Jason Lamer and Youth Alive

Jason's heart and passion for youth was sparked at a young age. People were impressed with his youth and their passion to worship. Jason began to recognize that God has big plans for him in Youth Ministry. Jason now heads up Youth Alive in the Penndel district of the Assemblies of God and brings teams and assemblies into public schools to reach the kids for Christ. The team goes and does the 7 project. The idea is that the seventh step is accepting Christ. The team brings basketball stunts and skate shows to catch the attention of the youth. The performers share their testimonies and the school assemblies are based on 'doing the right thing.' The school assembly is followed up by inviting all the youth to an evening event where they can present the gospel. The different ministries of Youth alive are:
1. Prayer (prayer zone partners)
2. Campus ministries - raise up students that are challenged and resourced to share their faith.
3. Campus clubs
4. seven project - school assembly
Jason gave us steps/advice for preparing a youth outreaches:
1. Network/ identify the team.
2. Serve/ identify the need(s).
3. Disciple/ identify the teens.
4. Plan/ identify the how to.
5. Evangelize/ identify the opportunities.
6. Resource/ identify the helps.
7. Grow/ identify the person (You).

The idea behind 7.0 is a 7.0 earthquake. Your ministry, your effort, how far does it reach and how long does it last?

Toy Trade & Give Away

I was not able to visit any Church Based Community Organizations, but the Toy Trade and Give Away at Christian Life Assembly of God in Camp Hill, PA sparked my interest. My church and the Network of Hope do 'Give A Gift' every year, but this depends on donations of new toys and is only for low income families. For this ministry, people from the church donate toys that their children do not use anymore, The toys are cleaned and made back into great if not perfect condition, all of the toys are organized by age and gender, and the event happens each year in December just in time for Christmas. Anyone can come and receive 5 tickets per child, however, Single parents and families in more need get to go first. This awesome ministry is focused on giving, and allows parents give presents to their children on Christmas morning, who otherwise would have nothing to give. This is a ministry I would definitely encourage churches to start. This costs next to nothing, they provide cookies and hot beverages, and a man from their church even donates batteries for the toys every year! With enough help and great donations, this event is an easy way to show Christ's love and spread loads of joy!

The Harris Family

The Harris family from Christian Life Assembly of God in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania visited our class on Tuesday, April 6. Curt and his wife Candace both work at the church. Candace is on staff as the Women's Pastor and Curt is the Missions Director. Two of their three children are students here at VFCC. Christian Life AG has about 3,000 regular attenders and more than two dozen ministries. Basically, any area of ministry that fits their congregations needs and passions, they have it. Curt is in charge of keeping his church missional, organizing overseas missions, and supporting career missionaries as a church. The Harris' are actually getting ready to send their daughter, Brittany to China as a Missionary Associate! Candace is in charge of so many projects as the Women's Pastor. Some of Christian Life AgGs ministries include The Crave Young Adult Ministry, Student Ministries, Family Ministry, Men's Ministry, Women's Ministry, Children's Ministry, Royal Rangers, MPact, Bible Quiz, Visitation, Life Groups, Counseling, Women's Softball, a scrap-booking group, Moments for Moms, Toy Trade & Give Away, Quilt 'n Share, Celebrate Recovery, Fine Arts (music, media, and drama), and Project Assist. The love of Christ and obedience to the call is so evident in this faithful family. It was such a blessing to hear from them.

Tim Siminski and Berks County Children and Youth

Child abuse happens, and sexual abuse to children is happening more and more. Tuesday, March 30, Tim Siminski was in our class to discuss this issue with us. Tim leads the Investigation of Child Maltreatment Team of Berks County Children and Youth Services. He works mainly with sexual abuse. I can't even imagine all of the stories and the toll this takes on Tim after working there for 22 years! Tim was discussing with us all of the issues and procedures for church's and ministries. Child sexual abuse happens in church, even though we don't like to think so, it does. However, out of all of the denominations and fellowships, Tim said that the evangelicals are the best equipped, easiest to work with, and first to admit an issue. Further than the Evangelicals Pentecostals specifically and even the Assemblies of God are the most aware and cooperative in dealing with this issue, this was good to hear. When leading a church or ministry we should obviously do everything we can to prevent this with the proper courses and clearances for our leaders, however we also should know the procedures to take if this should happen in our ministry. I was glad to learn a lot and feel it is important that we are equipped in this way.

Pastor KR Mele and Family Life Church

Tuesday, March 23 Pastor KR Mele joined us in our class to share about his ministry and what lead him to where he is today. KR grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, PA, not in a Christian home. He gave his life Christ at the age of 21. KR has his degree in Business and owned/managed a couple of businesses before coming on staff at Sarver Assembly of God in charge of children as well as administrating their Christian school. After some time there God called KR back to the State College area in Central Pennsylvania where he attended college at Penn State University. From there God called him to plant a church in that same area. Pastor KR has been at Family Life Church in Penns Valley, PA for the past six years. The church meets at the Penns Valley Intermediate School in Spring Mills. Pastor KR's current church has been involved with many cool ministries, however the coolest thing, a ministry KR began, is Light the Night. Light the Night is a ministry to reach out to our communities on Halloween rather than hide ourselves. KR's logic says, Why would we turn off all of the lights and hide in the basement on the one day of the year everyone in our neighborhood comes knocking on our door asking us for something. Light the Night is set up like a 'mini-fair' in a yard of someone form the church. A church can have as many sites as they can handle. The sites have food, games, candy, an introduction to the church, a gospel message for kids with puppets, and most importantly, plenty of light, as to not make it a dark scary place, but a warm, happy, welcoming environment. My church started doing Light the Night the year after KR thought of it and we have done it in my yard for the past five years, I love it. At first we received some disagreement from some of our church body about whether doing this outreach would just be justifying the celebration of halloween, but after the success and progress of the first year, mostly everyone came around to the idea. Light the Night is a great ministry, if you do not already participate, present the idea to your church!

Jack Belin Feeding The World

We were privileged to meet Jack Belin on Tuesday, March 16 an Assemblies of God missionary working with The Convoy of Hope. Jack grew up in the pentecostal church, he says he doesn't remember a time in his life when he wasn't serving God and received his call at the age of five years old! I can relate to Jack because my parents were very active in children's ministry and many other ministries in the church. I was at the church Sunday - Saturday, it was my second home. I grew up with the view that ministry is not an option, I feel so blessed to have grown up with such great parents who instilled a good foundation in me, I am sure Jack feels the same way. Jack is a graduate of Valley Forge Christian College, he attended the school back when it was Eastern Bible Institute. Jack married his wife, Georgia and they pastored in Pennsylvania before they served for a while as missionaries in Bolivia. God did a lot in Jacks hear at that time and changed His life. In Bolivia Jack worked with the unloved, with the hungry, disease, and prisoners, they even started a school for prisoner's kids as well as a ministry school for prisoners. Jack understands the worlds need in a greater way than most people. He is now the Director of the World Food Program with the Convoy of hope and travels all around the world providing food for the hungry, and of course providing them with the opportunity to know the Bread of Life and the Living Water. Jack doesn't view the church as a building, but as a body of believers, and says "Any church that does not lead people to Jesus has no right to call itself a church." His number one ministry is love, he talks about the kind of love in the Bible we know as agape, the way we should love unconditionally how Jesus does.

The Network of Hope

I have been blessed throughout my life with the friendship of Deana Leone. A close family friend from church, Deana is the Executive Director of the Network of Hope. Started in 2002 by Pastor Jeff Leake and Allison Park Church, The Network of Hope is an intra-church, community, non-profit organization reaching the city of Pittsburgh. Though started in 2002 and made known by their great assistance in the floods of 2005, NOH has grown, changed, and shaped into the organization that it is today. NOH is an intra-church foundation because they do not function individually. NOH currently partners with eight churches across Pittsburgh to reach their communities. By this I mean, NOH is not free standing, nor do they desire to be. The effectiveness of their ministry has been brought about by their desire to help churches reach out to the specific needs of their community in as many ways as possible. Primary hardships that NOH is actively bringing assistance to include addiction, low income, hunger and food insecurity, and lack of childcare. They are meeting these needs through, recovery groups and recovery homes, practical helps, food banks, and youth enrichment. NOH works to find solutions for problems and needs of the people in the community. Each of the eight churches partnering with NOH has a site director, someone who attends the church and is not on paid staff with NOH, but employed by their church. They like to consider all of their dedicated employees staff, not just the few paid ones. On the board of NOH there is the executive director, pastors, bankers, accountants, consultants, a lawyer, and a licensed counselor. NOH is a 501(c)3 and an approved member of United Way. They are also funded by tax-deductable donations, churches, businesses, fundraising events, grants, and gifts in kind. The churches often individually raise funds for events or ministries specific to their community. NOH is powered by dedicated volunteers, over 500 a year! Site coordinators for church partners are selected both by leaders of the church and by NOH, these leaders then go through a training for their position. The goal of the Network of Hope is to promote lasting change. Their website is full of great information and media, so please visit http://www.networkofhope.org/