UVGive: Christ Community Chapel Students Loving, Giving

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.

Deuteronomy 10:18

God shows His love by giving. 

Providing for the needs of the less fortunate.

How about today?

God’s people serve as His hands and feet, communicating His love to our neighbors in need.

His people in Christ Community Chapel Student Ministries, across all four campuses, have risen to a challenge – the #UVGive challenge.  Our large Student Ministries team shows how much more believers can do together, rather than separately. 

Think a “loaves and fishes” challenge.

 Urban Vision Set On Success students pair with tutors

What challenge?

#UVGive invited CCC students to give up $25 or more in gifts they would have received this Christmas to help feed at-risk kids served by Urban Vision’s Set On Success after school tutoring program. Demand for meals recently spiked from 20 per day, to 90 per day!

The #UVGive goal was to provide funding for 4 months of meals. 

UV Volunteers serve students healthy meals

Food is love. So is volunteering as a tutor!

Results?

Christ Community Chapel students, members and friends, contributed $5,890.83 as of December 19^th.

But wait – there’s more!

Some families stepped up at Urban Vision. They offered to match up to $61,000 in donations to UV in December. So, the gift will be doubled.

Grand total, doing the math:

$11,781.66 = 7,854 meals = 90 kids at Urban Vision being fed for 17 ½ weeks. Nearly 4 ½ months!

Servant hearts, bound together by the love of Christ, can do great things for the Kingdom.

How can I join in what God is doing?

For information on CCC Student Ministries, contact Todd Iannetta:

Phone: 330.650.9533 x344\\Web:ccchapel.com

Facebook:facebook.com/CCChapel\\Twitter:twitter.com/toddiannetta

Blog: toddiannetta.com

For information on volunteering, donating and supporting Urban Vision, go to:

ttp://www.urbanvisionministry.org/meals_at_urban_vision.aspx

Faithful Servants and Haven of Rest: Bringing Good News and Healing

So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

Luke 9:6

Faithful Servants Care Center in Tallmadge is a Christ Community Chapel ministry partner dedicated to providing Christ-like compassion and free urgent medical care to the uninsured. Thanks to the support of God’s people, Faithful Servants in 2013 was open 352 days, treating 2,040 patients and saving the medical community $1.6 million of uncompensated care costs. The organization provided 64 patients the opportunity to speak to a chaplain or receive prayer, and gave 52 physicals, allowing people to start a new job. 

Sharing the Gospel and prayer ministry are crucial parts of Faithful Servants' outreach.

Seeking and finding: Recent donations from CCC's Stow campus enabled Faithful Servants to install a larger, illuminated sign.

Good stuff. So, what has CCC support done?

Among the benefits provided by CCC members and friends from the Micah 6:8 Medical Weekend, Faithful Servants has acquired an ultrasound machine with a one year service contract. CCC donations also will enable Faithful Servants to support 90 patients in the diabetic clinic and 100 patients in the hypertensive clinic, beginning in 2014.

Faithful Servants' diagnostic capability has been enhanced by acquisition 

of ultrasound equipment. 

What’s the impact?

Here’s what one patient has to say:

“I was a patient twice and the care I received was incredible!!! They took the time to find out what was bothering me, even if it didn’t relate to what was actually wrong with me. I truly believe that Faithful Servants saved my life—I have no insurance, and they put me in touch with people who could help me. I have recommended Faithful Servants to many others—I just hope that they’ve gone and gotten seen—it truly is a life-changing experience!”

Great! What’s next?

Faithful Servants is celebrating its new mobile clinic ministry at Haven of Rest!  The Micah 6:8 Medical Weekend allowed the organization to obtain 6 iPads to support a mobile ministry.  It also enabled the electrical outfitting of the mobile ministry van that makes the outreach through Haven of Rest possible. Haven’s ministry to the poor and homeless in Akron is especially important during the winter months. By teaming up, Haven of Rest and Faithful Servants can minister to a broader range of needs. And, just as Jesus’ ministry of spiritual and physical healing was mobile, Faithful Servants is on the move to bring Christ’s compassion and healing to neighbors in need.

Haven of Rest clients now have access to compassionate, free medical care, 

thanks to Faithful Servants' mobile ministry.

How do I help?

For information on the impact donations can have, see:

http://faithfulservantscarecenter.org/donate/

To learn about prayer support and volunteering needs, please contact 

Kathi Bertolini of CCC at kbertolini@gmail.com  or

info@faithfulservantscarecenter.org

They’ve Been Gifted, Part Two!

 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.

Acts 10: 30,31

God honors those who are generous to the poor, and to those seeking justice and mercy.

Thanks to Christ Community Chapel members and friends who responded so strongly to the They’ve Been Gifted initiative last Saturday and Sunday.

The 4th and 5th graders of CCC's Blast student ministry made and sold ornaments to benefit South Street Ministries in Akron. These Blast students are growing rapidly in the faith, showing strong servant leader hearts!

The Local Outreach team has received several requests for another opportunity to buy gifts that bless the recipient, our ministry partners and the families they serve.

So, here we go….

When?

This Thursday, December 12th, from 9 AM through noon, or until we are sold out, there will be another chance to purchase They’ve Been Gifted items.

Where?

In the atrium of the CCC Hudson campus.

What?

Items include jewelry from Destiny Rescue and AOET (Sam Tushabe). Also, there are paintings from AOET, tote bags from T.R.Y., carved giraffes, word art, photography and change purses from Hospital Shalom.

Jewelry and photos are popular items.

Who?

Members and friends of CCC.

Thanks again for your enthusiastic support of our local and global ministry partners!

For more information, please contact:

Barbara Ammirati at: barbara.ammirati@ccchapel.com , or

Michael Ammirati at: michael.ammirati@ccchapel.com

PET STOW: Mercy and Compassion in Motion

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

Exodus 33:19

God’s mercy and compassion have been transforming lives through the Gospel for over 2,000 years.  God delights in exalting the humble.  In redeeming those we might think are beyond help.

This heart of mercy and compassion drives PET (Personal Energy Transportation) International affiliates to reflect the love of Jesus Christ by bringing the gift of mobility and dignity to those in developing countries who are unable to walk.  A PET is a sturdy, simple, free gift to the recipient.  It is also low cost to build - $250 each.

Members of the PET STOW team

And now, Christ Community Chapel has a ministry partner, PET OH-STOW, that will transform lives at home and globally.

How can that make a difference?

Globally, 3,500,000 people need PETs.

But mercy and compassion come to one person at a time. This picture shows how one young man got around before receiving a PET.

And this photo shows how a PET transformed his life.

Many times, PETs enable people to become productive and self-supporting, since they can transport themselves and goods they produce to market. That’s important for recipients, who typically earn $100 or less per year, and live in remote, rural areas.

This man makes furniture, which he takes to market on his PET

What is PET OH-STOW?

It is PET International’s most recently approved producer of PETs.  PET OH-STOW (the legal name of the entity) plans to start production of these hand-cranked “wheelchairs” in January, 2014. The facility, the first in Ohio, celebrated its open house on December 8, 2013. 

PET STOW plans to bring mercy, compassion and the gift of mobility to people in need in Guatemala, in Summer of 2014. Missionary Tim Spurrier has requested PETs for several people there.

A great cause! What can I do?

PET STOW needs people with hearts willing to be enlarged:

• ·      Prayer partners
• ·      Volunteer workers
• ·      Donors

For more information, contact: 

Vince Petno at vpetno@gmail.com 

or Lee Petno, CCC Local Outreach Ministry Coordinator, at: leepetno@gmail.com .