Merry Christmas video by Mark Den Bleyker

Missions Trip

It was a short trip to New York City, just six others and me on a two-night mission to New York School of Urban Ministry.

NYSUM’s purpose is to train and equip Christian workers to reclaim our cities for Christ. One of the ways they do this is by ministering to people on the streets with the love of Jesus in practical ways such as giving out blankets, food, drink, reading materials and prayer plus spending time talking with them.

On Friday, our first night out we went to the streets late so we could find people as they settled down in the place where they would sleep for the night. We spoke kindly to them, gave them a sandwich, bottled water and reading material while showing respect for each one we would meet. It was our joy to impart hope, giving words of love and encouragement while speaking destiny into their lives.

Saturday (day two), we helped at the mission base in the kitchen (which we did the night before also). We went to serve at the soup and bread bus where we were able to talk with people and offer prayer. Some people were standing around and others were on their way somewhere. Some appeared to be on drugs. It was an eye-opening afternoon in the midst of so many interesting people we had contact with.

After dinner, we went to a women’s shelter where we played a board game with the women (Apples to Apples) and shared together in word and song. One of the women told some of us about spiritual warfare in that place. It is so important to cover work like this in prayer – thank you to all who prayed for this mission and our team!

Homeless are in many places. I have seen them in Nashville, Tennessee, in London, England, in Asheville, North Carolina and Durres, Albania. One does not have to look far to encounter someone who has no place to call home. If we look around and befriend more strangers, some of them will have a roof over their heads but they still need the love, prayer, discipleship and hope we can offer. People need what we have—they need Jesus.

My encouragement to those reading this short report is for you to make yourself available to go to people and places of this world to see things you’ve never experienced before. Go. Pray and ask others to cover you with prayer. Be ready to serve God and let Him wreck your world (in a good way!).

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“Is this not the fast that I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house, when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out like the dawn, your recovery will speedily spring forth, and your righteousness will go before you. The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” Isaiah 58:6-8

Shawna Gessler moved to PA about a year ago. She attends CCC and has a passion to see unborn children treated with respect & dignity.

Wordless Wednesday

Young Adult Video

Bonfire - October 15

Guys bring a drink, girls bring a snack. Everyone bring a chair & invite a friend to attend!
There will be worship & fire, plus a group activity to discuss "living sacrifices"... makes you curious, doesn't it?




Directions from CCC:
Turn left out of parking lot. Left at stop sign (Hartzdale Dr). Right at red light (Slate Hill Rd). At the top of the hill, turn right (Lisburn Rd). Go 3 miles to a stop sign. Turn left at the stop (Main St/Lisburn). Go .8 mile. Turn right (Moores Mtn Rd). Go 1.9 miles to stop sign. Continue straight, go 1.3 miles to stop sign. Continue straight on Mt Airy Rd. Go 3 miles. Road will change names to Pinetown. Driveway on the left, turn in at "Signs by Dave" sign.

Address:
Dave & Diann Kilgore
1585 Pinetown Road
Wellsville PA 17365
432.3434

A poem by Missy B

"He's Waiting"

He’s waiting…
for those of you who are lost
to realize how great the cost.
He’s waiting…
for those who want this awesome life
to give up their pain and strife.
He’ s waiting…
for those who want to forget the past
to have it into the fire cast.
He’s waiting…
for all those who have gone astray
to have their sin be passed away.
He’s waiting…
for all who want to leave their sin
to find his embrace and enter in.
He’s waiting…
for those who struggle and suffer
to call on him for his everlasting peace and comfort.
He’s waiting…
for little ones who know the truth
to show his love to those who want proof.

Missy attends Pinchot Park Assembly of God church and got her inspiration for this poem from a Zoe Girl song.

Pray for the NYSUM team: October 1-3

(Not pictured: Christy Mayeski)

Anywhere you go, God is speaking...

A little over a year ago I was in Sudan, fumbling at caring for patients in a small, mud-hut clinic with no running water or electricity.

Now, I'm in a very well-appointed office with a myriad of resources at my fingertips. Tests, specialist referrals, calling on incredibly knowledgeable colleagues with questions - I have every advantage. In Sudan, I struggled to make even a simple diagnosis of intestinal parasites. Here if I want I can order a battery of tests for all kinds of intestinal infections or an ultrasound or a CT or an MRI.

God has brought me on a great journey over the past year - stripping me of everything I thought I wanted or needed - but where I end up is the same exact place I was in Sudan: I desperately need God's assistance every moment of every day. The same desperation that I felt when I looked at a little malnourished child applies when I look at an overnourished patient whose blood sugars are out of control. Only God can make the difference in this patient's life.

I saw a patient today who was very frustrated with the medical profession. I looked at her and saw in her the same longing for wholeness that I saw in my patients in Sudan - that I see all around the world. The creation is groaning, wanting redemption to be made complete. Even the patient most resistant to God knows that something is wrong in our world today. We know what wholeness is oftentimes because we feel the lack of it and the longing for it. Oh, that I might point the way for each patient to the Only One Who can bring that wholeness they long for!!

One of the biggest things I discovered about myself while in the Sudan is that when I swing on the pendulum from fear to pride and back again, the mooring of that pendulum is self. Fear and pride have this in common: they exist because I think things depend on me, or because I misunderstand the goodness and greatness of God -or both!

I believe that God brought me to the Didinga Hills of Southern Sudan because He needed to do something drastic to get my attention.

Whether I succeed or fail, His voice remains constant, whispering the same thing: "I love you." I say the right thing - "I love you." I make a ridiculous fool of myself - "I love you." I do what's right - "I love you." I do what's wrong - "I love you." The message of the Cross to me is the measure of how much He was willing to give for my redemption. He valued my - our - redemption so much that He gave His very Son, His very Self. The sacrament of communion has become to me a way of accepting His valuation of me, of accepting His great sacrifice that forever proved the worth He placed on my restoration. What extravagant, unearned, amazing love! What peace there is in resting on His estimation of my worth, rather than working to be worthy or trying to beg for His approval!

It is my prayer that you too might learn this dual lesson: that you have nothing to offer, but that He loves you lavishly anyway. May He deal with you as graciously and ruthlessly as you can bear, and in the end, may you learn the joy of hearing the Father's voice constantly whispering - in success or failure - "I love you."

Deborah Moss is currently serving at Esperanza and enjoys care packages with pop corn and tea.

Leadership retreat

Please pray for us this weekend:
* Fun & rest
* Unity & love
* Holy Spirit wisdom for planning

Introducing Craig Kuehn

We are both from small town, rural Indiana. I was a pretty average kid all the way around. Went to work for McDonalds as a teenager and ended up managing a store for a while. Both of us spent about 10 years in the marketplace until we hit a point of divine dissatisfaction. We were faithful in our local church, had two young children and were active spiritually but we felt deep in our hearts that God had more for us to do. With a lot of counsel, prayer, and divine intervention we quit our jobs and moved to Texas to attend Bible schools at 30 years of age. 3 years later we moved to Manila Philippines as missionaries, kids and all. In a few years we went from teachers to team leaders to Asia Pacific Directors. All before we were 40 years old. We treated our team like family and as a result we went from a team of 6 to over 30 in the next few years. And at one point, HALF of our team had NOT YET reached their 30th Birthday! Our missions field is 3 Billion people - HALF of them not yet 18 years of age! We love to challenge, encourage, stir and strengthen this generation to find their place in God and their part in the family!!

Craig Kuehn
Asia Pacific Director
Go To Nations

Come hear Craig share on Friday, September 17 at 7 pm in the Youth Building. Worship beforehand & fellowship afterwards. Invite your friends to come too!

Wordless Wednesday

7 Wonders of the Everyday World

Neil Pasricha catalogs the really little pleasures at his website 1000awesomethings.com Here are a few to make your day. Leave a comment adding your own!

1. Wearing underwear just out of the dryer
2. When cashiers open up new checkout lanes at the grocery store
3. Intergenerational dancing
4. Paying with exact change
5. Fixing electronics by smacking them
6. High-fiving babies
7. The other side of the pillow

Introducing Randy Douglass

On Friday August 20 we'll meet in the Youth Building at 7 pm for worship and a powerful message from Randy Douglass. Jesus saved Randy at age 21 from a life of parties and drugs and prison. Randy's heart was changed from stone (hate, racism, anger, alcoholism and much more) to a heart of flesh (intimate love with Jesus and transformation revelation). Recently he graduated from Global School or Supernatural Ministry.

This is a service you'll want to invite your friends to. Bring someone who is distant from God and needs to get connected with God's love, God's power, and God's forgiveness.

"My desire is to see many come to know Jesus and His perfect love for them. The pure message of the Gospel is in my heart." ~Randy Douglass

Pool Party & volleyball

On August 1st at 1:00 pm at Joe & Sherry Regal's home is cancelled due to rain.

Outdoor Movie Night

Join us on Saturday July 24th at the DiNatale's home for a movie under the stars!

Rain location: the CCC Youth Building!

Bring a lawn chair or a blanket to sit on and a drink. Popcorn will be provided. We'll have a discussion after the film; feel free to invite friends! Bug spray is also a good idea, so douse yourself in some!

Wordless Wednesday

lame pick up lines (for laughs)

"Every Thursday I get together with HOT witty girls who are interesting and funny. I know they want me and would do anything I ask. But here I am. Thinking of you."

"Is your name Summer? Cause you're hot."

"Are your legs tired? Cause you've been running through my mind all day."

"Can I borrow a quarter? I want to call your mom and thank her."

"If I said you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?"

"Gee, I didn't know angels could fly so low."

"I hope you know CPR, cause you take my breath away!"

"If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put "u" and "I" together."

Have you heard any good ones lately? Post them here...

Wordless Wednesday

Young Adult Worship Service

With Pastor Dave Hess on Sunday June 27 at 5:00 pm in the Christ Community Church Youth building. Join us for worship, a message by Pastor Dave, followed by prayer & fellowship.

Pastor Dave's message will be an encouragement to our generation. Know someone who could use a little encouragement? Invite them to come!

Truth Project (2)

Focus on the Family's The Truth Project is a DVD-based small group study that practically and personally introduces viewers to the truth claims of God.

Join leaders Dan & Emily Fuller for a 13 week study on Wednesday nights beginning April 28. Location: Mark & Jen Ditmer's home in Mechanicsburg. Need directions? Call CCC church office (761.2933).

If you have questions about world views, philosophy, truth, evil, heaven and hell this is an excellent study. Or if you've ever wondered how to answer questions that others may have on these topics, you will want to attend this! This is a great study for those who want to be able to share and discuss their faith with others.

For more information, visit Focus On The Family website: www.thetruthproject.org/

Wordless Wednesday

He Disciplines Those He Loves

Since graduation from college in May 2009, my life has felt like a whirlwind. In the midst of moving out of my parent's house, finding an apartment, and getting a job, I realized that I had no idea of my true identity. Many decisions, and a stressful job started to wear on me emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Soon I started making decisions in my life that put everything I held dear at risk. At first it started with a guy from work, we were not at all compatible in our beliefs, but I allowed myself to crush on him. When it all fell through, a guy from my college was interested in me, so I jumped at the hope of a possible relationship. But I never asked God if these were opportunities from Him. I just jumped in and out. As a result, my entire system shook. I had huge emotional breakdowns often. My thought patterns were jumbled and impure. Soon, my job performance was affected and my supervisor had to confront me. I continued to get deeper in depression fueled by feelings of worthlessness and loss. I did not want to talk to God, I hated getting out of bed, and I walked around with weight surrounding me.

I got to a place where I wanted things to change, so I began to look for a new job. At the same time, I began to surround myself with young adults from the church. At first, it felt so risky to let them in; would they hurt me like the boyfriends had? But God's grace and goodness met me instead. These new friends were invested in me; deep roots were formed and the love that they placed on me was overwhelming. On 11/11 (the number of new beginnings) I walked into a second job interview and got hired. I walked out ecstatic and confident that God was doing things, which was something I had not believed in a long time.

My life continues to be full of growth. Almost as though I am catching up for lost time!

Recently I sensed that God wanted me to get rid of things that were things in my house. These things reminded me of the guys I had let into my life in the recent months. He began to reveal that those items needed to be burned. I went home & bagged them up. My landlord helped me burn them all.

I realized that those items had been given to me for free. It's funny how "free things" can keep so much baggage tied onto you. When I committed to rid my life of them, God provided and extra day's pay and told me that the old self was gone. As soon as they were out of my house, I had peace! "Goodbye, things -- welcome, God!"

The ashes that came from the burning of that bag of stuff are a testimony of how God can change things. He gives us His beauty in exchange for our ashes. Joy is bubbling over in my heart! My prayer is that anything that needs to be discarded or cleansed would be revealed to me in that gentle, peaceful quiet that God brings. I love the way Papa asks you to do things EXACTLY when they are supposed to be done.

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19

Allison is 23 and lives in Dillsburg with her dog, Bella. When she is not in CCC School of Ministry, she is probably watching "Pride and Prejudice".

Easter Resurrection Poem

What He Left Behind
by Rebecca Ebersole Kasparek

A boulder, cast aside
like an olive pit.
An earthquake. Divine
lightning that blinds
before illuminating.
Guards who tremble
at the earth's gaping scar.
A dropped flask
of the aloe and myrrh
that slow decay.
A reeking cavern
strewn with crimson linen.
Wine vinegar stains
on the burial cloth
that cradled his head.
The piercing nails
of his absence.
A solitary mourner,
fearing the worst
kind of theft. The clutch
of unease before death
or delivery. An angel's
message too stunning
to believe. The conviction
that something was
awakening that had never
risen among us before.
Shrouds of fog burning
in morning's lit air.

wordless Wednesday

"Letters To God" movie

On Tuesday, March 23 join us for a movie & dessert/discussion afterwards. Here's a little synopsis to whet your whistle:

Inspired by a true story, Letters to God is an intimate, moving and often funny story about the galvanizing effect one child’s belief can have on his family, friends and community.

Jesse and I got to see the premiere for this movie a while back. It is excellent & you'll want to bring some tissues along!

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Wordless Wednesday

To prompt some discussion...

This was the ending to the movie "Smoke Signals":

How do we forgive our fathers? Maybe in a dream.
Do we forgive our fathers for leavin' us too often...or forever when we were little?

Maybe for scarin' us with unexpected rage? or makin' us nervous because there never seemed
to be any rage there at all?

Do we forgive our fathers for marryin'...or not marryin' our mothers?
Or divorcin' or not divorcin' our mothers?

And shall we forgive them for their excesses of warmth...or coldness?

Shall we forgive them for pushin' or leanin'? For shuttin' doors?
For speakin' through walls...or never speakin'? Or never bein' silent?

Do we forgive our fathers in our age...or in theirs? Or in their deaths, saying it to them?
Or not sayin' it?

If we forgive our fathers, what is left?

-"Forgiving Our Fathers" by by Dick Lourie

Wordless Wednesday

Super Bowl Party

Brian and Rhonda Carver invite the Young Adults to come over for a Super Bowl party on Sunday February 7 at 6:00 pm. If you don't care for sports, join us for the commercials & for board games. Jesse and I will be picking up the first 12 people from the CCC parking lot and riding over in the church van (as a way to save driveway space).

Friends are welcome to join us, so please invite someone to come.

Guys, bring sodas. Girls bring snacks!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Joy's Testimony

My name is SRA Joy Warner. I am in the Air National Guard and currently deployed to Iraq. I have been here for over 3 months and this time has been a great adjustment to me in many ways: adjusting to the heat, the living conditions, and the basic daily routine. One of things that I struggled with in the beginning was making time to spend with God, in prayer and reading His word. We work 12 hour days 6 days a week and also have to hit the gym 6 days a week. I have struggled with feeling there is not much time for anything else but to eat, sleep, and try to call my family. But something struck me when I was observing some locals that work on our base. I have enjoyed learning some of the cultural differences that the Iraqi's have, and love to watch them, how they speak, how they interact with one another, and most importantly, how they practice their religion. There is a group of about 20 Iraqi men that work in the compound that I live and work in, and lately they have caught my attention. They are basically here to do manual labor, like moving cinder blocks, sand bags, etc... They have to be escorted all the time by 2 Army guys while they are working. They are considered to be "low on the food chain". Lately, I have started to notice that when they allow them to break for lunch, instead of eating or resting, they pray. When I first observed them I thought it was a very strange ritual because, before they begin, they must find a piece of cardboard. I am told they are not allowed to touch the bare ground when they pray. So they rummage through our trash, find a box and break it down so they can kneel on it. They use a new one every day; they never use the same one twice. After finding cardboard, they wash their hands and feet; shoes are always off during their prayers! They rotate standing, kneeling and then laying on the ground. Every few seconds they rotate from one position to the next all while chanting something, praying I guess.

It occurred to me: How wonderful it is that I can talk to God whenever I want! I don't have to have clean feet, or cardboard, or be in a certain position... I just talk to him. I can't help but admire their diligence. I admire that they probably give up their lunch to pray. So, I have been spending more time lately talking to God in random places and random times as a result of this. And how awesome it is that I can talk to my God wherever, whenever, and He listens, whether I am eating, clean, dirty, kneeling, standing, or lying in my bed. So what I have learned from them is that you don't necessarily have to make time, just use the time you already have. It doesn't have to be a spectacular ritual each time you pray, just talk to him and He will listen.


When Joy is not overseas on assignment, she attends Christ Community Church and works for a foster care agency in Harrisburg.