Thanksgiving Dinner - Salvation Army in Coatesville
Once again, we have the privilege of preparing and serving the Thanksgiving dinner at the Salvation Army in Coatesville.  You can be involved with this effort in many ways:  providing food for the meal, donating food to stock the pantry, and serving in a variety of capacities. There will be sign-ups in the church lobby on November 2, 9, and 16.  Food to stock the pantry may be dropped off in the church lobby up until November 16. The actual dinner will be held Sunday, November 23, from 3-4:30 and take out meals will be provided from 4:30-5:30. If you have any questions, you may contact Barbara at .

Pajama Drive for Coatesville
This year Christ Community Church will have the opportunity to participate in a Pajama Drive with the Salvation Army in Coatesville.  We need 250 pajamas for needy children in the Coatesville area.  Cards will be available to choose from on November 23 and 30 with a child's name, gender and size on it.  Take the card, purchase pajamas, and put them in a grocery bag with the card taped on the outside.  Bring them to the church lobby on December 7 and 14, and they will be distributed to the children in need.

Partner with the Orphan Care Coalition
November is National Adoption Month. The statistics are staggering, over 100,000 children in the United States, 1000 right here in Pennsylvania, long to know the love and care of parents, the stability of a family, and a permanent home. We are partnering with the Orphan Care Coalition in PA, DE and NJ to raise awareness and support for children right here in our community who are waiting for a forever family. CLICK HERE to download a flyer with more information.

Operation Christmas Child
For millions of children, Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are tangible expressions of God's love and constant presence. Allowing your child to participate will bring them a sense of worldwide responsibility that God had given us to spread his love. If you would like more information about participating this year, please see our KidzROCK ministry table for a brochure. Then drop off completed boxes to our tables November 16th and November 23rd during Sunday morning.

Dear beloved sponsors and friends of ….. India.
 
We have never seen anything like this.   We knew that Orissa was the most resistant and hostile State in India as far as the Gospel is concerned. And we brushed off the continuous threats and harassment we faced as we went about His work.  But none of our staff imagined that they would see this kind of carnage.... And it seems to be totally under the radar of the Western Media. ....
 
Let me explain.... A militant Hindu priest and 4 of his attendants, who were zealously going around the villages of Orissa and 'reconverting' people back to Hinduism, were gunned down by unknown assailants in Central Orissa last weekend.
 
Immediately the Christians were blamed. The cry rose up...'Kill the Christians!' And the horror began.... In the past 4 days, we have first hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many, many dozens of Christian tribals have been slaughtered. For no other reason than they bear the name of Christ.
 
Night and day I have been in touch with our India Directors spread across 14 Centers in Orissa… which are right in the middle of all this chaos. In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer protection, a group of 70 blood-thirsty militants came to kill our staff and destroy the home.  They were not allowed to get in, but they did a lot of damage to our Center, by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing our gate, etc.
 
They have promised to come back and 'finish the job.' Our kids and staff are locked inside and have stayed that way with doors and windows shut for the past 3 days. It has been a time of desperately calling on the Lord in prayer.
 
More police have come to offer protection.  In Kalahandi, the police and some local sympathizers got to our center and gave our staff and kids about 3 minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood thirsty mob came to kill everyone in the building. We would have had a mass funeral there, but for His grace.  In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes. The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by saying that there were no Christians in this area. So they left.  We had favor. The same thing happened in Balasore.
 
All our centers are under lock down with the kids and staff huddled inside and police outside. The fanatics are circling outside waiting for a chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby Catholic orphanage, the mob allowed the kids to leave and locked up a Priest and a computer teacher in house and burned them to death. Many believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the road.... even women and children.  At another orphanage run by another organization, when this began, the Director and his wife jumped on their motorbike and simply fled, leaving all the children and staff behind. Every one of our directors that I have spoken to said: 'We stay with our kids.... we live together or die together, but we will never abandon what God has called us to do.' More than 5000 Christian families have had their homes burned or destroyed. They have fled into the jungles and are living in great fear waiting for the authorities to bring about peace. But so far, no peace is foreseen.
 This will continue for another 10 days.... supposedly the 14 day mourning period for the slain Hindu priest. Many more Christians will die and their houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down. The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We ask for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us know the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that means. So many of our kids coming from Hindu backgrounds are confused and totally bewildered at what is happening around them. So many of their guardians have fled into the jungles and are unable to come and get them during these trying times.   Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children. Orissa will be saved… that is our heart's cry. If we can take these thousands of throw-away children and help them to become disciples of Jesus, they will transform an entire region. It is a long term goal, but it is strategic thinking in terms of the Great Commission.
 
What can you do? First, please uphold all this in fervent prayer. Second, pass this e-mail on to as many friends as you can. We must get the word out and increase our prayer base for this is spiritual warfare at its most basic meaning. We are literally fighting the devil in order to live for His Kingdom. The next 10 days are crucial. We pray for peace and calm to pervade across Orissa. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please pass it on and help us to get as many people to partner with us on this cutting edge effort to fulfill His mandate: Go and make disciples of all nations....
 Prayer works!
 
Blessings, Col 2:2 MBI
 Team Facilitators

 

Join us for our Men's Retreat this Friday night - WE HAVE A FEW SPOTS LEFT! Upon your arrival to Spruce Lake in the Poconos, you will be greeted by a bond fire and a bunch of friendly faces of other men who like you want to escape for a weekend of spiritual encouragement and tons of great activities, like downhill/xcountry skiing, basketball, pool table and card tournaments, as well as hiking, tubing and much more. The cost is $ 199. Once registered, you will receive an email with instructions for roommate preference, carpooling, downhill skiing and golf (weather permitting).

NOT A SKIER - don't worry, as you can see, there is still plenty to do!

NOT ABLE TO GO, BUT WANT TO PARTICIPATE - pray for the over 80 men who are going! 

Also, a key component of this weekend are the times we will gather for discussion, instruction and worship. We will address several questions:

Why are certain temptations so powerful?

How can I get control of certain habits?

What hope does a relationship with God offer?

How can friendships with other men help?

Let's face it- things like earning a living, eating, sex, sports, or relationships, are all engineered and created by God. All declared good. Yet there are forces in us and around us that lead us to believe that we should "have it all and have it now." Living outside God's design, though, can leave us feeling empty, defeated and like we are spinning out of control. Here's an opportunity to re-align and get the new year off to a great start.

Located in the Pocono Mountains, near downhill ski resorts, Spruce Lake is a retreat & conference center, featuring hotel like accommodations, indoor sports, cross country ski trails, hiking, tubing and much more.

Chick here to contact Paul Clough and start the registration process. Email today! Have a question - also, contact us today!

Discover Your Role In God's Global Drama

Meet and interact with missionaries working in some of the most unreached places.  From seminars to corporate worship, engage with God's redemptive story for the nations.  Story '08 will give you the tools to take the next step in connecting your gifts, talents and passions with God's purposes for the nations.

December 28 - December 31 / Orlando, Florida

PIONEERS 1-800-755-7284

www.story08.com

 

Bridge of Hope, Lancaster & Chester Counties, is a ministry that helps homeless and at-risk single mothers attain financial self-sufficiency through the support of a mentoring group and professional staff.   The mothers work with mentor teams who provide emotional support and encouragement.

In 2008 they are celebrating twenty years of ending and preventing homelessness for women and children.  Through financial contributions, Christ Community Church along with many other churches who partner with Bridge of Hope enabled over 200 homeless families in this area to find a sense of peace and stability.

One of the main obstacles for homeless women is the lack of transportation.  In order to move from homelessness to financial self-sufficiency, women need a job and in order to arrive at that job they need transportation.  To donate a car, call the Coatesville office at 610-380-1360.  Also, you can lighten the load for Bridge of Hope families by donating needed items.  Visit their website at bridgeofhopeinc.org.

This past summer many college students participated in projects around the world through Campus Crusade for Christ.  The projects were designed to build students’ faith and leadership abilities, enable them to learn how to share their faith more effectively and help them serve the community.  Campus Crusade serves more than 1,000 college campuses with their staff, volunteers and student leaders.
“In the next few weeks, many students will have a chance to respond to the gospel for the first time.  Christian students will be tempted to experiment with enticing but destructive ways of living.  We want to provide a place where they can thrive spiritually.” (Campus Crusade for Christ staff newsletter)

Prayer requests from our partners with Campus Crusade:

• Spiritual revival on the campus of West Chester University 
• Open hearts of students
• Staff being equipped for ministry and fully funded 
• Transition in Regional office with new staff 

Ramadan (The Muslim Fasting Month)

This year Ramadan is September 1-30.  This is a very important month for Muslims around the world.  During this month Muslims will fast.  They will rise early to eat breakfast before the day begins, afterwards they will not eat or drink anything until nightfall.  Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.  Muslims fast as an act of faith and worship towards Allah (God), seeking to suppress their desires and increase their spiritual piety.  There are several other aspects to fasting which a Muslim will focus on during this month.

This is a great time of year to focus on praying for Muslims.  As Christians, we can pray this Ramadan will be one during which many Muslims will meet Christ.  Coinciding with Ramadan, there is a booklet for Christians to use called, “30-Days Muslim Prayer Guide.”  You can find out more about Ramadan and these prayer booklets at www.30-days.net.  If you are interested, there will be some booklets for adults and children at the information centers.

The Bali Indonesia Global Partnership Service (GPS) team has arrived home safely.  The team’s time in Bali went extremely well.  We had the privilege of working with around 70 third culture children.  It was awesome to work with such precious children, ranging from one month old to sixteen years old, while serving their parents in this unique way.  The younger children enjoyed their time singing, learning about God, doing crafts, watching magic shows, playing, and more.  The older children spent their time participating in a “Survivor” competition which brought them closer together and closer to God.

The team worked very well together and everyone served with joyful and servant hearts.  Truly your prayers were answered for our safety and our time serving there.  Thank you all very much for all of your prayers and the many ways you supported the Bali Indonesia GPS.  The “body of Christ” enabled this trip to be successful on many levels.

Young Life

Young Life (YL) was founded in 1941 by Jim Rayburn who wanted to spend time with kids who were disinterested in church.   The goal of YL is to plug kids into the church life.  Christ Community Church partners with this vital ministry which reaches out to high school students who might not otherwise have a chance to hear the Gospel.  Their staff and volunteers enter the world of kids, focusing on what matters to them - fun, adventure, friendship and a sense of significance.

 YL exists in 54 countries and is supported by 4,000 staff members, more than 14,000 volunteer leaders and almost 12,000 local committee members.   Tom and Shelly Anderson, members here at Christ Community volunteer with YL.  Tom is the Committee Chair and Shelly is a Volunteer Leader for Downingtown. 

Around 100 students from Downingtown and West Chester high schools are going to Saranac Village, in New York, from July 13 – 19.  At camp the kids will get away from the pressures of everyday life, having fun with friends and their Young Life leaders and hearing the message of God’s love in terms they can understand.  Each year, more than 74,000 kids around the world spend a week or a weekend at YL camp.  Often times these students don’t have the financial resources available to them to attend.  If you are interested in helping financially, you may give to a scholarship fund by going to www.chestercounty.younglife.org and click on "donors." 

 

Two major disasters occurred in the world recently, the first a cyclone which ravaged Burma (or Myanmar) and the second, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in the region of Sichuan in China.  The death toll in both areas is very high, in Burma it is around 100,000 and in Sichuan it is nearly 50,000.  Many folks are currently displaced from their homes, an estimate of nine million in China.

While both countries are struggling with the aftermath of enormous casualties and devastation, there may be opportunities for Christian organizations and workers to play significant roles.  These disasters are on a similar magnitude as the Tsunami which rocked Aceh Indonesia back in 2004.  During that crisis many Christian workers contributed with physical and spiritual assistance.  A team from Christ Community had the privilege to serve with medical assistance in Aceh.

PIONEERS teams near Sichuan are sending in teams for rescue efforts and medical assistance.  The opportunity to genuinely serve and love these people in the name of Christ may open up doors which were once closed.  May God be glorified through these tragedies and may many turn to Jesus during these difficult times.