Living It Out

Groups Recognize Local Heroes

Looking for a way to get your group into the HEROES spirit?  Check out this idea from Gabe’s group in Surprise!

“I wanted to pass along an idea that my group will be doing for our 'Heroes' in Surprise. Next week before our neighborhood group begins, we will be visiting the fire department at Greenway/Parkway and bringing dinner/dessert and some DVD’s from CCV's Heroes services. This is our small way of saying thanks to our local heroes and letting them know that CCV cares about them. This might be a fun idea and a great way for your groups to connect if your groups find a local fire house or police station.”

What a great way for all of us to show support for our local fire-fighters and police officers!  If this sounds interesting to your group, please note the following:

• Heroes’ invitations for Law Enforcement, Firefighters and Military are available for pick-up at the information table on the weekend.  Stop by and grab some of each.
• If you are going to bring food to a Law Enforcement office, it is best to bring it to the front desk and let them know it is for everyone.  Police officers are not allowed to accept gifts, so we want to be sensitive to this policy. 
• If you don't want to bring food, what about a giant thank you card?  Have the kids draw some pictures or write a short note of appreciation.  Be creative!

 And as always, please share with us what your group is doing – we want to pass on your ideas and experiences.  Great idea Gabe!

The Power of Numbers

Two rockstar neighborhoods are really stepping up to help families who need it!

There's a family in Surprise with triplets, age 2!  One of the girls recently had to go to San Francisco for heart surgery; she was unstable and the outcome was unsure.  The family was staying at a hotel in San Fran, and as you can tell, that's a burden most families can't afford.  The family returned at the end of August and the neighborhood around them has prayed for their precious baby girl and for her safe travel home, has collected gift cards for grocery stores, and is planning on providing meals to the family once they are settled.  The parents are overwhelmed with the support and generosity of their neighbors and church community.  They are planning on attending CCV soon and be a part of the family. 

Across the valley, there's another family God is blessing through the generosity of neighbors.  The dad lost his job recently and the mom was in a horrible car accident and soon lost her job as well!  They have five children to take care of.  The neighborhood groups around them decided to take on the challenge that each member of each group would provide the family with the ingredients to cook one meal.  There are 79 group members in Sunrise Meadow Neighborhood, that means the challenge is 79 meals.  Last night the first group took over their groceries and blessed the family in a huge way! 

When the challenge seems too big, there's power in numbers.  The more people that are involved in God's Church stepping up to impact their neighbors, the result is greater than any one man can do!  Keep it up!

What's it like to STEP UP? A new Facilitator’s first night on the job

It’s always easier to stay comfortable; to let the thoughts of what could go wrong or what we think we lack keep us from trying something that could be life-changing.  Kevin wrestled with those same thoughts, but in the end decided to do the hard thing and STEP UP to become a facilitator this fall.  Here’s what happened, in his words:

 

Last night was a huge success for our Wednesday night neighborhood group in Cross River. 100% of our registered families were represented. My wife Jen and I managed to get a personal phone call out to every member of our group leading up to Wednesday and I think that went a long way in making people feel welcome. The group was large (22), but manageable. Everybody got along great and seemed to have a good time. I was crazy nervous about leading, but God was faithful to his promise and gave me the words I needed to make it through my first solo run. Thanks again for the opportunity to be involved in neighborhood ministry at this level. We are going to try to call each of the new members in our group over the next week to thank them for their participation and to let them know how excited we are that they have decided to join our group. If I could go back and change anything about our first group I would tell myself to relax and have more fun... I let my nerves get the best of me. Coming from the professional / business world when I got tight I stuck to the outline instead of taking the opportunity laugh at myself. Thankfully some of my old groupies were there to help lighten the mood as we got to know each other better through the process. I committed to the group that I would email a list of our prayer requests out each week to serve as a reminder of the need for God's hand in each of our lives. The idea came from one of our members who cried as she told us about her 26 year old son who had recently begun claiming the Muslim faith and how much that breaks her heart. I think it is going to be a great semester.   -Kevin

 

How about you?  If you’ve been thinking about stepping up, what is holding you back?  Serving may sound difficult, but when you realize the difference you can make, it just doesn’t compare.  Nervous? That’s normal - - don’t let it stop you from taking YOUR next step!  Thanks, Kevin for your example.  We think it’s going to be a great semester, too.

Why + How = What ??

I was never very good at math, but apparently Matt is.  As a Neighborhood Leader and Facilitator, Matt has seen a few Neighborhood Groups, and he is sure that if you want your Neighborhood Group to be healthy, happy and about the mission set before you, you need to do the math.  Here is Matt’s formula:  WHY+ HOW = WHAT.  Huh?!  It doesn’t make much sense at first glance, so I asked Matt to break it down.

 

Why - This is the answer to the question, “Why do we meet?”   Matt’s goal as a Group Facilitator is that each person in his group has the desire to be a devoted follower of Christ, which is to say that they want to live it out day by day.  What can you do to get your group on the same page?

 

+ How - Within his group, Matt works hard to help members develop real, authentic relationships where barriers are dropped and trust is formed.  “When we are honest, it opens the door for God to work”, he says.  When a group has trust for each other, you can answer the question, “How can I inspire this group to focus on others?”

 

= What - This is where Matt’s group puts into action their purpose, which is to share with others what they have.  In other words, they serve, they pray, they do things to reach their neighbors.  This gives Matt the answer to the question, “What can we do to put our faith into action?”

 

The key, says Matt, is that all three things work together.  The “What” won’t happen without the “Why” and the “How”.   However, as Matt puts it, “The ‘What’ will come naturally when our cup is overflowing with who God is and What He has done for us”.  Why + How = What.  This definitely makes some sense.  Matt assures me that all of this is not without challenge, of course.  He is quick to note that it is a daily challenge for him to live out his faith.  I’m sure he has a formula for that, too.  Stay tuned . . . thanks for sharing Matt!

A Group that Serves Together...

We wanted to let you all know what our Neighborhood Group has been up to. At the end of last season we all talked about things to do during the summer break to keep the group connected. Naturally we had a couple of BBQ parties, but some of the group had the idea of doing some thing together for the community. One of our members knew of an opportunity and did all the work to put this together. We all met at the Home Base Youth Center, a transitional living place for homeless youth between the ages of 18 and 21. Our group was responsible to prepare and serve dinner last evening to the kids that live there trying to get on their feet. We had a lot of fun together. We did not get to interact with the kids all that much, but the reward was simply serving together. Also, the newest member of our group who just signed up a week ago was able to join us. She is now connected and already a great addition to our neighborhood group family.

One Neighborhood Group Leader's Perspective - Get involved!

I am a facilitator for a neighborhood group in Stetson Valley and wanted to take a moment just to talk about our group and why, I think, it typifies the importance of groups and also why those not in groups at CCV need to move forward and join one.     

Our group is, I suspect, unique but similar to other groups in a lot of ways.  We are large – we currently have 18 members, but it is our diversity and richness of life experience that binds us together, I believe.  We have empty nesters, and couples with small children.  We have educators and executives, stay-at-home moms and working moms, retirees and those still working.  We have divorced members, and those that hopefully will never divorce.  We have a couple with a son in Afghanistan.  We’ve had members in the hospital.  Two of us have gone through the turmoil of looking for work in the past two years.  All of us are on different points in our walk with Christ.  But it matters not.  All of this is in a group of 18. 

Our meetings are rarely dull or boring, and our conversations centered on the weekly sermon often morph into some of the neatest discussions of life you would want to see. We take turns encouraging, sharing, serving, teaching and learning.  We’re not a ‘super-group’.  We are, however, sharing and giving and we very much care about each other.  As the early Christians had each other in their faith, we also have each other. 

To those not in a neighborhood group, I can only strongly recommend that you go get involved and sign up.  Go to the web site, and pick a night and location and get started.  We’re in your back yard, and we are pretty anonymous.  And that’s ok, because we are doing our work for the Lord exactly where and how we are supposed to be. 

 

Dave is currently a Neighborhood Group Leader in the Stetson Valley area.  Thanks Dave!

Neighbors to the Rescue

Last night a big storm blew through much of the valley.  There was a guy out in the rain with a shovel moving dirt that had washed onto the main road into our neighborhood. I grabbed my shovel and drove over to the problem area. By that time 3 or 4 others had joined the cause. The hill along this road had washed about 6 inches of dirt across about 10 feet of our road. The first person to start the effort had no promise of others joining him. After 30 minutes we had cleared both lanes and made it safe for cars to travel that road in the impending darkness.

It struck me that one person willing to grab a shovel influenced so many people. I would guess close to a 100 cars drove by and 5 people came back to help him. Most of those 100 people would have been content to go home and call someone else to come fix our road. How long would it take for our city to fix this situation? What we needed was a quick response to a real need. I'm so glad for the neighbors who came out and made a difference. I'm also glad for the reminder that we can make a difference if we will "Step Up" and grab a shovel. Where does your neighborhood need you to Step Up?

Making a difference - HOA style!

The Apache neighborhood is a better place to live, thanks to Lloyd.  He has been through a lot in his life and in his words, "God never let me go".  That is why Lloyd takes such an interest in others.  He knows that God used other people to minister to him throughout his life so that is exactly what Lloyd is trying to do now. 

 

As Lloyd and his wife Karen began to look around at their neighborhood, they could see that some things needed doing.  Lloyd got involved in his struggling HOA and tried to help out where he could.  As Lloyd started to help out, he noticed that he was becoming a bit of a "go to guy" in the neighborhood and that is right where Lloyd wants to be.  Neighbors regularly see Lloyd out fixing things and helping them with what they need.  Working with the HOA allows Lloyd to get to know the neighbors and find other ways to serve them and be involved in their lives.  Through his efforts, Lloyd is gaining the trust of the people in his neighborhood. 

 

Lloyd believes that each one of us needs to stop and think . . . what can I do in my neighborhood that people will NOTICE?  In his words, "When we take an interest in the people within our neighborhoods, we are letting God speak through us."  That is what others did for him during the hard times in his life, and so today, the small sacrifice of his time is well worth it according to Lloyd. 

 

What a great way to make a difference!  Could your HOA use some help?  Why not make a call or attend a meeting to see what needs doing in your neighborhood?!  

Serving Meals and Smiles at House of Refuge

I just have to tell you about our meal that we prepared on May 3rd.  If you have groups that want to do a service project, preparing a meal at the House of Refuge Sunnyslope is a great project.  It is one of CCV's mission projects here in town and has been a blessing to all of us who serve there.  The House of Refuge is a transition house for former homeless or prison inmates who are getting back on their feet.

We spent the evening preparing and serving dinner for the men who live there.  It was great to see our group interact with the men and listen to their stories of how they got to this shelter and how God is working in their lives.  After the meal I wandered outside to find one of our men sitting at a patio table with 4 residents listening to a man’s conversion story.  He told us about his 6 hour struggle with the devil and the unbinding of the chains of his life in a prison cell! 

Another mom and her daughter were talking a lot with a really shy resident the last time we served at House of Refuge and this time he was not there because he was working.  They went all the way to the place where he worked to see him.  He asked why they came and they said that they brought dinner again and he wasn't there and they wanted to see him.  He was floored, and I'm sure this had a tremendous impact on him.  These are the kind of continued relationships that the shelter is looking for and our group was so touched by this story and proud of these young women.

Thanks for all your support and we look forward to doing more outreach like this. 
For more information, visit www.houseofrefuge.us

Getting out the front door in Anthem

Steve, who lives in Anthem, does not have a complicated philosophy about meeting his neighbors.  "Simply put, I just try to get out the front door.  To tell you the truth, riding around on my longboard with my kids on their bikes is how I’ve met most of our neighbors. None are in our group, but I’m building relationships."  On one of Steve's recent rides, he met the North Valley rep for Habitat for Humanity.  That meeting sparked an idea and now Steve is figuring out how he can gather his neighborhood group as well as some of the neighbors he's met in his travels to go do some building!  What a great idea, Steve.

 

It's true that you never know who you will run into on the streets of your neighborhood and what opportunities will await you there.  Next time you meet someone at the mailbox, on the sidewalks or even right in front of your house as you pull out the trash, make sure to ask them a question or two about themselves.  You may go home with a wonderful idea like Steve's.  Step one, though, is to follow his example and get out the front door!