COMMUNITY is a generous church and everything we do, every dollar we invest is about helping people find their way back to God. Each year we designate one weekend of the year where we give our entire offering away in support of initiatives that will help us accomplish the Jesus Mission. We call this weekend Celebration Generosity and on March 17 and 18, 2012, we are asking everyone to join a team and prayerfully consider how they can be generous with what God has given them. This year, we are focusing our teams on three key areas that help us accomplish the Jesus Mission. We call these areas the 3R's and each team represents one of the R's.
Reach - Reaching those far from God (Campus team)
Restore - Restoring the dream of God (Community 4:12, Haiti and the Philippines)
Reproduce - Reproducing the mission in others (NewThing)
Celebration Generosity is truly a celebration. COMMUNITY attenders have made a tremendous impact in the lives of others all over the world through their generosity in support of these teams and we know that this year will be different. If you are new to COMMUNITY and have not participated in Celebration Generosity the first step is to join a team. You will learn more about the team you have chosen throughout the coming weeks and we invite you to be at one of our Celebration Generosity dinners on March 9 and 10 to hear first hand stories from each of the teams. Join the mission of helping people find their way back to God. So Join a Team and participate with us on March 17th and 18th as we Celebrate Generosity!
Reproducing Community 4:12 in Chicago
By Kirsten Strand, Community 4:12 Director
Community 4:12 started in East Aurora in 2003. In 2007, we reproduced the ministry in Joliet. And this year, we will reproduce again in Chicago. The Community 4:12 Team is committed to ensuring that we maintain a consistent approach and philosophy to serving and loving the poor in any community in which we work. We are committed to a three level approach to addressing poverty. We have to meet people when they are in crisis by helping to meet basic needs. But, we cant stop there. We also need to help individuals develop skills and tools to improve their life circumstances. But we cant stop there, either. We also need to address the bigger systemic and societal issues and injustices that prev Read More…
The Haiti Team - Let the Little Children Come
By Tara Davis - 2012 Haiti Ambassador Trip Member
They are our hope and they are our future. Everywhere you go in Haiti you will see children! It is estimated that about 50- 60% of the population of Haiti is under the age of 18. Of this percentage, 1 out of every five children are orphaned. During our last stay in Haiti, one of the team members wrote the following concerning what God had impressed upon her heart. As you read this, please know that one of our goals for 2012 is to increase resources and counseling to some of Haitis most vulnerable children through the World Relief programs currently operating in Haiti.
Rebuilding With Roberta
I am currently sitting on the steps of what is the existing church here at the orphanage. Cinder Read More…
Philippines Team - What Happens When We Dream
In 2008 the global economy took a sharp downward turn. Many of us lost investments, lost jobs and struggled to downsize our expectations and lifestyles. And yet in the midst of this, CCC began their partnership with Frontline Ministries in the Philippines. Celebration Generosity brought in more financial support than any single weekend in the history of our church. Gods economy doesnt waiver. His stock market doesnt decline. The value of His home has never dropped. And His love for His people and the world created by His own hand never waivers.
In 2009 we asked Jeff Pessina and his staff in the Philippines to dream big about how we could love the struggling families living in the garbage dump of Baloc. He responded with how wonderful Read More…
NewThing - Reproducing Your Generosity
By Eric Metcalf, NewThing Director
Every dollar invested in NewThing goes towards reproducing the Jesus Mission: REACHING out to those who are far from God, RESTORING the neighborhoods of which our NewThing Churches are apart and REPRODUCING that same Jesus Mission in others. You also help us reproduce generosity.
Recently, one of NewThing's Leadership Residents, Matt Miller, completed his Residency with Troy McMahon (Lead Pastor, RESTORE, a NewThing church plant in Kansas City) to then launch a new church, New City Church, also in Kansas City, with 322 on opening day! Those are incredible launch numbers, but really the part that excites us the most, is that in the first 30 days after launching, New City has given away more than half their Read More…
Community 4:12 Team - East Aurora
By Kirsten Strand, Community 4:12 Director
Last week I presented a brand new team we are forming in East Aurora - the East Aurora Restore Team that will be made up of 10 - 15 families living in our focus community in East Aurora. These will be families that have relocated to the neighborhood from more affluent communities, and families that have lived in the neighborhood for years. This Team will exist to engage deeply and relationally in the neighborhood, to identify community assets and challenges, and to work with people inside and outside the community to tackle those challenges.
Let me introduce you to the Five families committed to launching this team:
Scott, Kirsten, Erik (age 14), Brian (age 12) Strand. We moved to East Aurora from Read More…
