Community Connections, the local outreach ministry of my church, Central: a Christ-centered church.  If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that occasionally I write a new entry for the series - "Adventures in Community Outreach".  These posts detail just a few of the different outreaches my church has held over the years, in hopes that you may become inspired to do something similar to reach your community.

Last June, we held a Free Market on our grounds to help those who recently transitioned into their own home from a shelter situation, or who were struggling financially and needed household items.  It was a tremendous undertaking and touched about 300 lives, but we decided it's something to carry out every few years, not annually.  

That meant we needed a new idea this June.  I spent many months praying about what that would look like, and kept coming up empty.  Because my desire was to have our next outreach take place in the community and not on our grounds, we considered doing a health fair at a church we work with in the city.  But although I thought it was the right direction, several doors closed and it was necessary to go back to the drawing board.  That made me very nervous because we had a date of June 1st set aside, and March was rapidly approaching.  One day I may learn that my timing is not God's divine timing!

Because these church-wide outreaches tend to garner 150 - 200 volunteers, I had been stuck on finding a vehicle large enough to accommodate that size group.  Slowly, through a number of encounters, God shifted my thinking, and "Central Cares Day" was born.

Central Cares Day will take place June 1st from 9 til noon.  Groups of 5, 10, or 20 people will meet for a time of prayer and encouragement before going out to perform practical acts of service at the 16 sites we've identified throughout our county:

The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Mercer Street Friends (a food bank), Choice One (a crisis pregnancy center), The Arc Mercer County (a group home), Morris Hall (a nursing home), CareTrenton.org (a group dedicated to cleaning the streets of Trenton), UIH (strengthens families by working with dads), Henry J. Austin (a health clinic), Cadwalader Learning Center, 3 homeless shelters, 3 elementary schools. and 2 community centers.

The help we will provide will be as diverse as the organizations themselves...from art projects and entertainment, to housekeeping and administrative work, from light landscaping and serving a meal to painting and repairs.  Besides wanting to positively impact our community by putting hands and feet on our faith, we sought out things that could be done by a variety of ages and abilities so that all who wanted to participate, could.  We have several locations where families even with young children can participate together, some appropriate for 12 and up and some that are for adults 18+. 

The logistics have boiled down to this...each location will provide a contact person who will be onsite while we're working, and we will identify a team leader on our end for each project.  In this way, communication can be established prior to the work being done.  The group can go in fully prepared to perform the task at hand.

An army of volunteers - 291 - will be needed for Central Cares Day.  But if your church has a smaller congregation you can still organize something similar.  Simply begin with fewer sites, or, as I hope will occur in years to come with our "Cares Day", organize several churches in your area to work together to achieve the goal!

One of the other exciting facets of this outreach is how we plan to wind things up.  After all the groups have served at their site for the 3 hours, they will gather back together at our church where we will have a time of testimony and fellowship over a picnic lunch.  So often when we hold these large outreaches, we know what has happened in our little section of the event, but we don't hear all the other stories and encounters.  We usually pull together a video of stills, but it's not the same.  By coming together for a meal and time of sharing, we will get to learn how God has taken each one of these small outreaches to create a large impact all over our county.  

Of course, in order to have all this happen, we need a few more teams of volunteers behind the scenes - my ministry team is invaluable in putting together the details, helping sign up volunteers, and more, we need those willing to prep and serve the food, set up and take down  the meal portion of the event, provide childcare for the smaller children who can't help, and most importantly, a prayer team who covers the entire event in prayer!

We are already being blessed as several organizations have sought to meet to discuss an ongoing partnership with our church.  And then there are those crazy little detail Godincidences like the yard sale where I found 82 pairs of work gloves for a fraction of the regular price.

Volunteer signups begin this coming weekend, so stay tuned for updates as Central Cares Day approaches.  I'm sure there will be many God-sightings along the way!!

Life out of Death

Winter seemed to last forever in New Jersey this year.  Maybe it's because we took our cue from that furry rodent, Punxsutawney Phil.  You know, that groundhog who gets pulled out of his hole every February 2nd by a man wearing a top hat and overcoat.

Maybe this year, Phil just got tired of the early morning disturbance of his slumber and decided to teach us all a lesson by predicting an early spring.  I can hear that woodchuck chuckle over our disillusionment as we continue to turn on the heat in the evenings and wear heavy coats well into April.  But I digress...

This past week, temps soared into the high 70's and low 80's. And while the weekend rolled around to unveil a more moderate 60-65, we were still blessed with two beautiful days.

My friend Pam from In The Shadow Of His Wings shares some of her stunning photography of the lake at sunrise this weekend.  As she details in her post, Jesus called her to come away with him to a quiet place and led her there.

I had a similar experience Saturday morning, although not quite early enough to catch the sunrise.  I had been wrestling with something since Wednesday so as soon as I woke to sun streaming in my window, I knew I needed to connect with Him by the waterside to unburden my heart .

When I arrived, I was met with color.  I had been so wrapped up in my troubles, I hadn't realized that some plants had begun to bloom in the past few days.


The long winter had taken its toll on my spirit, but down by the lake that all began to melt away.  I no longer felt dormant and lifeless and cold.  It is impossible not to smile in the presence of Forsythia.  

And seeing the landscape of trees beginning to bud and flower reminded me of God's promise of rebirth through nature.  The hope of life out of death.  No matter what might have been burdening my heart, it was not the end...there was another season on the horizon.

As I walked the trails, I listened to a song by Frances Drost called "A Psalm of the Free One" that says in part..."Though I walk through the valley of the death, I know that I will bloom again.  In the desert places, you are my joy, and I am yours oh Lord.  You will guide me with all of your heart.  You will love me with all of your might.  For I am your child and your friend.  And you have heard my prayer."

You may still feel the ravages of winter in your life, but rest assured, Spring is coming.  God hears your prayers and you will bloom again.  

DETOUR AHEAD!

I've finally realized something. 

Life is full of detours.

You're probably not shocked or surprised by my detour discovery, but I can be a little slow on the uptake sometimes.

Somehow, that big orange warning always catches me off guard. I'm riding along, everything going according to plan, when suddenly, the signs tell me I need to go a different way.

A way that I don't know. 

A way, that I suspect, is going to take me longer to arrive than I anticipated. 

But the way forward is blocked.

I have choices. I can be short-sighted and become frustrated and angry by the roadblock.  I can turn around and give up. Or I can trust that the one who put up the signs knows the lay of the land far beyond my limited scope. I can believe those detour signs will lead me to where I'm supposed to go.

So, I trust and follow the arrows.

Because the detour wasn't my choice, I view it as an inconvenience at best, and at worst, it's downright scary. The way can seem dark and winding. It often leads me deeper into unfamiliar territory.

But I continue to look for the arrows to guide me. 

Maybe my realization isn't so much that there ARE detours but that there are REASONS for the detours. They aren't as random as they appear.

I may be heading toward potholes big enough to do real damage. I have discovered this truth when I've insisted on ignoring the signs. Proverbs 14:12 says: "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

And Proverbs 16:9 instructs: "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."  Sometimes, I'm in such a rut, going the same way day after day, that my route needs a fresh view.  

A view that's unexpected and beautiful...maybe even life-changing.

It may be that I was never supposed to reach my intended destination at all.

As I contemplate some of the major detours in my life, I realize that each one brought me to a better place. Every exciting opportunity that has come my way has been an unforeseen detour from the road I was on, from the destination I had in mind.

Conversely, when the detour signs were ignored...when I grabbed the wheel for all it was worth and plowed ahead in spite of warnings, I got stuck in the mud, ran off the road or in some way or another, found myself in trouble. 

The good news is, God has always been gracious to bring me back to the road he wanted me on.

Have you been detoured?

Maybe you didn't get the job you thought was "perfect" for you. Or into your first choice of school - or second or third. Perhaps something that appeared to be working out, didn't - a business deal, a relationship, a bid on your dream house. 

Don't stare at the roadblock. Don't high tail it back home and abandon your journey.

Follow the detour and see where it leads.

It may take a little longer than you'd like. It may look like you're heading deeper into the woods.  But if God puts up a detour sign, He'll get you where you need to be, because it's where He wants you to be. Don't fight the detour...enjoy the ride!

God-sized dreams link up

A God Who Sings

Once again, I find myself in a tough set of circumstances, and once again, the verse Zephaniah 3:17 "crosses my path".  So I have updated this post with some additional impressions as I read it through again.  Here is the post from this past March with "enhancements":

It has been a tumultuous week hampered by physical ailments (both my son and I), personal issues, and ministry uncertainties.

In the midst of all this upheaval, I have come across Zephaniah 3:17  three times. That kind of repetition usually means God is holding up a neon sign saying "pay attention and listen to what I'm saying!"  The verse says:  The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Two short sentences, packed with power and promises...break it down with me:

The Lord your God:   He is Lord...THE Lord...He has all authority.  But while He is over me, He is reachable...He is mine.

is with you:  He is a God of personal relationship.  He is beside me everywhere, at all times.

he is mighty to save:  He is powerful.  He saves me both eternally and from harm.

He will take great delight in you:  He is caring.  The Lord...mighty and awesome God...delights in ME. Not just a passing fancy, it is GREAT delight...I please Him...He is pleased with me.

He will quiet you with His love:  He is loving.  When I am anxious and fearful...when I am angry...when I am in despair...this strong and mighty God who delights in me reaches down to quiet my churning soul...with His LOVE.  He loves me.  Can you hear him?  Hush my child...do not fear...do not despair...I am with you...I love you.

He will rejoice over you with singing:  He is expressive.  I love to sing praises to the Lord...it brightens my day and lifts my mood...but this says He will sing over ME with rejoicing.  Does this mean I brighten His day too?  Rejoice means "to be glad...take delight in".  Remember what I said about repetition?  It's an indication to 'take notice...hear what I'm saying'.  Yes, I give him joy.

What are you facing today?  Are you feeling less than worthy?  Unloved?  Anxious?  Alone?  Be still and know that He is God...your God.  He is with you and His power and might will save you.  But not only does He wield power and majesty, He is tender and loving.  You are so worthy that He rejoices over you in song.  Doesn't the thought of that bring a smile to your face?  Let go of your worries and bask in His love.

The Purple Sock

It was seeing the purple sock that "put her over the edge"...that caused her to make the call.

She had thought about calling when she didn't see me in church yesterday.  I had gone to service the night before, but she had no way of knowing that.

She had thought about calling me when she hadn't seen me much on Facebook...I guess she missed my post that I'd be off social media for the next month to refocus (with the exception of an occasional blog post).

But when she was in the mall parking lot killing some time waiting on a family member and looked down to see a purple sock on the ground by her car...well, she knew God had been prompting her all along to call me.

What on earth do God and purple socks and phone calls have to do with each other?  For this friend and I, it is a special bond created almost 3 years ago.

In 2010, the head of the women's ministry in our church was looking for a way to keep women connected over what was usually a 'hiatus' period...the 3 months of summer.  She came up with the idea of a book club with a twist.

We were all challenged to read books from the Yada Yada Prayer Group series, about a group of women from very different backgrounds relationally, financially, and culturally.  They meet at a women's conference and while there, one woman experiences a life crisis.  This becomes the impetus for them to stay in contact even after the conference, eventually forming a prayer group and a bond of friendship that lasts a lifetime.

We could read the books at our own pace - it didn't matter if it was just one or the entire series, but at the end of the summer, we were invited to come together for a pot luck to discuss the books, the characters, and how some of what they experienced impacted us in our walk with God.  Although this was a fictional series, there was a lot about the circumstances in the characters' lives that could be applicable to each of us.

August came and the women's ministry leader had a job conflict that kept her from attending the pot luck.  That was unusual because normally, she had the entire month off as vacation - the timing of which was imposed by the very employer who now needed her.  But God is no respecter of routines when it benefits his purposes.  She phoned me a few days before the dinner to ask if I would oversee it.  "Can you just facilitate it?  Ya know, ask a few questions to get and keep discussion flowing?  It's pretty informal."  I hesitantly agreed.  I had just started heading up the CommunityConnections outreach ministry earlier that year and didn't want to take on even a simple "overseeing" of an event...but I acquiesced.

To make things a little festive, I began thinking about how to decorate the room.  Those who know me well, know this is NOT a gift or ability I possess in my natural state, although God is faithful to provide ideas when the need arises, and this was one of those times.

It dawned on me that on the cover of each book, the women in the group wore crazy colored socks.  I went to the dollar store and bought several pair of the craziest I could find, unmatched them and arranged them in the center of the tables.

After we had eaten and the discussion began to wind down, I told the women to each choose one sock.  When they had done so, I told them to find the person who'd chosen the 'mate' to their sock and that was to be their prayer partner.  The women, who wanted to continue meeting just like the characters in the book, loved the idea. 

That was the birth of the monthly women's prayer group I facilitate to this day.

I and my phone-calling friend each chose the purple sock.  We have it as a tangible reminder to pray for each other.  In fact, sometimes, when writing to one another, we address each other as "PSF" - purple sock friend.

The amazing thing is, when this friend made the call to tell me I had been on her mind, something was happening at that very moment.  Something even I was not aware of until several hours later because my phone was turned off. 

That evening, now aware of those circumstances and trying to process what had occurred, I was standing in my kitchen praying when God brought her to mind.  I have many friends and a good number of people to whom I can turn if I need prayer, but I immediately thought of my PSF as the only person I could unburden to in this situation.  As I picked up my cell phone, I saw I had a message. 

Her message. 

The one telling me that God had been prompting her all day to pray for me. 

Later I learned how she had seen the purple sock and how it was then she knew it was a real call to prayer, and I began to cry. 

We had just been studying the first half of Psalm 139 in that prayer group the week before.  We talked about how God knows and sees all - before we speak he knows what we will say...and before things happen, he knows what will occur.  I said my favorite verses were 5 and 6:  "You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;  it is high, I cannot attain it."

He hedged me in through the prayers of a friend.  Through the reminder of a purple sock.  What the prayers were for is not the issue.  What is important to me is that even when I didn't know what was happening, God did.  And even when my friend didn't know what was happening, God tapped her on the shoulder and said..."call".  The situation still happened, but knowing that God saw it and was preparing my friend to offer comfort, gives me tremendous peace and confirms what I already know - that He is in control. 

The next time God prompts you to call someone, do it.  And the next time you lose a sock and have no idea where it's gone, don't get upset...God may have need of it as a divine intervention.