Coaching Tips ...
1. CSA Team meetings: Regularly invite key volunteers who are doing a great job to your Team meetings, so you can make heroes of them! And periodically invite potential members of your CSA Team to meetings as one way of guaranteeing a "succession" plan that produces informed, trained future leaders of the Team.
2. Whole & Healthy Children: now is the time to get your principal's wish list of improvements to be made in a Makeover and to schedule that workday date! The school will have further evidence that you are their ally, that we've come to serve, and we're eager to listen and act in response to their hopes and dreams and frustrations. And spring is a great time to schedule a workday - cooler weather than summer, and fewer people on vacations. Getting the tasks and date set now gives you time to recruit both volunteer workers and donors.
3. How are we going to raise $10,000 per School?: Between congregations and businesses in your CSA, we can work together to raise the necessary money for each Whole & Healthy Children school. Please see the attached resource for ideas on how to raise the money from your congregational network. Michael Aceves-Lewis, Development Director for Mission Houston can be a resource to raise money from your network of businesses with your CSA. Please contact Michael directly at michael@missionhouston.org with a shortlist of 5-10 businesses that we could target to assist in this fundraising effort.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
CSA Coaching Tips
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Truth telling leads to personal transformation
by Trisha Taylor
Most of us who have been Christians for very long have developed some level of personal mastery around the teachings of Jesus. We know what Jesus wants us to do and we do it most of the time. It's even pretty easy for us—we don't even think hard about it any more. At the same time, we have some level of disobedience in our lives. There is some place where we know the clear teachings of Jesus and yet we don't obey.
Sometimes that disobedience is just out and out rebellion. Other times it exists because people have a large capacity to live in denial - we are inauthentic about what is really happening in our lives. Living in a culture of "image management" we construct a world in which we pretend that we are not being disobedient. Even more often, if you scratch beneath the surface in conversation, you'll discover that the habitual disobedience grows out of years of trying to obey but experiencing failure after failure. Ultimately, that person becomes resigned and cynical about things ever changing in this area of their lives.
It is the deep conviction of the Faithwalking community, that personal transformation will often be jump-started when a follower of Jesus can tell the truth about his or her habitual disobedience. By walking in the light with a loving God and in a non-judgmental community of friends, our truth telling opens up possibilities for significant growth that didn't exist before.
In our Faithwalking retreats, we work to create a safe place for participants to tell the truth about their obedience - and their disobedience - in a manner that is liberating. What once was hidden is opened up to encouragement, prayer support, and accountability.
Albert (not his real name) participated in our second Faithwalking retreat. Out of a time of solitude with God, he came back to his small group and with great courage made this confession. "I am harsher, more demanding and less forgiving with my wife than I am any other person in my life." As his confession was heard, a new possibility began to emerge. By faith, Albert, declared his intention to seek prayer support and accountability for changing this long standing pattern with his wife. With his faith declaration, the support and accountability of a small group, a renewed commitment to trusting God to change his behavior, and a Faithwalking coach, today Albert and his wife say that their 25-year marriage has been profoundly renewed.
We invite you to consider joining us as we allow God to create a community of transformational leaders in the homes, neighborhoods, workplaces and third places of our city.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Bellaire / SW Loop Prayer Targets...
By Karen Juul-Nielsen / Bellaire / SW Loop.
Prayer Requests for Bellaire/SW Loop A.C.T.S. – 12/08/08
(Area Churches Together in Service)
Dear Prayer Warriors,
How marvelously blessed we have been this fall! Even with the interruption of IKE, our faith community has come together to pray, train, mentor, work and have fellowship. God is Good!
Please lift these prayers of thanksgiving and praise, as well as the petitions for additional power and strength, in your daily devotions as individuals, and as you meet in prayer teams and in small groups. God will bless your faithfulness.
Prayers of thanksgiving and praise for:
• a safe workday at Shearn and for the completion of all the revised projects planned for that day; and for volunteers who have continued to water plants so that they will thrive.
• the amazing show of support for the St Nick Day at Shearn, and that for the first time in the history of the school, all 23 classes had volunteers.
• the leadership and organizational skills of Becky and Hazel in managing the volunteers and in lending support to the fall festival.
• all the mentors who have been faithful to share their talents and time with these precious children at Shearn and Gordon Elementary.
• the direction/support of Ms Epps and Mr. Buck and for the stellar help of Ms Healy
Prayers of request for:
• more mentors to join the ranks in January for both schools.
• all the mentors to participate in the mentor training that Mission Houston is offering.
• additional funds to be donated to Mission Houston so projects that are planned for the spring at both schools can be completed.
• schedules to be resolved so that all the planning and necessary preparations can take place in a timely fashion, for work days, teacher appreciation events, parties for the children and recognition for volunteers.
• that every child at Shearn will be prepared to go to college and have that opportunity (offered by Mr. Buck)
Prayers for protection for:
• all the children, staff, teachers and mentors at Gordon and Shearn Elementary schools
• all the parents, grandparents and guardians of these elementary children
• both facilities and structures - that no harm will come to these premises
• all the members of the churches who participate - that God will bless them mightily for their goodness and efforts on behalf of these precious children.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow! I thank Him every day for you. In Christ’s Name, Karen
