February 26, 2010
Editor’s note: Community Church by the Lake’s ministries are made possible, in part, by the Alliance Development Fund (ADF), which has helped the church through tough financial times. “ADF is about helping churches,” says Pastor Don Foor. “Without ADF, we wouldn’t have the following stories.”
“We don’t want ‘that element’ hanging around our church,” said a handful of church members at Community Church by the Lake in Big Bear Lake, California. High in the San Bernadino Mountains, the Alliance church has played a key role in the community’s outreach to teens, specifically skateboarders. But some believers weren’t on board.
Already, the church had collaborated with the Parks and Recreation Department (Park and Rec) as well as a group of civic leaders and private donors to transform an old building on the church property into a teen center. Church member Reese Troublefield, who is the general manager for Park and Rec, approached Don Foor, who has pastored the church for nearly six years, with the idea of using the old building for a teen recreation center. “Through his job, Reese had been trying for eight years to find land to fulfill his vision for the city’s youth but to no avail,” says Don. “Land is too expensive.”
A Unified Effort
Reese suggested remodeling the empty church building. “He told me he could get the money but needed the church’s consent to use the building,” Don says. “With unity and funding from the county, local businesses, and Soroptimist International Women’s Club, the vision of a teen center at Community Church by the Lake became a reality in 2007.”
The center is staffed by Park and Rec employees from 2-5:30 p.m. daily and used by the church for its youth group meetings in the evenings. “The center is equipped with video, TV, games, billiards, and a small kitchen,” Don says. “It’s a fabulous place where all kids are welcome. When our kids invite their friends to stay for youth group, their parents readily approve, appreciating a safe place for their children.”
The Forbidden Element
But the center did not solve the problem of skateboarders with no place to skate. “Six months of the year, we are under three feet of snow,” says Don “When the kids aren’t snowboarding, they are skateboarding.”
The distance of Big Bear Lake’s only skate park, located at the opposite end of the city, kept the kids in the church neighborhood from utilizing the facility. So Don invited the teens to skate in the church parking lot. Word got around quickly, bringing skateboarders and their homemade equipment for jumps and stunts.
Residents had been complaining about skateboarders being a nuisance, skating recklessly past businesses and homes. Skateboarding was outlawed and signs went up, forbidding the favorite teen pastime. Don attended a public hearing where the problem was discussed. “We need another skate park,” he told Reese, who also was at the meeting. A councilman heard Don’s remark and asked, “What’s he willing to do about it?”
Walking With Jesus
Community Church’s property included a piece of land next to the teen center that had only a few shrubs on it when it wasn’t covered by snow. “I went to the church board with the idea to build a skate park on church property,” Don says. “The board agreed. Reese approached the county supervisors and again, funding was approved for the $100,000 project.”
But when Don announced the plan to his congregation, he was met with some opposition. “Some members were against it,” he says. “‘We don’t want that element here,’ they told me. They were afraid that the youth would vandalize the church.”
Don, who spent five years with his wife as pastoral couple at Simpson University, would not stand for such discrimination toward the young people of Big Bear Lake. “I remember as a kid, bolting silver wheels to a board and skateboarding down my street,” he says. “I wanted to do something for the kids here to let them know that they are valued.”
Don preached a sermon the following Sunday entitled “That Element.” “‘Jesus came and sat in the middle of that element,’ I told them. ‘We can’t demonize people because they put wheels under their feet. We’re a C&MA church, a missionary church. We don’t take the gospel to some and not others. We won’t do that.’” When he admonished the congregation not to use the term again, disgruntled members left the church.
A Safe Place
The Community Skate Park was launched in 2008. “It’s been an incredible collective message to the teens, who are very protective of their new turf,” says Don.
Recently, a boy who wasn’t a “boarder” broke a church window. Skateboarders called the sheriff, who later brought the boy and his father to meet with Don. The sheriff wanted Don to press charges, but the Alliance pastor had a better idea. “The father and son, both remorseful, agreed to my plan. The father paid for the window, and his son is working with the church janitor.”
For insurance liability reasons, skating is not allowed after dark “But one night I found a few kids skating and reminded them of the rules,” Don says. “One of the boys challenged me, ‘Who are you to tell me I can’t skate?’
“The other two boys stepped up. ‘We’ll tell you who this guy is. When no one else would let us skate, he made it happen.’”
Local police have thanked Don for the church’s contribution to the community. “It’s easy to monitor,” they say. “We can see the park clearly. It’s the best thing you could have done for the kids and for us.”
“Kids have been always been skating and will keep on skating,” Don says. “And today, they are so athletic and so brave. Most important, their overall attitude about church has changed. Close to a dozen kids from ‘that element’ have accepted the Lord.”
Learn More
Read about other Alliance churches that are using community outreaches to shine the light of Christ.
What You Can Do
Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries to ensure the continuance of church planting at home and abroad.
February 23, 2010
In January 2010, a team from Franklin Alliance Church in Franklin, North Carolina-which has a ministry partnership with the Burkina Faso Alliance field-roofed several churches in the remote Tougan District in northern Burkina. “As with many bush adventures, this team experienced equipment breakdowns and vehicle mishaps,” said Alliance worker Larry Wolters. “But through it all, [they] persevered and finished a big job well.” The following is an adapted excerpt from the trip blog of youth pastor Kevin Ford, the Franklin church’s work team leader.
Since 2007, I have had the opportunity to take five teams to Burkina. It’s a life-changing experience every time.
Kids, Life Here, and Jesus
There always seems to be one person or kid that you feel this connection with every time you come here. Sometimes there are 40 or 50 kids around you, and other times there are hundreds. They all smile and laugh and play if you play with them.
It’s a grim reminder to me that one out of three children here dies before the age of 10. As a parent, I can’t imagine having to deal with that reality. I’ve heard people say that it’s their culture, so it’s just life to them. To those critics, I ask, “Does that make it any easier?”
Imagine watching your child die from something as simple as diarrhea because you don’t have $2 for medicine to kill the bacteria that is causing the problem. I have been sick like that before, and it would be horrible to basically die of dehydration. We have no comprehension of what this must be like. All the more reason I admire these people.
It’s really cool to be in a church service and hear Burkinabe believers talking about reaching unreached people groups in their own country. The genuine and authentic love and passion Burkinabe Christians have for our Jesus leaves me feeling inadequate to be leading teams here.
Jesus is their life and their hope for everything. We love Jesus, but our lives and our hopes are wrapped up in all of our stuff. I long for the day that we in the Western world figure this out.
I look at the people here, and I don’t feel sorry for them because they are poor. They are actually happier than we are, and they don’t have near the stress that we do, worrying about all of the stuff we worry about.
One thing that I do feel for them is compassion . . . [I would love] to help them become more efficient in reaching their people with the gospel, to begin equipping them to know how to evangelize and make disciples as we are commanded to do.
It’s not our responsibility to come over here and change them. We have to adapt to their ways and provide resources and training to enable them to continue to do what they are already doing. We have to provide training and avenues to make this happen. This is how you change a country for the sake of the gospel. That has been our mission since our first trip in 2007.
What Now?
I could write forever about stories that I have heard or things that I’ve seen here. I have come to the conclusion that the only way to really explain it is to bring you here and show you.
I’m planning another trip back to Burkina this fall. I haven’t covered much of the country, but I listen to Pete (Brokopp), Larry (Wolters), and the other missionaries, and all of them have so much to do. There are four more churches ready to be roofed, and they are waiting for someone to come [help].
I have a deep love for the people of Burkina Faso. You may not have a burden for this country, but there are many places in the world where the people need to hear the gospel message.
Go!
Learn More
A work team from Glenview Alliance Church in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, arrived in Burkina Faso on February 3, 2010, to assist the Patte d’Oie church put finishing touches on its new facility. To learn about the strong partnership between these two churches, read “Hands Across the Water” in the December 2008 issue of Alliance Life magazine.
Check out how your church can get involved in an Alliance ministry partnership.
Read about The Alliance in Burkina Faso.
January 25, 2010
Christmas 2009 may have come and gone quickly, but compassionate acts of kindness and generosity by Alliance people through Christmas outreaches will not soon be forgotten. Alliance congregations across the country went beyond the four walls of their churches to take the message of the Christ Child into their communities.
In Columbia, South Carolina, Columbia Crossroads Downtown took part in a number of outreaches within the community, one being with a clinic across the street from the church. The clinic helps to meet the medical needs of children with debilitating diseases and disorders who also live in poverty. “We helped host a Christmas party for the kids and their families,” says Chris Gerlach, who pastors Crossroads. “Our hope is to build on the relationship and minister to them on a regular basis.”
Just up the road in Charlotte, North Carolina, the First Alliance Church of Charlotte is poised for their inaugural service on February 14. But the young congregation made its mark on the community before its opening when it partnered with a local school and Charlotte Firefighters Association to host a Christmas event that benefitted more than 50 families. “We served dinner, shared gifts and the love of Jesus with [these families],” says Carlos Velez, who pastors the Alliance church. “Volunteers from the community helped, as well as our sister church, theGathering, from Ft. Mill (South Carolina). Pastor Scott led attendees and volunteers in singing Christmas songs.”
Pastor Scott Morrison, who co-leads theGathering with Derrick Bucy, also led his church into the Ft. Mill community to shine the light of Jesus into some of the poorest areas of the city. “We have several opportunities to serve our community,” says Scott, “by continuing our monthly commitment to serve a meal to the hungry.” Home groups or ”houseGatherings” continue to grow. “We are excited about partnering with Sandhills (Alliance) Church in Columbia and rejoice in what God is doing!”
Thirty-three people prayed to receive Jesus during a three-day Christmas outreach hosted by Iglesia Cristiana Encuentro con Dios in Cornelia, Georgia. “We were able to distribute 116 children’s gifts and 37 food baskets,” says Pastor Tim Hixson, who credits the prayers and support of two local churches, Central Alliance in Mt. Airy and Iglesia de Cristo (non-Alliance) from Norcross. Food baskets, which came from the Toccoa Falls College faculty as well as the churches, were distributed on the evening of December 24. “After the worship service, we rejoiced to see many praying and crying out to the Lord for forgiveness and salvation.”
“These stories from the South Atlantic District are representative of what outwardly focused Alliance churches are doing all over this land as they concentrate on meeting needs in their local communities and opening doors for the message of the Gospel,” says Rev. John Soper, director for Church Ministries. As Alliance congregations continue to go into their communities with practical demonstrations of Jesus love, those walking in darkness will turn to the Light.
November 13, 2009
Alliance churches are breaking the mold of the traditional church plant. Frustration with budget crunches, dwindling congregations, and decreased giving with little left for outreach has caused many Alliance pastors to rethink the way they do church.
“Trying to get people to come to church just doesn’t work like it used to,” said one Alliance pastor recently. “There’s a general consensus, especially among younger people, that churches are filled with hypocrites who demand money and perfection but don’t practice what they preach; the Bible is an ancient document and there is no evidence of God’s power among so-called Christians.”
In order to build bridges of trust that will bear the weight of truth, some Alliance churches are moving beyond the four walls of traditional church buildings into their communities, demonstrating the love of their Servant King through projects that benefit their neighbors. The fact that nothing is asked in return has captured the attention of city officials as well as local media in some cases.
Freely Give
Pastor Rick Gates has led his Crossroads Church congregation in Perry, Iowa, out of the sanctuary to shine the light of Christ during a Week of Service in their community. Church members have completed 40 projects in four years. Local TV news shows have reported the “free help” that Crossroads provided for the community in June.
“Our culture today knows nothing of the church except that it expects people to give money and attend services for no meaningful or relevant purpose,” says Rick. “The church is not connected to their daily lives and does not make sense to them. Jesus talks a lot about being servants . . . as we serve, people slowly begin to see Jesus.”
Benefitting Neighbors
“Most church plants take 30 or more people and move them,” say Pastor Scott Klaudt of Downtown Alliance Church, who established a coffeehouse in downtown Missoula, Montana, in order to meet plenty of people. “We didn’t want to just shift a bunch of Christians around, which may work for some, but it’s not what I wanted to do.”
The coffeehouse venue provides lunches, catering mostly to professionals in search of quality noontime respite, and hosts open-mike night, jazz concerts highlighting local musicians, and benefit fund-raisers for neighbors. “We recently hosted a benefit concert for a youngster who suffers from a seizure disorder,” says Scott.
God’s Property!
In Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Bob and Sue Havenor and a handful of people, none of whom are in professional ministry, have reclaimed for God an area where an Alliance church once stood. They have taken jobs within their community in order to build relationships and prayer walk. Bob is getting to know a lot of men through his work at an auto parts store.
“We didn’t plant an organization where people with needs must go to a church,” says Bob. “We are the Church that has a mandate to go to the people with needs. This is the essence of incarnational ministry; as John 1:14 says in The Message, ‘God became a man and moved into the neighborhood.’”
Bob’s team began systematically prayer walking every street in a 1.5 square-mile target area. “We started at a strategic location that is, first, an easy place to find on a busy central street,” he says. “Second, and far more important, is what this property once was. This was the site of the Fort Wayne Gospel Temple, a leading Alliance church in the middle half of the last century.”
Outside the Box
ServantChurch in Mission, Kansas, is “committed to doing church simply so that we can simply serve,” says Pastor Doug Burford, who grew weary of buildings, bulletins, budgets, and board meetings, as well as struggling to get busy professionals to meet for prayer, Bible study, and service.
Since its inception, ServantChurch has participated in several projects, including the construction of nanny quarters for a family in which the mother has terminal cancer and the installation of windows to winterize the residence of “urban missionaries” in Kansas City. “ServantChurch is intentionally without a building so that its members are free to worship where they serve,” says Doug.
As the history of the Church bears witness, there are times, like the Reformation, when the Church has to “reset” the course after straying off course. “It has been said that Martin Luther reset the theology of the Church,” Doug says. “This ‘new reformation’ is one that [just may] reset the form of the Church.”
What You Can Do
Praise God for His guidance and provision for Alliance workers who are willing to take faith-filled risks to share the gospel.
Pray that God will bless these four churches with a bountiful harvest.
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“We wanted to meet people first,” says Scott Klaudt, who pastors Downtown Alliance Church in Missoula, Montana. Through a coffeehouse/community center near the University of Montana, the state’s largest university, Klaudt and his team are accomplishing just that.
With an entrepreneurial approach to ministry, Scott has sidestepped the traditional Alliance church plant model to reach the Missoula community with this innovative outreach. “We started the business first to gain momentum,” he says. “Once we built relationships, we began host Bible studies instead of having a set program.”
The Alliance establishment provides lunch, catering mostly to professionals in search of quality noontime respite. The venue also hosts open-mike night, a favorite past time among University of Montana students. Also, jazz concerts highlighting local musicians, and benefit fund-raisers for neighbors are popular events at the Alliance outreach. “It makes The Alliance look good because we show them love.”
“Most church plants take about 30 people and move them,” says Scott. “We didn’t want to just shift a bunch of Christians around, which may work for some but it’s not what I wanted to do.” Without a tithe base, God has met the needs of the unorthodox church plant. “Our [Rocky Mountain] District has backed us, too.”
Worship services quickly moved from once-a-month to weekly meetings when an increasing number of people began attending. “Attendance now fluctuates between 50 and 80,” Scott says, “including some of the professionals who visit during the day and university students who pack the house at night.”
When Donnie Spotted Elk entered the center he said, “I hear you guys pray for people here. I need job by Tuesday or I will go back to jail.” Donnie recently had been released from prison, where he placed his trust in Christ. When Scott prayed, the Native American ex-convict obtained employment. Now he hosts a Sunday night Bible study for local Native Americans, many of whom are homeless.
The mission of this Alliance outreach is “not necessarily to ‘do church’ but to help the community,” says Scott. “It’s a full-time business. If the business goes down after we’ve spent $250,000 and only one person came to Christ-it was worth it.”
After eighteen years of traditional Presbyterian ministry, Pastor Doug Burford had had his fill of buildings, bulletins, budgets and board meetings, as well as struggling to get busy professionals to meet for prayer, Bible study, and service. “At the same time,” says Doug, “those who were growing in their faith often said that they grew most through their small group meetings.” That led him to long for a simpler expression of “church”-one where there was nothing to do except to pray, study the Bible, and serve.
ServantChurch in Mission, Kansas, is that church. Daring to venture away from traditional church plant models, Doug and a handful of people launched ServantChurch in April 2008. “We are committed to doing church simply so that we can simply serve,” he says. ServantChurch is intentionally without building so that its members are free to worship where they serve. With Doug’s salary covered by a benefactor, all financial resources are used to serve.
Doug was unaware of the history of A. B. Simpson when he came to The Alliance but feels a kinship with the founder, who also left the Presbyterian Church in search of an unencumbered way to reach the lost and to love and serve as Christ taught.
Since its inception, ServantChurch has participated in several projects, including the construction of nanny quarters for a family in which the mother has terminal cancer and the installation of windows to winterize the residence of urban missionaries in Kansas City. The collection of food for an area food bank and the assembly of health kits for distribution to disaster sites around the globe also have demonstrated the compassionate care of the Savior.
Doug believes that service can be the best form of outreach. “People who had not responded to early invitations to “come to church” have responded enthusiastically to invitations to participate in service projects,” he says. “Combining worship with service is an ideal way to demonstrate what Jesus called us to be and to do, creating a powerful witness.”
Unencumbered by other ecclesiastical duties, the church family also has more freedom to help and serve one another. With Doug’s social work background, he is determined that ServantChurch not become just another social service agency, dispensing material help without spiritual help. There is a determination to serve those with whom church members are in relationship.
Church “services” are either at a member’s home or at a serving site. “Service is combined with worship,” says Doug, “in the belief that doing what Jesus asked us to do is as much worship as is anything that takes place in a dedicated sanctuary.”
Believing the Holy Spirit is behind this call back to simplicity, Doug sees evidence of it in the difficulty of maintaining large staffs and facilities during tough economic times and in the struggle of many pastors as they question the institutionalization of the church and the busyness it has created.
Doug is quick to point out that ServantChurch doesn’t have all the answers for how to do church simply. “The presence of children at a worship site without a nursery is just one challenge that creates comical chaos on some Sundays,” he says. “But, I see the church “pressing the reset button.”
As the history of the Church bears witness, there are times, like the Reformation, when the Church has to be “reset” back on course after straying off course. “It has been said that Martin Luther reset the theology of the Church,” Doug says. “This “new reformation” is one that will reset the form of the Church.”
October 22, 2009
In our GoChurch series, Alliance Pastor Bob Havenor describes the mission that he and his wife, Sue, and six other people, have begun in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Although Alliance roots go way back in Ft. Wayne, a move to the suburbs left an evangelical void in the urban neighborhoods, where the Havenors have only just begun.
Our team is very organic. Sue and I are modeling a lifestyle where we live among and work with the people we expect God to reach. Nobody’s in professional ministry here. I work in a local auto parts store. We didn’t plant an organization where people with needs must go to a church. We are the Church that has a mandate to go to the people with needs. This is the essence of incarnational ministry; as John 1:14 says in The Message, “God became a man and moved into the neighborhood.” Our first priority is building intentional relationships in every sphere of our lives. It is through a relationally-based lifestyle and theology that we operate. And although we don’t have a church building, we are here because of one that once was in our target zone.
This summer we began systematically prayerwalking every street in our 1.5-mile-square target area. We started at a strategic location that is, first, an easy place to find on a busy central street. Second, and far more important, is what this property once was. This half-block was the site of the Fort Wayne Gospel Temple, a leading church in the middle half of the last century.
In the 1970s, the congregation merged with another local church, sold the property, and moved to the suburbs to begin life anew as Westview Alliance Church, the local body with whom we have a deep relationship. Commercial and local government interests bought up the large piece of property, and today it’s the site of a former Hollywood Video store that is now an empty building and a massive parking lot for the local Family Social Services.
Going Back to Go Forward
We begin prayerwalking at the Hollywood Video store because it is the geographical heart and spiritual epicenter of our target area. The leaders of Westview Alliance Church received prophetic direction from God several years before we showed up that He wanted to “re-dig the wells” in the old part of the city. We also meet there because we are convinced that God is keeping that former video store empty because He isn’t done with that property. We have claimed it as a prime location for an early childhood education center.
If you are doing something for the Kingdom, convinced that God is leading you, then what you are doing is not that new or novel. God, in our case, paved the way with generations of church members who cared deeply for that sector of the city. This is encouraging-we are all vital colors in the grand tapestry God is weaving in this community. He planned on us being here and desires our success more than we do. So we can love others with reckless abandon and live with no regrets.
A Present Need
More than 19,000 people, including many immigrants, inhabit the neighborhood that we want to reach, 48 percent of whom are in single parent households. There is a 27 percent high school drop out rate. Our demographic-driven vision includes developing what we call community bridges in two key areas: early childhood education and literacy. Three of our team members are currently teaching ESL, mostly to recent immigrants. We want to develop literacy centers that can help immigrants learn English, but also help native English speakers learn to read, use computers, and attain a GED.
Just because a church organization moved off of the property and a government agency moved in does not change the lasting imprint of those who walked that ground before we were born, calling on the God of heaven to do something to change the destiny of people in this city. The Social Services building is a memorial to our God who hears and answers our prayers: it’s where the neediest people in the community find help and relief.
The ground is still holy. There is an anointing of redemptive power that has yet to run its course. We expect to see the prayers of God’s saints come full circle and God’s plans manifested in our day. We have no plans to rebuild a church building; our plan is to move in God’s anointing as He rebuilds His living Church in the heart of our city.
Learn More
Read alife to learn more about the Havenors.
Read about other U.S. Alliance churches that are impacting their communities
What You Can Do
Pray for God’s guidance and protection for the Havenors and their team as they reach a city for Christ. Pray that God will prepare hearts to receive His Truth.
Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
October 6, 2009
In our GoChurch series, Jim Blake, director for Alliance Redwoods Camp and Conference Grounds (ARCCG), describes the mission of his “congregation” within the camp community. ARCCG hosts churches and groups from all over California and beyond, providing God’s majestic redwood trees as the background for ministry.
Thousands of children and young adults experience authentic community each year at Alliance Redwoods Camp and Conference Grounds (ARCCG), where a Christian camping adventures have changed lives for more than 60 years.
At ARCG, nearly 1,000 young people make decisions for Christ annually as they receive ministry to the whole person and build relationships with God and with caring mentors. The camp environment breaks down social, economic, and cultural barriers that the traditional church setting struggles to overcome and provides a safe environment that is conducive to positive interactivity.
Catch Them While They Are Young
More than 85 percent of those who come to Christ do so before they reach the age of 18. Ten-year-old camper Josh,* whose biker father did not attend church, connected with Greg, one of the head cooks. Greg, sporting his biker regalia and is a chaplain for the Christian Motorcycle Association, spent the week building a relationship with Josh. As Josh left camp, Greg gave him his card for Josh’s dad.
Filled with excitement about his week at camp, Josh gave Greg’s card to his dad, who was moved by his son’s experience and attended a local Alliance club meeting. Soon Josh’s entire family received Christ and all now are active church members who are growing in their newfound faith in Jesus.
Sarah was cutting herself. But the self-inflicted torment could not ease the pain in her heart. Camp counselor Natalie Romalia was asked to help. “When I approached Sarah, she told me that she was having a hard time because her mother had died,” said Romalia. “I brought up losing my brother to suicide, and Sarah said, ‘My mom committed suicide too.’”
That seemed to break the ice between a hurting teenage girl and a high school camp counselor. Natalie’s willingness to share her pain with Sarah immediately built a bridge of hope between the two women.
“We talked longer, and I prayed with her that afternoon,” said Natalie. ”That night when other teens were sharing their testimonies, Sarah asked, ‘Would it be okay if I shared?’ I said sure! She stood up and shared a little bit of her story with everyone.”
Sarah’s youth pastor believes this is the beginning of a big breakthrough in her life. At this particular high school camp, too many students to count came to the front during ministry time, weeping with sorrow for their sins and praising God for His unconditional love.
No Boundaries
The impact of ARCCG does not begin and end in California. Part of our vision is to become an international training and sending center for The Alliance, taking Alliance camping worldwide. Every winter since 2002, ARCCG has hosted a month-long camp in South Africa that has ministered to more than 6,000 impoverished children. More than 50 percent of them have indicated a desire to have a personal relationship with Christ. Many of these children have AIDS and will never see adulthood. Each one reached represents a life turned from despair to hope in Jesus Christ.
Germaine was a 12-year-old street kid, sniffing glue, selling drugs, and stealing to survive when he came to our first Camp South Africa (CSA) outreach in 2002. Germaine came to Christ during that camp and the following year, he testified that he was drug free, back in school, reading his Bible, and attending a local church-all with no parental care or supervision. It is amazing to observe what the transforming power of God can accomplish in the worst of human circumstances! Germaine now is a spiritually mature 17-year-old and worked as a camp counselor for CSA 2008 last December. He has a passion to reach others for Christ.
International camp workers receive training at ARCCG and go to mission fields like Russia, Romania, Paraguay, and Hawaii. They have a sense of urgency to fulfill the Great Commission and bring back the King. Requests for training abound from all over the globe, and expansion of this vision is limited only by our current financial resources, making your partnership a vital link to building the bridge to future generations.
Stories like Josh, Sarah, and Germaine’s abound at ARCCG, where we are living out The Alliance’s first core value: Lost people matter to God. He wants them found. Life circumstances may differ, but many lives are touched by God during camp!
Jim Blake has served as executive director of Alliance Redwoods Camp and Conference Grounds since 1998. His wife, Christine, is a physical therapist and member of the Camp South Africa 2007 team. College-age daughters Kate and Emily have been campers and summer staffers at Alliance Redwoods since moving to California.
Learn More
Read about Alliance camping ministries in the March issue of alife
Visit Alliance Redwood’s Web site.
What You Can Do
Pray for Jim Blake and his team as they work through daily details and plan for future ministry. Also, pray for the lives of those impacted for Jesus through ARCCG.
Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries
October 1, 2009
Alliance congregations across the United States are taking new approaches to ministry, moving beyond just talking about Christ’s love to actually showing it. Pastor Rick Gates has led his Crossroads Church congregation in Perry, Iowa, out of the sanctuary to shine the light of Christ during a Week of Service in their community. Church members have completed 40 projects in four years. Local TV news shows have reported the “free help” that Crossroads provided for the community in June.
The Week of Service initiative began in 2005, when Gates offered to shampoo carpets at a local school. Other church members cleaned windshields at a grocery store and distributed complimentary water bottles at community functions.
“Our culture today knows nothing of the church except that it expects people to give money and attend services for no meaningful or relevant purpose,” says Gates. “The church is not connected to their daily lives and does not make sense to them. Jesus talks a lot about being servants . . . as we serve, people slowly begin to see Jesus.”
Open Doors
Since these outreaches began, many civic groups and individuals have solicited the church’s help. As the requests come into the church for projects in the community, church members go out and serve-free of charge. They have painted 10 classrooms and shampooed carpets in a local school, saving the school district hundreds of dollars. A deck has been built, ground tilled, and grass planted
“A widow was grateful when some of our people helped her burn a huge pile of brush behind her home,” Gates says. She was amazed to receive all of the help without being charged. Other people in the community, who are not members of Crossroads Church, have joined to help out with projects just to be part of the excitement.”
Heather, a single mother, started attending Crossroads recently. “I can relate to a church that reaches out to others instead of just taking care of its own needs,” she says. “That’s why I’m here with my daughter, and that’s what I want to be a part of.” Heather now wants to do something to help someone else soon!
The doors are open for cross-cultural outreach as well. During the weekend of September 12-13, 2009, Crossroads Church hosted “Booth of Hope” at a Latino festival in town, giving away bottles of water and New Testament Bibles.
“We want to be involved in cross-cultural events in order to engage their culture,” Gates says. “We want to share God’s love in tangible ways and be ‘Jesus with skin on’ in our community.”
Learn More
Read how other U.S. Alliance churches are impacting their communities
What You Can Do
Pray for open hearts as the Crossroads family interacts with their friends and neighbors.
Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
September 22, 2009
West Africa’s rainy season has caused extensive flooding throughout the region this year, reported Stan and Jaynee Walker, who serve with The Alliance in Senegal.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, many have contracted waterborne diseases, and more than 160 have died.
Tens of Thousands of Senegalese Affected
According to the United Nations, the Walkers said, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, and Sierra Leone are among the worst hit countries. “Here in Senegal, more than 260,000 people have been affected by this rainy season’s flooding.” Each rain reportedly brings more flooding.
Even in normal conditions, access to water and proper sanitation is limited in many parts of Africa, the couple added. Although malaria outbreaks are always a risk during the rainy season, the flooding is expected to cause even greater risk of disease outbreaks.
Churches Respond to Needs
In Dakar, Senegal’s capital city, churches have responded, opening their doors to offer shelter to those in their neighborhoods forced out of flooded homes.
“Pray that this testimony would be a light to many who do not know Him, yet seek this shelter,” the Walkers concluded. “What a wonderful opportunity to extend God’s grace.”
Pray for . . .
- the many who are displaced by West Africa’s floods
- local churches as they work to show God’s love to those who are suffering
What You Can Do
Because Alliance workers are in place around the world, God’s people are available to assist in times of crisis, like the current flooding across large portions of West Africa. Giving to Alliance Great Commission Ministries ensures that our dedicated workers can continue to faithfully share Christ’s hope and compassion with those who are suffering.
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