Lainie’s family is a part of First Saturdays, a new outreach program at Christ Church Anglican in Overland Park, Kansas. Each month the people at Christ Church reach out to serve their community through local mission partnerships.

A group blesses the community on First Saturdays.

The Hope Faith Ministries team Lainie is a part of serves up breakfast then helps homeless clients pick out clothes and supplies to live on the streets for one week. Other team members assist in a handyman or clean-up projects for a local urban youth facility designed and in personal homes of local residents.

“So far, most of our [First Saturdays’] participants have been families with children,” reports Sarah Schultz, Director of Outreach. “It gives them a chance to do something together that is outward focused.”

The concept for First Saturdays came from a city-wide event called, What if the Church? Christ Church Anglican joined twenty-three area churches for three weeks of concentrated outreach. During this time, congregations even swapped pastors in the pulpit to get to know one another and bring the community together.

“Usually a core group of people in the church volunteer for most ministry opportunities, but this gives a whole new group of people — like little Lainie — an opportunity to step in,” said Sarah.

Watch First Saturdays video here.

Send us your community outreach story here.

Associate Minister Thomas Kortus takes a break from playing soccer with Edgarand Carlos, Oak Creek Village residents who took part in the summer kids club.

When All Saints Church (ASC), Chapel Hill-Durham, North Carolina, moved into a new building a year ago, we knew it wasn’t simply about moving out of a school gym. We sensed God’s call to look for ways to bring the Gospel to the community adjacent to the new location, Oak Creek Village (OCV), a 502 unit apartment complex primarily populated by 3000 low income Spanish speaking residents.

Associate Minister Thomas Kortus was charged with investigating how to serve OCV residents. Conversations with the property manager and residents revealed that the greatest need was for activities and educational programs for the kids. (The ratio of adults to children is one to five; many of the kids were bored, getting into trouble and needed tutoring support.) The OCV staff gave us permission to plan activities for the kids. We invited three other churches to work with, us and the Oak Creek Village Initiative was born.

Aaron White, a member of All Saints Church, tutors Alanzo during Eagles Nest in the All Saints Church sanctuary.

All Saints now runs Eagle’s Nest, a twice weekly after-school tutoring program serving sixteen young children with a team of thirty youth and adult volunteers. The teachers are amazed at the reading progress our students have made, volunteers are blessed by the relationships developing and two students curious about our Gospel Book in the sanctuary heard the Gospel and believed in Christ!

This summer, we continued to expand our relationships with OCV by coordinating an intensive outreach project. Beginning July 5, a team from All Saints led a five-day summer kids club onsite. We began on Monday with some of our Eagles Nest kids and their siblings and friends. By the final meeting on Friday, 65 participated.

A young girl enjoys the 45 foot blow-up water slide at the Community Celebration at Oak Creek Village. The water was a welcome relief from the record breaking hot and humid weather.

The temperatures in Durham were record-setting that week, nearly 105 degrees, but the kids were delighted to come to a shaded area in a nearby soccer field. We consumed huge quantities of water and popsicles as we played games, made crafts, listened to Bible stories and sang songs. Volunteers bonded wonderfully with the kids. One mother said her daughter woke up earlier than usual one morning and the first words out of her mouth were, “Is it time for kids club yet?”

A community celebration for kids and families concluded the week. Over 225 people attended: a bouncy house, blow-up water slide, a clown/magician/balloon artist, games, prize drawings, and rocking Latin music made it a blast. The children took center stage to sing songs, and we shared the Gospel lessons we had taught with parents via an interpreter.

Oak Creek Village kids huddle in the shade and listen intently to a Bible story at Kids Club.

ASC is eager to continue engaging this community in ways that create deeper relationships and bless people in word and deed. In mid-August we will host a back-to-school party to give needy children backpacks and school supplies. We have invited local elementary school administrators to help foster relationships between the school and families. Plans are also in place to begin a Saturday morning adult English as a Second Language (ESL) program in the fall.

The outreach to OCV has been well received; however, they are simply springboards to deepening relationships and ministry. As we cleaned up sticky popsicle wrappers after the community celebration, one of the youth asked, “How do we maintain the relationships we have developed? Can we come here once a week to play soccer and hang out with the kids?” One of the adult volunteers arranged a play-date with a bilingual mother and resident of OCV who said she would, in turn, teach her Spanish. Another adult is planning a clothing exchange with the residents of OCV. It is exciting to see people thinking about ongoing ministry in the context of real relationships. The Spirit is at work teaching us how to serve our neighbors in word and deed with the love of Christ.

On the remote hillside of Bukonya, Rwanda, a coffee farmer swerves through lush vegetation on his wooden bike, pedaling down the rocky path to get his precious coffee cherries safely to the washing station for sorting.

“A day in the life of a coffee farmer” was just one activity 134 children engaged in at the recent Baobab Blast VBS held at All Saints Church in Pawleys Island, South Carolina: What would it be like to ride a bike with wooden wheels down a steep hill? Why are the coffee beans so important to Rwandans? All Saints’ partnership with Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Company also gave the eager learners an opportunity to put their faith into action.

While the VBS students learned about the exploits of Abraham and Joseph and bopped to lively songs of worship, they dropped quarters and dimes into the offering plate each morning. The coins added up, totaling $264 — enough to help purchase a custom-designed “coffee bike” specifically for African coffee farmers.

“Now the children think about their own bikes differently, knowing some Rwandans have had to use unsafe, wooden bikes to transport their coffee harvest,” explains Carol Schumacher, Children’s Ministry Coordinator.

The Baobab Tree

Seventy-five volunteers of all ages helped to coordinate the African-themed VBS, transforming church classrooms into a vibrant gathering place for the children. This year’s Augsburg Fortress curriculum is based on Psalm 50:1 and uses the impressive Baobab tree as the centerpiece. Known as the Tree of Life, the Baobab was popularized by the Disney movie Lion King. It reaches heights of 98 feet with a diameter of up to 52 feet — so large it provides shelter, food and water for its inhabitants.

The All Saints VBS took the children’s imaginations and faith to new heights. “We are able to teach the truth in an atmosphere that meets the children on their level and provides an opportunity for them to think about other people living in different countries,” Carol shared.

Send us your congregation’s summer outreach story here.

“We heard from speakers about being open and transparent and spent time meditating on healing and forgiveness through the cross of Christ,” Tracy Rosenthal, retreat coordinator explains. “As part of our missional focus, we asked everyone to donate toiletry items to the women of Haiti. Many of us spent time sorting and assembling the care kits, writing personal notes and praying over them.”

Christ Church sends a team to Haiti twice a year and has an enduring relationship with the people of Savanette. After becoming aware of the need for a primary school in the country town twenty years ago, the congregation raised funds and built St. Jean Baptiste School. They have also funded salaries for the headmaster, teachers and a healthcare worker since the school opened.

During this year’s trip, the team will offer support and encouragement to their friends and students at the school as well as assess the need for additional classroom space and a new roof to the overcrowded structure. They will also distribute 38 personal care kits donated by retreat attendees and goody bags made by the Sunday School kids.

Whether practicing the sacrament of presence on the ground in Haiti or at home in Kansas providing both practical and prayer support, the people of Christ Church are communicating Jesus through word and deed with their Haitian brothers and sisters.

Buckley was the recent guest speaker at the “Living as Covenant Men” retreat for Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Jackson, Mississippi. A decorated wide receiver at Mississippi State turned pro football player, Buckley shared personal stories from his life as a husband, athlete and coach that inspired listeners to live as passionate followers of Christ in all areas of life.

Buckley touched on God’s covenant as personal and intimate like the relationship between a husband and wife, challenged the men to lay down idols that replace Christ and encouraged them to live in the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit instead of going through the motions. During a closing Communion service, the Rev. Keith Allen, rector of Holy Trinity, shared that the “fullest expression of covenant love is Christ’s sacrifice for us”.

“Bill’s stories about his relationship with his wife and getting in the faces of his players with loving but tough honesty resonated with some of the men attending that were having struggles in relationships,” Keith notes. “The gifts of the Holy Spirit were evident as Bill received words of knowledge and discernment to speak into the lives of the men. Everyone walked away with something significant from our time together.”

Travelling in a car caravan loaded with bikes, they congregated just across the Virginia state line at the New River State Park where festivities began on Friday, April 23 with optional activities of kayaking, fishing and camping.

Bikers began their journey on Saturday morning, peddling more than 30 miles on the converted railroad path, over wooden bridges and under canopies of colorful trees that parallel 39 miles of one of the world’s oldest rivers. A traditional lunch hosted by the Fries fire department marked the first respite after the initial 17 mile ride.

“They have been doing lunch for us every year as a fund raiser for the fire station,” explains Lee Bunn, bike event planner. “It is a town of a couple thousand, and they enjoy it when we come to rest and eat their buffet meal.”

Conversations along the trail, during dinner and in the hot tub at the hotel, along with traditional gag gifts awarded for categories including the “most sore” and “coolest bike” foster relationships while testimonials, guitar led worship and a Sunday morning chapel service provide opportunities for spiritual transformation.

“Men generally seem to be more isolated than women when it comes to spending time together, and this is a great way to get them together for physical and spiritual encouragement,” notes Bunn. “It was a blessed weekend.”

Lumen launched in April with a Party in the Park event held across the street from a city housing project. The party was an afternoon of joy and relationship building with families from the housing project and surrounding neighborhood. More than 70 children and their families enjoyed arts and crafts, face painting, games led by Christ Church’s youth group, a puppet show put on by Hope Mission Church (a new Anglican Mission church plant in south Austin) and free hot dogs and snacks. The children took home books collected at a church-wide Palm Sunday book drive.

The ultimate goal for the event was to begin building relationships with local families and to involve the children in future activities aimed at meeting their educational needs. Reading and math scores at the elementary school the children attend are among the lowest in the city of Austin. Lumen hopes to begin a Saturday early literacy program for preschoolers and their families who cannot afford quality child care during the week.

To learn more about Lumen, contact Nancy Scammacca, deacon of Christ Church and director of Lumen.

“I loved playing for the benefit for Haiti because it's obviously a great cause, and I loved meeting the people at the River,” shares Harrod. “I also think very highly of their pastor, Jonathan Tagg.”

Drawing from the best traditions of American music to create a sound all his own, Harrod shares stories of lost love, found joys and spiritual longing through storytelling and lyrics that have endeared loyal fans across the country.

“Jason talks about Jesus in a way that is not imperial, but sweet and authentic from a place of vulnerability,” notes Pastor Jonathan Tagg.

The same characteristics could describe the friendship between Harrod and Tagg that began some years ago.

“Jason was a regular customer of my café in Durham, North Carolina - before he moved to New York City and I became a pastor,” Tagg explains. “I found out he was a Christian as our friendship grew. I like his subtlety.”

The concert gathered 140 people from the Blacksburg community, raising $1100 for Haiti relief.

“Doing events like these provide great opportunities to challenge our congregation to keep reaching out, inviting people to be a part of their spiritual life,” remarks Tagg. “As the community becomes more familiar with us through these initiatives, we hope visitors that don’t have a faith community will check out The River as their place of worship.”

Gregory Lynn, Pastoral Intern at DMAC, partnered with a Lutheran minister friend last September to reach out to a group of Bhutanese refugees living in a Phoenix apartment complex.

“We began knocking on doors and met Kumar, 24, who spoke good English and was excited to learn more about Jesus,” explains Greg. “He invited us in for Coca-Cola and peaches and became our man of peace in the complex.”

Monthly cookouts, a Thanksgiving potluck and routine visits with residents to build relationships have resulted in many asking to attend church.

“Here are a group of people that are culturally Hindu, and yet open to the Gospel,” declares Greg.

Those initial evangelism efforts and DMAC’s renewed focus on local misson led the church to sponsor the Bista family, Kumar’s relatives who were en route to Phoenix from a refugee camp in Nepal. With donated furniture and supplies, they transformed a shabby two bedroom apartment into a welcoming home for the couple and their two children.

“It was a great experience for our church to work on this together and the Bistas seem to enjoy being with us on Sundays,” shares Barbara Dyson, wife of the Rev. John Dyson, DMAC.

Greg reports that in the past few weeks, Kumar and three other refugees have given their life to Christ.

“As we looked at Alpha materials to train our leaders and disciple the refugees, we realized that 71% of Christians say the most important factor in their decision for Christ was a relationship with a caring Christian,” notes Greg. “We took that seriously and focused on how to build relationships and trust while partnering with what the Lord is doing, instead of trying to rush salvation.”

As DMAC continues to build relationship with the Bista family through practical tasks like grocery shopping and instruction on using public transportation, the women’s council is collecting diaper donations for the children and plans to host a reception at the apartment clubhouse.

“As we focus on the Bista family, we come into contact with other families,” says Greg. “We don’t know where it all will lead, but we pray it is to salvation in Christ.”

According to Lutheran Social Services, there are 14 million refugees worldwide and 80% are women and children.

On April 10, the Water Works Student Ministry at Church of the Apostles in Raleigh delivered 1900 pre-sold bales of pine straw and spread 600 of them around homes. They raised $5,000 for an upcoming mission trip to Windsor, Maine in July.

“We have been doing this for five years, and we usually raise about one-third of the total amount of money we need for the outreach,” reports Curt Solomon, Director of Youth Ministries. “It is a great team building opportunity and gets us out into the community to interact with people on their turf.”

Southern Pine Needles in Greensboro, North Carolina, owned and operated by Logan and Eloise Porter who attend Church of the Redeemer, sell the pine straw at a discounted price to maximize funds raised.

The forty students dedicated to attend the Reach Work Camp in Maine this summer will join 400 students from around the country for one week to work on 40-50 work projects in a city with a struggling economy, where homeowners cannot afford necessary repairs to their properties.

“We have been doing Reach Work Camps with our youth for 12 years and one of our kids is now on full time staff with the ministry,” says Solomon. “They obviously catch the vision for ministry and mission when we invest in doing this kind of outreach.”

First year students pose for photo with Vicki to commemorate the completion of their first class.

Every year since 1999, the Rev. Vicki Gladding (center) has traveled to Rwanda, serving in various capacities of leadership. Recently, she spent eight intensive days teaching theology students at the Kigali Anglican Theological College (commonly referred to as Rwanda Christian University). Financial gifts from the Anglican Mission help make the school possible.

Close to thirty men and women, selected by bishops in the diocese where they reside, attend the three year program to receive a diploma in theology.

Students honor Vicki with a gift to thank her for teaching them.

“Their eagerness and heart for learning amazes me,” Vicki notes, “especially since English is the third or fourth language for most of them.” Because this was the first time for the students to hear an American speak English, the initial few days of the class were challenging. Vicki was dependent on students’ facial expressions to communicate their understanding, or lack of it.

“We eventually developed a system to understand each other better, and if there was an unusually difficult concept taught, the first to understand it would teach it in Kinyarwandan to the rest of the students,” Vicki explains.

During final exams, the chaotic sounds of heavy air traffic above signaled the visit of French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, a significant first time visit by the French since the 1994 genocide. The college is located near the mountain site where the plane carrying Rwandan President, Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down, sparking the beginning of the genocide.

“These men are dedicating their lives to teach the Gospel and surrounded by their history at the same time,” remarks Gladding. “I am honored that God has allowed me to be a part of their lives.”

Want to donate an NIV Study Bible to a Rwandan student?
Email Vicki Gladding. Also ask about teaching at the Kigali Anglican Theological College.

Teens shovel 5' of snow

Clearing snow can be a nuisance as the winter drags on, but for a group of teens in Modesto, California, the accumulation of snow meant opportunity for a weekend retreat.
High school students from Wellspring Anglican Church in Modesto gave up a weekend to remove five feet of snow from the extensive deck of a Christian campground in the mountains an hour away.

“This campground doesn’t usually have volunteers in the winter because it is tricky to get there when the weather is bad. Last year the accumulation caused the deck to collapse. We thought this would be a great opportunity to take the focus off of ourselves by serving the campground and enjoy time away to talk about things relevant in the life of a teenager,” shares Kristi Hansen, Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries.

After a full day of shoveling snow and creating pathways to make navigating easier, Kristi noted that the teens’ “joy and thankfulness throughout the day blew me away”. The group spent time in devotions and celebrated their work accomplishment the following day - and enjoyed playing in the white, powdery stuff at a snow park further up the mountain.

In the midst of Canada’s unexpected Gold Rush, the Body of Christ was there pointing to More Than Gold. More Than Gold is a movement of churches that gathers at each Olympics to let people know that while winning gold is exciting, there is something worth more than gold: the good news of Jesus Christ.

The Christians in Vancouver have been preparing for years for this 17-day Olympic outreach. We had extensive training by the Billy Graham team, Campus Crusade for Christ/Power to Change, Alpha, and many others. Serving as an Anglican representative on the More Than Gold Executive Committee, I was impressed by the phenomenal response of the local churches, with over 4,000 people volunteering to serve. Perhaps the biggest hit was the over 600,000 cups of free coffee and hot chocolate handed out at sky train, subway and bus stations. The buzz around the complimentary hot coffee was palpable. As one of the 40 Community Chaplains, I was able to visit many Olympic pavilions and More Than Gold concerts, sharing the love of Jesus Christ in word and deed.

Tens of thousands of Olympic visitors were willing to receive the high quality More Than Gold literature with its focus on Olympic athletes who profess Christ. The Pocket Guide sponsored by the Billy Graham Association, and produced by More Than Gold, was a big hit, with its free maps and personal testimonies by athletes. Based on loving conversations, many visitors were happy to receive special Olympic-edition Gospels of Mark produced by the Canadian Bible Society. Over 1100 missionaries came to Vancouver from North America and around the world, including over 180 Youth with a Mission (YWAM) youth who did street drama, served coffee and set up “free prayer” stations.

Seldom have we seen Christians work so well together in reaching out in mission. The Anglican Coalition in Canada (ACiC), which is the Canadian wing of the Anglican Mission, was an official sponsor of the More Than Gold outreach, along with our sister ACNA jurisdiction, the Anglican Network in Canada. Virtually all faithful churches were involved in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our own congregation, St. Simon’s in North Vancouver, commissioned 15 volunteers who served free coffee and hot chocolate at 430 AM to people going to the Cypress Mountain Olympic site. They came back from doing this excited and grateful to God.

Christians in Vancouver are asking, “What can we do together in the future?” Please keep us in prayer in Vancouver that this new “unity for the sake of mission” momentum will be maintained for the sake of the lost.

It's been almost two years since Christ Church Anglican in Overland Park, Kansas, offered a class called Salt and Light (from Holy Trinity Brompton). No one could have predicted the long-term effects in their own backyard.

The course motivated several in the class to look for practical ways to reach out in their community. The group soon discovered opportunities to link arms with Hope Faith Ministry (HFM), a non-denominational, faith-based ministry serving the extremely poor and homeless of Kansas City, Missouri, about twenty miles away.

Five days a week, HFM feeds an average of 450 homeless men and women. On the first Saturday of every month, almost fifty people from Christ Church volunteer to organize, facilitate and serve breakfast for the clients.

Sorting clothing donations for men and women's clothing shop.

“Our church has huge gifts in hospitality,” shares Sarah Schultz, Director of Outreach at Christ Church. “We love to serve good food and are great at throwing parties. We have volunteer teams that go down to prepare and cook the food at 5:30 AM. They serve one of the best breakfasts in town.”

Volunteers also help out with the HFM clothing shop, filled with donations from people in the surrounding area. A client chooses what they will need to make it on the streets for a week, alongside a personal shopper. The youth of Christ Church often volunteer as personal shoppers and pray with each client after their shopping trip.

Organizing the women's clothing shop in prepartaion for clients.

“It has been a great entry level outreach for those that are new at stepping out of their comfort zone, and we now have several that serve HFM 20-30 hours a week on a regular basis,” Sarah explains.

Karen Bullard is one of those faithful volunteers who give countless hours to serve the ministry. “Being involved at HFM has been such a blessing in my life,” she says. “All of the staff members have become a part of my family, and I marvel at their ability to be the hands and feet of God in every situation.

High School youth receive orientation on reaching the homeless of Kansas City.

Hope Faith Ministry recently received the gift of a 50,000 square foot warehouse facility to expand their ministry. On May 1, Christ Church hopes to have 250 volunteers to help build the men’s clothing shop inside that facility.

Two years ago, an outreach course inspired a few to set the example of serving their community, and their faithfulness has multiplied into a congregation that expresses their faith in action by doing mission alongside the homeless.

Read more here.

Chosen, Partners in the Harvest Comes to Life

When we got married there was another woman in the picture. She was younger than I and was taking almost all of his time. I love my husband, but sometimes I worry that we're growing apart.

“That comment is painfully typical of what I’ve heard from some Anglican Mission clergy wives,” reports Ellen Loomis, co-founder of a new initiative to support the wives of clergy in theAM. That other woman is sometimes named St. Thomas, or All Saints Church, and she lives wherever the husband is spending his days and, all too often, nights. But the issue of sharing a husband with the parish is just one of many issues which face our leaders’ wives.

“I’ve learned after almost thirty years of marriage to a pastor that wives need support; especially the wives of church planters…that’s why we began Chosen,” Loomis continued.

A vision, as Bishop Chuck Murphy defined it in his Chairman’s address at the 2010 Winter Conference, is: seeing a need, seizing the opportunity and taking action. Late last year the Lord encouraged a few women with a common vision to minister to wives of pastors in theAM. They decided to share this vision with bishops’ wives.

“The bishops’ wives agreed that there was a pressing need to teach, support, and encourage these women, and we committed to partner together and take action,” said Loomis.

The Chosen team partnered with theAM’s Acton Beard, a counselor and expert in the area of clergy marriage. With Acton’s guidance, Chosen will be offering retreats across theAM through network-based gatherings in the US and Canada. The retreats will offer pastors’ wives an opportunity to worship, hear biblical teaching and testimonies from bishops’ wives, and share and pray with one another.

In addition to helping wives answer the difficult questions and weather the storms of being partnered in ministry, Chosen is designed to recognize and encourage women in their own unique gifts and talents.

“This is not simply a crisis ministry,” continued Loomis, “We believe that God has something to offer even the most blessed partnerships. His divine encouragement, direction, and blessing are things we all seek in our lives and ministries. We call the ministry Chosen, Partners in the Harvest because we believe that while the pastor is called, his wife has been chosen by God to share in the work and joy of her husband’s ministry. In Ecclesiastes God’s word tells us how important it is for the called and the chosen to be one. ‘Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow’.”

A fundamental ingredient of each retreat will be the opportunity for wives to explore their own unique identity in Christ and gain a stronger understanding of their appointment by God for kingdom work. Retreats are also designed to assist women as they discern their gifts, acknowledge God’s plan for their marriage and keep their vineyard safe and producing fruit.

“We want our wives to be empowered to walk in confidence as they fulfill their role as a partner in the harvest,” Loomis concluded.

Retreats are already being scheduled with the first coming late this spring in Georgia. Interested leaders are encouraged to find out more about Chosen retreats on their new website where they can find a complete overview of the ministry as well as contact information, prayer support links, and counseling information.

How would you handle 450 people showing up for your Super Bowl party?

No problem for the volunteers of Trinity Anglican in Atlanta, GA. Eight years ago, the Lazarus Ministry initiated their first Super Bowl party with the homeless of downtown Atlanta, starting with only two volunteers and 25 guests.

This year Lazarus volunteers transformed a known homeless hang-out parking lot into a festival atmosphere. The music, games, photo booth, big screen TV and food drew in more than 450 locals; 75 entered the chili cook-off competition.

“The poor usually get the expired and leftover food, but here they get our absolute best at this party,” notes Allison Mitchell, Lazarus Ministry Founder.

Photo Courtesy of Kyle Hale

Winning the trophy and apron for the best chili has become a sought after honor among “Trinitarians”. Six judges, comprised of volunteers, people from the community and the homeless make the decision as to who gets bragging rights each year.

“One of the major complaints we hear from the homeless regarding churches is that they have an agenda and people tend to preach at them,” explains Allison. “We let the homeless come to us and if they want to come to church later, it is a natural out-flowing of relationship.”

Authentic relationship is at the core of Lazarus Ministry and resonates throughout every aspect of the Super Bowl party. “When I email volunteers, I make it clear that they are signing up to go to a party, we don’t project what we do as an outreach or a volunteer opportunity. They are doing it with the homeless, not for the homeless.”

For more information about the worship and ministries visit Trinity Anglican.

Every year young men and women training to be soldiers in the United States Army are given the opportunity to go home for Christmas. Unfortunately, not all personnel make it home during the “Christmas Exodus” for various reasons. Because most personnel on-post is away on leave, services are shut down and there is little activity. Furthermore, as trainees, the young soldiers may not leave post for any reason.

To help ease the pain, forty-three parishioners from Apostles Church in Columbia, South Carolina, participated in a Christmas service held at the Ft. Jackson Chapel. Soldiers from all across the across the country as well as Egypt, Guam, and Lebanon, experienced “Christ” in Christmas enjoying fellowship, food and prayer with Apostles’ members. A simple request for one person to assist with the worship service developed into a great opportunity to show the love of Christ. Parishioners of all ages volunteered as musicians and readers for the service while others brought Christmas goodies to share.

Parishioners share a Christmas meal and fellowship with soldiers who stay behind.

The worship service featured telling the Christmas story through Gospel readings, poetry and Christmas carols, concluding with Eucharist. Following the service, the soldiers were treated to a feast of homemade food provided by Apostles, and most importantly, soldiers were able to enjoy fellowship in the love of Christ.

Responding to the call to “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1), over ninety young Rwandans committed their lives to Jesus last month at an annual youth camp in Cyangugu, Rwanda. In their fifth year of participation, a team from Cambridge Church in Leawood, Kansas, helped lead the camp for 250 youth ages 14 to 30. Team members taught on purity, leadership and following God.

The camp is the brainchild of Bishop Geoffrey, but participants are invited by several area pastors representing multiple congregations. As leaders invest in the future generation of Rwanda, the students give back by walking to a pre-selected site and spend one day building a house for someone.

Pastor Josh Yerton, practicing the ministry of presence with Daniel, a camp participant.

“The kids took turns shaving off the mud to make the sides flat, dug a trench and carried pieces of wood up the hill for repairs,” explains Laurie Milton, Mission Team Leader. “The home belongs to an orphan-led family of five. The oldest girl tearfully told us that every nail that she heard being pounded was showing how much we loved them. She told us they had asked God to provide and their prayer was answered.”

“It was an amazing trip,” exclaims Josh Yerton, Pastor of Worship, Discipleship and Ministry, “Many years of great relationships and joint efforts are really starting to yield some awesome fruit!”

Team members not only spend time teaching and building relationships with those in Rwanda on short term mission trips, but as Laurie explains further, Rwanda is a year round focus at Cambridge Church.

Rwandan students learn how to follow Christ as they hear teaching and search the scriptures.

“Each year we designate a particular Sunday as “Rwanda Sunday” to share our experience there with our congregation. We love our relationship with Rwanda, and in order to keep everyone informed, we have a Rwanda table set up throughout the year with pictures, crafts and Rwanda coffee for sale. During the month of April, we raise the $10,000 needed to sponsor the camp students by sharing video and testimonies from previous years.”

A long term commitment to invest in the lives of young Rwandans at Cambridge Church is yielding a fruitful harvest both at home and abroad.

Middle and high school youth representing five southeastern Anglican Mission congregations – Church of the Good Shepherd in Davidson, NC; The River in Blacksburg, VA; Church of the Apostles in Columbia, SC; Grace Church and All Saints Church, both in Pawleys Island, SC –gathered at Camp Cedar Cliff to participate in a Winter Retreat weekend December 11-13. Nate Harrison, Youth Director from Grace Church shared the Gospel message with a relevant theme of “waiting” on the Lord; both for His return and in everyday life.

“A number of our students said that they clearly heard the Lord requesting them to lay down certain things and let them go,” shares Sayward Elliott, Student Ministries Director for All Saints. “One even heard clearly that they were to go home and encourage their parents to start a family Bible study, wanting the Lord to be part of their daily life, not just on Sundays.”

Mixers and games kicked off each of four meetings and led students into an ancient-future style of worship led by Todd Murden and Ross Wisle, both from The River. Cabin time allowed kids to unpack what they heard in the message with leaders, and late night activities cultivated laughter and opportunities to deepen friendships.

“The kids really enjoyed meeting kids from other churches. The high school boys even performed their own “rap” that included the line, ‘hangin’ out with my Anglican brothers’,” laughs Sayward.

In its third year, “Celebration of Christ” reaches out to 63 single parent families of Georgetown County that struggle during what can typically be a stressful time of year. The outreach incorporates a hearty breakfast for close to 300 people and a jovial presentation of the Christmas Story by the Rev. T. Brown, Assistant Rector. Each child receives a new sweatshirt and pair of Levi jeans, two wrapped gifts and a bag of groceries for their family, all donated by individual volunteers.

“What a privilege it is to look the children in the eyes and let them know they are special to Jesus,” shares Helen Jones, founder of the outreach for All Saints Church. “We always have prayer teams available after the presentation, and many parents take advantage of the opportunity.”

“Celebration of Christ” is an extension of the “Give a Kid a Chance” program founded by Grant Cole of St. Andrews in Little Rock, AR, and introduced by Jones to All Saints in 2005, to provide back-to-school supplies for children fitting hte same set of circumstances. Families that attend the summer program are on the mailing list for the Christmas outreach, and registration fills up in one day.

“We had a participant of “Give a Kid a Chance” offer to volunteer her time for the “Celebration of Christ” outreach. Now she is a member of our church, and her son is active in the youth group,” explains Jones. “My prayer is that God would be glorified in all aspects of the outreach, no matter how tedious the details, and He has answered that prayer every year.”

On December 7, 2009, women from the seaside community surrounding Morehead City gathered for a lunch to learn how their combined donations of close to $35,000 are building multipurpose building, providing furniture and food and giving hope to the children of Christian Hope Village. Prior to the event, a large donation by a local businessman was given in memory of Dr. Knelson, the gift reflecting the same sense of faithful generosity Knelson characterized.

Commissioned by Archbishop Kolini several years ago, Knelson made many trips to Rwanda to survey the status of medical care and help determine how the church can cooperate with the government to address some of the problems they face. He also volunteered time and experience to teach medical students at the University of Butare, where he realized the importance of mosquito nets to save lives.

Children inside their new "Home of Hope"

“He had a call from God to go,” explains Knelson’s wife Brenda. “They changed our hearts, and we are forever touched by our experience in Rwanda.” Since Knelson’s death from cancer on January 24, 2007, Brenda has joined the missions committee at All Saints and is a new member of the Homes of Hope event team. "As a member of the Homes of Hope committee it is my hope that I will be able to honor John's desire to carry on mission in Rwanda."

“My involvement is all about sharing the love of Christ with others and fulfilling John’s desire to carry on mission to Rwanda. We may be the only Bible that people ever read.”

To make a donation to Homes of Hope contact Shelly Miller at smiller@theamia.org.

Do sheep really know their shepherd's voice? How often does a grapevine need to be pruned? What does it mean for a land to be described as overflowing with honey?

Critically acclaimed author Margaret Feinberg invites readers on a spiritual (and real life) adventure for deeper insight about how scripture applies to life today.

In her quest to better understand what God wants to communicate through the Bible, Feinberg explores the symbols and metaphors within the stories. To discover these deeper meanings, she spent time with a shepherdess in Oregon, walked the fields with a farmer in Nebraska, explored a vineyard of California, and talked with a veteran beekeeper in Colorado. Along the way, this modern woman discovered surprising answers to puzzling ancient questions.

As an experienced business traveler, Mark Hood knew something was wrong when his flight from La Guardia took a left turn moments after take-off. But it was his faith, Hood told the congregation at the Church of the Apostles in October, that braced him for whatever happened next.

Hood attends King of Kings Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was one of the passengers on Flight 1549 that landed in the Hudson River in January of this year. He and wife Lisa recently visited Church of the Apostles in Fairfield, Connecticut, to give testimony of God's glory and faithfulness through that harrowing experience.

Excerpts from Connecticut Post
Read more here.

"This retreat helped us to carve out the time in a beautiful setting and address some of the deeper topics that are hard to discuss in the bustle of work, church and family life with four small children," share Cliff and Christine Warner of Christ Church, Austin, Texas.
"We feel blessed that our Bishop and Network want to invest, not only in the ministry skills of its clergy, but also in our hearts, marriages and personal well-being. We feel covered and cared for and returned to our parishes strengthened...."

Demanding schedules left behind, the retreat kicked off with a special meal in a picturesque setting, and couples participated in daily assignments that helped them dive into the material and focus on one another. The men proposed all over again to their wives, and each couple renewed their marriage vows, a powerful end to a meaningful retreat.

"We see the gift of this conference as a quiet but deep statement of the core values of the Mission, that marriages and families are of profound importance to God," noted Jeff and Cinde Rawn of Christ Church, Plano, Texas.

"This retreat represents a great model that we hope all of our Networks will replicate and offer to their clergy." -Bishop Philip Jones

For more information about Family Life Ministries, visit their website.