Top 10 Most Receptive People

Some of you may be familiar with the book Purpose Driven Church - Growth without compromising your message and mission by Rick Warren.  Within this book Warren states the following:

Ten most receptive groups of people that we've reached out to at Saddleback:

1.  Second-time visitors to the church

2.  Close friends and relative of new converts

3.  People going through a divorce

4.  Those who feel their need for a recovery program (alcohol, drugs, sexual, and so forth)

5.  First-time parents

6.  The terminally ill and their families

7.  Couples with major marriage problems

8.  Parents with problem children

9.  Recently unemployed or those with major financial problems

10.  New residents in the community

As you may have guessed many of these groups are Community Care groups.  In fact 5 of the 10 are areas in which Community Care leaders and members focus their time and effort in sharing about Christ!  If you would like to learn about ways you can volunteer with Community Care let us know today!  

Also, to see the spring offering of Community Groups look here! 

Resource:

Purpose Driven Church - Growth without compromising your message and mission - Rick Warren

Editor's Note:  The Community Care ministry provides emotional and spiritual support. There is a pastor or community care leader available to speak with you today.  If you have questions regarding the Community Care ministries please contact communitycare@mecklenburg.org or 704.598.9800 x 121.  You may also learn more at the Community Care website and our upcoming events page.

Tragedy and Praise

Wow….

Within the past 24 hours I have heard about the following:

*A family being torn apart by generation abuse

*Teenager being suicidal

*Parents fighting for custody over a child

*A woman fighting to maintain reality (experiencing hallucinations)

*A couple trying to maintain their marriage from the stress of sick family members

*A sick child spending time in the hospital and not knowing what is wrong

*Three eviction notices

*A person that may go to jail

*Two people who found out they have cancer and 1 person that may have cancer

*A person that may be laid off by their job by the end of the year

And I remind you that this has been within the past 24 hours.
Tragedy is alive and well and shows itself daily.

When I get overwhelmed from this tragedy I think of certain scripture within God’s word:

Acts 16:16-40

There is no way I can give this portion of scripture justice. There is so much in it so I encourage you to hit on the scripture reference and read it….

After you have I just want to bring your attention to the fact after they had been stripped, beaten and put in prison they were singing praises to God at Midnight…..is anyone else amazed by that….and then God brought so much good out of this. It is amazing how it all ends.

I keep praise music on a lot. It helps remind me that God is bigger than everything that has happened in the past 24 hours and he brings so much good from all the situations he touches. That is why, I have invited him to touch each one of those situations in that list.

I challenge you to praise Jesus more. Look at the Jesus more than the problem.

 

Editor's Note: The Community Care ministry provides emotional and spiritual support. There is a pastor or community care leader available to speak with you today. If you have questions regarding the Community Care ministries please contact communitycare@mecklenburg.org or 704.598.9800 x 121. You may also learn more at the Community Care website and our upcoming events page.

Mentors: Career (Part 4 of 4)

As we finish this week with our mentor series, we have explored Spiritual, Marriage and Financial mentors.  This week we will explore Career Mentors.  Career mentors help guide individuals through job loss and job transitions.  These are individuals with expertise in their given career, with passion for people who are going through the career loss/transition journey, and who want to encourage and give practical job hunting advice.  Our career mentors also hold career seminars to help give additional practical advice and are available to look over and help with resume writing.   

If you are interested in becoming a career mentor answer the following questions and email them to communitycare@mecklenburg.org :

1. What areas within career mentoring do you believe you are most interested (i.e. coaching, teaching, skill building, etc.)?
2. Why do you want to be a career mentor?
3. Please tell me more about your skills set pertaining to career and about your own career journey.
4. Please tell me anything else you believe would be helpful to know to be able to pair you with others.

If you are interested in receiving a career mentor please email us today and let us know your name, contact information and the reason behind your request for a mentor.  Also, please let us know what field of work you are in and the field you are hoping to transition into during the near future.  Please email communitycare@mecklenburg.org.

We look forward to speaking to you soon!


Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.               Titus 3:14 (NIV)

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  
                                                                                     1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)

Mentors: Financial (Part 3 of 4)

Within the previous weeks we have explored the Mentor Ministry areas within Community Care.  We have reviewed aspects and opportunities associated with Spiritual and Marriage Mentors.  This week the focus is on Financial mentors (also known a money coaches).

In the current financial landscape, more and more people will find themselves needing to know and apply God's financial principles.  Coaches voluntarily serve others by assisting married couples and individuals in applying Biblical financial principles to their lives. Coaching participants receive personal instruction in applying the principles to their situation.  The goals of Money Map coaching are:
    1. To assist coaching participants in constructing and living on a budget.
    2. To assist coaching participants in applying biblical principles of stewardship to all aspects of life.
    3. To communicate the vision of financial freedom.
    4. To assist coaching participants with a practical plan for becoming debt free.
    5. To provide practical and Godly financial counsel to families and individuals.

Money Map Coaching is not…
    1. Investment coaching or retirement planning.
    2. Marriage or family coaching.
    3. Legal counsel or estate planning.
    4. Intervention with creditors.
    5. Benevolence.

The qualifications of a Money Map coach are:
    Mature Christian.
    Committed to being financially faithful and living on a budget.
    Willing to be trained.
    Gifted in teaching/coaching
    Team-minded and willing to operate under authority.
    Member of Mecklenburg Community Church

The Money Map Coaching program is run by Crown Financial Ministries.  Coaches go through a 12 week self-study course offered by Crown.  The training provides a solid understanding of scriptural principles of finance, consumer laws, and techniques of budget and debt coaching and equips coaches to effectively help people to budget and eliminate debt.  The training course contains case studies, coaching procedures, credit information, resource material covering more than 100 topics, and a detailed glossary of financial terms. Assignments combine biblical principles and practical application homework. 

Crown also has a ten-week Financial Biblical Study which we offer regularly through the Meck Institute.  Going through the Crown study is generally the first step to becoming a part of the Financial ministry team at Meck.  It's not strictly required to be a coach, but we recommend it as this is the best way to gain a feeling for what we teach and to solidify your own knowledge as well. 

 
Resources

If you are interested in the Crown Financial Ministries, the Dave Ramsey Program,  receiving a Financial mentor or becoming a financial mentor please contact Community Care today!