Everyone has a story. Here’s mine. I grew up in a college town in Pennsylvania and attended a fairly homogenous elementary school. Two parents (who will celebrate 45 years of marriage next month) and one younger sister made for a traditional suburban existence. In high school my father’s job took us to Massachusetts where I attended a small high school in a blue-collar factory town. God had uprooted me and was up to something—I just didn’t know Him yet. I went to church every Sunday, and asked Him into my heart in the 5^th grade…but I still didn’t really know Him.

I attended one of the most liberal colleges on the East Coast, The University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In close proximity to Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and Hampshire Colleges the environment was ‘politically correct,’ ‘inclusive,’ and ‘liberal.’ I found Jesus there. I completed a Campus Crusade for Christ survey at the dining hall after marching band practice. Okay, now God could really get started—I was surrendered!

The Law Street Journal shared this image. A woman watches her neighborhood change before her very eyes.

The summer before my senior year I felt led to participate in one of Crusade’s summer mission trips. I was studying education, and wanted to do something to impact the lives of children, children living in poverty to be specific. Here’s Life Inner City offered several opportunities and being the adventurous type, I decided that Los Angeles would be the most outrageous choice. I signed up and started raising support. In late April the Riots happened and the nation watched a city in distress. In May I got on a plane and landed at LAX to live in South Central for two months. (Note: this should give you an indication that I am not averse to risk-taking). That summer changed my life.

The principles I learned from John Perkins, Wayne Dawson and Robert Lupton (and most recently Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert) still challenge me to live a life surrendered to God’s heart for the urban core and those who live in it. Next week I’ll share a bit about what that meant for me and my faith journey—and then we’ll start digging into some of the principles I have found most impactful from Lupton’s most recent book Toxic Charity. I’m looking forward to your comments and input as we talk about the role of local churches and ministries in the lives of the poor.

Posted in Volunteering & Community Development
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How can we translate aspects of our career and jobs in  working American,Church Administration and  ministry  into serving outside of our parameters?

Our Guest Blogger for this week is Amanda N.Jackson of Current Connections Consulting.

In defining the relationship of the Church and the community, I am reminded of stewardship. God’s first commandment to man was in Genesis 1: 28, “And God said unto them…take heed to the Land and oversee every living thing in the Garden of Eden.” Sure God meant, in the literal sense to roam and take care of the Earth, but is there perhaps figurative meaning?

Some church goers draw a line between religion and other aspects of life, civic responsibilities in particular, and restrict Christianity to what happens in Church  Sunday School, Sunday worship, in Bible Studies and Prayer meetings, to acts of charity and to the necessary transaction of church business.

Christ commissioned us to make disciples and bring new sheep into the fold. That work is easier when those we reach out to can consider their spirituality in every act of life.

- Amanda N. Jackson of Current Connections Consulting.

This transitions us out of the perceived lines of business and our religion and  the mentality of not intermixing the two. As businessmen and church staff members we must open our minds to what we can do to serve the community outside of our perceived job descriptions. Stewardship is about us taking care of everything that God has blessed us with.

As quoted by Amanda in Genesis 1:28, “God has blessed us with dominion over the land and all it’s inhabitants.” God has given dominion to us not man. Man has set parameters to our responsibilities but we can’t allow our parameters to limit us from fulfilling our God given authority to draw men unto him.

Posted in Business & Administration Serving, Uncategorized
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Remember back to when you were in school.  There was the routine of getting up at the same time every morning, eating the same cold cereal, finding the same seat on the bus, sitting in the same desk in each classroom, having lunch at the same table, knowing the bell was going to ring at the same time throughout the day, listening to the teachers teach the same subjects in the same order for days on end.  Do you remember asking “Why do I ever need to need to know ___________? I will never use this in the real world.”

Now remember those very few days a year that were announced “We are going on a field trip next week!” Everyone goes into a frenzy for simply the thought of something different to do.  An uncontained buzz of excitement, high fives, and laughter fill the room.  There is so much excitement that you can’t even hear yourself think.  You even see a little smile emerge on the teacher’s face for the frenzy she just caused.  You don’t get to linger in this moment for very long, as the teach calls order back to the room.  You think, “Oh yeah, she hasn’t even told use where we are going” (although that doesn’t really matter, you are just ready to get out of school).  She announces where you are going and begins to explain the purpose behind the real life application of what you have been learning for weeks. You aren’t listening to much of what is being said as you have already begun in your mind the anticipation of “the field trip”.

Your attitude changes for the whole week in expectation of the field trip.  You rush home thrilled to tell your parents what was announced in school that day and to ask them to sign your permission slip.  You have conversations with friends on who will be who’s “buddy” that day.  You even begin to think about what your mom might pack for lunch that day.

On the day of the field trip your entire routine is thrown out the window and there is a carefreeness (I don’t think that is a word) about life, even if just for a day.  Your day started the same with the alarm clock going off, but there is pep in your step.  You don’t eat the same breakfast; instead you opt for something warm.  You don’t sit on the same seat on the bus on the way to school, because you sit with who is going to be your “buddy” on the field trip.  Instead of hearing the same bells ringing, you hear the same energizing buzz (all day long) that you heard when the teacher announced the field trip.en begin to think about what your mom might pack for lunch that day.

And here comes the thing you were never anticipated to happen . . . you learned why you were being taught ________ and how it is used in the real world.  Minds are opened, lights come on, and purposes are found when you get out of the everyday routine.

Posted in Missions & Outreach, Uncategorized
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I wanted to share an inspirational story with you today about how an ordinary young American woman acted out of simple obedience to God’s Word, and He is using her to change lives and provide hope in Uganda.

This young woman is Katie Davis.  She regularly posts to her blog:  “Kisses from Katie“.  Many of us in the church often think that someone like Katie is something “Super Special” or has received a special calling, and yet when you watch her short video about her life in Uganda she has a very poignant responses to that question.  Check it out here:

“Kisses From Katie”

Let’s take just a few moments to be inspired today to live simply for others as we are called by Christ!

Matthew 22 verses 37-40 says:

“Jesus answered:  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Bless others today as you would like to be blessed.

-Jason

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The holiday season should be a time of joy – a time to be thankful

for God’s blessings and to share those blessings with others. Yet

for many of those in ministry, the holidays are a hectic time of

year. There is so much need and we are so busy trying to rally

people and resources to meet those needs, that we can find it

difficult to slow down enough to enjoy the season.

A significant joy and time “sapper” for churches and ministries

during the holidays is the challenge of recruiting and managing

volunteers. Traditional methods of communicating needs, taking

sign-ups, handling cancellations, and determining who-did-what

are far too labor intensive. But there is now a way to do all of

those with much less effort, while also getting much better

results.

Let’s examine the traditional methods for the 5 Steps of Volunteer

Recruiting and Management and compare to the brand new

methods that are now (finally!) available for each of those 5 Steps

through Meet The Need.  Read More . . .

Posted in Missions & Outreach, Volunteering & Community Development
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No PATHS lead to God.  There, we started this blog off with a bang!  Most world religions teach that whatever religion we follow, they’re all essentially the same.  There may be a few differences here and there in the rules and regulations we should follow along the way, but all agree that the key is to just keep climbing that mountain.

But what if God is not at the top of that mountain.  What if all those religious activities we do get us all the way up to the top, only to find out we’re no closer to God.

One of the most troubling verses in the Bible for many people is Matthew 7:22-23 says, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

What went wrong?  Didn’t they do enough for God?  The problem is we can’t get closer to God through anything we do.  Until we understand the depth of our depravity, that our hearts are inherently far from God, and that we are lost, we will never learn to appreciate the incredible price Jesus paid in taking on all of our sin.

Without that understanding, we can’t experience true brokeness.  Without brokeness, we will likely miss God’s greatest desire for us…absolute surrender.  Short of that, we’re just doing religion.

God is not at the top of the mountain.  He came down to us.  No paths lead to God.

No one can do enough to earn their way into His presence…God did not overestimate the cost required for humans to be reconciled with Him when He sent His Son to die for us.

Meet The Need was established to reach those individuals with that message…we can’t save ourselves and we don’t have to.  We need a Savior and we have a Savior, and it is Jesus Christ!

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In King David’s darkest and chaotic moments of his life he pinned these words, Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalms 51:10).  You see God spoke the world into existence, and God spoke you into your mother’s womb. Even now, God wants to speak into the chaos and confusion of your life to bring it shape and form. 

This is what I call a Genesis event. It’s when God speaks into the void and the darkness of your life, creating for you a new beginning and a fresh start.  Did you know God can create something from nothing; He can take a heart that is broken, impure, or failed and create a heart that is whole, pure, and purposeful. God created you to soar, so He takes an active role in creating your new heart, and bringing order to the chaos of your life.  We have one responsibility in tough times; surrender to His sovereignty, humble ourselves before Him, and ask for His help.

Let God speak a Genesis moment into your heart and into the circumstances of your life. Let me encourage you never forget,  “everything that you have–right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—all of it comes from God by way of Jesus Christ”.  Our genesis experience is a result of allowing God to renew in each of us a firm and focused spirit no longer chaotic or moved by events, circumstances, or feelings. When God speaks even in our chaos we experience a new energy, new enthusiasms, and fresh passions.  With that in mind let’s live His life out loud…

author: Pastor Joe Saragusa, The Crossing Church

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In our sermon series in the last few weeks at church, my Pastor has been referring often to Ephesians 3:20 “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” I have thought about the part that says, “accomplish more than we might ask or think”. But I now see the part that says, “through his mighty power at work within us”. Within us… Within us!!!

Of course I have known that, God, is able to work within us. This isn’t the first time I have heard this message or viewed this scripture. Maybe not even the 20^th time I have heard it. But isn’t it amazing how God can suddenly take something that we know and spark it into something new? That verse says that God is able to work mightily more than we might ask or think through us! Not just some unknown character, He means you and me! We are God’s mighty plan for shining His light into this world. We are God’s mighty plan for making a difference in our homes, neighborhoods, churches, cities, counties, states, countries, and this world. I would love to hear about how God is working through you. We all have a story and by sharing that story, we encourage others. Post your thoughts on our Facebook page, Twitter, or email us: admin@meettheneed.org .

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 7.  Have breakfast in bed – together – serve one another.

 6.  Go on a picnic in the park – pick up litter that you see.

 5.  Walk through your neighborhood  - return trash cans, newspapers, etc. – talk to your neighbors.

 4.  Organize your garage – donate unneeded items to a family or ministry through meettheneed.org

 3.  Clean out your pantry/cabinets – donate food and toiletries to a family or ministry in need - go to meettheneed.org

 2.  Sort through your closets – donate outgrown clothes to a family or ministry in need – go to meettheneed.org

 1.   Sign up as a family to serve others – together – visit meettheneed.org to search community volunteer needs

Through it all, praise God for the blessings you have and pray for those who are less fortunate.

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Do you need encouragement today? Is something weighing you down? Know that God’s love is surrounding you no matter what your circumstance. He is faithful and just. He is the ultimate healer and everything is perfect in His time. My friend, Laurie, has some great words that she shared with me. My hope is that this blesses you where you are and that you would keep moving forward. God is with you!

“Everything you are going through, all you are dealing with, has one ultimate purpose: that you may know and love of God and live in the light of His extravagant and more-than-equate grace. You were born for an intimate relationship with God. That is the purpose of your existence. And when you discover that, you’ll experience an abiding contentment.”

Philippians 3:8. “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”

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