Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Barefoot Camp

There have been many times I have had conversations and wondered how is it that church is usually one of the least diverse places? How do churches get beyond that? How does a church cross the racial and socio-economic divide? There are churches who do it, but for many churches that is not the case. I am certainly not an expert and don't know what it is or how to get over it. I do know that it exists, and I do know that Barefoot Republic Camp is trying to cross these boundaries in unique ways.

Barefoot is a Hope For Nashville partner ministry, and each summer they have a camp that crosses the bridges and exposes kids from all backgrounds to each other...seeing how much more in common we all have. Barefoot's mission is "To reflect God's pursuit of His children through interests and passions, interpersonal relationships, and equipping students with tools for exploring and discovering God's presence in their lives." It is neat to think that for 3 weeks this summer a generation is experiencing something radical and life-changing.

If you are interested in being a part of it there are 3 ways you can do so: support a kid going to camp, send your student to Barefoot, or be a volunteer counselor at one of the 3 weeks. Visit barefootrepublic.org for more information or visit their table this Sunday in the lobby!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

The impact we can make




Every year, WECC holds a special offering on Christmas Eve. About 3 or 4 years ago, the offering was to go to the Crowder's ministry in Sudan, specifically to purchase bicycles for pastors who were having to walk long distances between churches on Sunday. There are more churches than trained pastors.

I had forgotten about this special offering. Well, I recently got an email from the Crowder's with the above picture. Chris had run into one of the men that received the bike. He was still thankful for this bike as it allowed him to also make a living selling vegetables in the market.

Often, we don't ever know the impact that a small impact on our part can have in the life of someone else. This is a beautiful example of the fact that what may seem simple to us, it can have waves and layers and impact that we may never know about.

Remember to not discount what may seem like a small sacrifice to you. God will use every sacrifice for his glory.