Christmas Outreach and outreach thoughts

Hey Elementers! Don't forget to go to Wal-Mart or Target and start supporting the moms and their families that we are providing Christmas for. Reagan has done a phenomenal job of setting all of this up. We have found needs, wants and desires for these moms. All four moms are soon to have, or recently had children in which they chose LIFE for those Children. We found the moms by partnering with and working through LifeChoice Pregnancy Center. Check out their web-site and see what they do. They are an awesome organization. Element was one of a few churches who sponsored tables at their recent fundraising banquet in October.

We are not supporting these ladies to get them to Element, or even to get them to Christ. We ARE doing this to BE Christ to them. To be the hands and feet of Jesus. That's all. Would we welcome them at Element? YES! Do we want them to receive Christ? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT! Simply put, this is part of going to our Jerusalem. Being missionaries to our city. I'll be posting tomorrow on my missions philosophy.

This outreach may not be a gas-buydown in which hundreds of people are served and the news airs it and the city reads about it, but that doesn't make it any less outreach. We are meeting a practical need for some moms who are IN need. Sometimes our serving the city will be a big project. Other times it will be smaller. EVERY TIME it will help bring life to individuals and to our city.

Starting in January we are going to be on the ground floor of a new program to help keep the food pantry stocked at "Needs Inc." here in Cheyenne. Needs is a community non-profit serving the needy of Cheyenne. I'm not sure I'm at liberty to share details but I will when I can. We are the first church in on this program and it will be a HUGE service to this community group and to the needy of Cheyenne. NEEDS also knows they can include us in any service needs they may have.

We are continuing to develop our relationship with the City of Cheyenne. We have asked to be involved in the Easter Egg hunt again this year and even added an idea of our own, that if pulled off, would seriously be the BIGGEST Easter egg hunt this city has every seen. (Not sure the city is on board with the idea...we'll see) We have offered our service to the city, not only at events, but to clean parks, clear brush, paint over any vandalism (graffiti), etc. We want to serve... just to serve.

Anyway, I don't want to just give from our church during the Holidays, but all year long! We are starting our ability to do that. We are 8 weeks old and we have provided inflatable games for the city Easter Egg Hunt (snowed out), held one gas buy down (2 hours, 200 vehicles), provided free inflatable games at the city SuperDay, held anther gas buy down (4 hours, over 400 vehicles), provided prizes to the city Goblinwalk, Sponsored three tables at the Life Choice fundraiser, adopted 4 moms and families to provide for Christmas, and starting in January, this new NEEDS Inc. food pantry deal. I'd say we are building this into our DNA. Wouldn't want it any other way. And we're not done yet. Still developing other ideas and always open to knew opportunities to serve.

Following Christ,

Jeff