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Homes of Hope Launched

January 20, 2013 By

HomeOfHope logo-01Homes of Hope was launched this past week as part of iRock Ministries. We saw a need after visiting the Apache Reservation in 2011 and it is our desire to give families a chance to raise their children in an environment where they can thrive and feel secure. By providing a hand up to those currently living in homes that are unsafe, we are showing them how God cares and provides for His children through the generosity of others. I’d like to introduce you to Ronnie.

ronnie

Since the age of 12, Ronnie was lured  by satan and his life led him to alcohol and drugs. He found himself on the ‘other side of the tracks’ where he had no hope and his life nearly ended tragically.

24 years ago, following a near fatal stabbing, Ronnie gave his life and his heart to the Lord. Ronnie now ministers to teens that have been deceived by Satan and fallen into a similar trap.

Life is hard on the reservation and often times when young parents feel trapped and without hope they will drop their kids off with anyone that is willing to take care of them. That is how Ronnie came to have five of his grandchildren living with him. Wanting to protect his grandchildren from going down the same path he did he took them into his home and is providing for them as best he can.

ronnies houseRonnie’s life has not been easy and although he works full time delivering propane, he is living in a 24′x30′, 2 bedroom house that has been condemned by the Apache Tribe Housing Authority. Currently the children sleep wherever they can find a space, there is no functional kitchen sink, the windows have all been broken out by vandals, and scorpions in the house are not uncommon.

This story is all too common on the reservation. Every day parents worry how they are going to provide for their families and where they will get food. Needless to say, home renovations are not high on their priority list. And that’s how Homes of Hope became part of the mission of iRock Ministries.With all the other things that worry parents, you can help bring hope to the least of these so that children and their families can go to bed at night and not worry about the repairs that are needed on their homes.

God’s word says, “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

Here’s a few ways you can get Involved with Homes of Hope.

  1. Join our mission team
  2. Join our construction team
  3. Donate toward building materials

We have construction teams ready to go and build 2 new homes and make countless repairs but are in need of funds.

Your donation will purchase materials that will stop a leaky roof, bring water into the house, repair walls and ceilings that have been water damaged, provide safe bedrooms for children and so much more.

Don’t hesitate, Donate NOW!! Homes of Hope teams build more than shelter – they build hope.

 

 

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I Have Cancer. Please Pray!

November 2, 2012 By

I feel as if I fell off the social grid from June through September.

For a children’s missionary the summer months are the busiest. God did great things! We rejoiced with a minimum of 121 first time decisions to follow Jesus, 8 baptisms in the Holy Spirit, 12 children called to ministry, 28 healings and countless lives changed for eternity. In all that was done over the summer I can only credit Jesus with the transforming power I saw working in the lives of kids.

The following story will give you an idea of what God was doing in the heat and humidity of these four months.

It was the beginning of the fourth week of kids camps. God had really spoken to my heart as I traveled the hour and half to Gore VA. This was the year to focus on the fact that “Jesus Saves”. The staff had been oriented, preparations were complete and we anxiously awaited the arrival of more than 250 campers and chaperones. As each church arrived, kids were greeted, chaperones given instructions and Jesus was invited to be part of all that happened that week.

Right before service, I was handed a letter, written on the back of a Sunday School paper, and it read,

As I read the letter tears came to my eyes and I was hit hard with the reality that Isaiah, more than anything needed the healing power of Jesus. As I shared this letter with Josh, the other director, I could see the wheels turning. The next thing I heard was let’s call Isaiah and have the entire camp pray for him over the phone. And that we did.

Two weeks later, while ministering on the Chippewa Reservation in Minnesota, I receive an email from Isaiah’s children’s pastor. Here’s what it said, “First off, his mother told me that when we called him from camp and had the whole camp pray for him, there was a nurse (an unbeliever) taking Isaiah’s vitals while we were praying. The nurse began crying and told Isaiah’s mother that that was the most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed! God used the prayers of children to touch this woman’s heart!!!

Second, Isaiah went in for a PET Scan yesterday…they couldn’t find any evidence of cancer in this chest, lungs, etc. The only thing they saw was that his spleen was enlarged and looked like it had a spot. The doctors were going to run another scan on Monday, but today they decided to go ahead and scan the area again…they couldn’t find anything!!! They have declared him cancer free!!! The spleen is still enlarged, but no cancer!! As a precaution, the doctors want Isaiah to have 2 more chemo treatments…but, we’re believing that God will complete the healing so that he won’t have anymore treatments.

Please share this with your kids and keep him and his family in your prayers!

Can you say…….GLORY!!!! Blessings, LaDona”

Isaiah continues to be cancer free. As I’m traveling I take every opportunity to share Isaiah’s testimony. We need to be reminded that God not only hears but also answers our prayers and the prayers of children.

Isaiah is not the only kid that faces difficulties, struggles, hardships and yes, death. We can’t forget that adult issues are becoming more and more prevalent in the lives of children. We MUST pray for children and through the knowledge of Jesus, give them hope and a future. Thank you for being part of our ministry. Thank you for praying for us. Thank you for your words of encouragement. But most importantly thank you for sharing Jesus with others.

 

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Children’s Pastors take Vacation?

August 30, 2012 By

Being a children’s pastor myself, at one point, I found it very difficult to actually take a vacation where I wasn’t preparing for the following Sunday. I would even plan to leave on a Sunday and return Saturday so that I wouldn’t miss a service. Why? Mostly because I wanted to make sure that every service was delivered with excellence. You knew the importance of those two hours each week and you wanted to make sure they connected with Him.

There were certainly other members of the ministry team that could oversee the service but when you invest in the kids the way a children’s pastor does you want to make sure everything points them to Jesus. Besides, it was my responsibility, not my teams. Or that’s the way I would think. (That’s a lesson for another time)

Now that my role has changed to a Children’s Missionary, that’s when I was blessed to be able to help. One of the great joys of being a missionary is being able to fill the pulpit when a children’s pastor wants to take a vacation. That’s why I’m glad God informally added “Assume the role of the children’s pastor while they are on vacation” to my ministry description.

I love coming into a church, partnering with the ministry team and serving alongside of them to conduct service. I know that I’m helping to bring some much needed rest to a servant of God. God himself rested but often times our Children’s Pastors don’t find that rest frequent enough. I am able to focus full-time in preparation for that service thus relieving the anxiety of the children’s pastor trying to make sure everything is covered that day.

Even when I do assume their role they are still checking in with me to make sure everything is in place and people have showed up on time and I have everything I need. They want the best for the kids in their congregation. They exemplify the saying “Ministry is a lifestyle, not a job”.

Thanks to all those who serve in a full-time role as Children’s Pastors. May you be renewed in strength, mind and spirit as you occasionally take the opportunity to rest from your responsibilities of pastoring children.

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Fish Tank from Heaven

June 12, 2012 By

Has God ever provided you with something you needed without even asking? Well, in my case it was a 10 gallon fish tank. Let me explain.

I had been planning to speak at a girls retreat for three weekends in June. As part of my planning I generally have a long list of props that I need to gather together that will help demonstrate my message. This year the topic was “That None should perish” and God gave me this great object lesson using fish which naturally needed a fish tank and in this case I needed two 10 gallon tanks. I had one tank stashed away in our garage but needed a second.

I began my search by asking family, friends and Pastor LaDona at my home church. But, to no avail. After exhausting my resources I had reserved myself to the fact that I would just have to buy one. A $30 investment to help the girls understand the importance of sharing the message of Jesus’ love and forgiveness, a small price to pay although I certainly didn’t like the idea of spending $30 on a tank that I might never use again. Oh, well.

Pastor LaDona was helping me with some of the other props on my list as well as some much appreciated printing and laminating. You’ve got to understand that I will beg, borrow and steal, well not steal, but I will beg and borrow anything I can to avoid buying an item that I might need. I’m pretty well known for that. Anyway, I knew that Pastor LaDona had been gathering together some items for me and out of the blue I called one morning to see if I could stop by and pick them up. Without hesitation she told me to come by and what she didn’t have gathered together we would go retrieve from their wealth of props in the church.

When I arrived we pulled everything together and she said that as she drove in that morning she happened to notice something outside of the “Shoe and Clothing Drop” container in the back parking lot. I’ve used this container in the past and it is clearly marked “Shoes and Clothing ONLY”. LaDona had seen what appeared to be trash placed outside the container. She drove by to see and thought she’d have to take it to the dumpster but upon further inspection thought it was a fish tank and suggested I drive by and take a look before leaving. She knew that I was looking for some type of tank.

Knowing that LaDona would never lead me down the wrong path, I loaded up my stash and headed to the “Shoe and Clothing ONLY” container to check it out. To my surprise there in front of the container was a 10 gallon fish aquarium, exactly what I needed. God had placed a fish tank in front of the “Shoe and Clothing ONLY” container on the very day and time that I would be gathering up other props. Perhaps this could be considered the “steal” part of the beg, borrow and steal because right there and then I scooped up that tank, put it in the back of my prius and off I went as happy as a clam. I proceeded to call my closest friends to share in the excitement and jubilation of knowing that God provided a fish tank just for me.

God cares about the details and wants to give us every good and perfect gift from above and on this particular day that perfect gift happened to be a fish tank.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

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Operation INASMUCH

May 19, 2012 By

What happens when you give over 600 volunteers, 35 churches and 6 community agencies the opportunity to serve their community as one? Well, homes get repaired, landscaping is completed, blood is donated, food banks are stocked, clothing is distributed, the elderly are appreciated and the love of Jesus is shown to an entire community. It’s my second year being part of Tappahannock Operation INASMUCH and to see so many people come together, crossing denominational lines, with one goal, to serve as Jesus served, gives us a glimpse of what it will be like in heaven one day.  To see people come together to meet the needs of people exemplifies the goodness in humanity.

Each year brings new hope. Seeing the commitment of Gleta and Steve as they dedicate countless hours to reaching the children in Tappahannock with the love of Jesus is such a source of encouragement. Watching the kids as they give their time making crafts to bring joy to the elderly and seeing a community join forces as one demonstrates the spirit of unity in Christ.

As part of that day I was given the privilege of spending some time teaching the kids the importance of serving others. I encourage you to raise up your kids to serve others as Christ served us. Let Jesus be the everlasting example of how we should commit our lives to meeting the needs of others. Allow them to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, make new friends, give clothes to those in need, take care of the sick, and visit those imprisoned.

As it says in Matthew; “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, INASMUCH as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.”

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Can anyone stop the plague?

May 18, 2012 By

Is there hope in Psalm 130?

When you read this Psalm it’s about Israel’s unfaithfulness to God and all seems hopeless until you get to verse 30, “but Phinehas had the courage to intervene, and the plague was stopped.” (Psalm 106:30, NLT) and again the chapter turns to Israel’s unfaithfulness.

When I read this verse it didn’t appear to be a very uplifting portion of scripture. It wasn’t until I shared a lesson with the kids about pointing others to Jesus that this passage spoke to me. Verse 29 is speaking about a physical plague that came upon the Israelites because they continually turned away from God. In comparison, I see the plague today as a spiritual plague affecting millions of people who are being deceived by false gods. Both physical and spiritual plagues have the same affect on people; death! There are so many false religions and being introduced into our society today that are luring people to follow false gods.

Phineas had the courage to step in on behalf of a people who had turned from God and, because he did, the Israelites were spared physical death. We must be willing to step in on behalf of those who have been deceived and are worshiping other gods so that their lives can be spared from spiritual death.

This scripture may not be warm and fuzzy, but it’s certainly a passage that should resound in our spirit. It should challenge us in our Christian walk and encourage us to share our faith so that this plague of false gods will stop. There are millions of people who have no hope or future, but God has a plan for their lives. We were created to glorify God and to tell others about His love and forgiveness. We must have the same courage as Phinehas and step in and stop the spiritual plague that is sweeping across the world.

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? (Romans 10:14, NLT)

In all reality we are plagued with many things in our lives, but perhaps the greatest plague affecting our culture is the onset of false religions and our ineffectiveness in reaching the people that are deceived. Do we have the courage to step in and stop this plague?

POINTS TO PONDER

1. Phinehas was so upset about the immorality of the Israelites that he felt he needed to step in. Do you have that same zeal for the Lord?

2. Although God was upset with the Israelites, Phinehas had the courage to step in on their behalf, perhaps risking his own safety. Do you have the courage to go before God on behalf of those that don’t follow Him?

3. Is your christian walk strong enough to point others to Jesus, or are you expecting someone else to witness to them?

4. To point others to Jesus, it helps to have a basic understanding of those religions that are luring people to believe in false gods so that you know how to talk with them. How much do you know about other religions so that you can steer unbelievers to the one and only true God?

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Help Us Dig Wells!

April 1, 2012 By

Did you know Africa has about 9 percent of the world’s water resources but 13 percent of the world’s population.  This means that the amount of water for each person is well below the world average and often at great distance from the people.

Predictions indicate that over the next 20 years, 30 percent more water will be needed just for farming. Twenty-five African nations will suffer water shortages.

  • Everyday 25,000 people die from unsafe water.
  • 80% of all sickness is attributed to unsafe water.
  • Every 19 seconds a mother loses a child from a waterborne illness.
  • 1 BILLION people lack safe drinking water.
  • Lack of safe drinking water is the world’s #1 killer.
  • Everyday in Africa women and children walk 10 miles to get water.
  • These women and children must carry 40 lb. containers of water down long and torturous paths.

This hurts the heart of God and if we are to help alleviate the suffering it’s time for us to take action to meet this critical need by raising awareness and funds that can provide clean water for those in need in Africa.

Over the past two months, I’ve been given the opportunity to bring about an awareness of the need for clean water as I present this message to entire congregations, young and old. It’s when we see contaminated water and consider what it would be like to have no choice but to drink unsafe water that we realize how important it is to help provide one of the few things we all need to survive, water!! Without it we die and for 25,000 every day, even with it, die because of waterborne illnesses.

Joining with Africa Oasis Project and BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge) people have been challenged to raise funds to dig water wells in remote locations of Africa to alleviate the suffering of those impacted by unsafe or inadequate water.

Our ministry hurts for the needs of children around the world. As we bring about an awareness of the needs of these children we are certain that God will stir the hearts of people to provide the funds necessary to dig wells, providing the source of living water, both physically and spiritually.

Get involved by:

  • Donating directly to Africa Oasis Project
  • Donate through BGMC by downloading the Africa Oasis Project Special Target Form and mailing along with your donation. All donations received through the target form receive BGMC giving credit and can be credited to your local church body.
  • Visit Help Us Dig Wells and sponsor a children’s pastor to run a Half marathon.
  • Pray for our ministry that we will be able to reach the hearts of children and that they would respond with compassion to the needs of others.
Matthew 10:42, “If anyone gives even a cup of water to one of these little ones, he will certainly not lose his reward.”

 

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Love is patient…

February 14, 2012 By

As she enters the room strumming her guitar, Lucienne Love recites the greatest poem ever written about love. “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, love does not boast. Love is not rude, love is not self seeking. Love is not easily angered, love keeps no records of wrong. Love does not delight in evil, love rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, love always trusts. Love always hopes, love always perseveres. Love never fails.” The greatest writer to ever touch on the topic of love is God himself, for God is love.

According to the scriptures we are to treat everyday as if it were Valentine’s Day. Jesus said, “This is my command: love each other.” John 15:17

God wants us to love everyone – those who are easy to love and those who are our enemies and not so easy to love. Although love is perfect, our lives are not perfect and often times we are hurt by our experiences which can leave our heart broken and hurting. Talking with the kids about broken hearts led to a time of prayer allowing them to express their hurts. At that moment I was reminded how important it is to allow children to be heard and to acknowledge their pain and struggles. They are very real.

We can not always love those who cause our hurts, we must rely on Jesus to give us that supernatural power. The Holy Spirit can help us love even the most difficult people. When we love our enemies, we follow Jesus’ example and show others that we love Him.

Take time to listen to a child today. Allow them to express their hurts and spend time in prayer with them; that they would be encouraged by the love that God shows to each of us.

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We’ve Doubled in Size!!

December 27, 2011 By

“We’ve doubled in attendance since this past summer when we set this date for your visit. I don’t know how long we’re going to be able to remain in our current room.” What a wonderful thing to hear upon arrival at a young church in Spotsylvania. I had been invited to observe the current structure of their children’s ministry and offer some suggestions to help them grow.

With the ministry team sitting in the room along with 12 children it was easy to see that they had grown beyond their current walls.

As I shared a service with the kids I was encouraged by the eagerness of the team as they observed; hopefully gleaning some teaching ideas and methods. The kids, eager to learn, were quick to volunteer as we acted out the story of Jacob and Esau, twin brothers, and then as we talked about the importance of looking beyond ourself to see the needs of others.

How often do we become so wrapped up in ourselves that we can’t see beyond the small confines of our little world? There are so many hurting people with needs ranging from the physical to the spiritual. We need to be more like Jesus who continually looked toward others and their needs and was never self absorbed in His own life. We rounded out the day with an informal Q&A following the service. I met with the team of people committed to reaching the children in their church and their community.

They have a great team in place and I’m believing they will have a profound impact on their community. I look forward to visiting this church again and seeing what God has done through this group of committed people and to hear the stories of how God has touched children and their families.

Filed Under: Events, Highlights, News, Training

Blessing in a Bag!

November 29, 2011 By

I came across this simple idea on KWAV’s blog post  and felt like I needed to pass it along as you also train up your kids to have an outward view of the needs around them. Several years ago, while in full time ministry, we did something similar with the kids in our ministry by partnering with Convoy of Hope to make Haiti Hygiene Kits following the earthquake. Although that project targeted a specific need following the disaster this project is a way to meet a tragic need that has become all too common in our own backyard.

This is what Ali B. shares on her blog:

Have you ever come across a homeless individual and felt totally uncomfortable?
You see them and you know they are in need, but you are not sure what to do. You know that handing them money is not the best thing. But, you also see that they clearly have some needs. Their lips are chapped. They are hungry. They are thirsty. They are asking for help.

How can you help? - Blessing bags. 

This was such an easy project. We are now going to keep a few “Blessing Bags” in our car so that when we do happen to see someone on the streets who is homeless, we can hand them a Blessing Bag. I first learned of these bags from my friend, Julie. I am using the picture of her bags (see above) because the ones we took were taken in horrible lighting and turned out really grainy and hard to see what is inside of them.
If you’d like to make your own Blessing Bags, this is what you would need:

Gallon size Ziplock bags and items to go in the bags, such as:
chap stick
packages of tissues
toothbrush and toothpaste
comb
soap
trail mix
granola bars
crackers
pack of gum
band aids
mouthwash
coins (could be used to make a phone call, or purchase a food item)
hand wipes
you could also put in a warm pair of socks, and maybe a Starbucks gift card

Assemble all the items in the bags, and maybe throw in a note of encouragement. Seal the bags and stow in your car for a moment of providence.

This would be a great activity to do with some other families. Each family could bring one of the items going into the bags (ex: toothbrushes). Set up all the items around a table and walk around it with the ziplocks and fill the bags.

by Ali B.

I so appreciate Ali’s heart and her vision for teaching the children. I know that there are many others with that same heart of compassion. Let’s now take that heart and add hands and feet to it as we remember the scripture that I like to teach children, “Whenever we have opportunity we should do good to everyone”, Galatians 6:10

Make sure you are ready to seize that opportunity the next time your path crosses with that of someone homeless.

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