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To reach every street, every home, every person with the gospel of Jesus Christ October and November 2005 Volume 4 Issue 11 Spotlight on Ministry I n recent weeks the number of people dropping in at the Dream Center has steadily increased, we are averaging around 35 families each day, many in need of food or clothing. In addition, through our Adopt-A-Block ministry, we continue to reach out to 500 homes per month! On Adopt-A-Block we able to give out potatoes, carrots, apples and buns! It is a joy to be able to bless many people who were on the last of their groceries. We not only meet the physical needs of these people, we have opportunity to share the Gospel and pray with them as well. These ministries are made possible through you, our friends and partners who so willingly pray for us and provide the finances needed to continue to meet the needs of the people.Each year the Dream Center holds the Annual Harvest Celebration. This alternative to Halloween is designed to reach out to the entire family, giving parents an alternative from regular Halloween activities. We were able to feed each family member a free hot meal in addition to providing games, clowns and just plain fun for all! The River Church, one of our partners in ministry, sent a team of volunteers to man the games for the children. The River church team along with the Dream Center volunteers had many opportunities to share Jesus Christ with the children and their parents. One of the Dream Center Volunteers shared the Gospel message at the end of the evening and four individuals made commitments to Christ! Each child also received a “goody bag” with tracts, prizes and of course, candy! A great time was had by all who attended. A special thanks to the River Church and the Dream Center Volunteers for making this another fantastic event! Also, a special thank you to the wonderful people who donated much of the candy and items to give away! God bless each of you. Because of you and your faithfulness, the Dream Center continues to be a light that ministers to the needs of the Edison Neighborhood Residents! ******************************************************************** It is 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday Evening. Several people are mingling in the lobby of the Dream Center. Each sharing about their family, or a job or just about their lives in general. Rik Stone, Director of the Dream Center walks into the midst, “Well, let’s get started!” Everyone finds their way in the multi-purpose room at the Dream Center. The room is set up with a screen and computerized projector. This is the Dream Center Discipleship class! The class has been meeting since August and has grown to a healthy small group that is excited about learning what it means to accept Jesus into their lives and the importance of how to live through Him in their daily lives. The Dream Center has held a Bible study on Wednesday night for several years but only recently did the focus shift to discipleship. "We have been discussing the development of a discipleship class for several months," says Rik Stone, "then I found a series entitles "Doing Life Together." I contacted the distribution company and they donated the entire series to the Dream Center. We have enough materials to last us for at least a year. The teaching materials includes DVD music videos with words for praise and worship. This series has ignited a fire in the hearts of those who attend classes. Rarely does anyone miss the opportunity to come. One of the discipleship couples has been going through an extremely difficult time. Their circumstances have been almost overwhelming. They have put their faith in God, persevered and allowed others in the group to surround them with prayer and love. The entire group has grown so much over the last few months, supporting and loving one another. Each of them has a desire to learn and become the person that God designed them to be. The Discipleship class and Harvest Celebration are just two of the many ongoing ministries happening at the Dream Center. All of these ministries are a direct result of your faithfulness in supporting this vital ministry. Without our prayer and financial partners, we could never reach the hundreds of people we touch each week. There are many other volunteer opportunities at the Dream Center. We encourage each of you to consider not only giving financially or praying for us, but also to get involved in our of our many ministries. We would love to have you join us to work in the clothing area, front desk reception, donations area or Adopt A Block. If you have two, four or even eight hours a week that you could give to the Dream Center, we make you a promise that you will be blessed. Call the Dream Center at 382-4760 to find out how you cane become a bigger part if this incredible ministry. The Rollin’ Stone By Rik Stone Clutter, Part II Recently my wife and I moved into our new home near the neighborhood in which we serve. It was an exciting venture for us, and our two boys. We welcomed the possibility of having more space for the things that were jammed into our small two-bedroom apartment. The boys would no longer have to hurdle over games, toys, backpacks, and other incidentals that were squished into the one bedroom they shared. Wendy and I cherished the idea of being able to have a dining room where we could entertain our friends and family, an activity we found difficult to do in our small kitchen. We began our move in the basement of the apartment, the place of both treasure and trash. We were wise enough to know that if the basement was conquered then the success and survival of this move was nearly guaranteed. What came next almost defeated us before we started. The boy’s toys were the first challenge. Never before had I seen such a huge accumulation of plastic in various forms. There was the G.I. Joe collection, complete with jeeps, tanks, and a thousand accessories, including spare body parts, just in case the battle got intense. Toy guns of every shape or size, not to mention those assembled by sticks and duct tape. Then there were the mounds of games, cars, and puzzles, many of which were plastic. Yes we had only started, and yet, later my wife and I would find many other items of our own tucked in various places throughout the apartment that no longer had usefulness, or perhaps never did. The fact is, to take it all with us would be madness. Much of it just wasn’t fit for our new home. The only thing that brought any satisfaction was to know that if we were ever called on to build another Solomon’s temple or to supply the arsenal for the battle of Armageddon, we had some things to contribute. Getting prepared for move to our home and the process of removing the useless clutter of items we had collected reminded me of what the apostle John wrote in John 6: 19-21. He stated: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Many time the things that we collect seem to have value, but only serves to create more clutter. This can happen with the physical things we collect, but it can be manifested in the schedule that we keep. Even seemingly good things done for a “good cause” can be things that clutter. We can avoid these pitfalls by making wise decisions every day that will keep the collection problem in check. We can ask questions like: -If I keep this item will it improve the quality of life for me or others? -Will this item help me or others to maintain a Godly order to life? -Ask God if it is something that fits space in your home or schedule. -Will; this item assist in leading someone to a saving knowledge of Christ? Asking these questions and others may help in keeping us from falling prey to the ever ensuing problem of clutter. Dream Center Needs - Winter Clothing for families The Dream Newsletter is a publication of the Kalamazoo Dream Center, 1122 Portage Road, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49001. Telephone: (269) 382-4760 Fax (269) 382-4805 The Dream Center is a ministry of Kalamazoo First Assembly, 5550 Oakland Dr., Portage Michigan, 49024. Founder: Rev. Phillip McElhenny, Executive Director Rik V. Stone, Editor: Cari Richmond.
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