(Click on any one of the tags for more information)                                                   HELPING OTHERS

Helping others is the obvious way Christianity is expressed. At Christ Community, we are striving to help a wide variety of people, starting from the people next door and extending to the people on the other side of the world. Take a look at some of the ways we are trying to help others. 

God's grace is given to us freely, so we in turn give it away through acts of kindness and service that people can understand, perhaps nudging them a little bit closer to God. We show God's love to others by serving them in simple, practical ways with no strings attached -- from organizing community-wide work days, to supplying Christmas gifts, to providing community events and hundreds of other ways of help for those in need.

In this way, we shine a light that illuminates God’s goodness as part of a lifestyle of radical generosity. We seek to do the things we see the Father doing and to be obedient in building up a body of believers who are passionate about introducing people to Jesus. And the best part?  God stays with us to make it happen, revealing more of who He is as we go about doing the things He did. So what do you say? Let’s go serve somebody!

When our inner person is full of God, the response is to serve and to love from the overflow of God in our lives. Local outreach at Christ Community is about serving with a generous spirit and in unity so that our words and actions make the Gospel appealing. We seek to help people in our own neighborhoods, areas and schools close to our church, and our local mission.

Local Area Projects:
NAME	GRAPHIC	CONTACT	INFORMATION
Winter Haven Mission- Ongoing		David Berry	Christian Family and Youth Services were founded in 1973 by Rev. Thomas Beauregard. It began with one person having a heart for the lost. What once started as a foster home for boys grew into a feeding ministry in the park, which later moved to the Hill building on Third Street and in 2000 relocated to its current location, now known as “The Mission.”  It has and continues to be a self-sustaining ministry that is not backed by any one church, business or organization. The Mission receives absolutely no state or federal support of any kind. Our freedom to address the physical and spiritual needs of thousands of people has been purchased solely with the donations of those who choose to partner with us.  Visit their website at: http://lovemakingadifference.com/
Inter Varsity  Ongoing		ccc@aplacetobelong.com	Christ Community Church supports Michelle Verrill, who is a full time missionary through Inter- Varsity.  InterVarsity establishes and advances witnessing communities of students and faculty. We minister to students and faculty through small group Bible studies, large gatherings on campus, leadership training, thoughtful discipleship and life-changing conferences and events.  For more information and to check out their website, click here.
Youth For Christ  Ongoing		ccc@aplacetobelong.com	Youth for Christ is active in area schools, and Christ Community is proud to partner with this national organization.  According to recent census figures, there were over 8500 delinquent/at-risk teenagers residing in Polk County.  Each week Youth for Christ of Polk County, through institutional programs, neighborhood outreach, camping experiences, rallies, and high school and middle school ministries sees an average of 544 kids.  Last year 3885 kids were given the opportunity to respond to Christ. 469 of those kids made a first-time commitment to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. During the year 312 of these new Christians were followed up and mentored through Bible studies, one-to-one contact and small groups. Youth For Christ connected 28 of these new Christians to local churches where they continue their spiritual growth.  For Polk County's Youth For Christ website, click here.
Children of the City Event- December 2011		ccc@aplacetobelong.com	A Christ Community supported event led by the Winter Haven Mission to provide toys and food for over 450 low-income families in Polk County. Every year, 500 people offer their time Friday and Saturday to assemble displays, organize donations and start transforming the venue into a Christmas wonderland and filling the empty tent in the back into a Christmas superstore for struggling families. Each family is given a number and as they enter into the dome they were greeted by volunteers who are passing Bibles. There are all kinds of things for the families to enjoy: a live manger scene, tables gathered for face painting and crafts, live puppet show, and of course lots of toys and gifts for all of the needy children.

Photos from our Take it to the Streets - Sat., April 2nd

 

Jesus' last command -- our first priority. Why should we care about the world "out there" when there are so many needs right here at home? Because Jesus did. And does. And He does through us, the church. He has given us the incredible assignment of making disciples of all nations and of being His witnesses to the ends of the earth. (Mt. 28:19,20; Acts 1:8)  So what is Global Outreach? It is the cross-cultural communication of the Gospel.  It is taking the message and life of Jesus around the world to those who have not yet heard the gospel. We have an active Overseas Missions ministry at Christ Community. Past trips have taken us to Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, and China. We are sending a team to Zambia in August 2010.

Our Vision:
To see the church established within each people group of the world and equipped so that it can effectively reach the rest of its people group with the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.  To accomplish this task, we give priority in our mission's efforts to those largest groups of people in the world who currently have the least opportunity to hear. Two billion people not only have not heard about Jesus--but cannot hear, because there's no one in their people group to tell them. This is called, "The dark third of the world." 

 

2011 Current Projects:
Honduras
HEARTS FOR  HONDURAS			Christ Community Church has partnered with church in Honduras, becoming a sister church with them.  Our three-year support will not only help supply the salary for the pastor, but will help supply our sister church with the needed supplies and materials to launch and grow.  Along with financial support, our help will also come in the form of mission teams that will travel to Honduras and minister in person.  For more information, click here.
Guyana
CAROLINE'S PROMISE			The purpose of Caroline’s Promise is to Reclaim Hope for Orphans through: •   Adoptive Family Assistance: Providing guidance and assistance to Christian     couples through the adoption process by providing education, resources,     financial assistance and prayer support. •   Orphan Care: Meeting the physical and spiritual needs of children      throughout the world with the hope of those children accepting      Christ as their Savior. •   Education: Educating the community about adoption.     For more information, click here.
GUYANA'S BRIDGE 1014			Our support will be in the form of funding for ministries to the residents, as well as sending short term missionaries from our church to minister in person. For more information, click here.
The Voice of the Martyrs
PERSECUTED CHURCH			During our Missions Weekend in March, we highlighted our support to The Voice of the Martyrs.  This organization serves with the persecuted church and their mission works in more than 50 countries through its own International Christian Association of mission offices.  For your free subscription to the Voices of of the Martyrs newsletter, email: thevoice@vom-usa.org or go to thier website at: www.persecution.com.

 

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Mission Trips

Christ Community Church is involved in short-term mission opportunities with partners in Christ all over the world.  A mission trip is an incredible opportunity to serve and grow as you travel with a team of volunteers to make a difference in a new community.

General Information
1.  Prayer Prayer is the foundation of everything we do and our only confidence for success.  Pray about your involvement and follow God's direction.

2.  Finances  You are responsible for the costs of your trip.  We encourage you to pay as much of it as you are able, but you are also welcome to ask others to help you as the Lord leads.  We encourage you not to draw funds away from your regular church giving for your trip.  Note: All costs listed are estimates and are subject to change.

3.  Team Preparation  Your team will meet several times before departure, to pray, bond together, and learn about the country and ministry where you will be serving.  These meetings are an essential part of the whole experience.

4.  Debriefing  To help you process all that you've learned on the trip, you will have a debriefing meeting with your team upon return.

Application Procedure

1.  If you are interested in going any of the Mission Trips but you have questions, please call to contact the person listed next to the trip information, and they will be happy to give you more information.

2.  Once a trip has been set, an Application form is available online or at the church office. Fill it out and return it along with a deposit of $100 (made payable to Christ Community Church) by the due date listed within each listing. After this date, a place on the team is not assured and the cost may increase. If multiple family members are participating, it is only $100 per family.

3.  You will be informed upon acceptance. Before your ticket is purchased, you will be asked to sign and return another form guaranteeing your participation.

4. Your team leader will contact you with dates for team meetings.

5.  Make sure you have a passport that is valid for 6 months beyond your return date.

Sponsoring children in need is breaking the cycle of poverty  

Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.  Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training. Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 25 countries.

A passion for children
Interested in our guiding principles and why we are so passionate about caring for children? Check out: 

• The Compassion Mission Statement
• The Compassion Commitment
• The Compassion Statement of Faith
• Compassion's Leadership Principles 
   

Our Vision: To Change the world — one child at a time.
When you sponsor a child, you are linked with one particular child who will know your name, write to you, and treasure the thought that you care. He or she will pray for you often and write to you. Your tax-deductible contribution of just $38 a month connects your child with a loving, church-based child sponsorship program that provides:

• Food and clean water
• Medical care 
• Educational opportunities 
• Important life-skills training 
• Most important of all, your sponsored child will hear about Jesus Christ and be encouraged to develop a lifelong relationship with God. 

When you sponsor a child, you'll receive your child's photo, personal story and a child sponsorship packet by mail in approximately 15 days.  When children find out they've been sponsored, the joy they feel is indescribable. Just knowing that someone across the globe cares means more than you can imagine. Sponsoring a child will profoundly change the future for your child — and will change your own life as well. Give a child hope for the future — and for all eternity. Sponsor a child today!  

Ways to Sponsor a Child
Compassion offers numerous ways for you to sponsor a child in need.

• Browse photographs of children waiting for sponsors. Each of the hundreds of children listed here are waiting for a sponsor. Browse through their photographs and read the biographies about each child's life.
• Search for a child to sponsor with certain characteristics. When sponsoring a child you can search by gender, region, country, age, birthday, longest waiting and whether the child has special needs or is an orphan. The photographs and biographies of children who have those characteristics will be displayed.
• Allow Compassion International choose the child for you. Submit a request for us to choose either the child who has been waiting the longest or a child with certain characteristics. When you sponsor a child in this manner, you will not see your child's information displayed on our Web site. Instead, the child's information will be mailed to you. You'll receive your child's photo, personal story and a complete child sponsorship packet by mail in approximately 15 days.
• You can also call or send us a letter or e-mail Compassion to discuss sponsoring a child in need. Phone Number: (800) 336-7676, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT. Mailing Address: Compassion International, Colorado Springs, CO 80997
  

Christ Community Church Contact :
Email Drew Ireland, Compassion International Coordinator at: apijr@aol.com

Photos of the Ireland's Trip to Nicaragua -visiting their sponsored child