Why Serving Alone isn't Enough...

One of the biggest pitfalls to avoid in ministering to people's needs is meeting a need without telling the person why. Service alone is so satisfying that many people and even church ministries get so caught up in meeting needs that they forget to share Jesus with those they are serving.

This point was reaffirmed to me this week as I read about an Atheist's experience in Africa taken from Erich Bridges Worldview Conversations Blog at http://worldviewconversation.blogspot.com/ Read on...

Atheist’s prescription for African ills: Christian missions.

A self-professed atheist returned to his boyhood home of Malawi last year with a secular charity that helps villages without clean water. While there he renewed a belief he says he’d “been trying to banish all my life, but … been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my worldview and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God. … I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa, Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.”

Without the spiritual transformation, what we have to offer is very temporal and will really make very little difference in people's lives. Meeting needs coupled with sharing Jesus is truly transformational!

To submit community evangelism prayer requests, or to request more information about consultation, training or materials, contact Heather at 800-552-0004 or hruiz@bcnysbc.org.

Praying For Every County...

On June 1, I started working on a new project, a statewide prayerwalk! You can see my first week's progress visiting counties on the map to the left. My first stop was downtown Syracuse, the county seat of Onondage County, where I live. I brought with me my camera and a prayer guide to follow as I prayed and walked.

When I arrived, I was struck by the faces of the people, different ages and races, all of whom have the same need that I have in my life of knowing Jesus and His forgiveness in my life. There were teenagers on skateboards and men and women relaxing in the plaza. I began snapping pictures of the area: of the court house, of the street sign named for the county, of murals downtown and of the people.

After a while of looking and taking pictures I decided to get down to business and get to praying... the reason I had taken this first step on my journey across the state. I took out my prayer guide and began to read the verses and pray, beginning by asking God to reveal His vision for Onondaga County: "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) As I looked up, to my surprise, I saw a blind man walking around the corner. I couldn't help but wonder and ask God if this man represented me in my present state, not possessing the vision that I need to grasp His will for my county, my state, or my convention...

I'll share the pictures I take and information I gather in this journey so that you can be prepared to pray for your county next year!

To submit community evangelism prayer requests, or to request more information about consultation, training or materials, contact Heather at 800-552-0004 or hruiz@bcnysbc.org.

The Sounds of Summer

By Ken Glassmeyer, from Issue #33 of Serve! with Steve Sjogren

"Summer is a symphony of sounds…birds singing, children playing, fireworks, …a summer thunderstorm, or a base hit at the ball park…

YARD SPRUCE UP

Nothing announces the start of summer like the buzz of lawnmowers… Gather up lawnmowers, gasoline, a trimmer, rakes, some coolers filled with water and some mulch and some annuals… You are looking for lawns that have been neglected …we have often discovered heartbreaking stories inside the homes of these sad looking lawns. …Don’t forget to invite the family out for a cool drink… and never forget to ask them to let you pray for them."

BASKETBALL COURT RENEWAL

"Another of my favorite summer sounds is the sound of squeaking shoes, the rhythm of the bouncing ball, and the snap of the net from a perfect shot. It's music to my ears…. many organizations no longer have the funding to keep up the suburban parks or inner city courts that are under the constant attack of vandalism and graffiti. You want to make friends? Go fix up their court! Start by sweeping… and picking up the litter… replace the backboards, repaint the court.…buy replacement nets, basketballs to give away to people...then invite folks to join you... Viola!"

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.serve-others.com/issue33/index.cfm?id=33&ref=ARTICLES%5FSERVANT%20EVANGELISM%3A%20ADVICE%20FROM%20A%20PRO%5F256

To submit community evangelism prayer requests, or to request more information about consultation, training or materials, contact Heather at 800-552-0004 or hruiz@bcnysbc.org.

Get Ready for Block Parties!

Looking for a way to involve the whole family in outreach?

Do you like serving your community?

Enjoy playing sports?

Playing or listening to music?

Or just hanging around?

Want to use all these things to tell your neighbors about Jesus?

THEN PLAN A BLOCK PARTY!

Don’t know how? Request training for your church. Now is the time!

To submit community evangelism prayer requests, or to request more information about consultation, training or materials, contact Heather at 800-552-0004 or hruiz@bcnysbc.org.

Planning to Receive Mission Teams

Have you ever wondered if there is more you could do with a visiting mission team to impact your church and community with the Gospel? If your church could use some help planning to receive Mission Teams, new training materials are available including planning pages and an orientation guide.

Call soon as calendar dates fill quickly and the mission teams will be here soon!

To submit community evangelism prayer requests, or to request more information about consultation, training or materials, contact Heather at 800-552-0004 or hruiz@bcnysbc.org.

FREE ESL Resources on the Web

Are you an ESL teacher? Does your church have an ESL program for your community? If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, I have good news for you! Free interactive programs, worksheets and even lesson plans are available online. Here is a sampling for you to check out this month:

Grammar Bytes - This online glossary presents detailed definitions and explanations of grammar terms, in easy-to-understand language, along with examples in which the terms are used in authentic contexts. The site also includes interactive exercises, grammar tips and rules, and free, downloadable teacher and student handouts for use with the exercises. Check it out at: http://www.chompchomp.com/menu.htm

Buzzword of the Day - This is a part of Merriam-Webster’s Word Central which includes an audio link to hear the daily buzzword pronounced, identification of the part of speech, as well as what the word means and how it is used. At the bottom of the page is a “Word Wiz” where they can test themselves. Check it out at: http://www.wordcentral.com/buzzword/buzzword.php

Noun Dunk - This is an online basketball game where the student must pick which part of speech a word is: a common noun, proper noun or not a noun at all. Check it out at: http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/basketball/index.html

2Bee or Nottoobee- is an online game where students choose the correct verb to complete sentences. Check it out at: http://www.funbrain.com/verb/index.html

Grammar Gorillas - in this game the Grammar Gorillas need help identifying parts of speech. The instructions read, "If you click on the right word in the sentence, our friends get a banana. And you know, a gorilla with a banana is a gorilla with appeal." See it for yourself at: http://www.funbrain.com/grammar/index.html

Enjoy!

To submit community evangelism prayer requests, or to request more information about consultation, training or materials, contact Heather at 800-552-0004 or hruiz@bcnysbc.org.

Could Job Corps Help Your Church & Community?

In these tough economic times, your church may be praying about how to help those in your community who are unemployed or underemployed while sharing the love of Jesus with them. You may want to consider starting a Christian Job Corp site in or near your church to meet these current needs through this well-designed mentoring program. Take a look at its design below:

What is Christian Women's Job Corps/Christian Men's Job Corps?

The purpose of CWJC/ CMJC, a ministry of WMU, is to provide a Christian context in which women and men in need are equipped for life and employment in a missions context in which women help women and men help men.

What happens in a typical CWJC/CMJC program?

Women and men receive training in life skills and job readiness. Often computer skills are taught as well. Each ministry is customized to meet the needs of the participants and their community.

What makes CWJC/CMJC different from other job-readiness programs?

Each participant is involved in Bible study. Participants are also matched with a trained Christian woman or man who will be a mentor as the participant travels the road from dependency to self-sufficiency.

Is there anything CWJC/CMJC sites have in common?

Yes! A trained coordinator leads each site. The ministry is built on the purpose of CWJC/CMJC and eight key elements: certification training, advisory council, needs assessments, networking, covenants, evaluation, a mentor for every participant, and Bible study.

How many people does it take to operate a CWJC/CMJC site?

The number varies according to the program design. Working with the site coordinator will be volunteers who serve on the advisory council, mentor, teach, and may prepare meals, provide transportation or childcare, and perform basic office duties. They also form a prayer team.

Who can be participants of a CWJC/CMJC program?

Anyone in need who can be equipped for life and employment through the CWJC/CMJC ministry is eligible for CWJC/CMJC. Each site will decide on a process for intake and referral. Persons with needs that cannot be met by a CWJC/CMJC program are referred to a program that can help them.

What are the goals for a CWJC/CMJC participant?

1. Begin and/or grow in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

2. Complete job-readiness and life-skills program(s).

3. Attain self-sufficiency.

4. Give back to the CWJC/CMJC program.

For more information about beginning a CWJC or CMJC, go to http://www.wmu.com/VolunteerConnection/CWJC/faqs.asp or contact me at the number below!

To submit community evangelism prayer requests, or to request more information about consultation, training or materials, contact Heather at 800-552-0004 or hruiz@bcnysbc.org.

Need Some New Ideas for Easter?

Are you looking for some fresh ways to invite people in your community to your special Easter services? Easter is a time when even non-church-goer's thoughts turn to Jesus. Why not take advantage of this opportunity and plan a special day to invite your community to reconnect with the church during this season?

Steve Sjogren's e-zine focused on servant evangelism suggests that your church consider inviting people by giving away:

• Easter Baskets - which can be taken to local businesses, schools or neighbors, to invite groups of people or
• Flower Seeds - which can be distributed to individuals, at garden shows or even placed in driver side windows where permitted.

To look at all the Easter Ideas listed, instructions about the people needed, places projects would work, good times to try them and how to order Connection Cards which can be attached to items as the invitation is made, go to:

http://www.servantevangelism.com/

To submit community evangelism prayer requests, or to request more information about consultation, training or materials, contact Heather at 800-552-0004 or hruiz@bcnysbc.org.

Matthew 28:19

Did you know that almost 20% of New Jersey residents and more than 23% of New York residents speak a language other than English at home? According to the 2000 census, 39 different language groups have been identified in our convention territory. Where I live, in Syracuse, 25 language groups have been identified and 23 of them live in my zip code!

As you are telling people about Jesus in your community, you may find people groups who are not English-speakers. If so, this web page is for you!

Intervarsity has compiled a very useful list of places to look for Bibles, tracts, and other Christian audio and video materials in different languages which is available through their website. I hope it will be helpful to you as you reach out to the world you find at your door.

http://www.intervarsity.org/ism/article/5342?tr=y&auid=4565204

To submit community evangelism prayer requests, or to request more information about consultation, training or materials, contact Heather at 800-552-0004 or hruiz@bcnysbc.org.

Helping Others Helps Us

Being Actively Contemplative

This month's Leadership Journal has included an article by Chris Armstrong about Gregory the Great. He struggled with how to balance the daily demands of ministry with the important daily disciplines of prayer and study. He lamented about how dealing with crisis would frequently interrupt what he preferred to be doing, spending time in devotion and prayer. He noticed after a time however that,

"...those who lived the active life—marked at its best by such physical and spiritual ministries as feeding the hungry and caring for the sick, teaching the ignorant and humbling the proud—as better equipped to experience the contemplative life than those who absorbed all their hours in study and meditation.

Pastors, insisted Gregory, must live a higher life, one that combines both action and contemplation. If we want to know why, we need only to look at the life of Jesus: he ate and drank with sinners by day, performed miracles of healing and fed the multitudes. But throughout the night, he prayed on a mountain.

To Gregory, the lesson was clear: service and prayer are the two essential sides of a redemptive and productive ministry. By living an active life, full of works of neighbor-love; expressing the virtues of faith, hope, and charity; growing in the fruit of the Spirit, one arrives at more intense and joyful contemplation."

So, Gregory the Great came to the conclusion that active involvement in ministry leads one to a more fruitful devotional life. How is your balance between the two? It's worth thinking about!

To read this article in its entirity, go to: http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/thepastor/soulspirit/whendetailsgetyoudown.html?start=4

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. James 2:18

To submit community evangelism prayer requests, or to request more information about consultation, training or materials, contact Heather at 800-552-0004 or hruiz@bcnysbc.org.