Who Is My Neighbor?

Who Is My Neighbor? (Workcamp 2017 Part 1)

Our Senior High Youth recently experienced their annual Workcamp, this year going to Crossville, Tennessee.  Because this is always a powerful time for our youth, we wanted you to get it first hand from the youth.  Here is what some of them wrote about their experience at Workcamp as they reached out to those in Crossville.  You’ll want to know that as they talk about their ‘neighbors’ they are referring to the residents of the homes on which they worked.  Some of these are signed and some are anonymous.

“I saw the light of Christ this week in my neighbors. At the beginning of the week, they were sort of quiet and they just let us work without really talking to us. During the week, they started to open up to us and started to tell us about their lives, the house, etc. On Thursday especially we talked for over an hour and I feel like they all saw Christ through us which felt amazing.”

Lexi Showalter   “Michael encouraged me to be very honest/personal during the devotionals. I helped lead, and I was very nervous about doing so. But once I had shared, quite a few people came up to me or wrote in a care card to me that they appreciated me speaking out. There seemed to be a lot of people feeling how I felt, understood what I was talking about, or they just thanked me for bringing the matter to light. (pun intended being that the workcamp theme was light it up). PS, I don’t have a spiritual high this year, but instead a goal. For my last year,  I’m going to make a difference at Calvary. I’m going to be the servant leader who goes out and includes EVERYONE!”

“I saw the light of Christ in many ways this week. The passion and enthusiasm and uplifting spirit of everyone. The love of my crew and leaders and how they loved our neighbor. I also saw the light of Christ in the program and especially the worship songs. The light of Christ was also shown in the ways we were providing and the impact seen from my neighbor Charlie.”

Sydney Beggs  “I saw the light of Christ in my neighbor this week. From the very first day she welcomed our crew with open arms and showed us real southern hospitality. She was constantly telling us how grateful she was to us and even bought us all lunch one day to show her gratitude. She also inspired me with her never-ending faith. She had gone through so many trials in her 88 years of life, yet she still trusted in God and his plan for her. Overall her love and her faith in God shined a bright light in my life and for that I am forever grateful to her.”

To be continued in next week’s Who Is My Neighbor?

About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor? (The Good Samaritan Fund)

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Emergencies happen.  When people are living paycheck to paycheck, it doesn’t take much to find oneself in a situation of choosing between food and medicine, paying the rent or paying the power bill, registering a child for school or making sure the water isn’t shut off because the bill hasn’t been paid.

Due to the generosity of Calvary members and friends, we have a Good Samaritan Fund to help with the occasion situations in which people find themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place. We can’t take on large bills with this fund, but sometimes it’s that $100 payment that throws people’s budget into a tailspin.  The pastors oversee this account and with the help of Amanda Nesby, our Director of Congregational Care, speak with those requesting assistance to determine how we might or might not be able to help.

With so many community agencies in our towns which help with different needs, Amanda is well versed in which agencies might be helpful to the person requesting help.  When those resources have been exhausted, we determine if this is a situation in which our help might help someone get back on their feet.  When appropriate and accepted, we offer financial counseling to help individuals and families come up with a long term plan for financial health.

In addition to the Good Samaritan Fund, we also provide emergency food.  You may have noticed the big box just inside the front doors of the church.  Your donations of nonperishable food and personal supplies help people every week who are unable to purchase all that they need to have.  The box is available anytime the church is open and people can simply help themselves with no questions asked.

We don’t always know the person who calls or stops by, but we know that they are our neighbors and we want to partner with them whenever we can so that they might have what they need.  Thank you for providing funding and food so that this ministry is an ongoing reality.

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About the Author

Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor? (Workcamp 2017 Updates)

If you haven't been following the prayer and trip updates from Workcamp 2017, updates and prayer for the week are below. Praise God for the way our youth are loving their neighbors!

Sunday

We are have had a great visit in Cincinnati!  We got in safe and sound Friday evening (which is not take for granted after last years technical issues:). Yesterday was a great day of riding roller coasters and water slides at King's Island Amusement Park in beautiful 80-degree weather. We ended our evening yesterday with a time of devotions and fellowship playing games.  

Today we are up early packing up about to make the next leg of our journey to Crossville, TN! When we get there we will move into our luxurious classroom floors that we will be sleeping on all week:) This afternoon the youth and adults will meet their work crews for the first time and find out what work they will be doing all week. 

Prayer Focus for Today
Prayers for safe travel
Prayers for peace for the adults as they learn about the work projects they are supposed to be leading this week (whether or not they have the skills)
Prayers for peace for the youth as they meet their crews. 
Prayers for Crossville and especially for our neighbors (what we call the residents of the homes we work in) as they are about to have 5 teenagers enter their homes for a week! 

Monday

Yesterday was a great day! All Calvary youth got in safely (those who didn't travel with us on the bus). Everyone is in good spirits after meeting their work crews and even the adults don't seem too overwhelmed by the work they will be leading. Monday morning is always a great morning filled with lots of energy and excitement as the crews head off to their homes for the first time! 

Some stats from this camp:
330ish campers
17 churches represented. 
30 homes

The Cumberland Homestead Elementary School gets its name (and some of its buildings) from President Roosevelt's New Deal. As the Great Depression hit many families migrated out of the mountains looking for work and relief.  the Federal Subsistence Homestead Corporation was the program that built the homestead providing homes and jobs for those who meet the requirements based on character, skill, and commitment. 

Prayer Focus for Today:
Prayers for a fun, productive and safe work week! 
Prayers for peace for the youth as they meet their neighbors. 
Prayers for good weather for the week!
Come Holy Spirit, Come!! 

Tuesday

Happy Tall Sock Tuesday!

I hope you are all sporting your tallest socks today!  Yesterday was a great first day.  Lots of great work getting done and the beginning of many new relationships!  Tuesday always feels like it's the longest day of the work week. Motivation can be tough as it seems like you have all week to get the work done and there isn't the adrenaline of Miracle Friday pushing you through the heat.  So in a sense, today is the toughest day to get through.  Please be praying for perseverance and continued good spirits!  


Prayer Focus for Today:
Prayers for perseverance to get through the work day. 
Prayers for bonding between crews and their neighbors.
Come Holy Spirit, Come!! 

Wednesday

Hello and Happy National Pig-Tail Day!

The campers are working just a half day today and wills be returning to the school at 1pm. Calvary will be heading to Fall Creek Falls State Park for the afternoon and are looking forward to some good hiking in the hills of TN!  Later this afternoon we will make the very anticipated Walmart trip!  We will end our day with a volleyball tournament where Calvary will have several teams challenging the "undefeated" Reach team!  

The sunny forecast has been great and if you can keep praying for the rain to hold off the rest of the week that would be great! If you want to get a little greedy in your prayer life and want to ask God to turn the temp down a bit (with humidity it has been feeling closer to 100 each day) that would be great.  We are very thankful for AC and that we have plenty of water!  

Prayer Focus for Today:
Safety at our work site and for our travels today. 
Prayers that God's creation will speak to us today! 
Come Holy Spirit, Come!! 

Thursday

Workcamp is flying by for us, it is hard to believe that it is day 7 already! We had a great half-day of work yesterday and then an adventurous afternoon exploring the beautiful trails and water falls of Fall Creek Falls state park. We ended the night with our own team 'Merica defeating the previously "undefeated" Reach team in volleyball! 

Today is an exciting day as we are approaching the finish line on many of the houses.  There will be a few crews who will be finishing up today and it will be hard to say good bye to their neighbors already. Today is also the culmination of Reach's spiritual program.  Please keep tonights evening program in your prayers as there will be time and space for anyone to accept or re-commit to Christ. Lastly, the graduated seniors will be sharing their stories with us tonight in our youth group devotions to end our night.

Prayer Focus for Today:
Safety at our work site. 
Prayers for our neighbors and the relationships being built. 
Prayers for the evening program and our youth group devotions! 

 

Friday

Yesterday was a great day!  God was visibly moving through the camp and especially in our youth! Thank you for your prayers!

All the work crews are out and working hard to finish all of the projects.  Miracle Friday is so named because we have the confidence that God will provide whatever is needed to get the work finished today. It is always awesome to see how He shows up today in little and big things! 

Friday is also the day when most of the worksite injuries and accidents happen as everyone is a little tired.  Please pray for wisdom and safety!

Prayer Focus for Today:

  • Safety at our work site.
  • Prayers for good good-byes to our neighbors and crews. We are thankful for the gift of relationships.

Thank you for all your prayers and support and make sure you high five someone today, after all it is National High Five Day!!

Who Is My Neighbor (East Bay Camp)

When we find out during Sunday morning worship that a neighbor needs help, it’s much easier to pull together a team to immediately respond.  That’s what happened on Sunday, June 18, when one of our members, Doug Fujimoto, who is a staff person at East Bay Camp got word that an early morning storm had caused major damage to the camp which was expecting campers to arrive in just a few short hours.

Doug texted his mom, Leann, who told Randy and I what had happened just prior to the 9:00 worship service.  We were able to ask for help and even go in shifts to the camp, chainsaws and gloves in hand, to help with the cleanup.  Nearly 2 dozen Calvary folks, on this Father’s Day Sunday,  on short notice, joined the East Bay staff, in cleaning massive amounts of branches, limbs, trees, etc., so that the campers could enjoy their week.  In fact, there were enough Calvary folks to help that the camp staff was able to move to their jobs in preparing for the children rather than spending their time with clean up.

Steve and Debby Paullin decided it might be good to take their truck to the camp and she said it was good that they did that:  they hauled away 3 very full loads of branches, etc.

Leann Fujimoto described it well, “The whole experience was neat because we met people from the church that we didn’t know before.   There were also people from several generations there, and that was cool to see everyone working together towards a common goal.  Fathers and sons working together on Father's Day was pretty special.   Fellowship can come in many forms!  For me personally,  I love being part of a church that responds so quickly to people in need- no matter what that need may  be...I have read the red letter version of the Bible many times, and it seems like this is what Jesus teaches us to do:  serving others and meeting their needs.”

East Bay Camp is one of the Illinois Great Rivers’ conference camps located just north of Bloomington/Normal.  Not only does it provide camps for all ages throughout the summer, but many retreats and other events are held throughout the year at the camp.  In fact, the Great Banquet Community, many of whom are Calvary folks, has their weekends at East Bay.

When the people of God can respond to a need in order for others to learn about Jesus, that’s when we get to serve our neighbor in a way that we can see immediate results.  That doesn’t happen often…...we usually plant seeds and often don’t know what they produce.  Occasionally, God allows us to see the fruit of our labors…..that’s always fun!

Well done, good and faithful servants!

About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor (Haiti Part 1)

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Calvary recently sent a mission team to Haiti which consisted of 5 Calvary folks, a friend who now lives in Chicago, and our Haitian friend, Junior Cineas who lives in Port Au Prince (the other side of Haiti from where the mission team works).  I asked each of the participants to write a paragraph about how they saw God at work in Haiti.  This is part 1 of these stories.  See next week’s ‘Who Is My Neighbor’ for Part 2.

From Bob Bills:

Of the numerous areas where I the Holy Spirit’s presence, three stand out to me.  The team had the opportunity to conduct a Bible study with the staff at Streethearts (www.streetheartshaiti.org).  While the kids were at school, the staff of 6-8 gathered outside and we began to study John 5.  We read the chapter, dividing the verses into 3 sections, and answered a series of questions after each section.  Their participation was outstanding, and you could see and feel the passion they have for Jesus Christ by their answers.  Each person was eager to dive into God’s word.  Our lesson lasted for more than an hour.
The second area I saw and felt the presence of God at work occurred at our church service in Fev.  Pastor Walnique and Junior provided the message with many hymns being sung.  One of the hymns prompted a little dance.  I noticed an older lady, perhaps in her late 70’s, dancing outside our covered area and, at one point, she held up both arms as high as she could, her head looking up, and it was as if she was touching the fingers of God.  Surely the peace of Christ was with her.  There is no doubt that church every Sunday, worshipping the Lord, was very special to her and all of the others.
The third area I saw God at work was in our Calvary team.  Each team member poured their heart and soul into sharing the love of Jesus Christ wherever we went, and we were able to feel God’s richest blessings.  Humbled to be a part!

From Austin Smith:

This is my 6th short term trip to Haiti, along with living there for 6 months. God has moved and worked in mysterious ways every year. My faith takes steps forward every year. During this time I have gained perspective into the lives and culture of the Haitian people.  One cannot go to Haiti once and gain an understanding of the culture and community of the Haitian people, and this is what has kept me intrigued into learning the language and building relationships.
Just when you think you understand how to operate and navigate reality sets in and puts you right back in your place.  The rugged, rough and ruthless nature of this country is the most beautiful thing about it. I already cannot wait to return and see my family in Haiti next year.

From Junior Cineas:

Based on the question that pastor Debbie asked, "Where do I see God is moving during this trip is in the life of the group?” Comparatively to all the other trips before, I feel more satisfied with everything that the group did this time. I could clearly see that God is working in the life of our team. This time, the team really focus on God.

From Abraham Zuniga Alzamora:

This is my third time going to Haiti and every time I go I am blessed.  I love the children….they are so happy and curious.  They remind me of myself and though I am an adult in size I am still a child at heart.  One doesn't needt o study a career in social work to understand them, because they transmit what they feel and think through their eyes.  It’s all about sitting down on the dirty floor and just loving on these kids.  I tickle and they tickle back.  I say something and they repeat the same thing back to me.  I spend time hugging them and just playing with them and they do the same thing.  My heart resides where there is an innocent little smile.

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment. 

Who Is My Neighbor? (Mom and Me Camp)

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”  (Matthew 25:35-36)
Of course Jesus didn’t intend for us to minister only to those groups he mentioned.  However, among those people described by Jesus, the group most often neglected are those in prison.

Even more neglected are the children of those who are incarcerated.  That was the impetus behind the development of Mom & Me Camp in 2002.  The Chaplain at what is now the Logan Correctional Center discerned that there would be great value in bringing inmates together with their children in supportive Christian experiences.  He talked with Calvary’s Shirley Ryan, who embraced this vision, began to help the chaplain overcome what seemed to be insurmountable obstacles….and  ministry was born.  Mom & Me Camp joins with East Bay Camp in their mission:  “To Welcome, Witness, and Send forth in the name of Jesus Christ.” Shirley brought other Calvary folks and many, many others on board at the onset and we’ve been involved ever since in various forms.  

God has not only moved mountains to make Mom & Me happen, but the ways in which God has transformed hearts through the years is astounding.  Here’s just one of those stories of transformation.

A caregiver contacted Shirley and said that her nephew had been acting out and she didn’t think she was going to send him to camp that year for fear of what he might do.  Shirley assured the aunt that they could deal with it and that God would love this child no matter what happened.

Reluctantly, the aunt sent this little guy to Mom & Me Camp.  Three weeks later, Shirley was at the prison when she saw the little boy and his caregivers (aunt and uncle) who were visiting the boy’s mom.  Of course the little boy ran up to Shirley and enthusiastically greeted her with hugs.  The uncle asked Shirley if they could talk and pulled her aside…..appearing to be upset.  He said to Shirley, “You sent a different child home to us from that camp.”  You can imagine what was racing through Shirley’s mind, “How could we just now find out that we mixed up the children?  How could that happen?”  Shirley said, “We sent home the wrong child?”  The uncle said, “You didn’t send home the wrong child.  You sent home a different child.  Before he went to camp, he was acting out every day.  When he came home, he took out the trash, helped around the house, and went around with a smile on his face telling us, ‘smile, Jesus loves you’ all the time.  I’m just waiting for it to wear off….and it hasn’t yet.  I just don’t know how you all could make this difference in just 3 days.”  A relieved Shirley Ryan responded with, “We didn’t make a difference. God did.  And when you read the book, you’ll see that God can do a whole lot in 3 days.”  Amen, Shirley!

As I talked with Shirley about the miracles seen throughout the years, she said, “It just shows us that when God says He has a plan, all we have to do is get on board and let God do His work and provide the passageway for God to work.  We just need to do what God tells us and stay out of God’s way.”

East Bay Camp helps to provide Mom & Me a unique opportunity for children ages 7-12 whose mothers are inmates at the logan and Decatur, Illinois Correctional Centers.  For three days, the children are able to participate in a day-camp at the prison with their mothers, returning each evening to East Bay Camp for swimming, hiking, boating and the fellowship of summer camp.

These children and mothers get to play games, do crafts, and renew their relationships.  During camp, a special program called Caregivers Camp is also offered to adults who care for the children of the mothers in prison.  These caregivers desperately need a time of relaxation and refreshment from the difficult task of raising young children.
If you’d like to be a part of this ministry, contact the church and we’ll get you connected.  If you’d like to hear more wonderful stories, catch Shirley at church and she’ll bless you with stories of transformation!  Thank you, Jesus, for letting us visit those who in prison.  

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Shirley Ryan is a member of Calvary UMC
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor (Backpack Ministry)

““My name is Sydney Cisco and I am part of  the backpack ministry. Here are three things that I like about it: I like to do things for other people, I like to see friends, and meet new friends. I really like to do the backpack ministry.””
— Sydney Cisco
““My name is Caleb Cisco and I participate in the backpack ministry.  One of my favorite parts is that I enjoy making new friends and inviting friends I already have.  Another part that I enjoy is helping to feed people who don’t have enough food.  I also like that there aren’t rules that you have to fill this many bags. You just do what needs to be done, like opening boxes of food to be bagged.  ALL THAT TOGETHER EQUALS FUN WHILE HELPING PEOPLE IN NEED!!!””
— Caleb Cisco


If you’re unfamiliar with this exceptional ministry, let me give you the basics.  Calvary partners with Parkside Elementary School (chosen based upon that school’s need) to provide bags of food for the weekends to children who depend on school lunches for nutrition.  We offer this to all children who receive free or reduced lunches, then parents decide whether they’d like to opt into receiving this food.  Every week, a group of volunteers from Calvary sorted out and packed enough sacks of food for 100 children.  The majority of food came from the Midwest Food Bank right here in Normal, but often, the congregation was asked to supplement because we were missing important items.

Erin Estes’ small group packed meals one week and these are her reflections:  “I liked that our children got to work alongside of us and we got to do something special as a small group.  Often there are areas that are available for adults to be in ministry, but they aren’t kid friendly.  Betty Crites (the coordinator of this ministry) was so great with our kids and made this an excellent experience for all of us.  It was nice to see the older children helping the younger children as they counted items to go in the bags.”  Darin Gully was also a part of this group and said that it was a great experience.  Darin said, “….especially getting the kids involved…..I think the kids had more fun than anyone else.  It’s important that the children understand that they also get to fulfill the ministry of Jesus at an early age.  I think it’s great to teach them that they are vital in the reaching out to help others for the Kingdom.”

We could not do this ministry without the dedication of Betty Crites who makes it all happen.  You might have read Betty’s thank you to the congregation elsewhere, but it’s worth thanking you again!  “Our last Backpack delivery for this school year was May 19. Calvary has made it possible for us to fill and deliver 3,200 bags of food to children at Parkside Elementary.  Thank you for the support you have given to this ministry.  Even though a great deal of food comes from Midwest Food Bank, the people of Calvary have added to the food supply abundantly every week.  Your consistent prayers and generous gifts of supplies and money have been so appreciated.  A special thanks to Mike Donald and Larry Gamblin for transporting food from Midwest each month and helping with the unloading.  Thanks to all of you who delivered the bins to Parkside, those who helped sort and pack and unload the truck, open boxes, flatten boxes, and count supplies. Thank you Calvary!”

Although this ministry has completed its work for this school year, we’ll be back at it in the fall.  If you’d like to participate, please contact the church office and we’ll get you set up to be ready for action in August.  We especially need folks who can carry some totes of filled food sacks from one of Calvary’s downstairs classrooms to someone’s car who will deliver the food to Parkside.

These are our neighbors and we’re thrilled to partner with them in the name of Jesus Christ.

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor (Midwest Mission)

You may know someone who has experienced flooding…..maybe you’ve been through that yourself.  I’m not talking about some water in your basement (which can be devastating and very expensive).  I’m talking about water running through your living room.

Those are the times when you need a neighbor to come with the experience of knowing what will be valuable to get you back into your home.  Midwest Mission Distribution Center (MMDC) in Chatham, IL, (often confused in our circles with Midwest Food Bank) is one of the places where the United Methodist Church collects supplies needed in the event of natural disasters and other emergencies.  They don’t wait until the disaster happens to begin collecting….they have to be ready before the floods or tornadoes or hurricanes or wildfires come so that they can immediately send supplies where they are needed when they are needed.

All of the churches in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference (that’s our conference) received an email on Monday that there is an urgent need for cleaning buckets used by those who’ve experienced flooding.  In the month of May alone, the MMDC has sent out nearly 4,000 cleaning buckets to flood victims in Illinois and Missouri.  They now need to restock so that they have these supplies needed for the next emergency….and sadly, there are always those ‘next’ emergencies.

Rain doesn’t discriminate…...it takes its toll on rich and poor alike.  I keep thinking about the song, “The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock”......if you know this song, you know that the rains came down and the floods came up, but the house on the rock stood strong.  Well, that’s true in a spiritual sense…...but in this case, flooding has caused damage even to those houses built on a solid foundation.

Fortunately, we can help.  We can go to www.midwestmissiondc.org to see details, to get the list of supplies needed in the cleaning/flood buckets, and to learn more about the MMDC.  If you’d like to make a financial contribution, you can do that through our Calvary App or put Flood Buckets in your check memo.

Even if you don’t get everything on the list for a cleaning/flood bucket, feel free to bring even one item to the church and we’ll make sure it gets to Chatham.  If you’d like to be the driver who delivers these items to Chatham, that’s great, also!

May we continue to be in prayer for people cleaning up after flooding…..this process is a very long and arduous process.  May songs of praise and perseverance fill their hearts while cleaning out the muck.

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor? (Coffee and a Cause)

When is drinking a delicious cup of coffee serving your neighbor?  Many of you are doing that right now…..or maybe you’ve finished your coffee for the day.

In response to so many needs throughout the world, Calvary’s Jr. High Youth partnered with Cozzee Coffee to be in ministry internationally and nationally.  On April 2nd and 9th, the youth served the delicious coffee and sold bags to use at home.  Not only are the coffees delicious, but most importantly 100% of the profit goes to special projects throughout the world.  The youth were able to choose two projects from the list supported by Cozzee Coffee where they wanted to make an impact for Jesus Christ.

The first ministry is Nuru International which provides agricultural loans and training to farmers in East Africa.  According to Cozzee Coffee’s website, “Since 2008, Nuru International’s focus is to end extreme poverty in remote, rural areas.  Resources are limited and the need is both urgent and overwhelming.  To compact this issue they have designed transferrable systems and workflows that can quickly address need, create lasting impact and facilitate their expansion to more countries. The heart of the Nuru Model is to deliver a self-renewing and self-sustaining pipeline of leaders and finances to enable lasting change in extremely poor remote rural communities.  Their projects must operate efficiently and effectively without dependency on long-term international support.  They believe that the most powerful solutions for ending extreme poverty lie within the very same people who live in it every single day.”

The second ministry is Beloved Atlanta which provides counseling to survivors of sex trafficking.   Again, from the Cozzee Coffee website, “Atlanta is the number one city in the U.S. with the highest sex economy income of $290 million each year.  When a woman from this industry is welcomed into the BeLoved Atlanta Home, she has often experienced years of trauma and hopelessness. In fact, 95% of women in prostitution are victims of sexual abuse as children, teaching them at a young age that they are not valued, loved or safe but the BeLoved team believes in their value and that they deserve to be respected by their community.  When the world often looks at these women as criminals, BeLoved believes each woman is gifted, strong, and trustworthy; they are survivors.  Through a discipleship program the Beloved team provides Christ-fostered healing.”  

Our youth are passionate about making a difference in our world and this is a practical way of doing so.  I’m so proud of our youth for their huge hearts.  If you didn’t have an opportunity to participate in this ministry, there will be other opportunities to reach out…..the choices are all around us.  And….you can go to Cozzee Coffee’s website at any time and get your coffee fix for a cause.

(An amusing aside…..Laura Burke, our Director of Junior High Ministry, was told by the coffee company that most people want whole bean coffee….so she ordered more of that.   However, as it turned out, Calvary coffee drinkers prefer ground coffee.  With many requests for ground coffee, Laura found herself purchasing an inexpensive coffee grinder to personally grind bags and bags of coffee….only to find that it took too long.  A trip to HyVee who graciously allowed her to grind coffee there, resulted in an overworked coffee grinder (Laura, did you break it?)!  So…..rest assured that Laura Burke got your coffee ground just in time for you to pick it up that Sunday!)

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor? (Illini Fighting Hunger)

We didn’t know who was going to eat it or how it might benefit a family struggling to make the budget stretch a little further…..and it didn’t matter…....we loved knowing that we were doing the will of God.

That was the attitude of those who spent their Wednesday evening, May 3, transferring rice and oatmeal from huge packages to smaller units that families or individuals can use.  Does this sound like a menial, unimportant task when the need is so great?  Why not just buy several cases of Minute Rice and give them out as boxes?  As is true of many products, large quantities purchased in gross are so much cheaper and therefore go further than pre-packaged products.  Part of our commitment to this food packaging is also paying for the supplies (including the rice and oatmeal).  Your offering dollars, through the Outreach Team, provided the supplies so that we packaged 2,000 pounds of rice and 500 pounds of oatmeal!  I’m estimating that each package of oatmeal or rice would feed at least 6 people.  That means that in 2 hours, we packaged enough food for 15,000 people!  Incredible!  Thank you!!!

Comments I heard during the packaging: “I love being able to do something very practical to help people.”  “It is so great to be able to do this with our kids.”  “It’s wonderful that all ages can participate in helping feed people all around us.”

Our United Methodist connection allows us to partner with Illini Fighting Hunger (IFH), a Registered Student Organization (RSO) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a program of the Wesley United Methodist Church and the Wesley Foundation at the U of I, as well as a chapter of Universities Fighting World Hunger. IFH was founded out of a desire to address local and international hunger issues by making meal packaging events more frequent, more accessible, and more effective in Illinois.   You can learn more about IFH here.

How cool is it that students involved in campus ministry at the U of I are able to partner with us to make a difference in the lives of people we may never meet…..or maybe we will!  I think it’s been a couple of years ago that Parkside Elementary students who receive food from our Backpack Ministry found in their weekly supply of food, some meals that Calvary had packaged.  One of Calvary’s own children was one that received that food and excitedly told her mom when she got home, “I got one of those meals that we helped package!”

So…..we may not know the neighbors who receive the food we package…...or maybe we do.  No matter who receives the meals, the important thing is that our God knows each of them by name, loves them, and calls us to partner with them in life.  Thank you God!! 

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor? (Tienne)

Many years ago, my mother volunteered regularly at a hospital in Lafayette, Indiana in a program where she'd hold, rock, and talk to newborn babies. I recall those were times when no parent was at the hospital, believe it or not.  She loved it and the babies needed it.  They needed the human touch and interaction.

On an occasion when I was in Uganda while on a walk in the neighborhood, three small boys saw me and waved.  The smallest one, about six years old, ran up to me and touched my arm.  Perhaps he did it because I am light-skinned or there's hair on my arm. Who knows?  But, at the moment it made me think about the value and basic need of human touch.  It also reminded me of an event that happened earlier that day. 

My son Zach and I took a 20-minute boda boda (motorcycle taxi) ride to Caanan's Children's Home, home for 70 children. This is a home that Zach and his wife Brooke have been connected with for several years. They've visited it many times and even stayed on site. They sponsor a boy named Eddie there and my wife Beth and I sponsor a girl named Teopista. We were excited to go and we even had gifts for both children. 

You can imagine the disappointment when we arrived to learn the children were on holiday due to government elections. Only a small group of kids were there, none of whom was Eddie or Teopista. One of the staff called the contact numbers for both kids and Eddie was able to come to Caanan's but Teopista couldn't due to visiting an ill grandmother. 

Zach had fun seeing Eddie and I had fun meeting him.  What a sweet and fun-loving child of nine years. Zach gave him a soccer ball which then led to a fun time playing with a couple other boys joining in. 

Although I was disappointed with not meeting Teopista, I think God had something else in mind. There was a little girl named Tienne, the smallest preschool age girl there. She came up to me and grabbed my leg and hugged it.  Then she wanted me to hold her arms and swing her between my legs.  This led to a time of Tienne and I swinging, doing cartwheels (attempting them in my case), and even me comforting her when she hurt herself and started crying. 

I think Tienne craved human touch and attention; but, to be frank, at that moment so did I. Although I had been getting hugs, kisses, and handholds from my grandson M and loving it, I missed giving and getting hugs and kisses from my wife Beth and granddaughter Delaney.  And, I missed getting a hug and kiss from my daughter Hailey who had just visited Bloomington the prior weekend with my grandson Wyatt, who I would have held, of course.  

So, although I did not meet Teopista that day, I think God brought Tienne and me together for a few minutes so we could share something all human beings need, which is to touch and be touched.

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Rob Wall is a member of Calvary UMC and works with our Outreach Ministry.

Who Is My Neighbor? (UMCOR)

Let’s see how well you know your UMC acronyms:  UMC?  UMCOR?  GBGM?  You don’t have to recognize these acronyms to understand the strength of being a connectional church.  But just so I don’t leave you hanging:  UMC (United Methodist Church); UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief); GBGM (General Board of Global Ministries).

As a connectional church (one in which all congregations work together throughout the world), the United Methodist Church is able to address needs that none of us could meet as local churches.  I mention the above organizations because they embody the commandment to love our neighbors.  The UMCOR is the first responder in times of need and works through the GBGM, our mission sending agency.  Our own missionary, Elmira Sellu, is supported through the GBGM for her work in Sierra Leone, Africa.  We’ll highlight Elmira’s work in a future segment.

One of the reasons that I’m proud to be a part of the United Methodist Church is because of the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).  According to their website:

“...our goal is to assist the most vulnerable persons affected by crisis or chronic need without regard to their race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. We believe all people have God-given worth and dignity…..UMCOR’s work reaches people in more than 80 countries, including the United States. We provide humanitarian relief when war, conflict, or natural disaster disrupt life to such an extent that communities are unable to recover on their own.
While UMCOR cooperates with other aid organizations to extend our reach, our most important partners are the people we serve. We are confident that successful solutions to emergency or chronic conditions begin with the affected population. UMCOR provides these survivors not only temporary relief but long-term education, training, and support.”  

How does Calvary participate in the ministries of UMCOR?  Each year, your Outreach Committee sends a donation for the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering (now UMCOR offering).  These funds cover the cost of doing business.  When a disaster strikes, people can make donations to UMCOR and 100% of those donations go to the disaster relief!  From tornadoes in Washburn on Ash Wednesday to flooding in Colombia right now, UMCOR is involved in helping people in whatever ways possible.

Who is our neighbor?  When it comes to disaster relief, our neighbor is anyone who needs shelter, food, medical supplies, flood buckets, or a plethora of other supplies in order to move forward after a crisis.

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor (Bulissa, Uganda)

What does God expect of me? And what am I going to do about it?

These are the questions my small group friends found ourselves asking after reading the book The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns.  The call we as Christians have to help show the world God’s character – His love, justice and mercy through our words, actions and behavior was not a new concept for me.  But reading this book was more than an intellectual exercise – it was a call to action and a growing sense of conviction that we needed to do something to energize ourselves and our community to make a difference for those living in desperate poverty on the other side of the world.

What happened as a result of reading that book could be described as “spiritual dominoes.” The initial domino of a few small group friends seeking to be faithful started a chain reaction that multiplied into other small groups reading and seeking ways to respond, an all-church Hole in Our Gospel sermon series and study opportunity, an ongoing partnership through World Vision with the region of Buliisa, Uganda, and the opportunity for folks at Calvary to care for “the least of these” through child sponsorship and donating $ for clean water development. As a result of the efforts that started in 2010 - Calvary has partnered with World Vision to sponsor 277+ children in Buliisa and has raised over $63,000 for clean water projects through Uganda WASH. Our commitment to this region is ongoing, and each year we have new opportunities to provide continuing support.

I’ve seen in my life that taking advantage of the opportunities God provides brings meaning and fulfillment beyond measure.  In 2013 I had the opportunity to travel to Uganda with a small group of Calvary friends to see for ourselves the work being done by our support of World Vision.  In addition to experiencing what it’s like to walk long distances for water (often dirty water) each day, we saw the transformative change created by the development of clean water drinking sources.  We went to schools, participated in maternal/child health programs, visited villages, and met with local leaders who proudly shared the progress happening through their leadership and community buy-in.  And perhaps the most impactful part of our journey was traveling to the homes of every child sponsored by one of our group members, meeting their families and with the help of interpreters communicating God’s love and care.  The children pictured on sponsorship folders available during Hope Sundays each year are real people.  Their families are working hard to provide for their needs and to make dreams for education and a future come true.  We learned from our friends in Buliisa that when you have nothing, God becomes everything.  And I will never forget meeting so many people rich in joy, gratitude, courage, endurance and dependence on God and community.

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Debbie Brown is a member of Calvary UMC and work with the Bulissa Project at Calvary.

Who Is My Neighbor? (Flexible Seating at the Baby Fold)

Filling a classroom with large bouncing balls, wiggle seats, and fidget toys may sound like a recipe for chaos. But in fact, at The Baby’s Fold’s Hammitt Junior/Senior High School, teachers know that giving kids the opportunity to bounce, wiggle and squirm in the classroom helps them focus. 

Calvary’s connection to this need didn’t come through the usual channels…..there are lots of Calvary members and friends on The Baby Fold’s Board as well as employed at this incredible ministry.  However, this time it was an ecumenical connection that brought this need to my attention.  A new friend of mine, a clergywoman in the community, knew of the need and of our desire to fill such needs.  She contacted me to see if we might be interested…...and of course the answer was YES!

The need was for flexible seating at Hammitt Junior/Senior High School.  Our own Lori Bultemeier explained the incredible value of this seating.  “If a student can’t sit in their seat because their body wants to rock or move or be surrounded by something like a bean bag chair, that student isn’t going to learn.  It’s not that the student is misbehaving...it’s a physical response that is a part of that person’s very being.  Allowing a student who rocks to sit in a seat that rocks allows the learning process to happen.”  According to The Baby Fold newsletter:

When sensory needs are met, higher levels of academic and social learning are possible. “When we give our students the power of choice, we offer them a level of safety, so they are better able to learn and form connections with each other and with adults. We've already seen some great results!’ said Kelli Marion, one of the teachers at Hammitt Junior/Senior High. Kelli witnessed two young men in her classroom, who had struggled to connect, relaxing in comfortable chairs and having a conversation about a video game they both loved. Kelli remarked, "It's so nice to hear laughter from those two!

What an incredible opportunity to do something very simple, yet so valuable to students who have plenty of other issues to handle.  Do you ever wonder how your offerings are being used?  This is one of many excellent answers to that question.  Thank you for one of many ways you help children in this community and around the world.

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor? (Easter Smiles)

If I were to ask a random group of people what population their hearts broke for the most, the most common answer would be ‘children.’  Children are so vulnerable and are at the mercy of those caring for them.  Therefore, when we see opportunities to bring joy to a child in need, we respond with generosity and enthusiasm.

A small group that came together when Calvary did a study on ‘The 40 Days of Community’ several years ago selected a community project which would impact children at the most important season of the Christian life:  Easter.  ‘Easter Smiles’ was the brainstorm of Dee Frautschi and Al Bedell, Cathy and Dennis Wentworth, Jane and Eldon Haab, Betty and Paul Duzan, and Bev and Jim Hornickel.  When these people ended up together in a group studying what it meant to be in community, what emerged is a ministry that has been putting together Easter baskets for children for 12 years!

The people in this group recognized that at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the needs of children and their families who are struggling financially are addressed in many ways.  However, what happens the rest of the year?  When other children are talking about Easter baskets at school, are there some who are feeling left out?  

While obviously not equating the celebration of the resurrection with baskets of goodies, our response to the good news of Jesus Christ needs to be to reach out to those who are the most vulnerable.  When this group delivers beautifully wrapped Easter baskets to Neville House, the Baby Fold, Home Sweet Home Ministries, and the Crisis Nursery, the love of Jesus is shared in a way that children can understand and appreciate.  

This group also serves meals regularly at Safe Harbor, a homeless shelter run by the Salvation Army.  One year, upon seeing Easter baskets that the group brought for children, a man came up asked if he could have a basket to take to his little girl.  Absolutely!  Helping a father bring a smile to his daughter’s face is one of the reasons this ministry exists.

A bonus to this ministry is the joy it gives those who donate the baskets.  “I used to do baskets for my children and now they’re all gone.  I miss that.”  There are children at Calvary who enjoy putting together baskets for other children.  What a great way to learn what it means to be a disciple!  Families enjoy coming together to decide what they’ll put in the baskets, shop for the items, and then wrap them all up.  Anytime a family gets together to do something for others, everyone wins and I believe it puts a smile on the face of our God.

Last year, Calvary made up around 100 Easter Baskets.  This year’s goal is 120 baskets.  How does this work?  There is a tree at the first Atrium Kiosk decorated with plastic eggs.  Inside those eggs are instructions on what to put in the basket.  Having teachers in this group of organizers brought an awareness that by this time in the year, children’s school supplies are running out, so that is always on the list.

Jesus lives!  Let’s find ways to share that joy with others.

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor? (Midwest Food Bank)

We often reach out to neighbors we’ll never meet….which is another wonderful result of living out the Christian faith.

Calvary’s Junior and Senior High Youth recently met at Midwest Food Bank (MFB) in Bloomington to package cereal…about 1200 pounds of cereal! The product is donated to Midwest Food Bank in bulk but has to be broken down into smaller packages for distribution. This organization that serves so many explains:  “As a faith based organization it is the mission of Midwest Food Bank to alleviate hunger and poverty by gathering and distributing food donations to not-for-profits and disaster sites without cost to the recipients.” Calvary knows first hand how important this work is because we receive cases and cases of food each month from MFB to use in our Backpack Ministry with Parkside Elementary School.

Here are some quotes from those who participated in the recent food packaging ministry.

Michael Pitzer: It was great to have the youth and parents work together as well as junior and senior high students working together. Everyone involved not only shared a time of working side by side, but also learned about what Midwest Food Bank is doing.  

Julia Rolley: I think that it was a good experience through seeing how much help and how much food goes to those in need and how helping made me feel I was doing my part to help others not as fortunate as I am.

Jonathan Smith: Well I’ve done it multiple times with church and scouts and I always like going to see how much people still care for other people by seeing how much food and supplies that they have at their facility. I feel like it was a good experience because we were able to indirectly help people. Doing it that way reflects Jesus’ teaching to pray in private rather than boasting out on the street corner. The people who will receive that food won’t know that we did it and I would imagine that they will be very thankful. It was also a chance for us to have fellowship with one another while we were working there. Finally, it makes me feel good because I was able to help people who might be in need.

Sarah Hopt: It felt great knowing that I was helping others and that what I did was going to benefit families in need. After I was done helping out it felt very fulfilling, because I had not only served others but I had made God happy, too.

Elena Rolley: I think that the experience was good for me because I was using my free time to hel work toward helping others.  It made me feel great, and I had a fun time doing it.  And like my parents said, it looks good on a college application!  Haha!

Nick Rolley: I was very surprised by how much the Midwest Food Bank does for our community and how far reaching it is. I also had a lot of fun just doing the work and getting to spend time doing the work of God with some of the church family.

Tasha Schuckman: I volunteered at the Midwest Food Bank because they have a great organization going there that they have built up very well. They distribute food to many people who are in the state of Illinois as well as beyond it. Also, the experience of preparing a meal that you know will impact the world is incredible, and that is why I love volunteering there.

Annika Luthe: It was a fun experience and it was cool to help people out.

There you have it!  Calvary Student Ministries brings families together in service….thank you, CSM!

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Who Is My Neighbor? (The Least, Last, Lost, and Chapati)

If maintaining a relationship with Jesus means loving my neighbor, who is my neighbor?  The Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 tells us my neighbor is anyone of any age, race, or social standing.  The person is anyone in need and love means meeting the person’s needs.  Here’s a personal story with a few photos.

My son Zach and daughter-in-law Brooke are in the process of adopting a Ugandan boy I’ll call “M” and last year I was privileged to spend a month in Uganda with Zach and my future grandson.  One morning while there I pulled up a Words With Friends game with my wife Beth on my iPhone and noticed I had letters to spell LEAST, LAST, or LOST.  That got me thinking about an event that happened the day before. 

The three of us had taken boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) to lunch in the town’s main restaurant and business area.  After getting a bite to eat, we decided to walk by shops, even though we knew we'd be constantly barraged from the shop owners trying to get us to buy things.  We were about ready to go when a rain cloud let loose.  Not wanting to ride home on motorcycles in the downpour, we waited under an overhang to let the shower pass.

As we were waiting a small boy maybe around 10 years old appeared out of nowhere and stood within a few feet of us not saying a word.  There are street kids there, homeless boys, and this one looked like he could be one.  We waited five or so minutes for the rain to stop and Zach asked M if he wanted chapati, a type of flatbread he loves.  As we turned to walk a block to the shop with chapati, Zach asked the boy if he wanted some.  He nodded yes and we motioned to him to come along.

As Zach went into the shop, I asked the boy his name and we had a brief conversation.  He was difficult to understand so I asked him about football (soccer) and he immediately said he likes to play, his favorite team is Manchester United, and a few other comments.  He had a slight smile when talking.  It’s funny how a sport can be a bond. 

Zach came out with the chapati and gave it to the boy.  The boy politely said thanks and walked away enjoying the food.  I noticed he glanced back at us when he was crossing the street.  We didn't know his situation or if he's homeless, but we knew his stomach would be a little fuller from the kindness of a stranger. 

Something the Bible has taught me is loving my neighbor includes the least, the last, and the lost and caring for widows and orphans.  In today's world, I imagine we can insert the word "homeless".  Neither Zach nor I know if the boy was an orphan or homeless, but what we do know is the gesture of feeding this child chapati goes to show that caring can be a small and inexpensive random act of kindness, something disciples of Jesus Christ are called to do.

Questions or discussion? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow on the Daily Connection: A Light to My Path

About the Author
Rob Wall is a member of Calvary UMC.