Project De Clutter – directed the funds to a Calgary mom and her 3 children whose husband/father walked out on them earlier this year.
I just spoke with Zena and she will graciously receive this gift. Her info is below to finish filling out the cheque. She is working two 4-hour shifts and 3 6-hour shifts per week being a caregiver for seniors. her two little ones are in daycare but her grade 2 daughter is in need of care on days when she is off school.
She has been able to get into a milk program which is really helpful. But I'm certain that the energy to find and apply for the various services that are available to her is in short supply. We have a lot to offer because of our gifts and talents when pooled are so much more than we could do individually. I am so grateful that we have had the opportunity to include this in our projects this term. Let us pray for Zena and for each other. (Verna)
I met with Zena today to deliver the gift. I was somewhat grudging (being busy) and scared (what kind of encouragement could I offer). But I knocked on the door with my two daughters and we left two hours later thoroughly blessed. Zena is a lovely lady with an encouraging trust in Christ. Her testimony is amazing and I was honored to hear it. she immigrated to Italy and then Canada as a refugee in 1996, knowing no English. She had been supporting her extended family up until now as they are scattered throughout the world as refugees. She gave her life to the Lord in 1995 in a country where Christians are persecuted and jailed for their faith. Her husband hs walked away from the Lord and left her on New Year's Eve of this year. Her kids are 7, 4, and 2 and were gracious and fun hosts to my 3 and 4 year old's. She now is relying on her brother for support (whom she used to support), has to work full time and put her kids in day care (which is not her desire), and still does not make ends meet. She has a good church in her neighborhood who has been supporting her in prayer and paying her utility bills. And yet, her faith seemed unwaivering. She told me she relies on prayer. She was grateful for this gift, confident that it was God's provision and that it would go a long way. Not once did she complain about her situation, or refer to life as unfair, instead she shared her commitment to serving Christ and that His way is the only way. Wow. I left humbled and convicted of my own selfish life and reminded of God's constant provision and care for us even when it's not what we imagined. Remembering that God is sovereign, let's allow him to be. Let's remember and believe His PROMISE in Romans 8:28 " And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to whose who are called according to His purpose." (Lindsay)
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Spending God's Money - Lent Project 2009 (9 of 10)
Too Busy Not to Pray –
Just want to let you know that the money is to go to the Single Mom's Ministry at Centre St. Church (with a note that it is re the WOH Too Busy Not to Pray class so Deb will remember our conversation).
They are going to use it in 2 ways: to set it up as seed money for a microfinance arrangement with single moms (how cool is that????) and also for a fund to respond to crises needs among our single mom population.
Just want to let you know that the money is to go to the Single Mom's Ministry at Centre St. Church (with a note that it is re the WOH Too Busy Not to Pray class so Deb will remember our conversation).
They are going to use it in 2 ways: to set it up as seed money for a microfinance arrangement with single moms (how cool is that????) and also for a fund to respond to crises needs among our single mom population.
Spending God's Money - Lent Project 2009 (8 of 10)
Church History – directed funds for refugees in Darfur and for the suffering church in…
Spending God's Money - Lent Project 2009 (7 of 10)
Faith Begins at Home – Apostolic Youth Ministries International
Please find enclosed a cheque for $500 on behalf of the Faith Begins @ Home class at Women of Heart. Women of Heart is a community that is a part of Centre Street Church. Someone in the class knows you.
Each class was given an assignment to pray over a gift of $1000 during the lent period this year that each class received and come to consensus on what they wished to do with that money. They also had to demonstrate how the use of the money reflected some of the community’s core values.
This class decided that they would use $500 to send a Calgary Single Mom family to family camp and that they would use the other $500 to send missionary children to your MK camp in India.
This is what they wrote in their letter of explanation: “ We as a group are passionate about our children, and families in general, and know that keeping Christ at the center of the family unit is the most solid foundation that any of us can hope for. We can turn to Him for guidance at every turn and he values our families and our marriages. We believe that our donations reflect all of Women of Heart’s values: Faith, Family, Growth, Stewardship, Fun, Rest and Integrity.”
May your camp be a time of impacting youth for eternity.
For the Faith Begins @ Home class,
Please find enclosed a cheque for $500 on behalf of the Faith Begins @ Home class at Women of Heart. Women of Heart is a community that is a part of Centre Street Church. Someone in the class knows you.
Each class was given an assignment to pray over a gift of $1000 during the lent period this year that each class received and come to consensus on what they wished to do with that money. They also had to demonstrate how the use of the money reflected some of the community’s core values.
This class decided that they would use $500 to send a Calgary Single Mom family to family camp and that they would use the other $500 to send missionary children to your MK camp in India.
This is what they wrote in their letter of explanation: “ We as a group are passionate about our children, and families in general, and know that keeping Christ at the center of the family unit is the most solid foundation that any of us can hope for. We can turn to Him for guidance at every turn and he values our families and our marriages. We believe that our donations reflect all of Women of Heart’s values: Faith, Family, Growth, Stewardship, Fun, Rest and Integrity.”
May your camp be a time of impacting youth for eternity.
For the Faith Begins @ Home class,
Spending God's Money - Lent Project 2009 (6 of 10)
Total Money Makeover
After working through Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and watching some of his videos from Financial Peace University, our class wanted to pass on the benefits of living a debt free life pleasing to God.
As our finances are delegated properly, debt is eliminated. When your savings for emergencies, retirement, children’s education, sound investments and adequate insurance are all in place, you have extra money and a peaceful spirit to help others as God directs!
In a very entertaining and inspirational presentation Dave shows through 13 DVD’s how to deal with everyday choices such as obtaining a car with no payments, to live your life without a mortgage, how to know what you need for insurance, and the true joy of sharing your life with others!
We are offering the Financial Peace University class at Centre Street Church starting Saturday, May 30, from 6:30 to 8:30, and running for 13 weeks. We have used some of our $1000 to purchase a facilitator’s kit, and we have subsidized six single moms so they can take the $125 class at a price each one can afford. By word of mouth, and Financial Peace University posting the class on their website, we have 15 family registrations so we could have 25-30 people attend the class. These are lifetime registrations which means they can do a refresher and take the course again at any time for free. They receive a set of 13 CD’s that match the DVD’s we will be showing, the Financial Peace University Revisited text book and workbook along with a number of other helps. When registering as a family teenage children are welcome to attend with their parents at no extra charge. What an awesome opportunity for young people just starting out in life and we have a number that will be attending!
We still have money left in the account and hopefully God will cause this to grow so we can continue reaching out to single moms and families in financial crisis to help them get out of debt. We would love to see God raise up people that would get together and offer short term small loans at low interest rates to help people that want to change their financial situation. These loans would only become available after completion of the Financial Peace University class and with an accountability system in place. We serve a big God! What a privilege to be in His service and be a part of changing lives for Him!
This project has taken many people to make it happen. A special thanks goes to Terry Bush for all his help in coaching us, and to Karen Weir for her unwavering assistance in helping facilitate the class at Centre Street. Debora Carndoff invited us to
present this class to the Single Mom’s group and helped with the guidelines for financial assistance. Pam Wolfe and her team from Promiseland have opened their doors to small children that need care while the class is running. Another opportunity to reach children that otherwise may never experience God! Doris Degagne is assisting me with the class and ladies from the Total Money Makeover class have offered their help. And of course none of this would have happened the donors had not blessed us with a challenge for ministry. Thank you and God’s richest blessings to you all.
After working through Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and watching some of his videos from Financial Peace University, our class wanted to pass on the benefits of living a debt free life pleasing to God.
As our finances are delegated properly, debt is eliminated. When your savings for emergencies, retirement, children’s education, sound investments and adequate insurance are all in place, you have extra money and a peaceful spirit to help others as God directs!
In a very entertaining and inspirational presentation Dave shows through 13 DVD’s how to deal with everyday choices such as obtaining a car with no payments, to live your life without a mortgage, how to know what you need for insurance, and the true joy of sharing your life with others!
We are offering the Financial Peace University class at Centre Street Church starting Saturday, May 30, from 6:30 to 8:30, and running for 13 weeks. We have used some of our $1000 to purchase a facilitator’s kit, and we have subsidized six single moms so they can take the $125 class at a price each one can afford. By word of mouth, and Financial Peace University posting the class on their website, we have 15 family registrations so we could have 25-30 people attend the class. These are lifetime registrations which means they can do a refresher and take the course again at any time for free. They receive a set of 13 CD’s that match the DVD’s we will be showing, the Financial Peace University Revisited text book and workbook along with a number of other helps. When registering as a family teenage children are welcome to attend with their parents at no extra charge. What an awesome opportunity for young people just starting out in life and we have a number that will be attending!
We still have money left in the account and hopefully God will cause this to grow so we can continue reaching out to single moms and families in financial crisis to help them get out of debt. We would love to see God raise up people that would get together and offer short term small loans at low interest rates to help people that want to change their financial situation. These loans would only become available after completion of the Financial Peace University class and with an accountability system in place. We serve a big God! What a privilege to be in His service and be a part of changing lives for Him!
This project has taken many people to make it happen. A special thanks goes to Terry Bush for all his help in coaching us, and to Karen Weir for her unwavering assistance in helping facilitate the class at Centre Street. Debora Carndoff invited us to
present this class to the Single Mom’s group and helped with the guidelines for financial assistance. Pam Wolfe and her team from Promiseland have opened their doors to small children that need care while the class is running. Another opportunity to reach children that otherwise may never experience God! Doris Degagne is assisting me with the class and ladies from the Total Money Makeover class have offered their help. And of course none of this would have happened the donors had not blessed us with a challenge for ministry. Thank you and God’s richest blessings to you all.
Spending God's Money - Lent Project 2009 (5 of 10)
12 Steps of a Recovering Pharisee – directed their funds to the Ukraine MTO trip – Fimiam Ministry: Oct 20 - Nov 4. Specifically to encourage families with special needs members. One of our families is participating by going with their two special needs children to minister in this community.
Spending God's Money - Lent Project 2009 (4 of 10)
Why Believe $1000
Our class was deeply impacted by the Pregnancy Care Centre presentation. Most of us have much easier lives than the single moms described. We wanted to do something in keeping with the Women of Heart value of fun, and so we decided to purchase 5 adult and 5 child zoo passes, along with return bus tickets. When I ran this idea past Wendy Lowe, she said that she had recently talked to a young mom who had grown up with a welfare mom in Calgary - and had never been to Banff. We hope this gift will bring help bring joy into lives that are otherwise focused on bare survival.
We decided to make a 200$ contribution to Opportunity International in keeping with Women of Heart's values of growth and family, as the micro-credit loans of Opportunity International enable families to support themselves, create jobs for the community and then are repaid to assist more entrepreneurs. We know this is also a ministry close to the donor's heart, and wanted to honour her.
We contributed the balance to CSC at work so that they can assist families in crisis during this difficult economic time. We would like to thank the donors for this opportunity to collaborate in extending generosity!
Our class was deeply impacted by the Pregnancy Care Centre presentation. Most of us have much easier lives than the single moms described. We wanted to do something in keeping with the Women of Heart value of fun, and so we decided to purchase 5 adult and 5 child zoo passes, along with return bus tickets. When I ran this idea past Wendy Lowe, she said that she had recently talked to a young mom who had grown up with a welfare mom in Calgary - and had never been to Banff. We hope this gift will bring help bring joy into lives that are otherwise focused on bare survival.
We decided to make a 200$ contribution to Opportunity International in keeping with Women of Heart's values of growth and family, as the micro-credit loans of Opportunity International enable families to support themselves, create jobs for the community and then are repaid to assist more entrepreneurs. We know this is also a ministry close to the donor's heart, and wanted to honour her.
We contributed the balance to CSC at work so that they can assist families in crisis during this difficult economic time. We would like to thank the donors for this opportunity to collaborate in extending generosity!
Spending God's Money - Lent Project 2009 (3 of 10)
Elves Anonymous $1000
Our class is donating the $1,000 to Servant's Anonymous Society and in the process of trying to match, for a total donation of $2,000 - keep praying! The monies will be sponsorship for two tables at the Calgary luncheon Sept 15th. Naomi asked me if we would like "signage" on the table for sponsorship. We may put Elves Anonymous on one table,
Our class is donating the $1,000 to Servant's Anonymous Society and in the process of trying to match, for a total donation of $2,000 - keep praying! The monies will be sponsorship for two tables at the Calgary luncheon Sept 15th. Naomi asked me if we would like "signage" on the table for sponsorship. We may put Elves Anonymous on one table,
Spending God's Money - Lent Project 2009 (2 of 10)
Dangerous Surrender $1000
Hi there! Happy Easter! He is Risen Indeed!
Here is a record of what we discerned together on Thursday about how God is calling us to spend our money:
- $300 to Oak Hill project, details to be discussed at our last class in a week and a half.
- $150 to Opportunity International, which will provide loans to at least 2 women to allow them to put their ideas into action to support their families. Each loan includes insurance, which protects people from crop failure and destitution due to funeral costs for AIDS, etc. And each loan recipient is put in a small group of other loan recipients, who support each other, are trained in sound business practices, and cover for each other's loan repayments when necessary. When the loans are repaid, the money is redistributed, so this money will keep giving and giving...
- $100 to World Vision's emergency relief project for refugees in Darfur, Sudan. This money is being quadrupled by the Can. govt right now, so it will really become $400 in aid money.
- $450 to the Global Christian Centre Ministry in Albania. This goes to Aferdita's brother-in-law, a pastor in Albania whose church runs many different ministries to the desparately poor. Go to lovealbania.com for more information. Our money could go to a widow Aferdita knows who uses stepping stones inside her house when it rains because her house floods so badly and she can't afford repairs. Or it could go to wherever the centre needs it most right now. Anyway, we know all this money will actually get to those who need it. The consensus was that hardly anyone in the Christian world knows about this need, so we wanted to rally around it.
Our time together on Thursday was powerful, listening to God together and sharing His stirrings in us. Thank you so much for being a part of our 'church', moving forward, arms linked...
Some people have told me that, as a part of their Dangerous Surrender follow-through, God is calling them to add of their own money to one or more of these projects. There is ABSOLUTELY NO OBLIGATION on this account. This was intended as a class project only. They just asked me to let people know how to do this if this is the case for them. Two options, I think. 1). Write a cheque to your preferred organization (listed above) and bring it in a marked envelope on Thursday to add to our class proposal. If you want to give to the Oak Hill project, those cheques would be made out to Centre Street Church, as it is a CSC ministry. 2).Talk to me for more information and proceed as led.
This is very exciting!!
Hi there! Happy Easter! He is Risen Indeed!
Here is a record of what we discerned together on Thursday about how God is calling us to spend our money:
- $300 to Oak Hill project, details to be discussed at our last class in a week and a half.
- $150 to Opportunity International, which will provide loans to at least 2 women to allow them to put their ideas into action to support their families. Each loan includes insurance, which protects people from crop failure and destitution due to funeral costs for AIDS, etc. And each loan recipient is put in a small group of other loan recipients, who support each other, are trained in sound business practices, and cover for each other's loan repayments when necessary. When the loans are repaid, the money is redistributed, so this money will keep giving and giving...
- $100 to World Vision's emergency relief project for refugees in Darfur, Sudan. This money is being quadrupled by the Can. govt right now, so it will really become $400 in aid money.
- $450 to the Global Christian Centre Ministry in Albania. This goes to Aferdita's brother-in-law, a pastor in Albania whose church runs many different ministries to the desparately poor. Go to lovealbania.com for more information. Our money could go to a widow Aferdita knows who uses stepping stones inside her house when it rains because her house floods so badly and she can't afford repairs. Or it could go to wherever the centre needs it most right now. Anyway, we know all this money will actually get to those who need it. The consensus was that hardly anyone in the Christian world knows about this need, so we wanted to rally around it.
Our time together on Thursday was powerful, listening to God together and sharing His stirrings in us. Thank you so much for being a part of our 'church', moving forward, arms linked...
Some people have told me that, as a part of their Dangerous Surrender follow-through, God is calling them to add of their own money to one or more of these projects. There is ABSOLUTELY NO OBLIGATION on this account. This was intended as a class project only. They just asked me to let people know how to do this if this is the case for them. Two options, I think. 1). Write a cheque to your preferred organization (listed above) and bring it in a marked envelope on Thursday to add to our class proposal. If you want to give to the Oak Hill project, those cheques would be made out to Centre Street Church, as it is a CSC ministry. 2).Talk to me for more information and proceed as led.
This is very exciting!!
Spending God's Money - Lent Project 2009 (1 of 10)
Compassionate Care group
Proposal for $1000.00
This semester, we have been learning all about what the Pregnancy Care Centre(PCC) does to bless the community of Calgary, through various courses & counseling that they run. After praying together, it was a unanimous decision that we wanted to bless the PCC in some fantastic way. We asked Wendy (the director of PCC) who gave us a few options….but one of the ladies from our group asked if there was a way that we could multiply your gift to bless the PCC even more; Wendy's eyes lit up…..
Every year the PCC has a Mother’s Day Baby Bottle campaign which, where they distribute baby bottles and they get returned full of change. This campaign raised $95,000 for the centre last year, of which $25,000 came from Centre Street Church (CSC). This year, there is some concern that they will not be as successful at CSC, since Wendy is not announcing the campaign on stage, as she has in previous years (there will only be a brief slide up on the screen). We recommend putting the $1000 donation towards a marketing campaign for the Mother's Day Baby Bottle Campaign, and our goal is to multiply your generous gift tenfold - for a total goal of raising $35,000. After praying and brainstorming, here is the plan we have come up with:
We are going to distribute as many bottles as possible during all 4 services on Mother's Day weekend (May 9th & 10th). We will be wearing matching pink aprons (with the “Formula for Hope” slogan printed on), and pushing strollers filled with baby bottles. We will also be decorating the strollers with pink and blue helium-filled balloons. We will also have a booth set up with volunteers & a baby crib & information on the pregnancy care centre. Lastly, we will keep the display up & have volunteers in between services in order to collect bottles back until Father’s Day weekend (June 20th & 21st).
Our goal is to recruit at least 10 volunteers per service, and 5 for decorating by signing up women from the compassion care class, women of heart & personal contacts.
Here is a breakdown of the budget:
Aprons (40 from Needaprons.com, which volunteers will get to keep): $450
Screenprinting on the Aprons (based on calgary screenprinting pricelist): $250
Balloons, Ribbons & Printing (from Pandamonia): $100
Helium Tank Rental (from Pandamonia): $135
Strollers and Crib will be provided by mothers in the group
Any unused funds will be donated directly to the PCC.
For the management of funds and this event we have set up a committee consisting of Carrie Foreman, Carrie Hofer, Carolyn Polyakh, and Andrea Grubbe. Please make cheque payable to Andrea Grubbe, who will be acting as treasurer.
From the CSC baby bottle fundraising committee (Note from editor: over $30,000 was collected through this endeavor).
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