Living It Out

Creative Christmas Outreach

For this holiday season, one of the Neighborhood Groups in my area did a wonderful outreach to those on their street. The family set up an extravagant Christmas light display that is synched to music you can listen to on your car radio.  They made it a neighborhood event by inviting all their neighbors over to see the opening night of the display. They served chili dogs and coffee to all who came.  The turnout was great and they used the time to recruit new members and grow their own group that has just a few members.

There is an open invitation to anyone in Westgate or CCV to stop by and check out their home. If you knock on their door and say hello they will serve you a hot cup of Cocoa!! The lights are fun, the music gets you in the Christmas spirit, and the neighborhood is reaching out. Way to go, neighbors! (For directions to the light display, please visit www.thelightsontownley.com). 

What is your group planning to reach out in the neighborhood this holiday season??

God Provides the Opportunities

One night, our neighborhood group discussed doing a service project and we all went home to brainstorm and bring our ideas back to the group.  One of our group members was watching the morning news, just as many of us blindly do every day, but she did something that is rare.  She saw a need that God presented, and she decided to take action and get the rest of her group involved.

On the news she saw that St. Mary's Food Bank was in dire need of food. There was not much time to plan, as this need was immediate. Within a couple of weeks the plan was made, fliers were created, and the group members distributed over 2400 fliers throughout homes in the nearby subdivisions.

Then the day arrived to see God's blessings. On a Saturday morning, our neighborhood’s group members met to organize, prepare, and collect of food. The anticipation and excitement was palpable. Would our neighbors pull through? Would God bless us and the hungry in Phoenix with a successful collection? Or would our project be a flop? Well, happily I can report that our food drive was a success!!!  We collected nearly 3,000 pounds of food and water for St. Mary's Food Bank, and it was delivered by group members that afternoon.

We were able to make a difference not only by opening our eyes to the opportunities and using ourselves as servants of God but by involving our whole community!  What an impact we were all able to make! To celebrate, we posted another large sign at the entrance to our community with the total collected so we could all see the impact we were able to make.

Community Businesses and Groups Serving Together

The Metro Neighborhood has been hard at work with a Fry's Food representative to gather volunteers to assist with their annual Halloween Event.  The Fry's event will be held on October 28th, 2010 from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. There are 5 stores that will have stations set up throughout the store where free samples, prizes and surprises are given out to customers. Managers that are looking for as many volunteers as possible to help with the events.

When asked why he wanted to be involved with this event, the Neighborhood Group leader says, "Fry's has been generous to the Metro Neighborhood many times by providing pre-loaded gift cards that we could use to help with families in need. These were gifts that we were able to use at our discretion where they were most needed. This is just one way we can say thank you, by helping them out with such a busy event where they are giving back to the community with a safe night for the kids and kids at heart."

As we all have experienced, you never know who you might meet up with at your local grocery store!  What a great example of a solid partnership with a business in the community where you can serve the needs together. 

 

When You Have An Idea...Act On It!

Honoring Everyday Heroes like single parents in the valley isn’t just a one time recognition, but something that is going on in very real and tangible ways in the neighborhoods.  Here’s a story of an ordinary woman who had an idea, acted on it, and it had great impact:

“As a facilitator I always pray that I might say the words that God can use to impact my group each week. A few weeks ago it was the words I didn't say that impacted all of us. We were talking about the faith of Abraham and a women in our group started to share that she was really feeling led to have a garage sale for a single mom in our group that was having a tough time finding a job. The woman planned to have a garage sale on Sept. 10th and the 11th and wanted our group to bring any donations for the sale and then we would give the proceeds to the mom as a love gift. We all got excited and spent the rest of group making plans to help.

I closed group time by saying that this is what being a part of a neighborhood group is all about. If we can be open to God's leading in our hearts to care for others, then we are the light that this city needs in dark times. It is truly an honor to be a part of a group that is open to the call of God.”

A few weeks after the garage sale, the mom said, "When we joined the neighborhood group it was to help other people and to find ways of showing support in our community with other Christians. As it turns out, I never dreamed that I would be the one on the receiving end of being supported with prayer and encouragement. We are truly nothing without God and each other."

One ordinary person may have the idea, but joining together to make it happen is exactly what the Church is supposed to do to be a witness to the community!

Is WIN Always an Event?

Mike has a story to share, and as we each become intentional about walking across the street and getting involved in the lives of our neighbors, this is a story we all need to hear and consider: 

About six months ago a friend of mine shared that he was looking to get a divorce.  After listening to his issues, I was hopeful he and his wife would be able to figure it out and keep their family together.  He agreed to meet for lunch and I shared with him how going to church had helped my family through some tough times. 

I could tell he was not very interested in pursuing God and they recently did get a divorce. Personally, I felt like I tried and failed.  This was my first attempt to really try to WIN someone to church and share my testimony and it BOMBED.

A few weeks ago, out of the blue, he called me.  He wanted to join my family and I at church.  Naturally, we welcomed him and showed him around campus.  Immediately he could see that this would be a good environment for his kids as well as himself.  He has been attending regularly since that day.  If this helps him heal and his kids get closer to Christ then "Mission Accomplished".

You may never know when you are making a difference, so keep trying and stay positive.  Winning is not always an event - it is an ongoing process of letting your actions and words exemplify who you are and what you believe. 

-Mike

1 Corinthians 3:7 tells us that we can plant and we can water, but only God can make those seeds Grow.  Each time we are obedient, we do our part.  Each time we make an effort to serve, to share our faith, or even just get to know someone far from God, it is never in vain.  Each act is a deposit, each act brings potential for new life to grow.  Mike is exactly right.  WIN isn't always an event.  WIN sometimes happens a little at a time, as we continue to be intentional about REACHING OUT to those around us.  Great Job, Mike!

A Group Leader’s Open Eyes and Ears

A while back Kevin, a group facilitator, HEARD that One Mission (a mission CCV supports in Rocky Point, Mexico) was in need of a vehicle and thought it would be awesome if he could find some way to meet their need through donations or a gift.  He had been down to Rocky Point as part of a house building trip for a family and even keeps in touch with that family personally to this day! 

He didn't give the car thought the attention it deserved and it slipped off his plate quickly.  A couple of months later he SAW a minivan for sale and it immediately struck him that this might be a good vehicle for One Mission.  Through a series of communications, he was able to contact One Mission and get a feel for their need and with the help of three of four other families in the neighborhood, they were able to track down the right car and help offset the cost for One Mission to have a new vehicle.

This is a great example of someone having their EYES and EARS open to recognizing needs around him, getting involved, being bold, and meeting the need.  His ears were open to hear of the need, knew he could do something about it, then had his eyes open for a possible solution.  It’s not difficult, he just had to be willing to respond with boldness when he saw something that needed done.  Great job!

At a park in Westgate . . .

Out in Westgate there is a park.  In the park most days you will find lots of kids, most of them without their parents, according to Sabrina.  And Sabrina is pretty sure most of them don't know Jesus.  She's had these kids on her mind a lot lately, so when the conversation in her Neighborhood Group turned to Halloween, Sabrina knew just what she wanted to propose.  As the group talked, a plan began to form. 

Out in a Westgate park this coming Halloween, three area neighborhood groups will come together to turn that park into a "mini-carnival" filled with games, candy and food.  Sabrina and her neighbors will pass out fliers and pray for all of those kids to fill the park again.  These groups are hoping to meet some of the parents of the kids who frequent the park - but they are not stopping there.  Plans are also forming for a follow-up event.  Something less formal that will bring the families back out to the park once again.  It might be as simple as kickball or throwing the football around. 

Sabrina and the Neighborhood groups in Westgate are making their park a focus . . . and as they do, they hope to make sure that Jesus is never again absent - that the kids who frequent their park, and their parents, will have ample opportunity see HIM in them.  Sounds like a great start!

Has something about your neighborhood been tugging at you lately?  How can you work with your group to meet the needs you see when you look more closely at your neighborhood?  Way to speak up Sabrina - we will be praying for your park this Halloween!

International Outreach Right In Phoenix

Did you know you can learn about other cultures and share the love of Jesus with international families and never even leave Phoenix?  Through the Lutheran Social Services Refugee Resettlement Program, a couple CCV Neighborhood Groups have gotten involved in welcoming refugee families from all over the world to their new homes here in America. 

A young family from Burma and an Iraqi family with three children are beginning their lives in Phoenix with the kindness of Neighborhood Groups that have help furnish apartments, filled their pantries, met them at the airport, provided transportation, taken them shopping, and worked on learning English!

One group member said it all. "Several members of our group took the family to an Iraqi restaurant, where they were able to learn more about this family.  That was a touching and fun experience, for sure! Although this was an unknown territory our group jumped in on, we feel each individual walked away with knowing they truly showed the love of Jesus to this family. In this day where cultures are so integrated, but not always embraced, it was a growing experience for our group to go through, and we are thankful we had this time. We were all touched in different ways that we will never forget! We pray that God will bless the future refugee families with sponsors, such as we were able to be."

Don't stop looking for ways your group can make an impact right here in the Valley!

What are your Halloween plans?

Have you noticed?  The Halloween costumes are starting to hit the shelves of Wal-Mart, Target and of course Party CIty.  Kids are beginning to contemplate the identity they will take on Sunday night, October 31st.  Halloween is already right around the corner!  This is good news because we are all looking forward to the promise of cooler weather (yes!), but more importantly we look forward to our neighbors being willing to come outside so we can connect with them.  It's time for CCV Neighborhoods to start planning for Halloween!  There is no better time to start creating community than Halloween. This is the one time of the year that our neighbors will come to us.  How do we take this opportunity to get to know them?  Here are a few things to ask yourself as you plan:

What can we do that will allow time to talk with neighbors and get to know them a bit?  Here are some ideas from previous years:

• Have a pre trick-or-treat BBQ for your street - get flyers out 1 week prior.
• Have a treat instead of giving candy - what about making s'mores or cotton candy - this will allow for a few minutes to talk while they wait for their treat.
• Block off an area for bouncy houses or interactive games for the kids to play and the parents to hang out together - this will work well if you live near a cul-de-sac.
• Put together a pre or post trick-or-treat movie on your garage door - get flyers out 1 week prior.
• Hand out flyers with your candy to advertise a BBQ the week following Halloween.

How can we keep in contact with our neighbors after Halloween?  What is our follow-up plan?

• Invite a few of the people you met on Halloween night over for a small BBQ at your place.
• Set up a Monday Night Football or UFC viewing night or a monthly movie or game night.  Doing these as a potluck or BBQ is a great idea.
• What did you learn about them?  What do they like to do?  Make a plan to do it with them!

So let's hear from all of you . . . what are your plans for Halloween? 

Please take a moment to send your ideas via the comments section below.  We want to hear what you are planning and post your great ideas for the rest of our CCV Neighborhoods.   Let's get planning!

Reaching Out Is What It's All About



It's great to get together as a Neighborhood Group to talk about God's Word and how it applies to our lives, but alongside that, we are reaching our arms out to those around us.

Reaching to pick fruit for example. Our group went to a Sun City neighborhood to pick fruit off trees one Saturday afternoon. During the process, we were able to connect with people we would have never met and tell them, "We're glad to help out”. We filled A LOT of boxes and took the fruit to St. Mary's Food Bank where we’ve already been helping out. The first visit we bagged frozen shredded carrots (yep, our hands were numb). The second time we bagged apples.

Then, there was the day we reached our arms painting. A single gal in our group needed some repair work and painting done. Again, it was good to serve a neighbor in the name of Christ.

We are not done reaching. We will never get to a point where we say "Okay, we've reached enough". We just need to stay in tune with how the Lord is guiding our group, be still and listen, and reach out with the arms He has given us!

Bottom line is reaching out takes the focus off of us and onto others. That's what it's all about! There is "Good" on both sides of serving. "Good" to reach out to our community and "Good" because our group got to know each other outside of our weekly meeting.