Urban Vision Christmas Store: Christmas with Dignity, Kids with a Future

'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Matthew 25:40

The annual Urban Vision (UV) Christmas Store event took place on December 15^th. It was an opportunity for UV kids to spend the UV dollars they have earned during 2012 through successful participation in programs helping them in everything from improving their school grades to earning the right to become leaders at UV.

Urban Vision seeks to give North Akron kids a Christ-honoring alternative to life on the street. Currently, there are about 200 kids in various UV programs, and there is typically a waiting list of about 60 at-risk children hoping to be lifted up, challenged to personal growth, and rewarded for personal achievements. Urban Vision is reaching the community for Christ, one child and one family at a time.

UV’s programs, such as Set on Success, provide kids the chance to improve their grades in school through tutoring and mentoring. When the kids hit key goals, they are rewarded with UV dollars, a currency that they can save up and spend on Christmas gifts for their families. The kids also learn valuable life lessons, since the UV dollar incomes are taxed, saved in a UV bank, and budgeted against the child’s Christmas shopping list.

This year, a Christ Community Chapel Christian Leadership Concepts (CLC) men’s group decided to make their service project helping UV with the Christmas Store. The store project depends on UV staff and countless volunteers who set up a physical department store, complete with priced merchandise, sales clerks, customer shopping assistants, gift wrappers, inventory keepers and others who enable the kids to experience the real world process of earning money, budgeting for Christmas giving, buying the goods and giving them to loved ones. UV insists that providing the kids with “a hand up, not a hand out” is key to their catching a vision of a productive future for themselves, with Christ-honoring coaching and counseling along the way.

Christmas Store volunteers arrived at Urban Vision around 7:00 AM on December 15^th, and were treated to a light breakfast, a time of worship, some training and guidance encouraging them to think of the kids as their own, since they belong to our God. Gifts available for the kids to purchase ranged from snow scrapers to bicycles and televisions. It was amazing to see these inner city young people comparison shopping, weighing the merits of different items, making selections, paying money from their UV “wallets”, collecting change, and moving among the various departments. The UV Store included departments for toddlers, kids, men and women, with merchandise from deodorant to overcoats. The store alone, with its logistical requirements, is a huge testimony to the love and dedication of the UV staff and volunteers.

Christ is clearly doing a great work in preparing the Urban Vision kids for adulthood. While UV did not encourage discounting (why devalue the rewards for their achievement?), the sales people had a great time explaining the value of items at different price points. The kids spent their money very wisely, with a great sense of Christmas cheer, amazing energy and good humor.  

As is the case so often, the CLC group members came to be a blessing to others in the name of Christ.  However, the men also were greatly blessed by seeing the fruit of the Spirit in these amazing young UV shoppers.  Urban Vision is indeed reaching North Akron for Christ, one child and family at a time.

 You may wish to learn more about the UV Christmas Store as a possible opportunity to serve in the name of Christ next year.  If so, please go to their website at:

http://www.urbanvisionministry.org/home0.aspx

You may also want to prayerfully consider the current opportunity to help Urban Vision in its $70,000 December Match Challenge.  This initiative is designed to help UV pay for staffing and materials for its operating needs in 2013. For more information about Urban Vision, please contact:

Barbara Ammirati @ barbara.ammirati@ccchapel.com

Michael Ammirati @ michael.ammirati@ccchapel.com

You've Been Gifted 2.0

 Christ Community Chapel kicked off a new tradition in 2012 with "You’ve Been Gifted 2.0".  On December 2^nd, at each campus, before and after all services, there were opportunities to purchase Christmas gifts ranging from $3 to $25.  The meaning behind "2.0" is that the purchase of these gifts will be a double blessing. The first blessing is obviously the recipient of the gift;   the second blessing is that  a CCC ministry partner will receive 100% of the proceeds of the sale.

 Local Outreach partner Rahab Ministries offered T shirts for sale. The sales of  matted Bible word art will benefit Faithful Servants and Broken Chains.  Global Outreach partners like Sam Tushabe’s Action for Empowerment (AOET) and Destiny Rescue offered jewelry items. There were Christmas cards from India Gospel League.

The response of CCC worship service attenders was overwhelming, with almost all inventory at all campuses being sold out. Overall, more than 1,600 items were purchased, generating over $17,000 in funds for CCC ministry partners.

God’s family at Christ Community Chapel has once again shown its heart for the less fortunate, be it to benefit local neighbors in need served by health care volunteers at Faithful Servants, or to benefit women in Asia being rescued by Destiny Rescue from the entrapment of human trafficking. It is truly exciting to see God’s people move with such grace, power and generosity… especially to break the mold of the usual “retail Christmas” and to benefit the needy and our ministry partners at home and overseas. The Gospel is being driven down further into the lives of God’s family, with great impact for our neighbors from Akron to Asia.

To God be the glory!

 As we celebrate the generous response to “You’ve Been Gifted 2.0”, please keep in mind the ongoing opportunity for CCC members and attenders to impact Northeastern Ohio through the original You’ve Been Gifted program, in progress now!  As we seek to reflect God’s love expressed through the gift of His only begotten Son by blanketing the area with 10,000 random acts of kindness this Christmas season, please prayerfully consider how God may be calling you to creatively be a blessing to a neighbor.  For more information, please contact:

Barbara Ammirati @ barbara.ammirati@ccchapel.com

Michael Ammirati @ michael.ammirati@ccchapel.com

Thanksgiving Baskets: An Outpouring of God's Love

 The Christ Community Chapel Thanksgiving basket initiative surpassed its goal of having members donate 700 baskets of food to the needy this year. The effort, which had a goal of 40 baskets in its original year, is geared toward providing enough food in one basket to serve 10 people a substantial Thanksgiving dinner. On that basis, CCC had the ambitious goal in 2012 of feeding roughly 7,000 people in need in the name of our Savior. With each basket containing approximately $40.00-$50 worth of food, CCC members donated in excess of $28,000, showing an expression of God’s love to the less fortunate. By Sunday, November 11^th, church members had already passed the goal of donating 700 baskets.  Amazingly, the final count of baskets donated was 949!

On Monday, November 19^th, basket collection from CCC members, and redistribution to the needy through the church’s local outreach partners took place. An energetic army of 50 volunteers, which consisted primarily of youth from the church, but also included folks of all ages, set about moving baskets from donors to staging locations for pickup by Local Outreach ministry partners.  Volunteers also organized and packed contents into the baskets (actually, the containers were large storage tubs) for delivery. In line with CCC’s desire to “lead with the Gospel”, each basket contained a New Testament. 

While the major focus was on providing for neighbors through our Local Outreach ministry partners, over 100 baskets were also shipped to the East Coast. Additionally, 171 frozen turkeys were designated to be shipped to families in New Jersey suffering from the impact of super storm Sandy.

Members of our pastoral staff, including Joe Coffey and Mark Lile, watched in wonder as volunteers handled the logistical challenges of organizing, packing and moving the church’s tidal wave of donated food to neighbors in need. Others, sensing a special move of Christ’s hands and feet, snapped pictures of the work in progress.

Once again, God’s people at CCC have proven to be ordinary people engaged in an extraordinary work of God. If you were part of this move of cheerful, copious generosity, thanks for your kingdom-work!  If you missed this opportunity, please prayerfully be on the alert for opportunities for CCC members to be a blessing for others, through upcoming initiatives like “You’ve been gifted”.  

The Lord loves a cheerful giver. And it is great to see the cheerful generosity of the Lord’s family in action at the Thanksgiving basket distribution. To God be the glory!

For more information on Christ Community Chapel’s upcoming movements to impact our neighbors with God’s love, please contact:

Barbara Ammirati @ barbara.ammirati@ccchapel.com

Michael Ammirati @ michael.ammirati@ccchapel.com

Faithful Servants Care Center ~ A Vision Fulfilled

"...I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit ... "Joel 2: 28-29

Doctors Mark and Sue Meyer first had a vision for a free, Christian-based health clinic to offer urgent care services to neighbors in need about 30 years ago. The Faithful Servants Care Center opened on Monday, October 1, 2012, fulfilling that vision. Faithful Servants, a new Christ Community Chapel Local Outreach ministry partner, is now operating at 65 Community Road, Suite F, in Tallmadge. The Hudson campus’ Michael McGhee is the CCC Ministry Coordinator.

Faithful Servants’ mission is to provide urgent care services in a compassionate, Christ-like manner to those unable to access standard health care resources due to socio-economic or other reasons. Services are provided at not cost to the patient by professional, licensed physicians and clinicians. Faithful Servants works closely with other health care organizations to help identify continuity of care options for this population. The care center is an avenue for the founders and volunteers to strive to meet Christ’s command to love others and share the Gospel. Discussing faith in Jesus Christ and praying with patients as appropriate are encouraged.

At the care center’s commissioning ceremony, Dr. Mark Meyer commented that as the fabric of society tears in difficult times, it is the job of the Church to mend it. The Faithful Servants staff had expected about 30 people to attend the ceremony. However, about 100 people turned out for the event, signaling strong community support for Faithful Servants.

To date, Faithful Servants has enlisted the help of approximately 70 doctors and 90 nurses to bring healing and God’s comfort to the working poor in Summit and Portage counties. The care center’s freshly renovated facilities reflect God’s work through His people, according to Dr. Mark Meyer.  Substantial donations of materials and labor by local Christian church members have enabled Faithful Servants to offer a welcoming, professional atmosphere for showing God’s love to those in need.

Going forward, local churches supporting Faithful Servants are encouraged to identify and encourage church members in the medical field to volunteer their services at the Care Center. Likewise, churches are looking for individuals with mature faith and wise counsel to serve as on-site spiritual support team members. When necessary, professional referrals will be made. There are also opportunities to serve in providing food and custodial services at the Center, or transportation for patients.

Would you prayerfully consider if God could be calling you to support the vision for Faithful Servants Care Center? For more information, please contact:

Michael McGhee, Ministry Coordinator  at mrmichaelmcghee@yahoo.com

or go to:

http://faithfulservantscarecenter.org/

Broken Chains Ministry: Making the Difference

 In early 2012, Christ Community Chapel joined forces with Akron-based Broken Chains Ministry. Broken Chains’ mission is to engage former offenders for the purpose of reintegration back into the community, thereby lowering recidivism rates in our region and multiplying public safety.  Under Executive Director & Chaplain Rev. Dennis Shawhan, Broken Chains collaborates with the Summit County Jail, the court system, law enforcement, business leaders, churches and parachurch organizations to introduce offenders to the life-transforming power of the Gospel.

Rev. Dennis Shawhan, Executive Director & Chaplain

Broken Chains Ministry

At the recent benefit banquet for Broken Chains, Jill, a former offender, testified, “everyone finds Jesus in jail, but I decided to keep Him.” Jill met the Lord through a Broken Chains Bible study ministry in Summit County Jail.  She was incarcerated in 2001 as a result of a series of bad decisions, including involvement with drugs, and an abusive relationship with a boyfriend. 

Broken Chains offers weekly worship services in the jail facility, as an opportunity for inmates to hear the Gospel. Jill indeed heard about Christ’s love for her through Broken Chains, and began to pray, to envision a better future for herself, and to trust God for that future.

Today, Jill thanks God and the court system for her incarceration, which allowed her a safe place to “hit bottom.”  She glorifies God for those who ministered to her in jail.  Today, Jill is part of a family that owns a restaurant business. She is a committed member of a large local church where she heads up their outreach to prison ministries.  Jill assures supporters of Broken Chains, “Your money is going into an awesome ministry.” 

Jill testifies that the love and comfort she received from Christ through Broken Chains  is what motivates her transformed life today.  She wholeheartedly embraces the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 

Would you prayerfully consider how you might come alongside CCC ministry partner Broken Chains to minister God’s comfort? Here are some current opportunities:

• ·      Pray for the ministry
• ·      Serve as a Broken Chains volunteer – contact those listed below for details
• ·      Serve as a Broken Chains mentor to incarcerated men and women
• ·      Serve on their Sunday night Chapel team to females in area corrections programs

For more information, please contact:

Carol Fitch, ministry coordinator: cjc2000@ameritech.net

To learn more about Broken Chains Ministry, please go to:

http://brokenchainsministry.org/site/

Love in Action - Baby T.J.

This post was written by Pastor Joe Coffey and is being re-posted from his Red Like Blood Blog:

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Baby T.J.

By Joe | |

3 Comments and 2 Reactions

A year ago we competed our first Micah 6:8 Bike Challenge. The idea was to raise money for justice and mercy ministries around this area. One of the ministries we focused on was Pregnancy Services and Solutions. PSS is a unique ministry that tries to save the unborn. Their strategy is to outfit an RV with ultrasound equipment. They park the RV near an abortion clinic and offer women a free ultrasound just so they can see what is growing inside of them. They also offer counseling and diapers for a year if someone decides to have the baby.

Through the bike challenge we were able to purchase and outfit an RV. They named it MICAH.

Soon after MICAH hit the road PSS got a call. The girl was 14 years old. She thought they were abortion providers and called to schedule an appointment to terminate the pregnancy before her mother found out. They asked her if she wanted to come in to talk about it and maybe take a look at an ultrasound of what the baby looked like right then. She said she wanted to but couldn’t drive and of course didn’t want to ask her mother.

PSS asked if there was a parking lot near her house. She directed them to a strip mall within walking distance. When the RV arrived they gave her a call. They sat with her and spent time talking through all that was happening. They showed her an ultrasound. She decided to have the baby.

The photo you see is T.J.  He is one of over 50 children saved since MICAH hit the road.

I just wanted you to go through today knowing that justice and mercy is finding it’s way out of our church and sometimes results in a life being saved…literally.

Beautiful little T.J. is alive because someone had an idea to put an ultrasound in an RV and make it mobile. I love when God gives us simple ideas to do more than we could ever imagine.

With Appreciation!

The Christ Community Chapel Micah 6:8 Justice and Mercy weekend drew a phenomenal response from church members and attendees who answered the challenge to support Destiny Rescue, Sam Tushabe’s AOET ministry, and to  help make adoption more affordable for CCC families.  Results are still being tallied, but to date, support has totaled more than $740,000.  Pledges have been made to rescue more than 185 children!


The number of CCC families, friends and businesses who made the Bike Challenge such a success are too many to note.  We do want to pay particular thanks to Don Sitts who provided a large box truck that was used to transport luggage, 18 bikes and a week of supplies down to Cincinnati.


Thanks also to Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy who provided two 8 passenger vans that were used to support the Bike Team all the way home from Cincinnati.

An example of how Justice and Mercy weekend’s focus  Rescuing Children, One Child at a Time  resonated with members are Robert and Sally Tankersley. As the owners of John E Dental Lab they have, through Destiny Rescue, sponsored a child who was rescued after being abducted into the sex trade industry.  This ongoing support will allow a specific girl to learn about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and to teach her life skills to make a living.  It is always encouraging to see a business support Kingdom work and help others who are less fortunate.  This is just one example of hundreds of people and businesses who stepped out in faith to rescue children ... one child at a time.


With tremendous appreciation


Michael and Barbara
Christ Community Chapel Micah 6:8 Outreach Team

For more information on Destiny Rescue, go to:

www.destinyrescue.org/aus/ 


For information on Sam Tushabe's AOET go to:
www.aoet.org/

Who Will Mend the Fabric

Today we are re-posting Pastor Joe's Blog post from hie Red Like Blood Blog:

Sometimes I think of the world as a fabric. God created it to be a magnificent garment full of beauty and amazing detail and symmetry. This past week headlines have reminded us how quickly the fabric can be torn. I realize there are always headlines reminding us but this past week with the Colorado massacre and the Penn State penalties handed out it seems more obvious.

I will be honest. Both events have made me very sad. There is a wickedness buried deep within both that hurts my heart.

It’s interesting though. This week also happened to be the first Micah 6:8 weekend at CCC. Micah 6:8 is a call to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly. In short it is a call to mend the torn fabric of our society.

The weekend was designed to allow our people to do that with sheer abandon. The leadership of the church decided that all the offering would go toward the ministries of justice and mercy and the church would forego any operating expense for the week.

Our people leaped at the opportunity. Checks were being written with tears of gratitude at the chance to bring justice to the oppressed. One of the ministries we featured was Destiny Rescue. They rescue children out of the sex trade in Southeast Asia. The workers from Destiny Rescue came up to me after the third service and said, “We have never seen anything like this before.” They were completely overwhelmed.

This coming week I get to give the grand total for the combined giving of the Bike Challenge and the 6:8 weekend. It is phenomenal. You will not want to miss it.

So, in a week where sadness was the predominant emotion it ended with rejoicing. And so it is with the Christian rhythm of life. The cross is followed by the resurrection. As quickly as the fabric of the world is torn by sin, Christians set to work to sew it up with grace.

I don’t know if I’ve ever been more glad to be a Christian than this past week.

Final Thoughts from Tony

^“For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”

–      2 Corinthians 8:3-5

Dear CCC family and friends:

Since it has been two days since our team of riders rolled into the church parking lot, please forgive my absence from the blog.  I don’t know if it was fatigue or excitement, but I had a temporary case of writer’s cramp (a welcome relief to many I’m sure!).

That said, I just saw some preliminary numbers on what we will be donating to our various ministry partners.  I’m going to hold you in suspense just a little longer, but let me just say it is nothing short of staggering.  I would say I’m surprised, but frankly I’ve been part of this family too long to know any different.

On behalf of all the riders, I just want to extend heartfelt thanks for your generosity.  It is truly an honor and privilege to be partners in ministry with all of you.  Thanks for being ambassadors of Christ’s justice and mercy.

In Christ’s love,

Tony 

Micah 6:8

You Gotta Do the Hills - July 21

The men arrived back on the Hudson Campus Saturday at noon - right on schedule!  We praise God for more that 8000 miles ridden with no accidents or injury from the ride.  We will post some final thoughts from Tony and dollars raised from the Challenge in the next few days once everything has been tallied.  In the meantime - we wanted to share this reflection from Pastor Joe which is from his Red Like Blood Blog:

I just finished up the CCC Bike Challenge. I rode my bicycle along with 17 other men from Cincinnati to Cleveland. We covered nearly 400 miles in 5 days. This is the second year we have done it.

This year was tougher on me. I spent probably the same amount of time training on my bike. The difference is I didn’t do as many hills as I did last year in training. Hills are the toughest part of cycling. I started riding the flats and kind of fell in love with it. I started avoiding hills and the more I avoided them the more I stayed away from them.

Now I know why a cyclist has to do hills. I labored at times on the trip. Here’s the thing. I find myself more often than not praying for good days. A good day is like riding the flats. I love a good day. And when God sends me a hill I wonder what is going on. But there are things only hills can do.

Paul the apostle was thrown more hills than most. He seemed like he got to the place where he liked them because he understood what they would do in his life. This is what he wrote in Romans 5.

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God is poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

If you find yourself on a hill today or tomorrow this is what I want you to do. Don’t try to get off it right away. Lean hard into God and let the hill do the work in you that only a hill can do. Eventually the difficulty you are going through will finally pass and in its wake it will leave you with a strength you did not have before.

This bike trip was a reminder of what happens when I stay away from the hills. I needed the strength that only the hills give and I didn’t have it. So, it is back to the hills for me. I hope to see you there.

Adoption is not man's idea, it is God's

Adopting children was a conviction we both had prior to our marriage.  In 1996 we began the adoption process here, in Summit County.  Since we both knew sign language, we knew God was calling us to adopt a deaf child.  Once our home study was completed, we began investigating deaf children available in the United States.  Miraculously, a five year old girl from China ended up on the American list.  We felt God calling us to pursue this adoption and in 1998 our first daughter joined our 2 biological boys.  Several years later, our daughter began asking us for a sister-one who was not deaf-so she could alert our daughter to any alarms that might sound.  We heavily relied on God and our faith to walk us through this journey, and despite much spiritual warfare, we welcomed our second daughter in 2003.  She also came to us from China, and when the nannies from the orphanage handed her over to us, they included a book filled with pictures and scripture.  As it turns out, they were all in the underground church and were illegally teaching the children about Jesus!  We soon became aware of a 10 year old boy who had severe medical issues.  We were sure the Lord was calling us to pray for an adoptive family for him.  After a few months with no willing adopting family coming forward, we relented and allowed the Lord to use us to bring him into our family. 

Thinking we were done with adoption, we moved into the world of foster care at The Bair Foundation.  The Bair Foundation deals mostly with older special needs children and we felt we had a track record to fit those needs.  A month after we were licensed by the State of Ohio, we received a call for 11 month old deaf twin girls.  In May, 2009 the girls permanently came into our lives from one of the worst neighborhoods imaginable. 

July 2009 brought the desperate plea from Chinese missionaries to adopt a 14 year old girl with spina bifida whom we had tried adopting three years earlier.  Other families that had pursued her at the same time as us, backed out, and she was alone once again.  God had certainly knit our heart to her in 2006 and we realized he had just been preparing us, in His time, and by April 2010, she officially joined our family. 

One more kid to go…!  In July, 2010, I was driving the NY State Thruway praising God for a solid two hours for the miraculous ways He was always providing for our family and asking Him not to let me miss his next miracle.  I stopped with three of my girls at Chick-Fil-A with just a few dollars in my pocket.  We placed a conservative order and when we went to pay, the cashier announced ‘that will be on us today’.  I began weeping as, again, I saw God’s hand of provision.  Within five minutes of receiving our free lunch, the county called requesting us to take the four year old deaf brother of our twin girls.  No need to pray about this one as God had just shown me the answer at Chick-Fil-A.  By August, 2010, we were a complete family.

In addition to our nine children, God has allowed us to care for 30+ medically and emotionally fragile foster children in our home through The Bair Foundation.  Members of CCC have been able to minister to these children at Edge, ThaPorch, Sunday School and VBC.  We are grateful to have the body of Christ always supporting us.  Many people tell us, “I could never do that!  God bless you”.  Our response is, “He has already blessed us with nine amazing kids.  We can’t do this in our strength, but only through Christ Jesus who gives us the strength.”  Adoption is not man’s idea, it is God’s.  We have had opportunities to share God’s adoption plan by his son Jesus Christ with many social workers.  Please pray for us that God will use our family as an evangelism tool that others may learn of their adoption through Jesus Christ making them co-heirs with His son.

Riding for His Glory - July 20 Update

Here is a clip of the men who are ridding this week to raise funds to Rescue Children ... One Child at a Time

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Tony's reflection on Day 4:

After yesterday’s 100-mile ride, all the riders were looking forward to today’s easy ride of 70 miles over mostly flat terrain. Enter 20mph headwinds. Headwinds tend to make the ride analogous to riding up hill, and as a result the ride ended up being much more grueling than expected. I think most everyone is more tired today than any of the days all week.

Personally, I was totally drained today.  My legs cried “uncle” about 30 miles into the ride.  In riding parlance, we call this “bonking”.  It is quite an interesting experience because from a cardio standpoint you feel perfectly fine, and yet your muscles just don’t want to respond.  I dropped in behind Rick Brower.  Rick is one of the taller riders on the team.  Tall riders are great to draft behind because not only do they eliminate the headwind problem, but they also create a sort of vortex that pulls you along with them.  I made the executive decision to draft off him for the next 30 miles. Despite the help, by the time we arrived at the hotel I was totally exhausted.  I was checking into my room, I checked my cell phone and I had a message from one of my friends stating he and his wife had decided to pledge $1500.  I can’t tell you how good that felt. 

There have been a lot of things this week that have made it such a great experience, but probably the highlight has been spending time with Tom Randall.  In addition, he has led our daily devotionals every evening.  What a great blessing it has been to all of us, and I can’t wait for all of us to hear him speak at this weekend’s services.

Thanks again for all your prayers and your generosity.

In Christ’s love,

Tony