Resourcing the under-resourced

Connie Benchoff conducts ministry to our neighbors. One ministry she serves in is the Hand to Hand ministry where tangible donations can be given to help the under-resourced in our community.

Connie takes donations from our congregation and from around the county to give to the under-resourced. in the pictures below, she was able to bless D. Thanks to Jim Hawkins for his donation of a TV and my friend Paula who donated a bed for D.!

In Connie's words, "Praise HIM for continuing to use Sowing Hope & Hand to Hand to minister to under resourced people at the Towers. :-)"

May God use our resources to serve our neighbors, amen!

Who says we don't have fun?

As I pray for every family to reach each neighborhood for Christ, I need a theme song to keep me going. In fact, "I need to take grace to the da neighborhood." I praise God for creative ministers who have fun and who seek to exhort and to encourage everyone to move forward in reaching out to our neighbors. You can reach out. Take to heart what the song is saying--you can take God's grace to your neighbors. Just go out your door and go over and say hello. Start with being friendly.

For those who want a hymn to ignite their motivation, listen to "We've a story to tell to the nations." Since 1896 this anthem has catalyze many Christ-followers to reach out to their neighbors. The lyrics of the third verse and refrain are provided below the video for you to sing with the tune. Henry Ernest Nichols wrote this hymn at a time when Sunday School was the weekly habit of most people in England and the United States. It is ironic that this song emerges at the same time that the modern Olympic games began in Greece.



GRACE In The Neighborhood (2008)




We've a Story To Tell to the Nations (1896)



Lyrics (from hymnsite.com):
We've a message to give to the nations, that the Lord who reigneth above hath sent us his Son to save us, and show us that God is love, and show us that God is love.

(Refrain)

For the darkness shall turn to dawning, and the dawning to noonday bright; and Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth, the kingdom of love and light.

Grace in the Neighborhood

photo by anyalogic











Wooster Grace is about mission--reaching out to the hurting, reaching out to our neighbors, reaching out even with our feelings of inadequacy. With God's help, we can reach out because people matter to God. People matter to us!

One great moment this summer is our high school ministry team serving the children of Sowing Hope. Check out this great short video

You can make a difference one moment and one person at a time. Ask God to use your everyday routines and pathways to discover how you can share God's love in a real way with someone else. You can step out of your comfort zone and maybe begin a new friendship or initiate a new relationship with someone on your life pathways. One song that exemplifies this truth is Everyman by Casting Crowns.

There is hope for everyman! You can bring hope to everyperson on your path today and everyday.

As the opening lyrics state that God's hope and love can be shared with so many people around you and I. I trust you can begin asking God which one to speak to this week so that you may begin to show God's care in a real way.

photo by mitchgroff

"I'm the man with all I've ever wanted All the toys and playing games; I am the one who pours your coffee, corner booth each Saturday; I am your daughter's favorite teacher, I am the leader of the band; I sit behind you in the bleachers, I am every man; I'm the coach of every winning team and still a loser in my mind, I am the soldier in the Airborne facing giants one more time; I am the woman shamed and haunted by the cry of unborn life, I'm every broken man, nervous child, lonely wife (full lyrics here)"

Pictures: Teachers' Appreciation & Strongsville Team

Three thousands words:


Our team served a meal to the Burbank Elementary School
Teacher Appreciation





























Strongsville
































Strongsville

Pray for China

photo by galaygobi


















I saw on the CNN ticker while viewing the Saddleback Civil Discussion that people carrying bibles into China were detained and their bibles confiscated (christianitytoday.uk report here).

Bob Fu, the China Aid Association president is trying to spread the Gospel and to plant churches in China. He gives a short summary of his mission in this YouTube interview (here). He desires to advance the cause of Christ in China. This interview was conducted at the Voice of the Martyrs Persecution conference in June 2008.


In addition, VOM sent out this prayer news. The Pastor Zhang “Bike” Mingxuan, known for traveling across China on a bicycle to evangelize, was arrested by Chinese police just two days before the Olympics began. Pastor Bike was the inspiration for the recent partnership between The Voice of the Martyrs and China Aid Association to create the Olympic Prayer Band.

Pastor Bike, president of the Chinese House Church Alliance, rode his bike more than 10,000 miles, visiting 24 Chinese provinces to introduce nonbelievers to Jesus Christ. Armed with a Bible and his business card, which declared “Believe in Jesus, Earn Eternal Life,” Pastor Bike brought the gospel to thousands of people. He and other Chinese evangelists have been repeatedly harassed by Chinese officials during this Olympic year. Please pray for the release of Pastor Bike and his wife.

Keep praying for China!

Pray for the students

photo by foxtongue






























As the school year begins this week and next week. Please remember to pray for those missionaries and ministries with outreach to campuses:

• Annie Michaels: InterVarsity--COW


• Ben & Sandy Dyke: Campus Crusade--NE Ohio (Wayne College, ATI, & others)


• Roxanne Weaver: Student Venture--Tallawanda HS; Oxford, Ohio


• Linda Kline: Bible Release Time Classes--North Central S.D.


• Wooster Christian School


• Jonathan Herron: Catalyst--Kent, OH


• George & Cindy Swain: Prague, Czech Republic


• Kevin & Jill Kane: Phnom Pehn, Cambodia

Ask God to give them strength to launch Fall ministries, wisdom on where to concentrate their energies, and courage to pace themselves for the long-haul.

We appreciate our teachers!

We just served lunch, encouraged Burbank Elementary School staff and teachers, and distributed appreciation gift bags. Our team did a great job serving them.

One teacher admitted that this kind of treatment was so different. She said, "We just don't know how to act."

Another teacher Mrs. Hershberger gave testimony that her colleagues eagerly anticipated this event. In her words, "Everyone was looking forward to this day!"

Mr. Froelich serves as principal. He shared in his remarks how great the food was, how wonderful the gifts were, and how encouraging the whole thing was for the start of the new year.

As they left and we packed up, we discovered that we forgot to take a picture of us. So we'll post a picture later.