Spotlight on - Church of the Palms

Transcription

Spotlight
on
Missions
2014
Welcome to the Spotlight on
Mission booklet for 2014.
It is wonderful that you are taking the time to look through this valuable resource
to learn more about our mission partners, community ministries, connections
to Presbyterian mission, and ways that several internal ministries at Church of
the Palms reach our neighbors with the good news of Jesus Christ. As you read
through the following pages, you will see that we have organized this booklet
in three sections: local; international; and Presbyterian-affiliated to mirror our
church’s website.
One of the most amazing things about this congregation is the heart we have to
be used by God to be a blessing to others in Sarasota, around our region, and
across the globe. You can see it everywhere you look at COP: in the Back-toBasics Tutoring ministry; in the way we serve clients through our Food Pantry; in
the Christ-centered chapel message the children in our Early Childhood Center
hear each week; in the mission teams we send each year to serve alongside
mission partners in Honduras and Nicaragua; and in the regular visits we have
here on campus with mission partners from across town and around the world.
We want you to know that the purpose of this booklet is not only to inform you
about how God is changing peoples’ lives through our mission partners and
community ministries, it is also intended as an invitation. You are invited to be
personally involved in serving in one or more of these ministries. You can be
involved by praying regularly for a mission partner or by volunteering your time.
As you read the pages that follow, please think and pray about how the Lord
might be leading you to respond to this invitation to be an equipped disciple of
Jesus who blesses others in the Savior’s name.
Finally, I would like to extend a word of thanks to Dr. Martha E. Church who
has spent literally hours and hours over the past year gathering the stories
that follow and writing them down in her own informative and inspiring way.
This booklet would not have happened without her faithful efforts, week in and
week out. Truly we are blessed that Martha has felt called by God to use her
considerable talents as our Mission Partner Communications Coordinator. My
thanks, as well, to Elder Phil Goodell, who moderates our Mission Committee
and the rest of the good folks on that team who dedicate themselves to keeping
our mission partnerships as a top priority at Church of
the Palms.
Blessings in Christ,
Bruce Hedgepeth, Executive Pastor
2
Dr. Martha E. Church
Table of Contents
Local Missions
Back to Basics Tutoring Program . . . . . . . . . . 7
3rd Annual Day of Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Brothers and Sisters Doing The Right Thing . . . . . . 10
The Food Pantry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Crop Hunger Walk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
FISH Sarasota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Equipping Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
First Impressions Ministry of Hospitality . . . . . . . 16
Habitat for Humanity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Job Resources Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Loving Stitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Newtown Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Palms Men Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Rev. William Cruz (Good Samaritan Mission) . . . . . 23
Good Samaritan Counseling . . . . . . . . . . . 24
The Resurrection House . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
International Missions
4D Ministries and Hank Paulson . . . . . . . . . . 28
10 Missionaries Serving Overseas . . . . . . . . . 29
Agape Flights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Eric Yearwood (Campus Crusade for Christ) . . . . . . 31
The JESUS Film Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
The Day Jesus Miraculously Stopped a Suicide Bomber . . 34
Wycliffe in Nigeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Honduras Eye & Dental Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Christians In Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Honduras Good Samaritan Fund . . . . . . . . . . 40
Mission Miqueas 6:8 Orphanage . . . . . . . . . . 41
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Alejandra Tejada Rivera . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Vida Joven/Young Life Nicaragua . . . . . . . . . . 44
Update on Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Wycliffe Bible Translation . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
The Winklers - Their Amazing Year . . . . . . . . . 50
Darcie Drymon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Jeanine Giuffrida (YWAM) . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Presbyterian Missions
Drs. Leslie and Cynthia Morgan . . . . . . . . . . 55
Two Overseas Pastors of the PC/USA . . . . . . . . 56
Missionary - Student Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Kirkuk Presbyterian Church . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Cedarkirk Camp & Conference Center . . . . . . . . 60
Mision Peniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Beth-El Farmworker Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . 62
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Mini Missions
2014
Expo
How We Reach People For Christ
T
he Missions Committee invited all of us to participate in the 2014
Mini-Mission Expo. The 2014 theme was “How We Reach People for
Christ.” Two important events were scheduled to give COP members
several opportunities to meet and then to hear from local and international
missionaries whom we support in our prayers and by our annual donations.
The first event began with dinner in the Campus Center on Wednesday evening,
January 29, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Mission Guest Speaker Rev. Bill Cruz,
leader of the Good Samaritan Mission in eastern Hillsborough County, spoke
to us in the Campus Center from 6:00 p.m.– 6:30 p.m.
The second and larger event took place in the Campus Center on Saturday,
February 1 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Mission Team Members promised the
brunch (10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.) would be “featuring many breakfast-lunch
items that COP members will find to be delicious!” It was free and there was
a free-will offering to cover costs. Anything over and above the total cost was
given to the missionaries.
Missionaries and their Mission Partner Advocates sat at different tables so that
COP members were able to meet and chat with some of them. At least eight
to ten local and international missionaries spoke(or showed a video) for ten
minutes, with time for questions after the last presentation. The missionaries
lingered for another half an hour – with the hope that many COP members
would also want to linger and ask more questions!
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Local
Missions
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Back to Basics
Local Mission
Tutoring Program
B
ack to Basics Tutoring began in January of 1992, as a Church of the Palms
Mission, providing supplemental academic assistance to students. Since
the beginning, the program has grown from serving 12 students from two
schools, to 230+ students throughout the school year from over 30 schools in
Sarasota and surrounding counties. This ministry runs from September - April,
on most Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sessions are one-on-one for one hour in the
Campus Center. Hours on Tuesday are from 2:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and from 2:30
p.m. - 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Students are referred to Back to Basics Tutoring
by classroom teachers, school principals, school counselors, students, friends,
and various agencies.
Students in grade one through college attend one of the scheduled thirteen
one-hour sessions. We have eight on Tuesdays and five on Thursdays. During a
school year, over 5000 hours of one-on-one tutoring will be provided.
Many volunteers not only dedicate a portion of their time, but also have the
expertise to provide tutoring in reading, writing, spelling, Spanish, French,
English, history, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, biology, trigonometry,
chemistry, and physics. Each tutor gives his/her undivided attention to the
students, helping with school work, listening to and encouraging them, and
showing that they care. Several volunteers contribute significantly to the
efficient management of these students and some 100 or so volunteers each
day. These volunteers do a multitude of duties. They check in on the students
and tutors and make certain each student stays matched to his or her tutor;
serve snacks; answer the telephone; assist students and tutors in finding
learning material; monitor student behavior at the entrance; operate the
computers; and organize student folders!
Please consider stepping forward to help these students by giving an hour a week (or more!)
to assist them with their studies and self-confidence. Feel free to contact our Tutoring Director
Judy Armitage to sign up: 924-1323 or [email protected].
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Local Mission
3rd Annual
Day of Hope
“An opportunity to share God’s love for all of us and
our love for others.”
O
n Saturday, August 9, 2014, Church of the Palms sponsored (along
with Hope Kids Community) its third annual Day of Hope. They
hosted an all-day (9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.) event to assist 250 students
and their families or guardians. Such numbers meant that Church of the Palms
embarked upon an enormous undertaking, with its vision being “to serve the
children in our community who are the financial neediest with some…living in
cars, shelters, the street…and many in great need with the basic needs to begin
the first day of school on an even playing ground.” Volunteers escorted each
child throughout the day.
The “Back to School” basics included the following:
• Medical Exam
• Eye Exam
• Dental check up, flossing, and cleaning instructions
• Haircut
• Back to school photos and family portrait
• $50 Gift card from Bealls for new clothes/uniforms
• $25 Gift card from Payless for new shoes
• New backpack filled with needed school supplies
• Care bag filled with personal care items
Day of Hope also involved the community by having:
• A Fire Department to provide information on fire
safety at home and at school
• A Sheriff/Police Department to provide child safety
photo (ID) and finger printing
Throughout the day, Day of Hope at Church of the Palms
served all the children and their families or guardians:
• Breakfast, followed by a mid-morning snack
• Lunch, followed by an afternoon snack
It is important to note that the children arriving for the Day
of Hope had been preselected and referred for this service
and special event by the local elementary school guidance
counselors or suggested by various not for profit agencies
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that support and/or provide resources to these neediest of children and
families. The children received a voucher that allowed each to receive each
service.
Our HOPEful outcome
• An opportunity to share God’s love for all of us and our love for
others.
• Each child and parent/guardian left with a better sense of self
worth and image…ready to start the first day of school on equal
playing ground with their peers. Better self worth and image
creates better attitude, attendance, and grades!
How Each Of Us Can Help
Day of Hope needs certain school supplies and will welcome donations of:
• Travel size hand sanitizers
• 12 count colored pencils
• Colored markers
• Glue sticks
• 2 pocket - 3 pronged folders
• Composition Notebooks and Notebook paper
• Scissors
• New sneakers and new socks for boys and girls who are in
elementary school
• AND - more volunteers are needed!
What began in 2009 as one stay-at-home mom’s passion has blossomed
into Hope Kids Community along with eight churches (Church of the Palms
included) and has reach over 2000 children in Manatee and Sarasota
Counties this year through Day of Hope.
For more information, please contact Lynne Truschel at (941) 650-9029 or [email protected].
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Local Mission
“Brothers and
Sisters Doing
the Right Thing”
Newtown Program for children & teens
The photo shows Alice Jones on the far right
receiving a grant from the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office
for her summer program.
“
Thank you Church of the Palms!” Dee Webber writes that our church,
through our mission program, helps support “Brothers and Sisters Doing
the Right Thing.” Throughout the school year this organization runs
a Homework and Tutoring Program at the Robert Taylor Center on Route 41.
During the summer, it runs a special three part Education, Recreation and
Service for the community program for teens.
Throughout the year, Director Alice Jones talks to many people and after
hearing her, many say “bring your teens to our programs this summer and
we will include them in our activities.” This year the directors at the Sarasota
Crew Rowing on Spanish Point offered full two-week scholarships to each of the
Brothers and Sisters’ teens. There was a total of 100 young teens involved in
the rowing programs.
During the first two days, Alice’s teens kept mostly to themselves. They were
the only African-Americans and perhaps felt shy and fearful. The third day
after dropping off the teens, Alice proceeded to All Faiths Food Bank to pick
up morning treats. Pallets of fresh, warm muffins had just arrived. The staff
begged her to take more than she needed - lots more! Then Alice had an
idea. She took everything offered back to the Sarasota Crew Rowing, gathered
her teens around her and instructed each to go and invite other teens and
counselors to come to their area to share the muffins. “What a ruckus!” Alice
told Dee. Everyone was laughing and enjoying the treats and FINALLY talking
to one another. They shared where they came from, how they liked camp, etc.
From then on the week was laughter and enjoyment together.
Small things - just warm muffins, but picture this story and think how the world
could be changed if we could only each reach out in a small way. Mission Partner
Advocate Dee Webber relates this story with tears in her eyes as she writes
it for all of us as a Spotlight for the Church Bulletin. Dee states “Thank you
Church of the Palms for helping support this tremendously needed Newtown
mission program and thanks to All Faiths Food Bank for pushing warm muffins
on her friend, Alice, that Wednesday morning.”
Alice and Dee need more volunteers to assist with the Homework and Tutoring program. For
details regarding volunteering, contact Dee Webber at [email protected] or 379-3500.
10
The Food Pantry
Local Mission
Church of the Palms
T
he Food Pantry is a mission supported by our congregation in
partnership with the United Way to provide food to people in need from
the Sarasota area. In 2013, the Food Pantry distributed 12,528 bags of
food to those in need, an average of about 250 bags a week. This benefitted
20,794 people; 7,780 of whom were children. While the numbers of people and
families seeking food assistance has declined from the recession years, the
need is still great in our community.
The food we distribute comes from several sources: we purchase most basic
items at discounted rates from the All Faiths’ Food Bank and Save-A-Lot.
Weekly, through their “Doughnation” program, we receive donated bread and
pastry products from Panera Bread. All Faiths supports us with free weekly
produce. Church members, friends and occasionally other organizations bring
non-perishable items for distribution in our food pantry. Collection areas are
located in the Sanctuary Narthex, the Campus Center and the church office
lobby.
How you can help: Funds for this ministry are generated through donations
from the congregation. Over 120 Church of the Palms volunteers work year
round to make this program possible. Every week, Monday - Friday from
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., teams of volunteers work at the Distribution Center
distributing the bags of non-perishable groceries, supplemented by fresh
produce, breads, baked goods and some baby items. Other teams gather each
morning to package the food into grocery bags for distribution during the day.
The 2013 Mission Matters Booklet observes: “Giving out groceries, a smile and
a prayer.”
For more information, contact Kathy Robinett, Food Service Coordinator at krobinett@
churchofthepalms.org or call 942-1323.
11
Local Mission
Crop Hunger Walk
E
nding Hunger One Step at a Time was the goal of the annual Crop Walk
held on Sunday, March 2, 2014. The Church of the Palms is one of about
twenty local congregations that banded together in this effort to alleviate
hunger around the world.
The Crop Walk is the primary fund raising effort of Church World Service with 35
denominations cooperating in the U.S. with international disaster recovery and
long term solutions for hungry people. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised
in Sarasota go to our local All Faiths Food Bank.
The Church of the Palms raised over $9,000 during the last two years, with
young and old alike gathering support and “talking the talk.” Last year’s one
mile and five mile walks began at St. James United Methodist Church - north
of 17th Street on Honore Avenue. This is a major community service project of
our new confirmands and their mentors.
For more information, contact Bill Watrous at [email protected] or call 374-0062.
12
Local Mission
FISH of Sarasota
Icthus, Inc.
I
cthus, Inc., more commonly known as FISH of Sarasota, or FISH, is a
charitable organization whose volunteer drivers have been providing free
transportation to medical appointments since 1973. FISH of Sarasota was
organized with financial assistance from our Mission Committee and other
churches. Several members of the Church of the Palms have been and/or are
currently involved with FISH.
The mission is to provide voluntary transportation for residents who have no
other means of transportation, specifically those who: have minimal financial
resources; may have physical disabilities that prohibit them from driving,
walking the distance to a bus stop or climbing the bus stairs; and/or have lost
family, friends or other contacts who might otherwise drive them.
FISH believes its volunteers are serving as the hands and feet of Jesus, and
are living out Jesus’s second commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Each driver donates his/her time and their vehicle (including gas). Collectively,
they drive approximately 25,000 miles each year. Although the rides are
provided free of charge, FISH relies on monetary contributions to cover fixed
administrative expenses, including a telephone/answering service, insurance,
etc. The greatest ongoing need is for additional drivers. Each driver may choose
to drive on a particular morning/afternoon of the week or may choose to be
floater (willing to drive any day, if available). There is also an urgent need for a
volunteer telephone scheduler this summer (work from home on Tuesdays to
arrange Thursday rides).
For more information, please feel free to contact Mission Partner Advocate Dell McAbee:
[email protected]; home: (941) 371-5528; or work (941) 953-5838 (Answering Service
serves FISH and other clients).
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Local Mission
Equipping Ministry
What is
“EQUIPPING”?
Equipping is training
and preparing Jesus’
followers to know Him
through Scripture and
to follow Him in the
power of the Holy Spirit.
C
hurch of the Palms welcomes
each individual attending one
of its Sunday services by stating
in its Welcome to Worship: Our mission
and deep commitment is “Equipping
Disciples for the Service of Christ.” Our
Pastors, staff, and Session invite you to
share not only in our worship, but also in
the exciting opportunities that Church of
the Palms offers to learn, serve, and grow
in your faith.
Who is to be Equipped? All of us! There
are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but
the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but
we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who
does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each
other (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the
prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and
teachers, to equip his people for works of
service, so that the body of Christ may be built
up until we all reach unity in the faith and in
the knowledge of the Son of God and become
mature, attaining to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ. - Ephesians 4:11-13
Therefore, “Equipping disciples for the service of Christ” means: We connect
people to Jesus Christ and one another, create opportunities for the Holy Spirit to
transform us into Christ-centered, Bible-based, Spirit-led followers, and impact
lives in our community and the world for Christ as God has gifted us.
Equipping Ministry Director Carolyn Wilson and her Team Leaders continue to
introduce new ideas to help everyone, from long-time members to those making
their first visits. They find roles that are a good fit for each one of us. As Director,
Carolyn knows some of us are Seekers (Exploring Christ); Believers (Growing in
Christ); Disciple (Close to Christ); and Disciples Maker (Aligned with Christ).
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Who is
to be
EQUIPPED?
All of us!
Opportunities for Involvement
PALMS University Classes
Palms Life Small Groups
Palms Men
Presbyterian Women
Leadership Development
First Impressions Ministry
New Members
PALMS Essentials & S.H.A.P.E.
Discipleship Coaching
Library & RightNow Media
Carolyn Wilson may be reached at [email protected], (941) 924-1323.
15
Local Mission
First Impressions
Ministry of Hospitality
“
The roots of a mission of hospitality lie in the New
Testament, where Jesus urges his followers to welcome
strangers,” (Matthew 25:35) - quoted in a book by Dr. Dana L. Robert,
Truman Collins Professor of World Christianity and History of Mission at Boston
University.
The decision to join a large and well-known church such as Church of the
Palms requires couples, families, and individuals to give considerable thought
about what they are seeking and what needs to be explored in the process. The
Sunday selected for a visit brings with it anticipation, excitement, perhaps a few
hesitations about what members might be like. They wonder which prayers may
be offered, what music might be provided. They’ll wonder how memorable the
sermon will be, and there’s probably some concern about where to park.
COP’s Senior Pastor Steve McConnell writes in the “Welcome” section of the COP
website “New Here?” - “We would like to welcome you to Church of the Palms’
website. We are happy to share with you the good news of good things that are
taking place in and through our ministry here at Church of the Palms. Whether
it is feeding the hungry throughout each week, tutoring children throughout the
school year, building houses, supporting a child care center and a counseling
center, or simply growing in our knowledge of Jesus, Church of the Palms is eager
to be of service. We want to help you become more equipped as a disciple to serve
in Christ’s mission in the world. On this website you will find many opportunities
to connect with us and grow in your love of God. Don’t hesitate to contact us and
ask your questions. We will do all we can to make sure you find your place in the
great family and mission of God!”
Pastor Steve provides some information that one might want to know before he or
she arrives. He describes the parking, and explains the yellow umbrellas. People
will be able to locate the two traditional services and the modern worship service.
He describes where to find brochures and publications, and the location of the
Welcome Center. He mentions the roles of ushers and greeters. He concludes
with information about Sanctuary Worship at Church of the Palms - “complete
with inspirational music, prayer, and sermon. And, he describes The Garden - A
Modern Worship Service in the Campus Center.”
Pastor Steve’s website welcome to visitors indicates what he sensed - that the
entire congregation had the genuine capability to improve “welcoming” in a
variety of ways. On September 13, 2014, over 100 COP ushers, greeters, yellow
umbrella holders, COP pastors, staff, interested others, and group leaders linked
to the two traditional services and to the Garden Worship Service, gathered to
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discuss how to make first impressions for all visitors. We can be so welcoming,
full of grace and caring, so friendly, and so helpful that a family, a couple, or a
single individual would conclude very quickly: here is the church where we feel
truly welcome. We are eager to explore how we might become involved in its
mission of “Equipping Disciples for the Service of Christ.” These connections
are of critical importance. No visitor should ever feel he or she is “on his/ her
own” - once welcomed to Church of the Palms.
The First Impressions Ministry of Hospitality Conference gathered numerous
and highly valuable suggestions from the group who also sensed there were still
a number of ways to improve how we welcome our visitors. We can help each
individual become involved in one way or another in the life and service at
Church of the Palms. In fact - some members have already mentioned that this
particular ministry may possibly be COP’s most important ministry. It should be
put to work because it focuses on bringing the entire congregation together in all
that we do to learn, serve, and grow in our own faith.
There is an important link between the First Impressions Ministry of Hospitality
and the Equipping Ministry directed by Carolyn Wilson, which connects with
newer members and assists them as they consider serving among the wide
variety of categories. There are duties both large and small and choices that also
work for affiliate members who come for part of each year.
The “Equipping Ministry Organization Chart” has four categories, one of which
is First Impressions Ministries. Listed below are the following: First Impressions
Leadership Team whose team leaders are: Sanctuary Ushers - John Mercier and
Glynn Armitage; Sanctuary Greeters - Marcia Baarson; Sanctuary Welcome
Center; Yellow Umbrella Greeters - Linda Lehman; Courtyard Welcome Center
- Sue Stolberg; Garden Greeters and Ushers - Jeanie Blazey; Parking Ministry
Team; Guest Connections - Bev Bassett; and Courtyard Connectors - Pam
Williams; and Sanctuary Coordinator during all services, and as such, is directly
responsible for the Sanctuary ushers and greeters - Yoko Spivey.
“Servant Connections - Opportunities to Serve” (with a subtitle of “Ministering
with our Gifts of Time, Talent, and Treasure”) is in booklet form and on COP’s
website - listed under SERVE. (Revised 2014-01)
The numerous ideas generated on September 13, 2014 during the first First
Impressions Ministry of Hospitality Conference are now recorded for discussion
and action. In summary - all of us appreciated hearing from Carolyn Wilson,
Laurie Haas, and our Senior Pastor Steve McConnell. We had the pleasure of
listening to the memorable Keynote Address “Choose Grace” by Megan Mooney
- Garden Worship Leader. “One must never underestimate the importance of a
cup of tea in the evangelization of the World.” (A statement by one of Dr. Robert’s
mission workers.)
Anyone interested in learning more about how they might participate in this wonderful
ministry may contact Carolyn Wilson, [email protected] or any of the First
Impressions team leaders.
17
Local Mission
Habitat for Humanity
“To partner with God and community to provide decent,
affordable housing for people in need so they may build
better lives for their families.”
C
hurch of the Palms joined with Habitat for Humanity International in
2002. The Mission Statement of Habitat-Sarasota proclaims its “desire
to partner with God and community to provide decent, affordable
housing for people in need so they may build better lives for their families.” In
order that a deserving client can keep up with payments, they provide a loan
that helps cover land and cost of materials. The loan is interest free, with no
attendant fees, making the monthly payment affordable. Habitat volunteers
remind us that the cost of land has risen greatly. And to make things even
more difficult, cessation of federal programs means that contributions must
increase in order to continue the financing of new land and providing low cost
housing. Habitat-Sarasota relies on volunteers to provide about 90 percent
of the labor in constructing or rehabbing a home. Currently it has plans to
build up to six new homes in 2014, thanks to funds recovered from banks for
improper mortgage foreclosures.
Cele Cooper (Bell Choir)
and Tom Webber take a
break from construction
of a new Habitat home on
21st street to invite others
to share in the experience
of being a light to the world
in neighborhoods where
Habitat is building homes.
If you would like to become involved as a donor and/or a volunteer, please feel free to be in
touch with Mission Partner Advocate Tom Webber at [email protected].
18
Local Mission
Jobs Resources Ministry
A free service, offering to “walk alongside” those who
are seeking employment in the Sarasota area.
T
he
Job
Resources
Ministry at Church of the
Palms is a free service,
offering to “walk alongside”
those who are seeking
employment in the Sarasota
area. Seeking employment
alone is intimidating, lonely,
exhausting and sometimes
depressing. This ministry
provides practical, emotional
and spiritual support for job
seekers. The Job Resources
Ministry is conducted in
cooperation with community resources such as Goodwill Industries, Suncoast
Workforce, CareerEdge and other local agencies and Church of the Palms
resources such as church volunteers (guides/coaches).
Since unemployment is the root cause of many other needs, it is our primary
focus. The guide/coach will aid the job seeker in accessing the appropriate
local agency for assistance in all areas as needed as well as being a friend, good
listener, encourager, and spiritual guide. There are no fees or charges for this
service.
This ministry is in need of men and women volunteer guides. (Please see
below if this kind of volunteer service is of interest to some of those reading
this spotlight.) Male clients are assigned to male guides and female clients
are assigned to female guides. All guides are provided training before being
assigned a client. Individual privacy is most important in all the efforts
undertaken in this ministry.
Please feel free to contact Marty Guice to learn more about this important ministry,
[email protected] or call 358-9300.
19
Local Mission
Loving Stitches
A project of Presbyterian Women
A
lberta Adams reports that Loving Stitches is a wonderful
group of women who knit, crochet, sew, or quilt for local
charities. They meet on the fourth Friday of each month
- year round - in the Chapel Reception room, starting at 9:45 a.m. The group
furnishes all fabrics and yarn. The members may knit or crochet one of the
group’s patterns or one of their own. While some of the women never attend
a meeting, others like to get together each month. Those who don’t attend
a gathering usually give their completed projects to Alberta on Sunday. The
members try to add new projects as they see fit. This past year (2014) their new
project was chemo hats for cancer patients.
In addition, they also created the following items for:
• Healthy Start: baby hats, socks, sweaters, blankets, receiving blankets and
quilts
• Veterans Hospital: knitted / quilted lap robes, single quilts and afghans
• Resurrection House / Salvation Army: hats for homeless
• Local Police: teddy bears to have in their cars for use when they go on a call
• Sheriff Offices: teddy bears where a small child is involved
• Easter Seals House: two of the women made adult bibs, seating pads and
pillow cases
Loving Stitches created some
items for the PW Christmas
Bazaar gathering that took
place November. They also
had quilts and teddy bears
for the Chris and Christie
Winkler baby shower held
on Saturday, June 21 in
the Campus Center. They
also teach knitting and
crocheting. While they are
supported by Presbyterian
Women, they welcome donations of yarn and fabric. Spotlights in the future
will focus on other Presbyterian Women projects.
If any woman is interested in working on Loving Stitches projects, please feel free to be in
touch with Alberta Adams at [email protected] or call 924-8464.
20
Local Mission
Newtown Youth
Dee Webber aims to make the opportunities most of our children take
for granted also available to our area’s most needy youngsters.
I
n November 2013 Dee Webber hosted some members of the Forest Service
and the famous “Smokey the Bear” for her first grade students, who were
thrilled by this special visit! Dee aims to make the opportunities most of
our children take for granted also available to our area’s most needy youngsters.
She mentioned recently that over 1,000 Christmas stockings are to be sent to
Newtown and Ft. Myers youngsters. Church of the Palms became involved with
the children of Newtown in 1998. Our Newtown Youth Mission Partner works
with various organizations throughout the Newtown Community, such as the
Emma E. Booker Elementary School, Booker Middle School, Brothers and
Sisters Doing the Right Thing, Inc., City of Sarasota Police Department, Sarasota
Department of Parks, and North County Library. It also partners with various
area churches, many of which declare that the work being done by the Church
of the Palms Mission Program in the Newtown area is not only a desperately
needed helping hand to that community but also an excellent example of how
to involve its own members in His work. “Mission Matters” mentions the need
for more volunteers and explains we can help raise test scores and assist the
children most in need, saying “Serve Him by Serving them.” Funding field trips
for summer programs would add to the richness of what unfolds each summer.
Mission Partner Advocate Dee Webber guides this important effort and knows
exactly where each of us would be a “great fit”.
Please feel free to be in touch with Dee at [email protected] or call Dee at 379-3500.
21
Local Mission
Palms Men Ministry
P
alms Men is the Ministry for men at Church of the Palms. Their mission
is to help men be disciples for serving Christ. During the year, Palms
Men hosts several events to support men in their spiritual development
and provide fellowship with other men. In the fall, Palms Men invites friends
and families to a fun night at the baseball park. During the year, Palms Men
also hosts several breakfast events in the Campus Center. These feature
speakers, fellowship and great food. They also help men connect with small
groups and give other support opportunities. In the spring, Palms Men hosts a
Men’s Retreat for deeper spiritual growth and learning.
Importantly, Palms Men wants to serve and encourage men in their everyday
lives, their faith and mobilize them to serve in their communities. It’s helpful
if men join the S.H.A.P.E. class, which helps them identify their gifts, abilities
and passions. The combination will help a man decide in which mission he can
align his gifts, passions and experience best. These may include Habitat for
Humanity, the Food Pantry, Mission trips, teaching Sunday School, Tutoring or
leading a small group or Bible study.
On March 8, 2014, the Men’s 2014
Spring Retreat took place from 8:00
a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Dayspring
Conference Center in Parrish with its cost being $30 (including
breakfast and lunch). A discount was
available for first time participants in
Palms Men who had joined Church
of the Palms in the past year. Palms
Men welcomed and encouraged all
men to attend. The retreat included
great food, fellowship, personal time
to relax and reflect, and discussions
and teachings to foster each one’s
spiritual growth. Senior Pastor, Steve
McConnell, focused on equipping
men in their faith journey. During
the retreat, the men referenced the
Personal Spiritual Growth Plans
that they had shared at the Men’s
Breakfast in January.
For more information, contact Andrew McFall, 773-0971 or email [email protected].
22
Local Mission
Rev. William Cruz
Good Samaritan Mission and Missionary
“Through knowledge, we inspire the community to
find physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.”
T
he Rev. William Cruz was the Guest Speaker on Wednesday evening,
January 29, for the 2014 Church of the Palms Mini-Mission Expo. He
addressed the Expo’s Theme of “How We Reach People For Christ.”
His wife Theresa, who assists him in his missionary leadership role at Good
Samaritan Mission located in Wimauma in eastern Hillsborough County,
joined other local and international missionaries in giving brief presentations
addressing this same theme after the Missionary Brunch in the COP Campus
Center on February 1.
Many of you may already know that Dr. Douglas Perry was a founding member
of this mission to a largely Hispanic migrant community.
In the 2013 issue of Mission Matters, Rev. Cruz reports that the “mission goals
are not only to feed and clothe people, but also to teach them how they can
help themselves.” Church of the Palms contributes financially through: the
Mission Budget; the congregation; Children and Youth Organizations; and
the Presbyterian Women who contribute diapers, school supplies, shoes, food,
clothing and household goods.
The most recent Good Samaritan Mission statement makes it clear that
“through knowledge, we inspire the community to find physical, emotional,
and spiritual healing.” In answering the question about how the Mission
works to help people know God, the Good Samaritan Missionaries design
their programs “either to evangelize or help attendees become disciples.
Chapel services include the plan of salvation; the Bible class includes this plus
discipleship issues; Men’s and Women’s groups as well as Marriage/Family/
Parenting groups also deal with faith issues.”
If you would like to have more information about this Mission, please feel free to contact
Mission Partner Advocate Wayne Kindt at 342-6494, [email protected].
23
Local Mission
Samaritan Counseling
Services of the Gulf Coast
Strengthening individuals and families through
professional Christian counseling services.
Samaritan Counseling Services of the Gulf Coast was
established in 1999 by Church of the Palms to provide
an interdenominational faith based counseling ministry
to individuals and families of our community as a way to
cope with the stresses of living in this broken world. The
counselors are active in a variety of local congregations
and respect and value the particular faith traditions of their
clients.
Church of the Palms has provided space on its campus for Samaritan since its
founding fifteen years ago. Moreover, Church of the Palms generously provides
Samaritan’s client assistance fund with $20,000 annually from the Mission
Committee’s budget. Samaritan is most grateful for this long standing and
supportive relationship.
The 15th Anniversary Statement issued in September offers these observations,
beginning with Executive Director, Rev. Rick Howell’s, excitement that God
was calling him and his family to serve Samaritan with its vision of people
being helped, often at the deepest point of their despair, to find healing,
reconciliation, and hope. During these years, Samaritan has been blessed with
faithful, wonderfully gifted team members. One pastor told Rick he loved his
congregation and would not entrust them to counselors without complete
confidence in their therapeutic ability and spiritual maturity. Rick knows his
clinical staff has earned this confidence. Samaritan’s counselors are committed
to utilizing faith as a tool for therapy and have training and experience in how
this is best accomplished. Through cultivation and sound stewardship of
resources, he and his colleagues are able to say “yes,” even for clients unable
to afford the full fee.
Over these fifteen years, Samaritan has benefitted from a wonderful and
growing group of devoted and talented board members and volunteers, who
have committed time and energy to accomplish its mission. Rick adds - through
the passion of the people God has called to partner with Samaritan, his team
has made a qualitative and longstanding difference in the lives of many who
were hurting.
24
Samaritan is called by God to provide outpatient mental health counseling
from a perspective guided by our Judeo-Christian heritage. Consistent with
Jesus’ approach with people, Samaritan meets clients where they are and
respects their wishes regarding the degree to which they desire their faith used
as a therapeutic resource. Research continues to demonstrate the efficacy of
including a person’s faith into the counseling process. Even so, many mental
health providers have been resistant to include spirituality into the process
for a variety of reasons. These include historic beliefs about the role of faith
in dysfunctional mental health and lack of training on how integration is most
helpful. Through an innovative initiative with the Psychiatry Department
of the University of South Florida Morsani School of Medicine, Samaritan
is providing spiritual integration training to third and fourth year psychiatry
residents, less than 30 percent of whom claim to be people of faith themselves.
During the most recent class, one of the residents shared that she had heard
the lectures last year and while dubious had committed to include spirituality
with her patients to see if it had any effect. “I have been amazed at how many
of my patients have responded so positively and indeed their spirituality is a
wonderful source of resiliency for them.” Rick is excited about how this effort
will shape the field of psychiatry in the future.
Let us celebrate how God has
blessed the partnership between
Samaritan and Church of the Palms.
So what difference does the support of Samaritan by Church of the Palms
make in our community? About a month ago one of Samaritan’s counselors
was at a local church event, when a woman walked up to the counselor and
introduced herself. With tears rolling down her cheeks she said, “I used to go
to Samaritan. There was a time in my life I didn’t think I could go on and was
seriously considering ending my life. By God’s grace one of my friends who was
very concerned about me mentioned Samaritan and encouraged me to reach
out...and I did. I am here today as a testament to their good work. I am glad for
you that you are a part of such a life changing ministry.” It turns out that it had
been over 8 years since this woman had been served by Samaritan and she still
feels this passionate about how they instilled hope and transformed her life.
For more information contact Rev. Rick Howell, Executive Director, at (941) 926-2959.
25
Local Mission
The Resurrection House
A faith-based resource center committed to the
alleviation of the suffering of the homeless by offering
physical, emotional and spiritual help, and by serving as
a bridge from despair to dignity.
I
n 1989, six downtown churches joined together
to found a daytime resource for the homeless
of Sarasota County. At the present time,
Resurrection House is the only faith-based daytime
resource center for our homeless population. Its
Mission Statement reminds us that a day center
for the homeless is dedicated to restoring their
dignity, productivity and self-sufficiency to the
best of its ability. “Mission Matters” mentions that
Resurrection House provides some basic services as
giant steps toward progress for those in desperate
circumstances, such as showers, laundry, counseling.
Other services include securing an I.D., job searching
and housing assistance, in-house medical clinic,
clothing, mail service, bus passes, haircuts, use of a
phone and more! Presently, more than 225 men and
women receive help each day. Supported by private donations, Resurrection
House receives no government funding.
Donations
The Resurrection House welcomes donations of clothing
(jeans and underwear sizes 30-34), socks, towels, wash
cloths, sneakers (any size men and women), reading glasses
and more. Please drop off donations in sacks or containers
marked RH in the Administration Building. All donations are
greatly appreciated.
For more information regarding volunteer opportunities, please contact Mission Partner
Advocate Len Higley at [email protected].
26
International
Missions
27
International Mission
4D Ministries & Hank Paulson
“It’s not our activities, but God’s amazing work in the
lives of young and old that we are so thankful for and
most excited about.”
4D
Ministries is a new missionary organization serving
countries in Eastern Europe, which Hank and Mona
Paulson (recipients of Church of the Palms support
for several years) founded in 2012.
In an early fall 2013 report to the Missions Committee, Hank described some
of the summer camps and Vacation Bible Schools being run in various East
European countries. These camps and schools resulted in hundreds of kids
“making a first time commitment to follow Christ or dedicating their lives to
follow him more closely.”
Hank continues his report by observing: “It’s not our activities, but God’s
amazing work in the lives of young and old that we are so thankful for and
most excited about. It’s God’s work, but he used our staff, pastors and also
you (members of the Church of the Palms) to be an important part. Thank you
(COP) so much for letting Him use you!”
In addition, Hank and Mona are building strong local relationships with several
church groups – with the goal being to establish new programs that “will equip
Church and lay leaders to teach and coach in personal Biblical stewardship
within their congregations. This new area of spiritual teaching is fundamental
to helping the indigenous Church be Biblical, self-sustaining, and missional for
years to come.”
Please feel free to ask for more information about the countries involved by contacting the
Mission Advocate for 4D Ministries, Rev. Phil Bliss, at 941-748-2126 or [email protected].
28
10
Missionaries
Serving Overseas
This Spotlight is intended to share information about four men and six women who
as Servants of the Lord are serving in several places where we must not reveal their
exact locations and in one case not even the last name. Given their dedication and
many accomplishments, it is important that we as members of the congregation
remember each one of these missionaries in our thoughts, prayers, and in our
giving. COP Mission Partner Advocates stay in touch on a regular basis and all of
these missionaries have various ways to keep in touch with us. This way we may
help members of the congregation get to know them and learn how to be in touch
with their respective Mission Partner Advocates.
The first list provides as much information as is appropriate and lets you know who
is their Mission Partner Advocate(s).
Rev. Christine Goodman Callison
and Rev. Gregory Callison
Wider Middle East (PCUSA)
Mission Partner Advocates:
Reyn and Doris Kamphuis
[email protected]; 360-8474
Dimitrie & Maria Todorov
New Hope - Bulgaria
Mission Partner Advocate:
Rev. Phil Bliss
Drs. Les & Cynthia Morgan
Bangladesh: Christian Mission
and Hospital
Mrs. Maxine Perry
[email protected]
349-3282; 342-6494
Jeanine Guiffrida
YWAM (Youth With A Mission)
Derby, England
Ray Angle
Retired Clerk of the Session
[email protected]
351-1103
Pam (no photo)
Mediterranean Region
Student Ministry
Wayne Kindt
[email protected]
342-6494
Hank & Mona Paulson
4D Ministries - Eastern Europe
Rev. Phil Bliss
29
Agape Flights
Serving Christ by Serving His Missionaries
T
he most recent “Flightline” from Agape Flights reports: “God’s
transformational love is a matter of the heart, from the inside out. At
first glance, Agape’s most visible transformation this summer might be
the outside of the hanger building. In an effort to care for the ministry home
that God has provided, the outside of Agape’s hanger received a much-needed
facelift. The leaky downspouts were repaired, the rusty building was primed
and painted, the torn awnings replaced, the overgrown bushes and trees
trimmed and the parking lot sealed. The funds used to complete the work were
raised last March during the ‘Pie in the Sky’ pie auction, and earmarked for the
purpose of building repairs.” Among the eight visitors from COP, several bid
successfully and took home pies!
“The outside of the building has been transformed to more closely mirror
the excellence of God’s work, but where Christ’s transformational work truly
matters is at the heart, the ‘inside’ of the mission work, to ‘Serve Christ by
Serving His Missionaries’ in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.”
“God’s transformation is a continual process. Last year, Agape celebrated
the successful completion of the safety audit and adoption of values driven
governance principles. Agape met another of it ‘heart related’ strategic goals
just a few weeks ago when we gained accreditation by the Evangelical Council
of Financial Accountability (ECFA). We have taken the ECFA accreditation
process seriously to demonstrate further our commitment to our core values
of Service, Integrity, Excellence, and Shared Purpose. These values continue to
remind and inspire the Agape staff and board to stand accountable, reflect our
mission, purpose and beliefs in all that we do.”
For more information, contact Mission Partner Advocate for Agape Flights, John Mercier,
[email protected], (941) 586-5726.
30
Eric Yearwood
Campus Crusade for Christ
E
ric Yearwood sent an incredibly
interesting video that was shared
during the 2014 Mini-Mission Expo
Saturday Brunch. It focused on his newest
assignment for Campus Crusade which
began last fall when he assumed the
leadership of a Campus Crusade Team.
The team was dedicated to reaching artists
in New York City with the gospel. It trained
them to use their artistic gifts to reach
others for Christ. We learned how excited
he is about this assignment because he is
particularly well suited for this task, given
the fact that he earned a master’s degree
from The School of the famed Art Institute
of Chicago before joining the Campus
Crusade over nine years ago.
He is spending his time this year to mentor the younger staff on the team.
He provides them with theological and evangelistic training. In addition, he is
meeting with and encouraging Christian artists to become disciples. He also is
building relationships with non-believing artists and sharing the gospel in an
arts community “defined by brokenness, excess, and darkness.” It is his hope to
do for the arts what “Tim Tebow has done in professional sports: ‘to make Jesus
the topic of conversation around the water cooler’, except these conversations
will happen around an easel, a stage, or a TV camera.” Eric observes that he
and his team are trusting God to do amazing things through this ministry in
New York City, and he is excited to see what God has in store for him and his
colleagues.
When Eric joined Campus Crusade for Christ full time, he was introduced to
COP’s Tuesday Morning Men’s Bible Study Group. He deeply appreciates their
prayers and financial support along with similar prayers and support from the
COP’s Missions Committee. Before his newest assignment, Eric has served in
the Middle East and on several college campuses in the US.
Finally he hopes to raise $2,000 for some special evangelistic tutoring with Dr.
Ted Roberts of the Pure Desire Ministries.
For more information, please feel free to contact Bill Watrous, [email protected] or
call 374-0062.
31
The
JESUS
Film Project
“The Gift of Christ
at Christmas.”
A ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ
C
hurch of the Palms is honored to have welcomed to its worship
services (on December 15, 2013) a well known Servant of the
Lord - Gabriel de Guia. He is the Development Representative
for the JESUS Film Project at the Campus Crusade for Christ. Campus
Crusade for Christ is located near the Wycliffe Bible Translation U.S.A.
headquarters in Orlando, Florida. With the approval of the Session, the
JESUS Film Project was dedicated as “The Gift of Christ at Christmas.”
In the part of 2013, Gabriel stated that Church of the Palms had taken
an unprecedented step to support a “word for word” effort by Wycliffe
translators to give an “unreached people group” their first opportunity ever to
meet Jesus and to hear him speak their own language through the JESUS Film.
We are proud to announce that Church of the Palms has contributed enough
to support a second translation effort. That translation will reach 135,000 men,
women, and children, with the first effort serving 100,000 individuals. This
second dramatic step prompted the Session’s decision to focus its celebration
on an amazing partnership that will keep on growing.
To date more than 200 million people
have indicated a desire to follow Jesus
after viewing the film.
The congregation knows its financial support for the second language reserved
for Church of the Palms will eventually help reach over 235,000 people. These
are individuals who currently have no portion of the Bible available in either of
the two languages we support. As the year comes to an end, we all now know
that Church of the Palms will be helping the Word of God reach these two
groups in their own languages for the first time in history. For that, we thank the
dedicated partnership we are seeing in action today for the JESUS Film Project.
32
JESUS is a two-hour film based on the Gospel according to Luke, telling the
story of Jesus Christ. Since the JESUS Film Project’s debut in 1979, the film
has been translated into over 1,160 languages and has been shown in over 230
countries with an incredible response. To date more than 200 million people
have indicated a desire to follow Jesus after viewing the film. Yet, there are still
865 documented language groups that do not have a translation of the Gospel
- leaving much more work to be done.
Please note that DVDs of the JESUS Film are here for you to keep and to share.
Contact Info
Gabriel de Guia Reyn & Doris Kamphuis
[email protected] [email protected]
Erick & Elizabeth Schenkel: The JESUS Film Project
A Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ,
100 Lake Heart Drive, Dept. 3100,
Orlando, FL 32832-02100 (407) 826-2300
33
The day
JESUS
miraculously
stopped a
r
e
b
m
o
B
e
d
i
c
i
Su
Campus Crusade for Christ
On August 19, 2014, the president of Campus Crusade for Christ sent a letter to
donors about the day Jesus miraculously stopped a suicide bomber. This is what
Steve Douglas wrote:
A “Jesus” film team had taken a courageous step, going into a village in
a dangerous, mountainous area. They brought a DVD of “Jesus.” The team
gathered about 250 people into a community hall and closed the window for
secrecy. It was crowded and tight and the screen was relatively small, but
everyone stayed and watched the entire “Jesus” film. The film, perhaps the
most biblically faithful film on the life of Christ, is part of the Jesus Film Project,
a ministry of CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ International).
“
I heard that you were going to show
a blasphemous film. I went to my
leaders and they agreed you should
die. I strapped on this bomb and came
to kill you all.”
When it came time for the team to give an invitation to receive Christ, a man
sitting on the floor stood. He opened his shirt so all could see. Strapped to his
chest were explosives - a suicide vest. Panic set in. “Wait….wait! Don’t leave.
I’m not going to blow myself up. I need to tell you what just happened.” It took
several minutes to convince the people to stay, and at last they did.
“I heard that you were going to show a blasphemous film. I went to my leaders
and they agreed you should die. I strapped on this bomb and came to kill you
all. When the film started I reached for the detonator and tried to push the
button. But as I watched the film, Jesus turned and pointed right at me. He
called my name and said, ‘Don’t do that…. Follow Me.’
34
“Over and over I tried. Every time I reached for the button He pointed to me
and said, ‘Don’t do that…Follow Me.” My hand froze every time. I couldn’t move
my thumb. I gave up and just stayed to watch. Now I believe. I want Jesus to be
my Savior. Can you help me know more about Him?”
The team leader said, “Yes, of course, but first you must take off that vest!”
The would-be suicide bomber went out from the building, far away, and took it
off, disarming the explosives. He returned and the team prayed for him - but
that is not all.
“
Every time I reached for the button He pointed
to me and said, ‘Don’t do that…Follow Me.’”
Remember that this is an extremely dangerous area, one intensely hostile to
Christianity. Anyone leaving his/her traditions can expect to be killed. The
Word of God contained in “Jesus” had just spoken to the people.
Learning the truth of the gospel for the first time was a powerful experience.
The people were amazed by this man’s testimony. He was a radical who would
stop at nothing. They knew they had just seen a miracle.
When the film leader asked who wanted to receive Christ and pray, everyone
did. The next day, the team held a service where 250 new believers were
baptized in their new faith, including the man with the suicide vest. If I told you
where this happened, you would be astonished.
How powerful is our God! How loving that He claimed a would-be suicide
bomber as His own along with everyone in that room whom the man had come
to destroy.
This account comes directly from ministry leaders of high character and
eyewitness teams. They are just as amazed as we are - and they work in these
areas! May God alone receive all the glory, honor, and praise “…that all the
peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you
may fear the LORD your God forever” (Joshua 4:24, NASB).
Since 1979, more than 200 million men, women and children worldwide have
indicated decisions to follow Jesus after viewing the “Jesus” film. How can any
single film reach so many people and touch so many lives? It’s the power of the
Word of God in their heart language.
Based on he Gospel of Luke, the “Jesus” film has now been translated into
more than 1,200 languages, with new languages being added every month. This
allows God’s Word to speak to people in more than 200 countries in languages
they know and understand. By God’s grace, it’s yielding a spiritual harvest of
unprecedented results.
Mission Partner Advocates Reyn and Doris Kamphuis may be contacted at 360-8474,
[email protected].
35
Wycliffe in Nigeria
Church of the Palms as a Prayer Anchor Church
C
hurch of the Palms is partnering with Wycliffe Bible Translators as the
Prayer Anchor Church for Nigeria. That means that each one of us is to
pray regularly for the translation work in Nigeria. This is very important
at this difficult time in Nigeria. UNESCO reports that 5.5 million girls are not in
schools of any sort in Nigeria and those who are not at all safe. There are over
500 different people groups in Nigeria and 231 of those language groups have
no scripture available in their “heart” language. That number will soon drop
to 229 when the work is completed for the two language groups currently being
supported by COP members for 235,000 men, women, and children.
This still means that at least seven million people do not have access to God’s
Word in their “heart” language. You and I can help by praying regularly that God
will continue to clear the way for missionaries such as Wycliffe Bible Translators.
They translate their verbal “heart” language into a written language and then
translate the scripture into each of these 229 remaining language groups in
Nigeria.
Because Church of the Palms has been supporting two missionaries in Nigeria,
we feel this Spotlight on Missions should share with the congregation the
special prayer request received this past week from Wycliffe in Orlando: “There
were two bomb explosions in downtown Jos, Nigeria. At this point Wycliffe does
not know the numbers killed or injured but it seems there may be many. To the
best of Wycliffe’s knowledge
all staff and their families
are safe. Please pray for
the Wycliffe staff based in
Jos that they will make wise
decisions in response to this
situation. Please pray also for
the country of Nigeria, which
is facing trouble on many
fronts at the moment.” And,
all of us should continue
praying for our beloved
Servants of God who have
spent considerable time in
Nigeria.
Please feel free to contact Mission Partner Advocates Reyn and Doris Kamphuis at
[email protected], 360-8474.
36
Honduras Eye
& Dental Clinic
Centro Cristiano de Servicios Humanitarios de Honduras (CCSHH)
T
he Honduras Eye and Dental Clinic is dedicated to caring for the Eyes
and Dental needs of the poor and was founded by the late Dr. Douglas
Perry, a member of COP, in collaboration with Rev. Daniel and Ruth
Castro, Directors of Sociedad Medica Cristina, and Willie Hunter, General
Director of Medical Ministry International.
Known as Centro Cristiano de Servicios Humanitarios de Honduras (CCSHH),
it opened in 1997. Its mission statement indicates the center’s commitment to
addressing the medical, surgical, dental, and spiritual needs of the Honduras
poor and to improving their quality of life. In CCSHH’s Annual Mission Partner
Review, staff members note that “in their waiting room, they have a Pastor read
scripture, preach and interact with the patients” and that they “begin each day
with a devotional for the employees of the clinic.”
Church of the Palms has played a major role in helping establish the clinic and
continues to provide both financial and spiritual support. Moreover, a mission
team from the COP assisted in a major renovation of the eye clinic in 2009. In
2010, a grant was given by the Church of the Palms Foundation to help renovate
the surgical area of the clinic.
The clinic seeks volunteer ophthalmologists, dentists and other medical
personnel to work with the Honduran staff as they share God’s love. COP
members who do not have medical backgrounds are invited to come and work
with the Hondurans as well to share God’s blessings. Since 1997, the Eye Clinic’s
exam count: 170,000; total surgeries: 12,000.
When asked during its 2013 review about their greatest
need in 2014, the CCSHH mentioned their need to
purchase a bus to transport clinic staff and patients to
and from remote areas. During her recent visit to the
Clinic, Mrs. Maxine Perry learned of another urgent need:
a portable autorefractor to examine patients when staff
travels long distances to care for folks who cannot afford
to come to the Clinic.
For additional information on CCSHH and how you can contribute, please contact Mission
Partner Advocate Maxine Perry at [email protected] or call 349-3282.
37
Current status of
Christians in Iraq as of August 2014
C
hristians throughout the Middle East are in great danger
at the present time. Wars in Iraq, Syria and Gaza have
threatened the very lives of Christians throughout the
region and many have been killed.
A violent fanatical terrorist group known as the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS),
(also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or simply the Islamic
State (IS)) is threatening death to anyone who does not believe and accept their
brutal interpretation of sharia law. This has happened in Syria and now in a major
portion of northwestern Iraq and is threatening Kurdistan.
As you are aware, things change by the hour in Iraq nowadays. The Islamic State
(IS) is advancing northward towards Kurdistan and threatening anyone who does
not believe sharia law as they narrowly interpret it. Thus they are killing not only
Christians, but other minority religions groups such as Yazidis, Shiite Muslims, and
moderate Sunni Muslims. The Islamic State has captured oil fields and refineries,
the Mosul dam, numerous cities, and highways. They are very mobile and can move
their artillery extremely fast, making them difficult to predict.
Mass exodus and displacement of Christians and other minorities has occurred
totaling over 500,000 people in the past several days. The Islamic State has trapped
over 40,000 Yazidis on Mt. Sinjar, where they face starvation and dehydration,
or genocide if they descend the mountain. The US Air Force began providing airdrops of food and water, and by 8/14/2014, the US Air Force had sufficient help from
the Kurdish Regional Government troops (known as the Peshmerga) to give these
refugees a chance to flee the mountain.
Rev. Haitham (who is the Pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Kirkuk, Iraq that we
support through our Mission Team), his wife and parents, and several other Kirkuk
Church families were urged to leave Kirkuk and sought refuge in Erbil. This was a
precautionary measure because of the bombing of two Shiite Mosques in Kirkuk
(something that has not happened for a very, very long time.) Things in Erbil were
not easy either. Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan which already has over 1,300,000
residents, and Dohuk, another major city in Kurdistan, have absorbed hundreds of
thousands of refugees over the past month, and they are stretched beyond capacity.
Church grounds are filled to overflowing and families are filling the streets. Their
needs are huge. Air attacks on the Islamic State army have caused ISIS to retreat
slightly on the approach to Erbil, thereby permitting the Kirkuk Pastor and his family
to return to Kirkuk, hoping and praying that they can protect the church there.
Christians have already been forced to walk from the city of Mosul - leaving everything
behind including their homes, belongings, cars, money, and bank accounts; even
38
their wedding rings were confiscated by the Islamic State. Their choices: stay and
be killed or flee. Now they are homeless and have absolutely nothing. The pictures
you see were sent by the pastor to show Christian refugees huddled in a church in
Erbil. Their needs are multiplying each day with more and more refugees arriving
hourly, including Christians and Yazidis who were recently rescued from Mt. Sinjar.
The pastor has issued an appeal to the world to be aware of this situation and to
react immediately.
The Islamic State is threatening mass genocide on large areas occupied by Christians
and other religious minorities. He urges everyone who reads this appeal to “shout
a distress call to all humanitarian organizations worldwide to see and know what
is happening in Iraq. This appeal reaches out to the Pope and religious groups
everywhere to feel and share the pain and persecution of the Christians and others.
More than a half million people have been crowded into Kurdistan within a few
weeks, stretching resources beyond limits. Fear of the future abounds, with people
not knowing if they will live or die, or if they can ever return to their homes. Families
have been disrupted. He says that Christians there lift their hearts and their prayers
to the Lord along with their fears and their tears. He asks us to support them first
with our prayers and then with any other support we can offer. He urges prayer to our
God to protect the Christians, and to change the hearts of their persecutors. Prayers
for the Christians and the Kurdish Leadership and for all churches who are hosting
refugees are much needed right now, along with continued prayers for deliverance
from this time of trial - for heart courage and faithful witness and persevering energy
in the midst of this onslaught - for continued hope in our Lord who is the bright
morning star that shines the brightest when the night is at its darkest.”
With rising violence in Iraq that has targeted Christians and other religious minorities, the
Presbyterian Church is working through our mission partners to provide relief to those who
have been affected. Contributions can be made online: http://www.presbyterianmissions.org/
donate/E052049, or you may make a check payable to PC/USA ECO Fund # 052049. Write
“Iraqi Displaced Christian Relief” on the Memo Line and mail to:
PC/USA Individual Remittance Processing
P.O Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
Attn: ECO Fund #052049 - Displaced Christian Relief
The author of this spotlight is Charlie Haeussner, a member of the Mission Committee who
lives in the Pittsburgh area half of the year and in Sarasota, Florida the other half. He may
be reached at [email protected].
39
In recent years, the VBS team has
presented a Sunday afternoon
program for the Good Samaritan
Families. It includes sharing the
Gospel, music, a craft project and
a healthy snack. This year we also
presented the children with school
supplies and a pair of sunglasses.
Honduras Good Samaritan Fund
T
he Honduras Good Samaritan Fund was established to assist individuals
and organizations in Honduras who have needs, which do not fall within
the guidelines of the budget for the Honduras Eye and Dental Clinic.
The Fund’s mission statement declares its commitment “to help the poor and
disadvantaged in the El Progreso area by improving their lives, and most of all
witnessing the love of Christ based on two Biblical passages - John 4:19: “We
love because He first loved us” and Luke 10:25-37: “...the Parable of the Good
Samaritan.”
The Fund stated last fall in its Annual Mission Partner Review that “bringing
Christ to those in need by being a vessel of his love and mercy, our main
objective is to share the hope of Salvation with every child and adult we serve
in the program. We do this by meeting them where they are in life, assisting
with basic needs such as food, clothing, education, medical help, and most of
all, sharing the love of Jesus with them.”
Good Samaritan started a new venture in 2013 in which it will try to match
future expenses in two ways: (1) with donations from individuals; (2) revenues
from the sales of finished products through a women’s micro-business, with
products such as fresh juice and a cleaning solution for homes. Lorena Rivera,
wife of the Clinic’s Executive Director, is directing this project.
Last spring in “Mission Matters,” the Fund mentioned that it had been funding
“transportation, food and lodging for clinic patients who cannot afford travel
to the Clinic for surgery, along with any pre-surgery care they may need.” The
Fund also continues to help Good Samaritan families with the purchase of
school supplies so they can attend school. Moreover, the Fund also assists
these families and Clinic employees and their families with personal and
medical emergencies. Finally, the Fund supplies important needs of a nursing
home just outside of El Progreso.
For more information and how you can participate, please contact Mission Partner Advocate
Maxine Perry at [email protected] or call 349-3282.
40
Mission Miqueas 6:8 Orphanage
“To raise children who have been abandoned, neglected or abused
with love, care, education, encouragement and Christian values...”
M
elody and Jacob Cherian have partnered with God to become the
parents of 39 children whose ages range from a few months to
fourteen, and as Mrs. Maxine Perry reported last October in Honduras
Happenings, this effort “is truly a witness to discipleship in action. They both
radiate God’s love as they care for these little ones as parents care for their
children and God cares for us. It has been a blessing for Church of the Palms to
partner with this couple.”
COP’s main support this year has just taken place during February when a COP
Mission construction team spent time at the orphanage during the first week.
Using tools and supplies they had brought with them, the Team focused on
building partitions and helped with other physical improvements. The second
team focused on sharing a Vacation Bible School.
The vision of Miqueas (Micah) 6:8 is “to
raise children who have been abandoned,
neglected or abused with love, care, education,
encouragement and Christian values so that they
will have the ability to lead the future generations
of Honduras.” Melody and Jacob believe that
“Honduras’ development revolves around
children and their communities. Therefore, they
have planned activities to promote the Christian,
holistic development of children to be future
leaders of their communities.”
“He has shown you,
O mortal, what is
good. And what does
the Lord require of
you? To act justly
and to love mercy
and to walk humbly
with your God.”
- Micah 6:8 (NIV)
Phil Goodell, COP Elder and
Chairman
of
the
Missions
Committee, recently observed that
the Orphanage’s name is connected
with the verse in Micah 6:8 (NIV) “He has shown you, O mortal, what
is good. And what does the Lord
require of you? To act justly and
to love mercy and to walk humbly
with your God.” Phil adds, “a great
statement of Christian values.”
For more information, please feel free to contact Mission Partner Advocate and the 2014
COP Leader of the Honduras Construction Team during the first week of February – Dale
Vollrath at [email protected], 586-1143.
41
Honduras Mission
Speech on 7/27/14
Alejandra Tejada Rivera
Hands of God/Las Manos de Dios
G
ood morning! My name is Alejandra Tejada Rivera. I want to share
with you about the Hands of God in Honduras. I was born and raised
in Honduras. I live with my father and mother and my younger sister,
Maria Jose. After two years of study in the Intense English Program at the
University of Pittsburgh, I am looking forward to college this fall at Eastern
Mennonite University in Virginia. For many years, you have been blessed
to receive updates from members of your church, as people came back to
Sarasota from Honduras. And over the years, you have sent over 60 people
to my country to teach Bible School, work on construction, help with two
orphanages, a nutrition center - and of course - grow and support the eye clinic
The [Honduras Good Samaritan] program has
helped some of these women form a microbusiness where they sell soaps, cleaners,
lotion and juices at the weekend market. The
money they earn helps them provide for their
families. It also gives the women a sense of
confidence and purpose in their lives.
and the Honduras Good Samaritan Fund. I grew up seeing many people from
your church active in Honduras. So today, I want to tell you about your mission
efforts in Honduras seen through the eyes of a Honduran. I have seen the
Hands of God in Honduras.
42
For many years my family has been involved with the type of missions Church
of the Palms supports in Honduras. My father is the Executive Director of
the eye clinic in El Progreso. Church of the Palms has had a relationship
with this clinic since it was founded 18 years ago by Doug and Maxine
Perry. Because of your foresight and support, the eye clinic has performed
over twelve thousand surgeries, given care to over two hundred thousand
patients and employs 31 Hondurans in a safe and professional office setting.
Because of your foresight and support, the eye
clinic has performed over twelve thousand
surgeries, given care to over two hundred
thousand patients and employs 31 Hondurans
in a safe and professional office setting.
My mother is the Director of the Honduras Good Samaritan Fund, which
helps families obtain the food and supplies necessary to sustain the lives
of the women and children of very poor families. More importantly, this
program has helped some of these women form a micro-business where
they sell soaps, cleaners, lotion and juices at the weekend market. The
money they earn helps them provide for their families. It also gives the
women a sense of confidence and purpose in their lives. Another important
aspect of the Honduras Good Samaritan Fund is the support it gives for a
home for senior citizens. This is the area I am going to focus on today.
For many years, Church of the Palms has provided the Sunday meal for
senior citizens who live at the refuge. We call it the Asilo. Without this
support from Church of the Palms, many of these older adults would not
eat dinner Sunday night. Additionally, in recent years members of your
church have provided clothing and bedding and have helped with the
cleaning and repair of this facility. This past Valentine’s Day, I was fortunate
enough to participate with a group of people from Church of the Palms as
we planned and carried out a celebration for the residents of the Asilo. This
occasion brought joy to the hearts of the residents. Just as important, this
was an uplifting experience for the members of Church of the Palms who
participated. Honduras is different from the United States in many ways.
We usually care for our elderly population in the homes of family members.
So a facility like the Asilo is not as common in Honduras as a retirement
home might be here - especially in Sarasota. The fact that Church of the
Palms is offering help to people living in the Asilo is a blessing. Witnessing
the joy on the faces of the residents and seeing the happiness of the people
from Church of the Palms visiting with them was to see the Hands of God in
Honduras. God has blessed all of us in so many ways. God has blessed my
life. I have seen the need of people and my education is designed to allow
me to help others. So how about you? Are you ready to be the Hands of God
and help someone else? Consider it! Thank you!
43
“Vida Joven”
Young Life Nicaragua
Host Ministry for COP’s Mission Team Visit
to Nicaragua, July 26 - August 2, 2014
V
ida Joven Nicaragua began in 1988 when Jim and
Sarah Hornsby began building friendships with
Nicaraguan youth in order to introduce them to
a life-long relationship with Jesus Christ. Since its beginning, it has grown to
include more than 42 clubs in ten different cities: Matagalpa, Esteli, Jinotega,
Managua, Leon, San Dionisio, San Ramon, Chinandega, Granada, and Masaya.
The ministry includes approximately 51 paid leaders and over 250 volunteer
leaders. In a typical Young Life fashion, these leaders befriend youth in their
cities and invite them to a weekly club meeting. After developing a relationship
with these youth, they invite them to a New Kids’ Camp and later to a Followup Camp. It is in these settings that the youth begin a relationship with Jesus
Christ.
Vida Joven Nicaragua invites and encourages American churches and groups
to participate in this ministry. These work teams are invited to come year round
but they usually come in February or March and throughout the summer in
June, July, and August. Historically, their work has been at the camp to prepare
the facility for the New Kids’ Camps and to help with the coffee production
there. A new direction is for these teams to work in cities alongside of the
Nicaraguan leaders developing relationships with youth. This “contact work”
is often done through sports venues or building projects. Currently Vida Joven
has partnerships in Granada, Leon, Esteli and Managua.
The Vida Joven Camp, often referred to as La Finca, is located in the most
mountainous region of Nicaragua near the town of Jinotega. This 154-acre
haven serves as a weekend retreat center for outreach camps, discipleship and
leadership training seminars. The high altitude (4500 feet) of this area makes the
camp an ideal place for growing coffee. The proceeds from selling this gourmet
coffee (available at the COP) provide the funding for one Nicaraguan youth to
go to camp for a day. For more information, visit www.beyondbeanscoffee.com.
What Your Work Team Can Be:
• Your team can be ambassadors for Christ from your church or Young Life
area to the young Christians of Vida Joven in Nicaragua.
• Your team can be a channel of resources from your friends and family who
have resources to enable this ministry to continue to grow and reach those
who have very limited resources.
44
• Your team can help motivate and encourage Nicaraguan brothers
and sisters through your sacrificial hard work. Your physical work and
material resources help us complete needed projects more rapidly than
we would without your help.
• Your team can be ambassadors for Christ to your own church and
community by communicating what you have seen and heard in
Nicaragua.
• Your team members can bring encouragement and respect to each
other as you return from Nicaragua, having developed deep connections
through your common experience.
Pastor Bruce Hedgepeth led this COP team of twelve who left for Nicaragua
on July 26 and returned on August 2, 2014. Their week was demanding,
physically and emotionally. Vida Joven felt a real responsibility to make the
experience one of educating, sharing, and reflecting as they communicated
and worked together. As a Christian organization, Vida Joven expects a
commitment from each participant to use his or her visit to Nicaragua to
build understanding between the two countries. The experience does not
end when the plane takes off for home nor when it lands in the US. This is
just the beginning.
Participants commit to cooperate with the group and abide by group
decisions. They will take responsibility for tasks when needed. They will
make a commitment to share their experiences when they return home.
They also commit to serve and work in partnership with Nicaraguans
with a willingness to submit to basic lifestyle changes in accordance with
Nicaragua culture. Examples are cold showers, latrines, frequent water and
electric power outages, different foods, constant noise, dust and dirt, etc.
Team members also agreed to refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages
and smoking when with the Nicaraguans; the participants are to be a moral
example.
The Mission Team arrived in a city, had a homestay, experienced living in
and working at the camp, had one day of touring, and then returned to a city
for the flight back to the US.
Feel free to contact Pastor Bruce Hedgepeth at [email protected], 924-1323.
45
Update on
Iraq
Even though the news media is no longer
reporting on it, the crisis of the Iraqi refugees
continues. Since August more than a million
Iraqis have been forced by ISIS to flee their
homes or risk losing their lives. They had to leave
their homes without money, belongings, or vehicles, wearing only summer
clothing on their backs. Now that colder weather is moving into northern
Iraq, they need warmer clothing: coats, blankets, and heaters. Many of the
People say he is crazy to stay there, and
say that “You take the Jesus thing too
seriously.” He replies, “Christ took me
pretty seriously when he died for me on
the cross!”
refugees are trapped in Iraq without money to buy anything, and without an
opportunity to earn. Unemployment in Iraq had been about 40% since the
46
wars, but now it is 90% in certain areas
because of the influx of hundreds of
thousands of displaced refugees within
the country’s borders. Food, gasoline,
and other supplies are running low,
and as the need increases, so does the
price. Some of the wealthier Christians
left Iraq before ISIS took over seeking
refuge in neighboring countries such
as Jordan, Syria, and Turkey. Those who
can afford it are escaping to Europe, North America, and Australia. Many
of the refugees who have been internally displaced within Iraq have been
granted help by local Christian churches such as the Kirkuk Presbyterian
Church, but there are hundreds of thousands just living on the city streets
or in the mountain wilderness.
Pastor Haitham Jazrawi of the Kirkuk
Presbyterian Church is a leading
As a living example
native born Christian pastor who has
of Christian care, the
been serving our Lord Jesus Christ, his
congregation, and the refugees for many
Kirkuk
Presbyterian
years in Kirkuk. He strongly believes that
Church congregation
it is absolutely essential that Christians
is caring for 62
stay in the Middle East calling them the
‘salt of the earth’ and the ‘light of the
Christian
refugees
world’ (Matthew 5:13-14). He says, “Who
in their church and
will be salt and light to our Muslim
brothers and sisters?” As a living
expects more refugees
example of Christian care, the Kirkuk
in the future.
Presbyterian Church congregation
is caring for 62 Christian refugees in
their church and expects more refugees in the future. They have converted
their Sunday school classrooms to family living quarters, provided food,
clothing, blankets, mattresses, refrigeration, stoves, and portable toilets.
The congregation has extended its mission outside the church compound by
giving similar supplies to those living on the streets and in the hillsides and
mountains nearby. The church has taken the refugees outside the church
property for picnics and games, and provided Christian education along with
concerts and plays in the Fellowship Hall. Pastor Haitham does not expect
to be thanked for the work his church is doing as it is an example of “letting
your light shine forth before others so that they may give glory to our Father
in heaven” (Matthew 5: 16).
City schools are not open for classes this fall because they are housing
refugees, but the Kirkuk Church Kindergarten has been able to open because
47
Update on Iraq
it is a private school, now providing pre-school Christian based education to
almost 400 children in this war torn country. Their Primary School is ready
to open, but because of the war on ISIS the Baghdad government has not
been able to issue the needed permits.
Pastor Haitham and his church are helping to guide other Christian
congregations to set up refugee camps within their churches. The refugees
are attending church and prayer services regularly, and many Chaldean
(Catholic) and Orthodox Christians are receiving an evangelical education
by reading and discussing the Bible. While many church members have fled
from Kirkuk, the refugees are keeping the pews full and experiencing the
love of God. Pastor Haitham knows that this is the mission that God has
chosen for him to serve in Iraq. He and his wife are dedicated to staying and
continuing to serve Iraq. He is a modern day living example of the Apostle
Paul in preaching and serving in spite of life-threatening danger and political
instability. People say he is crazy to stay there, and say that “You take the
Jesus thing too seriously.” He replies, “Christ took me pretty seriously when
he died for me on the cross!”
Pastor Haitham and the Kirkuk Presbyterian Church have been able to do
many of these wonderful things because of the continuing generosity of
Christians here in the USA, including Church of the Palms. We have donated
to that church and school since Pastor Haitham visited here in 2009
through our Mission Committee and individually through the PC/USA Extra
Commitment Fund #053049 (The Iraq Partnership Network). Donations
from the Presbyterian Women’s Christmas Bazaar held on November 8 also
benefitted the Displaced Iraqi Christian Refugees.
Contributions can be made online: http://www.presbyterianmissions.org/donate/E052049,
or you may make a check payable to PC/USA ECO Fund # 052049. Write “Iraqi Displaced
Christian Relief” on the Memo Line and mail to:
PC/USA Individual Remittance Processing
P.O Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
Attn: ECO Fund #052049 - Displaced Christian Relief
48
This update was prepared by COP members Charles and Carol Haeussner.
Wycliffe
Affiliate
Wycliffe Bible Translation
T
he mission of Wycliffe Bible Translation is
to get the Bible translated into the mother
tongue of every language community in the
world. There are nearly 7000 living languages and
about 1950 have no Scriptures at all. Currently, some
90 countries are being served. The U.S. Headquarters
is located in Orlando, Florida.The Church of the
Palms arranges bus trips every few months to give
members a sense of what Wycliffe does. Church
of the Palms has supported Wycliffe over the last
seven years – including direct support and by keeping in close contact with
Dale and Carol Hoskins (who are being featured today); Darcie Drymon and
the Chris Winkler family. Dale Hoskins has worked for the Seed Company, a
partner within Wycliffe, as a Bible translation consultant with a particular focus
on Old Testament translations in Nigeria. Carol Hoskins works for Wycliffe
USA in recruitment ministries. They have three teenage sons – Carl, Joel, and
Eric. Joel entered Calvin College earlier this fall; Eric is finishing high school
this year. The Hoskins seek your prayers as they consider Carl’s transition to
independent living. Dale has worked with 24 of the 231 remaining language
groups in Nigeria. When Wycliffe formed the Seed Company in order to focus
on accelerating translating by equipping nationals in their own languages, Dale
joined in the training. He actively encouraged translators to excel in their work,
approving their translation drafts for publication, and mentoring nationals
to follow him by becoming translator consultants. Dale now serves as a Seed
Company translation consultant in Nigeria while pursuing doctoral studies in
Bible translation.
The Hoskins Family (from left to right): Carl, Carol, Joel, Eric and Dale.
For more information on how you can help, please email Reyn and Doris Kamphuis,
[email protected] or Dale Hoskins, [email protected].
49
Wycliffe
Affiliate
The
Winklers
Their Amazing Year
M
issionary Partners Chris and Christie Winkler welcomed their third child
Josiah on February 4, 2014. Knowing that the Winkler family would be
visiting Church of the Palms in late June, members of the Missions
Committee hosted a Baby Shower on campus. Chris, Christie, Judah, Jovell, and
Josiah and Committee members along with our Senior Pastor Steve enjoyed being
with them and thanking Chris and Christie for their years of service in Nigeria.
The most important change for the Winklers this year was leaving Nigeria to
prepare for Chris’ new responsibility connected to Wycliffe USA in Orlando,
Florida. His calling was - Vice President for Advancement, which began during the
fall of 2014. His Advancement Team handles all aspects of fundraising for projects
related to Wycliffe Bible Translation. Therefore, Chris has the great privilege of
leading a team that is having a very direct impact on language communities not
only in Africa but all over the world.
Chris observed that he and Christie always knew that God could choose to relocate
them from serving overseas at any point, and he also mentioned “when God calls
us to leave a place and people we love, we must obey. His voice in the decisionmaking process has been evident - and though it has been clear that He has been
leading us to this new assignment and location, it’s also been made clear that our
call to support Bible translation largely through his (Chris’) administrative gifts
has remained the same.”
For the Winkler “prayer partners, they covet your intercession as they now walk
this new path that God has laid out before them;” for their financial partners,
Chris states “your investment remains critical for supporting Bible Translation.”
His salary remains the same now that their furlough has ended and Chris has
assumed his duties in Orlando; and they have had the joy of welcoming Josiah
nearly a year ago in 2014. Finally Chris and Christie “want all of you to know how
much your prayers mean to them.”
50
The Mission Partner Advocates for the Winklers are Reyn and Doris Kamphuis. They may be
reached at [email protected], 360-8474.
Wycliffe
Affiliate
Darcie Drymon
Field Solutions Champion / Seed Company
D
arcie Drymon reported in early November “there have been
so many things happening in the last days and months,
including a trip to Nigeria. For 5 weeks which began on
November 9, I have had the privilege of serving alongside about 30 national translators
and translation consultants in Jos, Nigeria. There is a need for me to help facilitate
workshops that teach them to utilize many of the new features of the translation
software. Please pray that my explanations will be clear, resulting in improvement
in the pace and quality of translations. There are over 500 languages in Nigeria and
more than 60 projects that are currently in progress toward completion. I will not
have consistent internet service while there but will try to send a few brief updates to
provide you with more specific requests for prayer.
“For those of you who might be worrying, Nigeria is Ebola free. In the Northeast
region there is unrest from the Boko Haram group, but I will reside in the middle of
the country on the Bible Translation Center’s secured campus, which is not near the
area of unrest. There is an experienced, knowledgeable, international team constantly
evaluating the situation in the region. If you have concerns, please ‘shoot’ me an
email; I would always love to talk with you about the area, the work, or anything else!
“ICC - Thanks for your prayers to finish well our summer Intercultural Communications
Course (ICC). Another 38 participants have developed their cross-cultural skills, but
more importantly both staff and participants have grown spiritually. We are all more
aware of our need to dig deeper in God’s Word and build our faith in Jesus who will
bring to completion His purposes for the nations.
“Your Phone - God’s Glory: A Hands-on Guide to Using your Mobile for Ministry
- It is wonderful to be able to share the birth of an exciting new hands-on guide
meant to enable Christians anywhere to pull their phone out of their pocket and start
using it for the glory of God. A group of us from the Mobile Ministry Forum wrote a
parable for short-term mission’s teams. In this guide, you will follow the journey of
Sara and Jose as they learn from their friend Ravi how to get ready for their upcoming
mission trip and join them as they realize how the mobile device they already own is
a powerful evangelism tool they can take overseas.
“Thanks so much for joining me in my ministry to reach the Bible-less. If you have
any prayer requests that I can bring to our Father on your behalf, I would be honored
to pray with and for you. The Word of God is alive and powerful!”
Mission Partner Advocates - Reyn and Doris Kamphuis: [email protected], 360-8474 and
Darcie Drymon: [email protected].
51
Jeanine Giuffrida
Youth With A Mission (YWAM)
“
Expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God.” Jeanine
reports that this quote is from William Carey, one of the fathers of our
modern missionary movement and is one of our mottos for this year’s
Discipleship Training School. She adds “We desire this out of a heart to love
Jesus without limit, to expect Him to reveal himself in
Truth by His Word and experientially, and to see His
“Your prayers
kingdom come through our lives as we allow ourselves
to be to Him do and say what He desires through us. are powerful
Jeanine states: “it’s hard to believe I have started my and effective!”
second year serving with YWAM here in England. As I
(James 5:16)
have come to realize over the past year, WYAM life runs
at a rather frenzied, and shall we say, lively pace. With a few short, but wonderful
weeks of rest and ‘recoup’ spent back in the States over the summer - connecting
with so many lovely friends and family, I now find myself back in the full swing of
a new year. I praise God for my incredible DTS (Discipleship Training School) staff
team from last year. Looking to this year, we’ve had some changes as one of our
staff’s commitment here in Derby was at an end, but we’ve added to our team an
inspiring, enthusiastic staff member from Cambridge who has been a joy to get
to know and work alongside.
52
The DTS staff and students share testimony of their encounters in the streets and parks of Bristol.
Normanton, the area of
Derby where the YWAM
House is located.
“God has been stretching me
as I’ve had more consistent
opportunities to lead our YWAM
base worship times together and
bring relevant teaching on worship
and prayer. I also enjoy leading
our morning devotions (we call
them ‘energizers’) with the DTS
staff and students. I am heading
up the administrative running of
the school as DTS school leader
and I try to keep up with all that
this entails. At times it’s an ever
present challenge to cram in
everything that needs doing!”
On the outreach front: “I am
thrilled to be working again with
our Roma youth in the city. I missed their bright, smiling faces over the past
couple months as I needed to take that time to step back and prepare for the
DTS and get our staff trained and ready. Our heart in continuing with this
ministry is to be role models and instill positive self worth and value and share
the love of Jesus practically and in word as we do activities, etc., on a weekly
basis.
“Another one I’m very excited about is working as a one-on-one mentor
at a school in a very deprived area with girls who come from very troubled
backgrounds. I will be receiving training for this and I am looking to start within
the next month or so. The aim is to empower these young girls to know they
are loved, cherished and full of worth. This is a new ministry that schools are
welcoming with open arms. Please pray for more people willing to mentor and
for these girls’ lives to be radically changed for good.” Derby, England.
Prayer Requests
• “Please pray for our students to encounter God in a meaningful and
life-changing way and that their transition to living in community
together and in a ‘foreign’ country would be smooth and quick.”
• “Please pray for for my time management skills to be more effective
and for the energy and vision and wisdom to lead well and do all
that God has placed in my heart this year.”
Mission Partner Advocate: Ray Angle, [email protected], (941) 351-1103; Jeanine
Giuffrida’s email is: [email protected].
53
PRESBYTERIAN
Missions
54
Bangladesh
Drs. Leslie & Cynthia Morgan
S
ince 1989, Drs. Les and Cindy Morgan have been
serving as Missionaries of the Presbyterian Church
(USA) in Bangladesh, home of the fourth largest
Muslim population in the world. In 1992 they helped the
PC (USA) establish a formal partnership with the Church of
Bangladesh (CoB), a denomination of over 20,000 members
in 103 congregations and since then have nurtured and helped
carry out the church’s health ministries. Christians make up
less than one half of 1% of the population of Bangladesh.
They advise and train workers for the health programs of
CoB, including health programs in five regions of the country,
two hospitals, and two nursing schools. They also regularly
advise the Christian Mission Hospital (CMH) in Rajshahi in
both hospital management and patient care. CMH is an 80bed facility and has a Nursing Institute offering a three-year,
government-certified training program for 75 students.
Besides advising on patient care at the bedside at CMH, Les
and Cindy care for patients in small community clinics in
various CoB program areas. Directly caring for patients gives
the Morgans firsthand knowledge of the health issues faced
by the people the church is called to serve.
An important part of the Morgans’ work is to nurture the
spiritual capacity of the CoB to carry out its health ministries
in the name of Christ. At St. Andrew’s Theological College in
Dhaka, Les teaches a weekly class on the Healing Ministry of
the Church. The class explores the physical, psychological,
social, environmental, and spiritual dimensions of health. It
helps prepare future church leaders to engage in these issues
with sound theological understanding. Cindy teaches a class
on Spiritual Formation. She leads quarterly spiritual retreats
for the students, and on occasion helps lead retreats for the
CoB clergy. The Morgans also lead retreats for the health
workers of the CoB to strengthen their capacity as servants
of Christ.
“Although
living in
Bangladesh
is definitely
a challenge,
opportunities
for service
abound. Here
we are blessed
to be able
to live out
our passion
- to embody
the loving
presence of
Christ for
those who
suffer.”
The Morgans have raised three children in Bangladesh. Their oldest, Laura, is
expecting her first child in November; and their youngest, Stewart, will be getting
married in August. They lost their middle child, Everett, to bone cancer in 2008.
Contact their Mission Partner Advocate Maxine Perry at [email protected], 349-3282. Les
and Cindy may be reached at www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionconnections/
morgan-leslie-and-cynthia/.
55
Northern Iraq/Kurdistan
Two Overseas Pastors
of the PC/USA
T
he Mission Committee hosted a potluck dinner for the two
Missionaries in the Campus Center - beginning with dinner at
6:00 p.m. followed by a program from about 6:30 p.m. - 8:00
p.m. - “Meeting the Missionaries” - featuring their messages for us;
then an update on the Iraqi Displaced Christian Relief situation,
followed by - questions and answers.
One missionary was a pastor in the USA for ten years. The two missionaries have
ministered together in Berlin, Germany from 1996-2010, when at the Invitation of
the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Iraq, they came to the northern
area in Iraq known as Kurdistan not only to witness Christ among the Kurdish
population, but also to stand alongside the many internally Displaced Persons
(IPDS) or refugees. The 2013 Mission Matters stated - “Because of war, terrorism,
and violence, many Christians, especially indigenous Iraqi Presbyterians, are
fleeing from elsewhere in Iraq for the safety of the Kurdish region.” Now - as of
this summer and especially in August, Kurdistan and Northern Iraq have become
battle zones - with ISIS “committing mass atrocities with astonishing ferocity.”
(Time Magazine, August 25th) Over 500,000 refugees have already fled in midAugust into Erbil and other cities in Kurdistan.
The Missionaries serve in the northwest autonomous province of Kurdistan.
They witnessed in October 2013 the ordination of a dear friend - as the first
Kurdish woman in the world to be ordained as a Christian pastor! They also enjoy
attending the annual conference in Northwestern Pennsylvania and a year ago,
their supervisor from the Iraqi Presbyterian Church (Kirkuk Presbyterian Church founded in 1930 by the missionary parents of Carol Haeussner) was able to be with
them and their like-minded Presbyterians at one of their favorite places on earth,
the week-long New Wilmington Mission Conference (NWMC) on the campus of
Westminster College (Pastor Steve’s undergraduate Alma Mater).
56
They mention in their Advent
2013 prayer letter: “Joy of joys,
the NWMC Board of Directors
chose their ministry for sending
the prayerfully and carefully
selected Summer Service Team
(SST) of 8 young adults to serve
along with them next summer.
What a great honor for us!”
The Summer Service Team
of 8 and their 2 Chaperones
(Fuller Seminary grads) worked
with the Missionaries from
June 3-July 15, 2014, and they arrived back home in time to speak and answer
questions during the Conference - again on the campus of Westminster College.
The Missionaries were the honored guests and spoke to the nearly 2,000 at the
meetings. (More than 800 registrants from 31 states and 19 countries; more than
1,000 locals)
COP Mission Committee members Charlie and Carol Haeussner have attended
three of these meetings and to their regret, they missed hearing the Missionaries
but learned a great deal from the student speakers.
The 5 young women and 3 young men selected for volunteer service arrived in
Kurdistan during the same time frame that ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria)
invaded Iraq occupying much of the territory from the northwest towards Baghdad.
While there, they worked with the Missionaries on such projects as - setting up two
English Summer Camps for Kurdish youth. They also worked in a nearby refugee
camp that houses over 65,000 Kurdish refugees who had fled the violence in Syria,
and helped set up a children’s Reading Room at the Camp - with over 800 books
that they had brought with them.
The students reported that they felt fairly safe earlier this summer because the
Kurdish Regional Army or Peshmerga was protecting the border with the ISIS
occupied portion of Iraq. The Peshmerga also was protecting the oil rich city of
Kirkuk.
During this same time, ISIS expelled all the remaining Christians from Mosul - the
second largest city in Iraq and home to Christians for over 2000 years. In 2003
there were 60,000 Christians in Mosul with 35 churches and monasteries. The
students were able to interact with four elderly refugee sisters who had fled their
home in Mosul in June amidst gunfire, rockets, and bodies in the streets. The four
women told the students the horror of fleeing with only the clothing on their backs
and what it feels like - now that they are refugees with little hope for anything
better in the future.
Feel free to contact Mission Partner Advocates Reyn and Doris Kamphuis at 360-8474 or
[email protected]
57
Mediterranean Region
Missionary - Student Ministry
O
ur PC/USA missionary serves on a leadership team of a local church
and Pioneering Student Ministry. The focus of this missionary’s ministry
is to support and mentor people with leadership responsibilities. The
missionary also assists the youth ministry and co-leads the prayer mobilization
ministry. The other half of our missionary’s time is devoted to working with a team
to pioneer a student ministry by encouraging and discipleship training students.
Together with the students, they reach out to non-believing students. The goal of
this ministry is to create a vibrant, evangelical, indigenously led student movement.
The latest news from our missionary reports on the International Culture Exchange,
which took place last summer. Students from England, America, and the Eastern
Mediterranean area are participating. There were times for recreation, practicing
English, sharing cultures, and this year they also had some interactive sessions.
During the first week, these students worked in small groups to create a collage
of world problems. They also created a word poster about social problems in their
countries, and drew/painted a picture depicting the most common problems
that arise in families. The second week provided opportunities to discuss and do
activities related to how they wanted to make change in their communities and in
their relationships.
Due to safety concerns, the exact location where our missionary serves is not given,
but our PC/USA missionary greatly appreciates your prayers of encouragement
and safety. And also for the power of God to continue in the region and city that
this missionary serves.
Mission Partner Advocate, Wayne Kindt, may be contacted at 342-6494 or [email protected].
58
Kirkuk
Presbyterian
Church
Kindergarten & Primary School
T
he Kirkuk Presbyterian Church and its Good News Kindergarten have
recently completed the purchase of a building which they are renovating
and developing into a Presbyterian Church Primary School. The pastor
of the Kirkuk Presbyterian Church keeps in contact with the Church of the
Palms through its Mission Partner Advocates Charles and Carol Haeussner. He
has sent them the photos you see here of the Good News Kindergarten and the
renovated building, which will be used for the primary school.
The Kirkuk Church wants us to know how much they appreciate our prayers
and our gifts for the new school development. The Good News Kindergarten,
which was started in 2004, now has an enrollment of 360 students. Over 95%
of these students come from non-Christian families. Because the parents of
these kindergarten students have seen the positive influence that the Christian
kindergarten is having on their children, they are asking the Kirkuk Presbyterian
Church to develop a primary school for grades 1 through 6. Then their children
may continue their education in a Christian School. The local government has
given permission to the Kirkuk Church to open the primary school, but they are
asking that the school add 4 more classrooms and a kitchen before opening it.
The school also hopes to add a classroom for special needs children, and they
will need a bus to drive these children to and from school. Additional funds are
needed for these projects.
It is our hope and prayer that the good work for Christ in the Good News
Kindergarten will be able to continue in the primary school planned to open
in the fall of 2014.
Charlie and Carol Haeussner may be contacted at [email protected].
59
Cedarkirk Camp
& Conference
Center
T
he mission of the Cedarkirk Camp and Conference Center is to be a
place apart to build up the body of Christ in love. To that end, Cedarkirk
offers meaningful programs, unique retreat opportunities, and a
continued commitment to being a place apart.
Cedarkirk is operated jointly by the Presbyteries of Tampa Bay and Peace
River, with a location on the Alafia River, some 30 some miles southwest of
Tampa and in 170 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and uplands. Its year-round
camp and conference center are dedicated to providing a place for individuals
and groups to have the opportunity for spiritual renewal and growth in a
natural environment. The entire setting is a place free of distractions, where
conversation around the dinner table, canoe trips on the river, and walks in the
woods revive and feed your spirit.
Through out the year, Cedarkirk provides programs for children of all ages a summer camp for 1,000 children and youth Confirmation Retreats. There
are also Senior Adult Retreats, a Spring Bash, the Mission Encounter, the
Shepherds’ Sabbath for church professionals, Family Retreats, the Christmas
International House and much more.
The summer camp program has become a tremendous instrument of
evangelism. At Cedarkirk, all campers learn the importance of Christian
community, what it means to be claimed and called by God, and that our triune
God loves them and is active in their lives. In Cedarkirk’s Challenge to Change
mission program, participants answer God’s call to love their neighbor in
concrete ways. Cedarkirk continues to have an eye towards the future and will
always be a special place apart where groups can come on retreat for study, for
fellowship, for worship, and for the opportunity to encounter God in new ways.
Because a Church of the Palms Middle School and/or the 3rd-5th graders
take part in a program at Cedarkirk each summer, we think members of the
congregation should be aware of our direct connection to the Cedarkirk Camp
and Conference Center. Listed below is the name of our Director of Student
Ministries and how to reach him.
60
For more information, please feel free to contact Cedarkirk’s Director Rev. John Reiter via
email at [email protected] or 813-685-4224; Mission Partner Advocate Wayne Kindt:
[email protected], 342-6494; and Jeff McCauley, COP Director of Student Ministries:
[email protected], 924-1323 ext 207.
Mision Peniel
O
n October 1, 2013, the Peace River Presbytery assumed full
responsibility for Mision Peniel – as it is known to local farm workers
- and welcomed to its staff the Rev. Miguel Estrada as Presbytery
Evangelist for Immokalee (90 some miles south of Sarasota). Before this
important appointment, Pastor Estrada had been viewed by many of the
workers as their “pastor” because he leads several weekly worship services
and Bible Studies, has a popular radio show on the CIM radio station, provides
pastoral care and has a “ministry of presence” with the farm community.
Executive Pastor, Dr. Bruce Hedgepeth, is COP’s representative in the planning
for this important new effort, which involves a sizable number of Peace River
Presbytery congregations. Given COP’s previous support of this mission –
known to us as Mission Peniel - and this new and very promising arrangement,
we expect to continue to provide some support for Pastor Estrada’s efforts,
which will Improve in significant ways the lives of these migrant farm workers
and their families.
Pastor Bruce stands ready to discuss COP’s role with members of the congregation. He may
be reached at [email protected], 924-1323.
61
Beth-El Farmworker
Ministry (Wimauma)
Rev. Dave Moore
B
eth-El helps farm workers achieve selfsufficiency by providing opportunities to
worship, offering extensive educational
programs and many other services to help
basic needs. The worshipping congregation
numbers about 160 throughout the year and
has Women’s, Men’s and Youth group activities.
Each Tuesday evening a prayer service is held.
On October 1, 2013, Mission Peniel in Immokalee made a smooth
transition between Beth-El and Peace River, as the Presbytery
assumed full responsibility for this Ministry. Beth-El launched this
outreach in 2006. In the fall of 2008, the Beth-El Farmworker Ministry began
their second outreach Ministry in Arcadia. Each week outreach is provided on
Thursdays in partnership with FPC (First Presbyterian Church), Arcadia and a
Sunday afternoon worship at the same location. In late summer of 2010 they
started their third extension Ministry in Ft. Meade, in partnership with FPC
and Ft. Meade. They travel there each Thursday to provide food and clothing to
community members.
As this Spotlight was being prepared for the church service bulletin on December
28, we received very sad news about another break-in, which is now shared with
all of you with the hope that some of you may be able to help Beth-EL.
“One year, to the very same day (12/17), another break-in occurred and an
attempt made to steal our van. Last year the van was stolen and totaled, this
year just one window in our large box truck was broken. Our insurance is $500
deductible on the van ….it will be towed to a repair facility today for estimate
and repair.
“Inside the mission, five flat screen TV’s were taken along with the mounts on
most. Two laptops were stolen, one from the sanctuary that is used to project
to the screen for worship. Also Rev. Chuquimia’s was taken from his office.
Classroom doors were kicked in to gain access.
“Our deductible for property is $2500. In adding up the value of items stolen it
comes to $2499, so we will not be filing a claim with Church Mutual.
62
“Our video captured three young Hispanic males inside the building and in the
van. They entered about 11:30pm Tuesday night. A deputy, a detective, and the
Hillsborough County Crime Unit were here for most of the morning yesterday.
The ‘CSI:Wimauma’ team took many items of evidence, dusted for prints, and
will do DNA testing on evidence taken by them.
“We will provide the video to the sheriff and hopefully through their investigation,
they will be able to arrest those involved. We provided them a description, based
on the video, of an individual who lives next to the individual who was arrested
for the van theft last year. They live within a mile of Beth-El.
“This is a recap of what we know to date. As always keep Beth-El in your prayers.”
“Advent blessings to all” from Rev. Dave Moore, Executive Director, Beth-El
Farmworker Ministry, Inc. P.O. Box 860, Mimauma, FL 33598 (813) 633-1548. He is
aware that this Spotlight, which had already been prepared, was brought up to
date and will still appear on Sunday, December 28, 2014 so that everyone at COP
will be aware of this latest and very sad news.
Donations are welcomed right now to help with getting all items repaired or
replaced. Donations are always welcomed for clothing and canned goods, rice,
and pinto beans. God Bless all of you and thanks for your financial support.
For more information, please feel free to contact Rev. Dave Moore, Executive Director, by phone as
listed above or by email [email protected] and Mission Partner Advocate Wayne Kindt, 342-6494
or [email protected].
63
Church of the Pa ms
a community of faith . . . a way of life
3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota, FL 34239 • Ph (941) 924-1323
Fax (941) 923-9594 • www.churchofthepalms.org

Spotlight on - Church of the Palms

Transcription

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