The PET Project: Local Service, Global Impact

“Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, 'We have seen remarkable things today.'"

Luke 5:26 – The crowd’s reaction to Jesus’ healing of the paralyzed man

Over 20 million people in developing countries are unable to walk.

Few have access to the wheelchairs and mobility devices we take for granted.

These facts led a missionary to do a remarkable thing: develop the first Personal Energy Transport (PET) in 1995.  The PET Project is an international movement that has since provided 38,000 PETs to the needy in 100 countries.  God is at work in PET International (see: http://petinternational.org ) to provide cost effective and appropriate mobility for all of God’s children in need.

Christ Community Chapel (CCC) is part of the remarkable things God is doing in northeastern Ohio. Since early August, CCC’s  support of the Stow affiliate of the PET Project is gaining momentum.  CCC has provided financial help, and has mobilized over 65 volunteers to be prayer partners and workers supporting the PET Project.

How has Christ Community Chapel stepped up? A CCC member is the owner of Blaze Technical Services, and has donated 2,800 square feet of production space.  Additionally, GS Steel is donating all the metal parts, including labor, needed to produce PETs locally. GS is owned by a CCC member, and many members are employees. Likewise, three CCC members have led efforts to upgrade the electrical systems of the production area, with all labor and materials being donated. To construct the production area, which is now almost ready to start building PETs, CCC members have provided many hours of labor.

Almost all major production equipment has been donated.

PETs are intended for use in developing countries. However, one CCC volunteer, Chuck Feldman, was to inspect and refurbish donated PET production equipment and write safety protocols. Chuck, who is 82, came to the PET facility with a walker. However, in no time he was using a PET for transportation in doing the survey.

So, what will the global impact be?

For starters, missionary Tim Spurrier of Hospital Shalom in Guatemala has met with PET Project leaders. The first PETs are to be shipped there.  Many will be distributed by the CCC missions team led by Sandy Andrassy in July, 2014.

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

John 14:12

Do you want to do great things?

To volunteer or donate, please contact Lee Petno, the PET Project Ministry Coordinator, at 330.686.4949

Redemption House: God’s People Being Jesus to Others

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”

Ephesians 1:7

The house in North Akron had already been declared condemned, and was to be torn down.

That was, until Legacies of Success (LOS), an affiliate of Christ Community Chapel ministry partner Urban Vision, intervened in court. Tim Chafins of LOS described how the organization presented a plan to the court for the rehabbing of the home. This is in line with LOS’ mission, “rebuilding homes and lives in the North Hill area of Akron, Ohio.” To their credit, officials from the City of Akron approved the plan and supported LOS’ efforts to move the house from “condemned” to “redeemed” status.

God had a plan for Legacies’ Redemption House, as it is now called. The home had suffered from the presence of “far too many cats,” as well as other abuses. What once was condemned, God had slated for redemption.

God also had plans for an Asian people from the area once known as Burma. This was the Karen people. 

Don Richardson, in his book, Eternity in Their Hearts, describes how an ancient prophecy had told the Karen people to expect Caucasian visitors bearing news that the Karen could be redeemed from their sin, and from their alienation from the one true God.

When Christian missionaries began their work with the Karen in 1830, many of that tribe embraced the Gospel wholeheartedly.  However, by about 2010, the Christian Karen were a persecuted minority, and many became refugees who fled to the U.S.  Today, Akron is home to about 600 Karen people.  People who fled from a land that had rejected them, and condemned them to ethnic cleansing.

However, for one Karen family in Akron, God was preparing a place.  Legacies of Success needed “hundreds and hundreds” of man hours of labor to restore what is now Redemption House.  A number of area Christian churches responded with volunteers. This included members of Christ Community Chapel’s Edge youth group. As time went on, volunteers from Christ Community Chapel’s Stow Campus, spearheaded by Randy Fasnacht, became central to the hard core of folks who worked on the house every weekend for eight months.

Redemption of the house was not easy.  The impact of far too many cats on the house required that workers early in the cleanup and rehabbing process wear hazmat suits and gas masks!   The cleanup alone was daunting, filling three to four dumpsters with foul-smelling refuse.

However, by October 29^th, volunteers were giving Redemption House its final cleaning.  This was to prepare for the home to be occupied by a Karen family with two children who are being helped by Urban Vision.

The Karen people have met their promised Redeemer in Jesus Christ. And, what their persecutors in Burma meant for evil, God meant for good.  He has prepared a place for one Karen family at Redemption House.  By God’s grace, and with help from His people, Legacies of Success will continue rehabbing homes for the less fortunate in North Akron.

What once was condemned has been redeemed, by Jesus working through His transformed people. To God be the glory!

For information on how you can support Legacies of Success through volunteering, prayer or donations, please contact Tim Chafins, Executive Director at 330.612.4478, or tchafins@gmail.com. Also, you can visit http://www.urbanvisionministry.org/housing_legacies_of_success.aspx .

Pregnancy Solutions & Services Celebrate Life Fundraiser

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.”

Deuteronomy 30: 19-20a

Pregnancy Solutions & Services (PSS) has had a great impact for the kingdom of God in saving the lives of unborn babies, and in sharing the Gospel with abortion-minded women in our area. PSS’ annual fund raising event, “Celebrate Life”,  will take place Thursday, November 14^th, 2013 at Akron Baptist Temple, 2324 Manchester Road, Akron, Ohio 44319. This is a wonderful opportunity to support PSS.

The fundraiser will feature special guests. The first is Janet Parshall, whose Christian-based In the Market with Janet Parshall show is broadcast on the Moody Radio network. Parshall is a strong pro-life advocate who focuses on a wide range of cultural, political and legal trends.

Celebrate Life will also include Point of Grace, a leading Contemporary Christian music group.  Their music is loved by millions.

Pregnancy Solutions & Services hopes to raise $25,000 in underwriting, so that all proceeds from the 1,600 guests in attendance can be used for saving babies and sharing the Gospel. For more information on sponsorship opportunities or obtaining tickets, please contact PSS either via e-mail at info@pregsolutions.org or by phone at 330.644.4490. General information on the PSS ministry and the event is available at www.pssfriends.org .

Thanksgiving Baskets: Prepare for a Great Outreach Opportunity!

‘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 Thanksgiving Basket initiative has been a wonderful, and growing way for Christ Community Chapel members to impact our neighbors in need for God’s glory. In 2012, CCC sent over 750 baskets to those served through our Local Outreach ministry partners. For 2013, our goal is to fill and distribute 1,000 totes. With each tote of donated food sufficient to feed 10 people, this effort could bring sustenance to 10,000 people in our area.

Please also keep in mind that each tote will also contain literature communicating the Gospel to the recipients.  While we seek to minister to the physical needs of those around us, we must also address their eternal, spiritual needs.

Just as Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 people with a handful of loaves and fishes, we have the opportunity to touch thousands of lives with the Gospel this Thanksgiving. 

Would you prayerfully consider participating in this year’s Thanksgiving Baskets effort? You will be able to sign out a plastic tote, with each tote to contain:

Frozen Turkey (15+ pounds)

Canned Vegetables (Such as corn, peas, green beans)

Fresh Pie (No frozen pies please) or boxed cake mix

Fresh Fruit (Such as apples, oranges, pears)

Dinner Rolls

Cranberry Sauce

Potatoes

Yams/Sweet Potatoes (Fresh or canned)

Gravy

Paper Goods/Table Decorations

Heavy Duty Disposable Aluminum Pan

At the Hudson, Aurora and Highland Square campuses, totes will be available the weekends of November 10th, 17th and 24th. Member donors can return their filled totes Monday, November 25th from 3-6 PM. Donors just need to drive up and the youth will unload their totes from the car.

For the Stow campus, members will pick up totes before or after the services on the weekends of November 10th and 17th. The time to return filled totes is Sunday, November 24th at the 9 and 11 AM services.

As God has shown His grace, love and power to us, let us in turn overflow His grace, love and power into the lives of the less fortunate in our area.

For more information, please contact:

barbara.ammirati@ccchapel.com

‘All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.’

2 Corinthians 4:15