This Friday (January, 29th) the Singles Care Group will be meeting at Wendy C’s house. Please check your e-mail for directions and parking instructions.
Didn’t get the e-mail? Please e-mail Jessica at, jessica[at]sgcsc.org.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Parenting Seminar
What!?! Why is there information about the Parenting Seminar on the singles blog? As Matt mentioned in care group, we would like your help. We are looking for babysitters! Many families in the church will not be able to find childcare for this event. Would you consider volunteering to watch someone’s kids? This will enable both parents to attend. The classes are on Sundays from 3 – 5pm.
Class Dates:
February 28
March 14
April 11
April 25
May 23
June 13
June 27
Want to help, but don’t know who to ask? Click HERE to e-mail the church. We will gladly find a family for you.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Update on Haiti Relief Efforts
Below are some quick bullet points on developments in Haiti
1. Relief has begun getting into Haiti via the Dominican Republic (DR)
What a unique, but powerful example of what it means to be a part of a ‘family of churches’. Al Pino (pastor in our Miami church) has been working with our contacts in the Dominican Republic (DR,) who we found out already had medical clinics in Port-Au-Price (PAP), to get additional resources to them to fund their work there. Thanks to the SGM Disaster Relief Fund we have already been able to get over $25,000 to them to continue their work in that area. We are now looking over strategies to utilize these routes to get additional aid into the country, as well as specific help, for the churches/orphanages that we relate with in Haiti.
2. Doors continue to open each day. Marlaine Alix was able to leave earlier this week to travel into Jacmel, Haiti via the DR to start an initial assessment of the needs there and to determine what we can do to further help them. She will be working her way back to Florida so we can continue to assess what the best next steps are soon. Both Daniel and Marlaine hope to travel there the first part of next week to begin evaluating local resources in the areas around the churches/orphanages that were hit. The churches in the DR have graciously offered to assist in whatever ways that they can in the initial response in Haiti. So, we are currently working to get those two groups in contact with one-another to coordinate their work. While Daniel and Marlaine are in Haiti, we are shifting our primary contact with them to their daughter Vanessa who will help us coordinate any efforts stateside as well as assist us in gaining a better idea of what is going on.
We have learned that most of the churches there, that did have buildings, were hit pretty hard during the earthquakes. At this time, it is difficult to get a clear picture of what exactly this looks like but it is not hard at all to quickly pray for those whose lives were completely changed in such a short time. In addition to the destruction of the church buildings and the loss of some church-members lives, many of the church members have lost their homes, loved ones and their livelihood.
3. What’s next? This is a common question and one that we hope to be able to answer more clearly as we gather information on what is actually happening on the ground from our contacts. We are trying to sift through a myriad of information as it comes in rapid-fire succession from Haiti, the DR and other sources.
Please pray for wisdom to be able to sort through everything and determine the right course of action to pursue.
Right now we are mainly focused on directing our attention on the following
a. Offering what care we can to the leaders we have been working with in Haiti
b. Getting resources to the DR for their work in PAP
c. Pursuing opportunities to get additional relief into Haiti (targeting areas with churches/orphanages)
d. Assessing what the condition of the churches/orphanages is currently
e. Support for those who are there
f. Considering what long term impact we can have that would best serve the churches
4. What can our church do? – The fact that so many of you think and respond this way make it such a joy to serve these hurting people. Please focus people’s attention on two things right now: Pray, Give to SGM Relief Fund.
a. Prayer. Pray for all of those whose lives have been affected by this. Pray for protection from disease as well as protection from the violence that has resulted from the food, water, clothing and housing shortages. Pray for on-going funding and wisdom in the decisions that lie ahead. And lastly, pray for strength for those serving in that region.
b. Giving to the SGM Relief Fund. This allows us to quickly get needed resources into affected areas via the most direct means possible. It also offers us flexibility in getting resources into the country when there really are no other direct routes for now. Many larger and more experienced relief organizations are struggling to get resources in there right now, so we are being mindful of our role in the long term rebuilding efforts in that nation as well as in serving the churches in that region. Although many would like to donate food or other good directly, it is difficult for us to manage the logistics of this and it is more expedient to work through funding local contacts to distribute relief and care.
5. Are we planning to send teams into Haiti? – This is a great question that helps confirm that our folks are really seeking to care for one-another in deed as well as in prayer and giving. Right now, this is not the most strategic way that we can support them at this time and right now, we are not able to send teams into Haiti. There are a number of factors being considered in this regard as we continue to monitor the situation on the ground and look at what we can do to best serve the people of Haiti. In the days ahead, we will be trying to determine how we can best set our churches up for success in that nation. Pray along with us that God’s kingdom would come in the hearts and lives of the Haitian people. Since this is a part of an ongoing work in that nation, we will continue to re-evaluate the situation to see if we can be of help by sending service teams.
1. Relief has begun getting into Haiti via the Dominican Republic (DR)
What a unique, but powerful example of what it means to be a part of a ‘family of churches’. Al Pino (pastor in our Miami church) has been working with our contacts in the Dominican Republic (DR,) who we found out already had medical clinics in Port-Au-Price (PAP), to get additional resources to them to fund their work there. Thanks to the SGM Disaster Relief Fund we have already been able to get over $25,000 to them to continue their work in that area. We are now looking over strategies to utilize these routes to get additional aid into the country, as well as specific help, for the churches/orphanages that we relate with in Haiti.
2. Doors continue to open each day. Marlaine Alix was able to leave earlier this week to travel into Jacmel, Haiti via the DR to start an initial assessment of the needs there and to determine what we can do to further help them. She will be working her way back to Florida so we can continue to assess what the best next steps are soon. Both Daniel and Marlaine hope to travel there the first part of next week to begin evaluating local resources in the areas around the churches/orphanages that were hit. The churches in the DR have graciously offered to assist in whatever ways that they can in the initial response in Haiti. So, we are currently working to get those two groups in contact with one-another to coordinate their work. While Daniel and Marlaine are in Haiti, we are shifting our primary contact with them to their daughter Vanessa who will help us coordinate any efforts stateside as well as assist us in gaining a better idea of what is going on.
We have learned that most of the churches there, that did have buildings, were hit pretty hard during the earthquakes. At this time, it is difficult to get a clear picture of what exactly this looks like but it is not hard at all to quickly pray for those whose lives were completely changed in such a short time. In addition to the destruction of the church buildings and the loss of some church-members lives, many of the church members have lost their homes, loved ones and their livelihood.
3. What’s next? This is a common question and one that we hope to be able to answer more clearly as we gather information on what is actually happening on the ground from our contacts. We are trying to sift through a myriad of information as it comes in rapid-fire succession from Haiti, the DR and other sources.
Please pray for wisdom to be able to sort through everything and determine the right course of action to pursue.
Right now we are mainly focused on directing our attention on the following
a. Offering what care we can to the leaders we have been working with in Haiti
b. Getting resources to the DR for their work in PAP
c. Pursuing opportunities to get additional relief into Haiti (targeting areas with churches/orphanages)
d. Assessing what the condition of the churches/orphanages is currently
e. Support for those who are there
f. Considering what long term impact we can have that would best serve the churches
4. What can our church do? – The fact that so many of you think and respond this way make it such a joy to serve these hurting people. Please focus people’s attention on two things right now: Pray, Give to SGM Relief Fund.
a. Prayer. Pray for all of those whose lives have been affected by this. Pray for protection from disease as well as protection from the violence that has resulted from the food, water, clothing and housing shortages. Pray for on-going funding and wisdom in the decisions that lie ahead. And lastly, pray for strength for those serving in that region.
b. Giving to the SGM Relief Fund. This allows us to quickly get needed resources into affected areas via the most direct means possible. It also offers us flexibility in getting resources into the country when there really are no other direct routes for now. Many larger and more experienced relief organizations are struggling to get resources in there right now, so we are being mindful of our role in the long term rebuilding efforts in that nation as well as in serving the churches in that region. Although many would like to donate food or other good directly, it is difficult for us to manage the logistics of this and it is more expedient to work through funding local contacts to distribute relief and care.
5. Are we planning to send teams into Haiti? – This is a great question that helps confirm that our folks are really seeking to care for one-another in deed as well as in prayer and giving. Right now, this is not the most strategic way that we can support them at this time and right now, we are not able to send teams into Haiti. There are a number of factors being considered in this regard as we continue to monitor the situation on the ground and look at what we can do to best serve the people of Haiti. In the days ahead, we will be trying to determine how we can best set our churches up for success in that nation. Pray along with us that God’s kingdom would come in the hearts and lives of the Haitian people. Since this is a part of an ongoing work in that nation, we will continue to re-evaluate the situation to see if we can be of help by sending service teams.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
e-News
Don’t have it yet? You can also view it online: http://mim.io/12f12
Friday, January 15, 2010
Haiti Disaster Relief
In response to the devastating earthquake that occurred in Haiti on Tuesday, Sovereign Grace Ministries has opened a Disaster Relief fund to help deliver food, medicine, and other needed aid there. We will distribute the funds we raise primarily through existing ministry contacts we have on the island—both in Haiti and the Dominican Republic—who are already involved in relief efforts.
If you want to join us in our support of these efforts, you can donate to the Disaster Relief fund on our website or by calling 800.736.2202. On behalf of our friends in Haiti, thank you for considering this opportunity to give.
Regardless of your ability to make a donation, please join us in praying that those affected by the earthquake would receive aid quickly, and that despite these hardships the gospel would continue to go forward in that nation.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Gift Wrap Pics
Here are some pictures from our Singles Gift Wrap Outreach and our Singles Christmas Party.
Thank you again for all your help. Both events were a huge success!
Thank you again for all your help. Both events were a huge success!
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