Investing in People s Lives

Transcription

1 MERCY MINISTRY NEWSLETTER FALL 2016 Investing in People s Lives Hey Christ Covenant Family, I believe every church should aspire to be internally healthy and externally focused. Like the early church in Acts chapter 2, an internally healthy church devotes themselves to studying the Word of God, praying for one another, and sharing life together (see Acts 2:42,44,46). At Christ Covenant, we have a number of ways to be internally healthy through our K-groups ministry, Adult Bible Communities (ABCs), and through our ministries from children to adults. In Acts 2:45, the early church was externally focused by selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. In other words, they invested in lives in their community and took care of people in need. The Deacons and Mercy Committee of Christ Covenant have been working hard to help us become more externally focused by forming partnerships with mercy ministry organizations in our community. It is our desire this year to encourage our members to invest in people s lives. We don t want to simply do service projects. Rather, as we serve, we want to look for ways to pour into the lives of those we serve and encourage them in our Lord Jesus. In this newsletter, you will learn about our partnerships with local mercy organizations, and you will find ways you can invest in people s lives who are outside of our church walls. We encourage you to serve individually, as a family, or as groups. Our vision is to become a compassionate body of believers who aggressively pursues being the hands and feet of Jesus to our community. I m excited to see what God has in store for us this fall as we see lives impacted for His glory and His kingdom. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Choices Resource Center....2 Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries (KARM). 3 Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach (KICKO). 4 Mission of Hope... 5 The Forgotten Initiative... 6 The Restoration House... 7 Other Partners... 8 In Christ Jesus, Seth Hammond Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN (865)

2 CHOICES RESOURCE CENTER SERVING THE UNBORN AND YOUNG FAMILIES Choices Resource Center in Oak Ridge provides physical, emotional, and spiritual support to women and men facing unplanned pregnancies and related issues. Choices Resource Center Provides: Free, medical-grade pregnancy tests Limited ultrasounds Counselors available Parenting classes Items for babies STD tests WALK FOR LIFE EVENT SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1 ST AT MELTON LAKE GREENWAY OAK RIDGE, TN The annual Walk for Life is held on Saturday, October 1 st, at 9 AM at Melton Lake Greenway. This event is one of Choices Resource Center s biggest fundraisers of the year. You can help by being a sponsored walker and can come individually or as a group. Sign up today at choicesresource.com. Teach their weekly parenting class on Monday nights Volunteer to work with childcare on Monday nights Serve as a peer counselor by counseling, praying, and sharing the gospel to clients (men and women) who walk in the door Organize a dinner & fun event for the parents OTHER WAYS TO SERVE Serve as an office volunteer for a few hours a week Be a prayer partner Participate in their Bottles for Babies campaign in January Do a landscaping project at the Center choicesresource.com contact Seth Hammond at shammond@christcov.org or (865)

3 KNOXVILLE AREA RESCUE MINISTRIES SERVING THE HOMELESS IN EAST TENNESSEE Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) provides daily for those most vulnerable and desperate among us, first supplying rescue services of food and shelter, then healthy, supportive relationships, and ultimately restoration, including job-training opportunities. KARM Provides: Hot meals Emergency shelter A Welcome Center that introduces people to opportunities and services that will help them correct their presenting problems A LaunchPoint Program that is a 4-week training to help participants discover God s plan for their lives and develop their own life plan A Job Training Program that leads participants to work in the food service industry Upcoming Tour Dates Want to learn more about KARM and how you can serve? KARM offers a Volunteer Encounter on the following dates: Saturday, September 24 10:00 to 11:30 am Tuesday, Oct0ber 11 5:45 to 7:00 pm Saturday, October 22 10:00 to 11:30 am Tuesday, November 8 5:45 to 7:00 pm Tuesday, December 13 5:45 to 7:30 pm Serve snacks in the courtyard and interact with individuals Become a trainer for their LaunchPoint Program that helps participants discover God s plan for their lives and develop their own life plan (4 weeks) Provide music and ministry time to individuals who are staying at the facility Serve at KARM s welcome center to help introduce people to local services OTHER WAYS TO SERVE Become a prayer partner Prepare and serve meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Serve at a local KARM Thrift Store karm.org contact David Forbes at fishguy1368@gmail.com or (865)

4 KNOXVILLE INNER CITY KIDS OUTREACH SERVING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN THE INNER CITY Knoxville Inner City Kids Outreach (KICKO) exists to equip and empower children in the inner city to fully realize their potential and discover their God given destiny. KICKO Provides: A mobile Vacation Bible School ministry, utilizing a cube truck where one side folds down to make a single stage and house everything needed to provide a fun, evangelistic program for children (3-13) and their families in 10 different neighborhoods. A Junior Staff program that disciples, mentors, and trains the older kids and teenagers in the inner city neighborhoods. This includes monthly activities. A summer camp for the children and teens. KICKO Celebration Banquet On Tuesday, September 27th at 6:45 PM, KICKO is hosting their annual banquet. This is their major fundraiser of the year, and it s an opportunity to learn more about the ministry. 4 Volunteer at a Sonday School Site -- Sonday School is a mobile VBS-style program. You can volunteer to do fun songs, play games, teach a lesson, or simply interact with the kids and parents in the community. It s an 8-week program per semester. Families are encouraged to serve together, particularly homeschool families and retirees. Here are the times and locations (please arrive 30 minutes prior to beginning of the program): Tuesday Blount Co Boys and Girls Club Program begins at 3:45 PM Wednesday Green Hills Program Starts at 3:45 PM Walter P Taylor Homes Program Starts at 3:45 PM Thursday North Ridge Crossing Program Starts at 3:30 PM Haslam Boys & Girls Club Program Stats at 4:00 PM Austin Homes Program Starts at 5:45 PM (this is great for all school aged kids and families) Friday Western Heights Program Starts at 3:30 PM Lonsdale Community Program Starts at 3:45 PM Saturday Ridgebrook Apartments Program Starts at 11:00 AM (Great for all school-aged kids and families) Help with the Junior Staff Program Invest in the teens of these inner city neighborhoods by attending a monthly program & disciple/ mentor them. OTHER WAYS TO SERVE Help promote the Sonday Schools by inviting children a few days before the event Help with Summer Camp Kicko.org contact Barb Irwin at lgidds@yahoo.com or (865)

5 MISSION OF HOPE SERVING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN RURAL APPALACHIA Mission of Hope exists to bring hope to the people of Appalachia through evangelical Christian charitable ministries. Mission of Hope Provides: Clothes, food, toys, and school supplies to impoverished families Assistance in repairing homes of families Scholarships for qualifying children in the area Assistance in locating jobs for persons who are willing to relocate outside the area Mission of Hope Gift Trees & Gift Delivery In mid-december, Christ Covenant will be taking a group to Black Mountain Elementary School in Harlan, KY, to deliver Mission of Hope Christmas gifts to the students. You get to help a child pick out their Christmas toys and then pray with them. This is a great service project for families with kids and small groups. We will meet at the church at 6:00 AM and be back at 5:00 PM. The cost is $5.00 per person. Contact Ginger Forbes at (865) if you have questions or would like to go. Hope Academy Every summer in June, Christ Covenant takes a group to Black Mountain Elementary School in Harlan, KY. It s a short-term trip where you can serve with your family. There are many different ways you can serve: paint, clean classrooms, deliver food baskets and household items to families, and/or teach life skills classes for the adults and enrichment classes for the children. BackPack Delivery At the end of every summer Christ Covenant collects school supplies for the teachers of Black Mountain Elementary School and delivers backpacks to the children. As a volunteer, you will help a child fill up their backpack and pray with them. missionofhope.org contact Ginger Forbes at gforbes@christcov.org or (865)

6 THE FORGOTTEN INITIATIVE SERVING THE FOSTER CARE COMMUNITY The Forgotten Initiative (TFI) mobilizes and equips the Body of Christ to make a difference in the lives of agency workers, foster parents, vulnerable adults, and children through service projects, mentoring, and family support initiatives. The Forgotten Initiative Provides: Diapers/Wipes/Formula Gift Cards Toys/Art Supplies/Books First Aid Kits Caseworker Car Kits School Supplies College Care Packages Orphan Sunday November 13th is Orphan Sunday across our nation. On this day we will have information about how to help with orphans in our community through the Forgotten Initiative. Foster a Child There are over 8,000 foster kids in the state of Tennessee. One way Christ Covenant can help is by fostering a child. Serve the Social Workers January is Social Worker Appreciation. We need volunteers to help serve breakfast to 225 people. Contact Becky Smits if you can help: (865) Support Foster Parents & Social Workers Want to get more involved in helping those who help the foster children and teens? There are many ways to do this. Help with the Never Alone Parenting Program This program meets every third Monday which includes preparing a meal for 8-10 people and doing crafts with them (6-7:30 all year). Prepare and Serve Meals for new foster parents (all year). OTHER WAYS TO SERVE Stock shelves and sort clothing in the foster care donations closet. Make baby blankets. Donate supplies for Journey Bags for foster children. We will have a service project in February to fill up the Journey Bags with donations. Provide a welcome home basket to a foster child who ages out (a laundry basket filled with home needs). theforgotteninitiative.org contact Becky Smits at tfi.knoxville@gmail.com or (865)

7 THE RESTORATION HOUSE OF EAST TN SERVING SINGLE MOTHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN The Restoration House helps to restore single mothers and their children back to God s good intent for their lives. The Restoration House Provides: Supportive Transitional Housing Family Advocacy Family Advocates provide job training, counseling, life skills, physical fitness, and child enrichment activities to each single parent family. A strong network of community partners who provide key program elements to single mothers Attend a Day in the Life A Day in the Life is a free, one-hour monthly event that lets you walk in the shoes of a lowincome single mother. You will also get a tour of the facility. Here are some upcoming dates to attend: Thursday, October 20th at 12:00 PM Thursday, December 8th at 12:00 PM Contact Pat Smith at: pswhs@aol.com or (865) if you d like to attend. Serve as an Ally Team Ally Teams are teams of 5-7 people from Christ Covenant ranging in age and life experience who walk alongside each family, modeling healthy relationships and providing emotional and spiritual support. As an ally team, you meet monthly with your assigned family and make contact with them once a week (text, , phone call, etc). Teach a Life Skill The Restoration House provides an opportunity for you to teach a life skill to the mothers and their children. OTHER WAYS TO SERVE Teach a life management class Tutor a child Help with an event Provide administrative support therestorationhouse.net contact Pat Smith at pswhs@aol.com or (865)

8 OTHER WAYS TO SERVE Senior Meals Ministry Every month on a Saturday morning, members of Christ Covenant prepare and deliver food to senior citizens in our community. This is a great way to invest in the lives of senior citizens in our area. Food preparation is at 9:30 AM at Christ Covenant, and the delivery team meets at 10 AM. Contact Mark Mathews at pr1923mm@pobox.com. Knoxville Leadership Foundation (KLF) KLF is a ministry that connects communities of resources with communities of need while reconciling people to Christ and to each other. Christ Covenant serves the disabled in our community by building ramps at their homes. We also work with KLF s mentoring program to serve children and teens in need. Contact Glenn Sumner at glennsum@gmail.com. Transport for Christ Transport for Christ is a truck stop ministry off Watt Road. If you like to share the gospel to others, this is a great opportunity for you. Contact Mark Mathews at pr1923mm@pobox.com. Visitation Ministry Christ Covenant has a visitation team of members who visit members of our church who are unable to attend regularly due to a chronic illness or who are living in a nursing home/assisted living facility. We also have members who regularly serve at Morning Pointe Nursing Home in Lenoir City and Baptist Healthcare of Lenoir City. If you d like to serve, contact David Forbes at fishguy1368@gmail.com. Kairos Torch Kairos Torch is a prison ministry that mentors teenagers who are incarcerated. You can help with a weekend long program that introduces young men and women to Christian concepts as a means of making better choices for their lives. You can also provide ongoing mentoring., contact Jim Kamerman at jimkam@charter.net. 8 Compassion Coalition Compassion Coalition is a Christian organization that informs, equips, and connects churches to transform lives and communities through the love of Christ. You can discover needs of people in our community by getting on their weekly newsletter distribution list. To receive this newsletter, sign up on their website at: