CROP WALK - Christ Memorial Church

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TURKEY PARTNERS I.N. Network, C. C. Connections, Friends of Kardelen, RCA Field Workers There are various ways we help reach people in this country: 1. I.N. Network works with church plants and trains pastors to do daily outreach. They also host a children’s Christian summer camp and youth camps. 2. C.C. Connections helps trafficked women escape bondage and leads them to a new life in Christ through providing safe housing and job skills. 3. Kardelen provides training and support for poor families with children who have disabilities in order to restore dignity to the child and family. Kardelen is endeavoring to see whole families come to Christ through community outreach and empowerment programs. 4. The RCA works with establishing an indigenous Kurdish fellowship group. The Kurds are the largest ethnic group in the world without their own country. They are an economically and politically marginalized, minority people group, but seek a better life and are given hope through the Good News. To learn more about our outreach in Turkey, contact CMC members Jason DeJongh (jasondj@charter.net, 616-403-0441) or Keith Van Zoeren (keithvz@charter.net, 616-801-3172). Rev. Mark, Deb and son, Zach The Wilsons—members of our church family serving as missionaries in Cambodia This family returned to Cambodia in 2011 (previously working there for nine years) serving with Reformed Church Missions and Food for the Hungry Organization. They returned there after Mark graduated from Western Seminary. Mark and Deb support the ministry of their local partners in Cambodia which include the Phnom Penh Bible School (PPBS), the Theological Education by Extension Association of Cambodia (TEEAC), and Food for the Hungry/Cambodia (FH/C). Deb focuses on building up the next generation of local leaders in the Cambodian church through coaching, training, and facilitating their skill development. Mark also focuses on leadership development with a goal to produce materials for TEEAC, coaching FH/C staff, and teaching at the Bible School. The Wilsons give thanks to God for the 41 students returning to PPBS and for the 23 new students joining this year. To learn more about their work, go to www.rca.org/wilson or pick up their newsletter at the Missions Kiosk. Please remember the Wilsons and all our missionaries in your prayers. 2 “So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of GOD but also our own selves…” I Thessalonians 2:8 Cambodian Christians praying together
Mari’s faith and her life as a Christian are deeply rooted in the Lutheran Church of her childhood and in the beloved elementary school that was a part of the church’s ministry. Her faith has been nurtured and supported by small groups that have been a part of her life, personal spiritual disciplines which include intercessory prayer (while running long distances), and selecting a different Bible verse as her focus each week (468 and counting). Her current personal ministry focus is “helping others to find calm, rest, and peaceful dwelling places” as they discover the truth of Matthew 10:7-8 that Jesus’ Kingdom is within us and in our midst. In the governing consistory, Mari draws on her professional experience and personal ministry commitment to keep the body focused on all of the many ideas and strategies involved in moving CMC forward in its vision. It helps that she has been a valued “coach” for Pastor Todd for several years (ever since serving as a consultant for the Gun Lake church.) She believes the Governing Consistory has a primary responsibility to help distill the strategies that drive CMC’s vision into practical steps that will be embraced by the congregation. She asks good questions and has a knack for identifying less obvious implications or consequences of the decisions being considered. When asked about the preferred qualities for a member of the Governing Consistory, she said: “A willingness to listen well to others before speaking, a passion for ministry, a sound and clear mind, a heart to bring Jesus’ Kingdom into our midst.” Many of those who have worked with her would say that sounds like a clone of Mari Martin. South Africa News CMC’s South Africa team is excited about our new partnership with Bethany Christian Services Global (BCSG). CMC is supporting over 250 vulnerable kids through our programs at Lebone and Anna’s House, but we are acutely aware that there are thousands more who are equally vulnerable in the same community. We recognize that a broader based solution is necessary that would involve the families and churches in the Botshabelo community. Enter BCSG! Their guiding vision is “a world where every child has a loving family.” They have just begun to work with some adoptions from South Africa, and they were very excited to work with CMC and our South African colleagues to protect and nourish kids in their own communities. A BCSG/CMC team worked with a large group of our SA partners in October 2012. We have completed a Situation Analysis Brief and Program Recommendations that we will develop further in our next trip to SA in a few weeks. One of the thoughts is for a “Sanctuary Family for Kids” program like the model pictured here. For more information, contact Paul or Cathy Scholten at 616- 566-0030 or pauls@christmemorial.org. Family Identification and Approval Process: Recruitment Screening, Home Study, Training, Approval 3 Sanctuary Family for Kids Child/Youth Referral Process: Screening, Psycho- Social Assessment, Background Investigation, Determination of Need “Sanctuary Family for Kids” through careful matching process
Page 1: Dust off your walking shoes! CROP W

CROP WALK - Christ Memorial Church

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