Running for Compassion (Helping our own to make a difference)

Hey ladies!  I wanted to tell you about Sue Gray and Veresa Myers and their plan to run in the Dupont Half Marathon (13.1 miles) this Saturday in order to raise money for Compassion International and the work they will be doing in Uganda this summer. They will both be traveling to Uganda with a team from BCC and Mud Creek Baptist in July. I spoke with them about their plans and how we could get involved to help.

(Trudy) Sue & Veresa I know you have both traveled to Uganda before on a Compassion team. What will you be doing this summer?

(Sue & Veresa) We will be visiting some of the Compassion Projects again, including the Child Survival Program that BCC co-sponsors with Mud Creek Baptist. We also plan to see our sponsored kids and love on their families. And then we plan to help build a kitchen for a Compassion project in order for the kids to get a meal during their visit to the project.

(Trudy) Wow! That’s a lot to pack in but I hear that it is such a treat to go to Uganda and serve the people because they are such lovely people to be with.

(Sue and Veresa) Yes the people in Uganda have so little but are so passionate about their relationship with God. It is such a rewarding trip and we always feel like they give more to us than we give to them.

(Trudy) Is there anything we can do to help you in this effort to help the people in Uganda?

(Sue & Veresa) One of our efforts to raise funds for Uganda is to run the Dupont half marathon this Saturday (April 21). We are looking for friends to come alongside us and pledge per mile (A half marathon is 13.1 miles) or simply make a donation.

(Trudy) That's where we come in... I wonder if there are any of you out there who would want to jump on board and help with these efforts that Compassion International will be doing through some of our own ladies this summer in Uganda. If you want to help, please know that no donation is too small...even pledging a dollar a mile would be very appreciated.  Every bit of it adds up and as we offer what we can I know that Jesus will multiply the fishes. If you want to help, all checks can be made out to Compassion International and you can give them to Sue Gray or Veresa Myers or leave them at the church office with their names on them.

Thanks Sue and Veresa! We know you'll run hard on Saturday not for a prize that perishes but for the joy and prize of knowing Christ better and making Him known to all.

(Sue & Veresa) Thank You!!!

" Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:40)

Thank You All You Placemat Artists!

 In the last post I asked the question "Who Wants to Encourage Somebody?  And these smiling faces responded with a resounding "I do I do!" (plus many others who refused to be photographed or were not present)



These placemats will go to the retreat that Kairos Prison Ministry will hold in April



Aren't they great? I can't help but think how these are going to bless and encourage somebody.



Thank you to all the hands, big and small, who contributed to this effort.  May God bless you back!



Who Wants to Encourage Somebody?

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22 

I've added a note from Carol at the bottom of this post.  Please read it too as it will inspire you to want to do this all the more!:)

In a previous post I shared what some of our ladies do with Kairos Prison Ministry.  If you missed it you can read about it here:  do-what-it-says-kairos-prison-ministry

Kairos Prison Ministry has a retreat coming up this April and one of the things they could use some help with are some homemade placemats.  All you need is an 11 by 17 piece of paper and some colorful pens, pencils or paints and a desire to encourage someone.  As you will see in our example below it doesn't even take any talent (so be encouraged by that).  But if you have some artistic talent, by all means use it for God's glory as you share it with someone who could use something beautiful and cheerful in their lives.

We need lots of them because they use 5 of these placemats per day for each resident they serve over the 4 day retreat. When Carol and Pam explained to me how much these placemats mean to the ladies that they serve, I knew I wanted to get my family involved in making some.  Even though we will not be going into the prison with Carol and Pam it is a small way that we can answer the call of Matthew 25:36 to visit the prisoner.

One of the things Carol told me is how the mothers who do not get to see their children very often will sometimes put their hand over the hands drawn on these placemats by other children and cry.  Maybe she has a child close to the child's age who drew the picture and it especially touches her. Being a mom myself that just about did me in so I suggested to my boys that they use their hand prints and share their ages for that reason. 

Would any of you out there be willing to make a few placemats for Carol and Pam to take into the prison for their April Retreat?  Maybe you have some children or grandchildren in your lives who would make some too. What a great opportunity to inspire your kids to give something meaningful to someone else during the lent season (or any season for that matter).  

 

So you can see that no special talent is required I wanted to share some of what we made.  



I have to tell you we had a blast doing these together. And what a simple way to speak some words of encouragment into a few lives who could stand to hear some uplifting words.

If you'd like to help. Just grab some 11 by 17 sheets of paper (Grover's Office Supply will sell it to you for 5 cents a piece) and let the Lord inpsire you as to what to do.  No lamenating is allowed and if you include names please only use the first name.  You can drop them off with Carol, Pam (their picture is on the last post about Kairos which you can see if you click the link at the top) or myself at church.

Thanks for all you do!

I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Matthew 25:36

Note from Carol...

What a wonderful way to go to prison without going physically. One big thing about these place mats is the residents get to take them back to their dorms (cells). Their possessions are inventoried, even the number of tp rolls they have (which they have to buy at canteen.) They are allowed a few books, Bible being one....and so the place mats are picked up and looked at over and over. Also, roommates who have not gone through Kairos, get to see what is written and a chance for the Kairos person to explain what they are all about. It is hard to imagine a world so limited. I wanted to make the point that place mats are very special.

Pam, Sheilah and I feel so blessed to have our church family behind us.
Carol

Do What It Says / BCC Transportation Ministry

This is the second installment of our "Do What It Says" series (based on James 1:22). The purpose of this series is to highlight some different areas some of our ladies are serving in and also share some needs that are out there in hopes of making connections and opening doors for other ladies who are looking for a place to serve. To see the first post about "Do What It Says"  click  here .



Rebecca Kiel - BCC Transportation Ministry


Today I’d like to tell you about BCC's TRANSPORTATION MINISTRY and some needs that maybe God would invite some of you to help meet.  The pretty face in that picture is Rebecca Kiel and she is the one who God has used to start this ministry.  I asked her if she would explain it to us.



Rebecca, who is the transportation intended for?  For anyone in need of transportation to and from church; People of any age that either cannot drive, or do not own a vehicle. May additionally include homeless, nursing home residents, shut-ins...

What does a person need in order to help transport people?  All that is needed is a vehicle - can be big or small. Some wheel chair accessible vehicles are needed but not everyone is wheelchair bound. And a valid drivers liscense of course :)

When do you need people who can help transport others?  Any church service times, or even for things like LifeGroups, Women's or Men's Events, etc.

Where would drivers pick up passengers?   As we increase the members on the transportation team, we would like to aim for making pick-ups and drop-offs as convenient as possible to each transporter's home location. (Ex: Picking up someone near your own community, rather than putting a lot of miles on your vehicle for a pick-up across county... plus, gas is expensive!)

Can you share a little bit about how this simple act of service has benefitted others?  Fellowship and opportunities to connect with others and hear God's Word is a longing unfulfilled in the lives of many who simply have no transportation to church or other events and therefore are relinquished to being home, shelter or nursing home bound. Just giving someone a ride to church can mean so much.
For Example: Vellie Loftis, who is at the Brian Center, said this - "Thank you so much for bringing me to church... It was like breathing in oxygen again."

Vellie, like many others at local nursing homes, is from SC.

SC doesn't have Medicaid beds, and so many SC residents are forced to be placed out of state in NC facilities, out of touch with any family or friends, very isolated, and unable to make contact for themselves with new friends, church family, etc. (If you were to visit a standard nursing home in our county, you would likely find that most everyone you meet is from SC.)

EVERYONE that is on my list for the Brian Center for wanting to come to church is from SC, with the exception of a young man in maybe his early 20's who is from Jacksonville, NC - about 8 hours away. But they just need rides.

There is a gentleman that I met about 9 years ago (from SC also) that has never had opportunity to leave the Brian Center other than for a medical appointment, or for the yearly fishing trip, during the time that I have known him.He also has never had any visitors (family or friends) from his home in SC.

There are many more such cases, that I would like for our church body to "adopt" into our own church family. This begins with giving them the opportunity to be a part of our worship, fellowship, Life Groups, and other blessings of "breathing in oxygen again".

How can those who want to help get involved?  Just contact me (Rebecca) You can call, text or email.  (Trudy or BCC has my contact info)

Is there anything else we can do?  Please pray for these individuals and their needs, as well as for God's hand in orchestrating all of the details, according to His Awesome and Incredible Plans, and that He would draw the people that He chooses for this ministry. Thank you! :)

Would you also please pray for the following...

- WHEELCHAIRS donated/loaned (to deter back injuries resulting from picking up wheelchairs and putting in trunks, etc.)
- HANDICAP/WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE(S) - some individuals have a difficult time transferring, or are wheelchair-bound
- MEMBERS to be added to our ministry (Currently have 2 members)

And finally I'd like to leave you with some PRAISE REPORTS - Two wheelchairs have been donated thus far, and are now on hand at BCC for transporters! Praise God.

Is this an area that you could offer some help?  If so, I believe your efforts would bless you back ten fold.  And what a great day this would be (March 4th) to March forth and meet a need in Christ's name. To get more info contact either BCC or Trudy for Rebecca's contact information or look for Rebecca at church.

 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  James 1:22 



Do What It Says! (Kairos Prison Ministry)

For several months I have had an idea stirring around in my head to start a blog series called "Do What It Says." My plan was to spotlight some neat ladies in our community who do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive themselves...but rather do what it says. (James 1:22)

My hope is that by highlighting some different ways people are putting their faith in action others might be inspired to get involved too.  Maybe there are a lot of us out there who would like to get more involved but just don’t know who to connect with or what to do.

I hope this ongoing series called  "Do What it Says" opens up some ideas or some dialogue about how we can put our faith in action and what possibilites are available right here in our own community and beyond.  I know we have a lot of ladies out there quietly serving in some amazing capacities.  (I'm going to need yall's help to expose them) My guess is not one single one of them wants to be spotlighted but I hope many will agree to let me share their stories of how God has invited them to partner with Him.  I also hope that by the time I have exhausted all the possibitlites I am aware of that we will have had the chance to meet a wide variety of ladies serving in a wide range of ways.
　
Today I am super excited to tell you about Kairos Prison Ministry.

These gracious ladies have agreed to be my first in the series - brave of them - I will do my best not to butcher what they do too badly.

They are Pam (on your left) and Carol.

Beautiful, huh?  Wait till you hear what they do. You will realize the beauty on the inside is even greater than it is on the outside!

They are part of  "Kairos Prison Ministry" - a faith based ministry that addresses the spiritual needs of prisoners.  (Sheilah B. from BCC is also part of this ministry team)

Carol, Pam and Sheila train along with over 30 other women from various churches to serve in prisons.  One of the things they do is a 4 day weekend retreat twice a year (April and October) where inmates are invited to come and experience a setting unlike anything they have ever known.

The chaplain of the prison selects a certain number of inmates to attend this Kairos retreat which is held inside a correctional facility. There are many inmates who want to come but the number is limited to how many trained ministry volunteers they have to serve these ladies and how many have been financially sponsored.  So sadly, everyone who wants to come, cannot.

Can you imagine going from prison where life is raw & tough into a setting such as a Kairos retreat where ladies who love the Lord are there solely to love on you and serve you in Christ’s name?

Can you imagine the impact of that?

Here’s how Carol describes it.

"We go in as advocates of Christ. Christ calls us to servanthood and that is our focus. During our team training times we have asked Christ’s forgiveness for any area in our own lives that have centered on self and for His ability to go in a serve in a selfless sacrificial way. We ask for His help to be the loving people we need to be for the residents (inmates).

When the residents arrive to a Kairos retreat they are angry, tough and hard. If you can picture life in prison, it is too risky to be open and share what's going on in your life because there is always a fear that it will be used against you, not a time to break down walls of protection. Residents who come to us for 4 days will never hear criticism but only love, and see only love in action as they watch our team interact with each other. The peaceful, loving atmosphere at the retreat is something most of them have never experienced before. It is likely they have never experienced any love in their real families.

We take wonderful home-cooked meals into the prison and we all sit and eat together in family settings. Meals are prepared by volunteers at the church and brought in through security and inspections. This food is quite a change from what they get in the commissary.

We listen to teaching/talks about God’s forgiveness and break into small groups which stay together throughout the 4 days so they might open up and share concerns.  We pray for each other. We teach them how to do this and we go back once a month to facilitate the 'Prayer and Share' concept.  We see wonderful progress as residents share about "Kairos" in their lives.

As I said, we start with a bunch of residents who are angry, tough, and hard but we SEE God work and by Saturday night there are tears and joy when they realize that God forgives them.  Sunday is about what to do with this new knowledge of God.

At the end of the four days we see a dramatic change in the residents from Thursday when we first met them.  That is because Kairos is truly God’s ministry.  It is 40 years old, international, ecumenical, evangelical and time-proven.   The rate of those who return to prison after Kairos is dramatically lowered.


Wow...Talk about transformational...

 In Matthew 25:36 Jesus says,  "I was in prison and you came to visit Me" 

If you are feeling a tug to be a part of this ministry please find Carol, Pam, or Sheila and talk to them.  If you don't know any of these ladies let me know and I will connect you to one of them. I have purposely not put any personal contact info on this site but I will be glad to give it to you offline.

Or maybe you are interested in being a Matt 25:36 bridge by helping any of these 3 ladies who are already involved.  I asked Carol if I could post specific ways that we could help.  She replied with the following four ways:

• We need cookies - enough to give every resident, Kairos and non-Kairos each.  It is one way to give Agape love to all unconditionally.  There is specific information about that which we can provide. (I know we got some bakers out there - the next Kairos retreat is April)

• We need placemats for  36 ladies for 5 times a day (3 meals plus 2 snacks).   The residents love placemats with children’s handprints.   Most have children they cannot see and they go and put their hands over the placemat hands.  (okay that one just got to this mom's heart) A Bible verse or a short showing of love is wonderful too.  Please sign first name only and age.

• We need "green agape."  Each volunteer  agrees to cover the cost for at least one resident to attend ($150 ) which supplies food, books, materials etc.   If you would like to help financially you can do that in any amount.  No gift is too small.        

•  We need prayers.   There will be people praying around the clock during the days we are inside prison.  We need people who will agree to pray for 30 minutes at a time and we will have a way to sign-up in the near future.   Residents cannot believe that someone would give their time to pray for them.   Most have never been shown love.

Mercy, I don't know about you but I have been deeply touched just by hearing what these ladies do.  

Thank you Carol, Pam and Sheila! Your feet are beautiful!

How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"  Isaiah 52:7 (NKJV)