whole gospel

A friend and I are teaching through a series written by World Vision and based on Richard Stearn's book The Hole in our Gospel. The video segment in our first week of class showed Stearns talking about how the Gospel is to be lived out in proclamation and compassion and justice. This whole Gospel shows evidence of caring about the whole person...body, mind, spirit, soul.

JeanJean and Kristie Mompremier were with us from Haiti in class on Sunday, and they gave such concrete examples of this truth. When they started in ministry, they knew their call was to go preach the Gospel. But as they walked along through their neighborhood and saw children eating ashes to try to fill their bellies, they unmistakenly heard from God. "Feed them". Now, five years and seven nutrition centers later, three hundred fifty children come four times a week for a meal, to hear Bible stories, to sing songs about Jesus, and to experience loving community. Many parents have been brought into this Christian community through their children, and the Gospel is spreading and bearing fruit as people are realizing their salvation and identity in Christ.

God's work through JeanJean and Kristie and United Christians International (www.unitedchristiansinternational.org)is a great example of wholistic Christian Community Development as they have taught people agricultural techniques, trained pastors, fed children, built a school, two churches, fifteen houses, and poured 151 cement floors for homes...all in the last year. In a land of desperate poverty and spiritual oppression due to voodoo, Christ's light is breaking through and transforming this community. We have much to learn through their simple yet profound strategy. When interviewed in class on Sunday, JeanJean said, "We pray, we care, and we share."

do hard things

I read a book in the last year entitled Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations written by Alex and Brett Harris. These twin teenagers challenge readers to imagine "what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential."

I thought of that book this weekend as I watched Megan Pattee, an 18 year old college freshman, follow to completion a vision God had given her for an art show. Last evening's Heart Project was a tangible glimpse of teens doing great things with God. Five thousand dollars was raised to help partners in Haiti equip their new school, all under the leadership of Megan whose passion drove and energized the whole project. Thanks for the inspiration, Megan!

classic Saturday

A Quaker born in Philadelphia, Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911) wrote The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life. In the excerpt found in Devotional Classics she addresses people's problem of feeling burdened by Christian service by writing of the cure: surrender of the soul to God's perfect will.

"What you need to do, then, dear Christian, if you are in bondage in the matter of service, is to put your will over completely into the hands of the Lord, surrendering it to Him the entire control of it...Many Christians love God's will in the abstract, but carry great burdens in connection with it. From this also there is deliverance in the wonderful life of faith. For in this way of life, no burdens are carried, no anxieties felt. The Lord is our burden-bearer, and upon Him we must lay off every care. He says, in effect, "Be careful for nothing, but make your requests known to me, and I will attend to them all.

Be careful for nothing. he says, not even your service. Why? Because we are so utterly helpless that no matter how careful we were, our service would amount to nothing! What have we to do with thinking whether we are fit or not fit for service? The Master-workman surely has a right to use any tool He pleases for His own work, and it is plainly not the business of the tool to decide whether it is the right one to be used or not. He knows; and if He chooses to use us, of course we must be fit. And in truth, if we only knew it, our chief fitness is in our utter helplessness. His strength is made perfect, not in our strength, but in our weakness. our strength is only a hindrance."

Are you serving out of duty or desire? Is serving Christ a joy or a burden? Prayers for us all this week to serve in Christ and out of His good and freedom-producing will.

art with a heart

Youth Art Team's finale last night included ice cream sundaes, presentations to each artist, family and friends as guests, JeanJean and Kristie Mompremier spoke a little about Haiti, and we listened as Heidi and the team reminded us about loving humans through our gifts and talents. Megan Pattee, who organized the Heart Project Art Show, was also able to join us for the evening all the way from her college in Missouri.

The Waterloo Courier had an article in yesterday's paper and a Youth Art Team video on their website. You can see these by clicking on the following links:

click here for the article

Click here for the video

the Heart Project

The Youth Art Team (www.youthartteam.blogspot.com) nears its six week culmination with the upcoming Heart Project, this Saturday, November 20, from 4-6 p.m. at Orchard Hill Church's atrium/coffeeshop (east end).

The team's 23 paintings will be on sale, and all proceeds will go to help fund a school that has recently been opened by our partners in Haiti.

Also at the Heart Project art show: many local artists displaying and selling their work, and JeanJean, Kristie, Tana, and Kerri Mompremier will be here from Haiti to talk about the Christian community development work that is happening and to sell local Haitian art.

College Freshman, Megan Pattee, received a whisper from God this summer about organizing a Heart Project art show, and wa-la, she's carried the vision all the way to the actual show this Saturday! Young People doing great things with God!

Come check out the creative goodness and maybe do a little Christmas shopping that makes a world of difference!

classic Saturday

Today's quote from the Journal of John Woolman (1720-1772). A lesson I still need much practice with-

"It requires great self-denial and resignation of ourselves to God to attain that state wherein we can freely cease from fighting when wrongfully invaded, if by our fighting there were a probability of overcoming the invaders. Whoever rightly attains to it does in some degree feel that spirit in which our Redeemer gave his life for us, and through divine goodness many of our predecessors and many now living have learned this blessed lesson. But many others, having their religion chiefly by education and not being enough acquainted with that cross which crucifies to the world, do manifest a temper distinguishable from that of an entire trust in God."

Christmas Store and Christmas Craft

Find out more about how you can get involved through the Christmas Craft Fair and Christmas Store coming up December 11.

p.s. do I talk with my hands a lot or what?!