March 2016 - ESA Love Inc
Transcription
March 2016 - ESA Love Inc
ESA Love INC Love In the Name of Christ March 2016 Helping Churches Help People es and individuals to transf ian church “The mission of ESA/Love INC is to mobilize Christ ” in the name of Christ. lives and communities or m From the desk of Alan Doswald... A Challenge to Followers of Christ ... to follow the Word instead of the World God’s plan is that followers of Jesus would make a difference in their world. The question is, are we just believers or are we followers of Christ. If we’re followers, then we’re sheep that are following our Good Shepherd. We need the Lord to lead us or we are in great peril and so are those that we could minister to. Others need to know there is a shepherd they can follow. Jesus called us salt and light, both of which make a difference. James says that we are to be doers of the Word, not just hearers. I believe the church is the greatest hope for our city. It is the only group that has what it takes to change a city. It’s also the largest group in our city, by far. No other company has 500 offices and 100,000 employees in Fresno/Clovis. (I wrote an article about this in Christianity Today magazine, see our website, esali.org) The church is to be a rescue station for the lost. We must reach out to others and extend God’s love and grace to them, just like someone did for us. In Mark 12:28-31 Jesus said that His most important command was to love God, and the second was to love our neighbors as ourselves. Then He said that there is no commandment greater than these. Let’s ask our Lord who He wants us to reach out to. We know He wants us to love our neighbors (“near ones”). Let’s love them and share the Good News with them, as the Lord leads us. He does not want anyone to perish (2Peter 3:9). Let’s love others at their point of need, like Jesus did. Let’s use our gifts and abilities to serve others. 1Peter 4:10 says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” This is what ESA/Love INC is all about. Are you influencing the world or is the world influencing you? Who are you following? Who is your Shepherd? The Mission of ESA is to mobilize Christian churches and individuals to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ. Let’s do it! Please contact me if we can help you, your small group or your church to make a difference. (559) 244-0105 or [email protected] If you believe in the ministry of ESA/Love INC... would you consider helping us financially? We can use your financial support at this time. Giving is always down during the first few months of the year. We’ve enclosed a return envelope for you to use, if you can help. Thanks! (Checks can be made to “ESA”). In the Love INC Clearinghouse we connect people in need with Christians that care. Practical acts of service: Love INC Love INC is a network of caring churches and ministries that uses a clearinghouse strategy to assist people in need. We had a client call because her wall heater wasn’t working. She’s raising her 1 year old grandson and was trying to get by with using space heaters. Not only did it raise her PG&E bill, but it was very dangerous with a 1 year old. Love INC was able to find a Christian repairman who went out and was able to fix the problem at a discounted price. We work with many Christian business people who have greatly blessed us by sharing their skills. Love INC also found a church with a children’s ministry for her to attend. Getting Back to Work: Love INC received a call from a young man who needed $75 to renew his home improvement license. He was trying to get back on his feet after a series of setbacks. Having this license would allow him to get back to work. We thank God for the many churches who support Love INC crisis fund. It enabled us to pay the $75 fee. With encouragement and prayer this young man is getting his life back on track. Partnering with Churches: A call came in to Love INC from a young lady who had been accepted into the nursing program at Fresno City College. She had been scrambling around trying to get money for her books which were quite expensive. She also needed to buy uniforms and shoes to be able to start the program. We were able to partner with College Church of Christ and Campus Bible Church to get her books, uniforms and shoes. This help allowed a young mother with 3 children to take steps to become self-sufficient. Some of the volunteers that make this possible “I retired and was so looking forward to doing God’s work. I had been working in the church for many years and looked forward to serving here at Love in the Name of Christ.” Sue - from Yosemite Lakes Community Church “I saw a flier in our Sunday bulletin asking for volunteers for ESA/Love INC. I immediately called on Monday and started right away. I have been serving as a receptionist one day a week and in the Love INC Clearinghouse one day of the week while I am going to school”. Marva - Fresno First Baptist Church Can we help? If you know someone that has a need and does not attend a church, you can have them call the Love INC Clearinghouse at 224-9599. Loving (Loving OurOur Neighbors heart) Neighbors A movement of churches and Christians in Fresno and Clovis to mobilize and equip their people to intentionally love their Paul Haroutunian, Loving our Neighbors Program Director neighbors, where they live, work and go Paul Haroutunian, Loving our Neighbors Program Director to school, by praying, caring and sharing the Gospel. Why it is imperative that we love our neighbors. Alan and I just returned from a very encouraging conference on Loving Your Neighbors, called theinU.S. have left butFebruary. not left their faith in God. They Why it is imperative that we love our neighbors.Collective, Neighborhood Colorado thethe lastchurch, week of are referred to as “Dones”. These are Christian men and women Alan and I just returned from a very encouraging conference on who have chosen to leave the church, they feel among other Loving Your Neighbors, called the Neighborhood Collective, in very encouraging and challenging things because We learned some about neighboring: reasons that it stifled their faith. Neighboring can help us combat Colorado the last week of February. • It’s simple, but it’s not easy. this, as it encourages us to get involved in people’s lives around us. • It’s exciting, but messy. We learned some very encouraging and challenging things about Then as the Spirit leads us, “Share the hope that is within us.” • It’s very effective, but it takes time neighboring: • It may be the best wayI to a world is generally in coming to church wasreach also stuck by that the comment of not oneinterested of the conveners, Pastor • It’s simple, but it’s not easy. • It is something that everyone can be involved in – we all have neighbors. Tom Anthony, (on the staff of Max Lucado’s church) spoken to an • It’s exciting, but messy. • It is one of the basic commands Jesus… “to lovehis our neighbor unchurchedofperson regarding church. He as saidourselves.” that almost every • It’s very effective, but it takes time church in America is trying to get you to come to us. We are trying • It may be the best way to reach a world that is generally not I was struck in a fresh way by how neighboring us The connect with outside of the to encourage our people tocan go help to you. person wasthose interested. interested in coming to church. opening • It is something that everyone can be involved in – we allspeaker have Dr. Josh Packard, from the University of Northern Colorado, shared some sta That’s I want to beinathe partU.S. of, ahave group ofthe people that isbut reaching neighbors. recent Gallup poll, on how 35what million people left church, not left their the unchurched around us, as we pray, are led by the Holy Spirit, and to lea • It is one of the basic commands of Jesus… “to They love our areneighbor referred to as “Dones”. These are Christian men and women who have chosen share both the gospel and our lives, that people would come to know as ourselves.” because they feel among other reasons that it stifled their faith. Neighboring can help us com Jesus. It will take longer than we want, but I think it will have more encourages us to get involved in people's lives around us. Then as the Spirit leads us, “Share lasting fruit. Will you join us? We have resources that can help you I was struck in a fresh way by how neighboring can help us connect within us.” and your church become more effective in the art of neighboring. with those outside of the church. Our opening speaker Dr. Josh Contact Paul at 244-0105 for more information. Packard, from the University of Northern Colorado, shared some I was also stuck by the comment of one of the conveners, Pastor Tom Anthony,(on the staff o statistics, from a recent Gallup poll, on how 35 million people in church) spoken to an unchurched person regarding his church. He said that almost every chu trying to get you to come us, we tryingtoto“Go encourage our people to goand to you. he to ordered hisare servants out at once into the streets lanes The pers of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and Disability That’s what I want to belame.” a partJesus of, atotally groupupset of people thatnorms is reaching the unchurched the social by insisting the ‘not so around u are led by the Holy Spirit, and share both the gospel and our lives, that people would come to beautiful people’ be invited. Do our Churches reflect that concern Ministries will take longer than weofwant, Jesus?but I think it will have more lasting fruit. Will join us? We have Rick Eastin is our Disability can help you and your church become more effective in the art of neighboring. Contact Paul a Ministry Specialist that serves with A recent search regarding the sweeping disabilities access more information. Joni and Friends. He has struggled laws, “Americans with Disabilities Act” (ADA), hurt deeply! I was with Cerebral Palsy since birth. hoping to find that some of the authors of that historic 1990 law were motivated by faith in Christ. I found no evidence for this. A further search of this history of the law did, however, mention ‘religious institutions’. They were exempt from making Church buildings accessible to wheelchairs, or people affected by other disabilities! Bring Them In! by Rick Eastin In Old Testament temple worship, the physically disabled were specifically excluded; Leviticus 21:18 instructed the Priests about the ‘right’ worshippers; “For no one who has a defect shall approach: a blind man, or a lame man, or he who has a disfigured face, or any deformed limb, or a hunchback or a dwarf…” Unless you were able bodied, don’t even show up! That’s why it was so shocking in Luke 14 when Jesus told the story of the man who gave a banquet and, when the ‘right’ people refused to come, Jesus says include the disabled and the law says include the disabled. Certainly many Churches include people affected by disabilities and we should do all we can to welcome them, like Jesus did. Will you join with me to ‘bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame’? Why? In Jesus’ story the clincher was this; ‘that my house may be full’! My heart longs for His House to be full like the man’s banquet. For more information contact Rick Eastin 244-0105 ESA Notice: Everyone who would like to receive this newsletter may do so, but if you choose not to, please notify ESA. Love INC NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID FRESNO, CA PERMIT NO. 2439 Love In the Name of Christ Helping Churches Help People RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Evangelicals for Social Action/Fresno, Inc. 1300 East Shaw #136 Fresno, CA 93710-7903 Back Page Left Side-top is great Bottom - keep but under Board write Welcome to our newest Board member, Moises Garcia, Pastor o (on the list of board members, add Moises Garcia) Right Side ESA Love INC Love In the Name of Christ Helping Churches Help People ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE ESA/Love INC 1300 East Shaw Avenue, #136 Fresno, CA 93710-7903 Phone: 559-244-0105 Fax: 559-244-0114 www.esali.org MINISTRIES AND NETWORKS OF ESA INCLUDE: Love INC Citybuilders’ Roundtable Missions Network Loving Our Neighbors BOARD Welcome to our newest Board member, Moises Garcia, Pastor of El Puente at the Bridge Church. Rick Arii Shirley Barber Paul Binion Matt Cook Alan Doswald Moises Garcia Verna Hagemier Rod Lowery Bruce McAlister Mitt Moua Jim Tienken Jameson White Bob Willis MEMBER Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability of ESA (bottom to top) The Staff of ESA (leftThe toStaff right) Paul Haroutunian (Loving Our Neighbors Program Director), Karen Hodge (Office Paul Administrator), Haroutunian (Loving Our Neighbors Project Director), Alan Doswald (Executive Director), Rick Eastin (Disability Ministry Karen Specialist), Eve Hibner (Love INC Clearinghouse Coordinator), Joann Pummill Doswald (Executive Director), Rick Eastin (Disability Ministry Spe (Bookkeeper), Paula Faulkner (Love INC Clearinghouse Coordinator), Jan Fayle (Executive Assistant) Clearinghouse Coordinator), Joann Pummill (Bookkeeper), Paula Coordinator), Jan Fayle (Executive Assistant) ____________________________________________________ NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, MAY 5TH, 2016 (Drop - Weekly 7am,Pastor's Fresno PrayerPrayer) Walk - Fresno City Hall Noon, Clovis City Hall - 1033 5th St. ____________________________________________________ 6pm, Fresno Cornerstone Church (Fulton & Stanislaus) Can you help ESA?