nativity missions

Wisdom and Ecclesiastes are two great options. Any...

2012-04-26T12:20:50.606-04:00

Wisdom and Ecclesiastes are two great options. Any one else have other ideas? (And I threw the Acts picture in there since it's Easter -- wasn't trying to lead you in any particular direction.)

Does your graphic represent your thought? :-) ma...

2012-04-23T02:45:38.865-04:00

Does your graphic represent your thought? :-)

maybe the Book of Wisdom, or the Wisdom of Ben Sira would be a good lead up to Acts..

That's awesome, Tim. It's so true -- churc...

2012-04-04T10:52:45.340-04:00

That's awesome, Tim. It's so true -- churches are not meant to be clubs but movements. Our lives are spent seeking out connections with others, and so the life of our church should be spent connecting with those outside of our community, praying that God will use our interaction to influence the world for Christ. A movement has to move -- ServeFest is a great day to MOVE.

I read this recently, and thought it made sense: &...

2012-04-03T19:49:31.472-04:00

I read this recently, and thought it made sense: "churches grow when they gain proximity to people. Any venture that gets church people to interact with the public increases our chances of developing a friendship with them, and friendship with Christ-followers can lead to friendship with Christ himself."

This is a great chance to visibly serve and, in a conctrete way, break down walls between churches.

Great points. Good works without God are nothing m...

2012-03-15T23:40:49.202-04:00

Great points. Good works without God are nothing more than good works (and they might not even be good, depending on the application and the motivation). This series has helped me understand a concept that I've struggled with. I've spent a good deal of my life trying to earn grace, not simply accept it. I sure see grace working in the lives of Nativity's missionaries.

Terrific insights, Brian. While there are people ...

2012-03-13T17:10:55.602-04:00

Terrific insights, Brian. While there are people doing great philanthropic work, I've learned the hard way that any type of service, especially to the poor, is only sustainable through God's grace. It's my natural inclination to try "do" charity on my own, which is guaranteed to end in frustration and burnout. Realizing that I am only the instrument through which God works requires constant reminders, but is the only way for me to persevere in service. A brief article on this is here relm.ag/x3720b

Thanks for sharing these stories Ellen. I know tha...

2012-03-08T18:02:11.000-05:00

Thanks for sharing these stories Ellen. I know that God is using your experiences to impact hundreds of other people from our community. You are laying the foundation for an aspect of our partnership that God will use to literally change people's lives. And it's personal connections like the ones you shared that can keep the fire going in us for quite some time.

Ellen, these individual, deep connections are the ...

2012-03-07T15:02:25.152-05:00

Ellen, these individual, deep connections are the core of the relationships with our partners. This is a great story of overcoming barriers to develop a strong, mostly unspoken bond. These complications can indeed be opportunities for a different kind of communication, as we saw here with Otolynn.

I agree Ellen. To be honest, it's in my nature...

2012-03-07T00:11:14.829-05:00

I agree Ellen. To be honest, it's in my nature to serve to earn something in return. What a shift to understand that God gives us grace as a free gift, and our only job is to receive it. Then, out of gratitude, to serve others. It seems so backwards! What an awesome God we have who pours out undeserved blessings upon us -- I can't wait to experience what it really means to know that "his grace is enough."

Steve - great points! Although there are many peo...

2012-03-06T15:07:38.623-05:00

Steve - great points! Although there are many people doing good things in the world, I think that doing good things in response to God's grace is what has lasting impact. Any good work is done through his power, not our own.

This is a fantastic testimony which speaks to the ...

2012-03-05T10:20:45.044-05:00

This is a fantastic testimony which speaks to the strong relationship we are forming with our partner in Haiti as well as the importance of the mission of presence Nativity is undertaking. Thanks for sharing your story, Chris - I am thrilled to see where this partnership will go.

Brian, this is exactly how I and the 2009 team fel...

2011-08-29T14:34:01.328-04:00

Brian, this is exactly how I and the 2009 team felt. We prayed for the partnership that is happening now between Nativity and Faith Alive. You are doing a great job. It is a blessing to read this blog and hear the stories and to know that Nativity missions is bearing much fruit for the Lord.

Teresa Pompa

The small group led by Jack Bovaird and Greg Garvi...

2010-12-27T21:42:03.509-05:00

The small group led by Jack Bovaird and Greg Garvin have been volunteering at The Baltimore Station for some time. The Baltimore Station is a residential recovery program for homeless men with addictions, primarily Veterans of the Armed Services. Volunteers are an important part of the therapeutic recovery process. Volunteers sit down on a regular basis and break bread with the men. This act confirms their dignity as a human being, raises their self esteem and assists them on the road to recovery and self sufficiency. In addition many young people come to the Station and interact with the men. It is a great learning experience for young people to hear first hand the men's stories. They quickly find out that the men have families, were once successful but made bad decisions that derailed their lives. We welcome partnerships that foster the growth of community. Michael Seipp

This is awesome Brian. I am so happy to see our mi...

2010-10-26T12:21:47.742-04:00

This is awesome Brian. I am so happy to see our missions program have these values-the first one about good works is especially good.

Teresa

I just found this blog. Good job Brian. I hope you...

2010-07-16T19:58:02.893-04:00

I just found this blog. Good job Brian. I hope you and Father are doing ok. I do not tweet! Remember that God is with you. Just lift up evrything---that is what I tried to do. It is not about being strong and courageous like some people think. It is about admitting our weakness and that we are nothing without him. TP

In the south (Tidewater, VA), we either called it ...

2010-06-24T22:56:36.820-04:00

In the south (Tidewater, VA), we either called it "Coke" (and then you answered the question "What kind?" -- "Sprite" or "Dr. Pepper"...) or we called it a "soft drink."

On a more relevant note, your insights are too good not to post more often, so I'm glad you are back in the saddle.

Other things you're good at: popping popcorn, ...

2010-01-20T23:06:11.551-05:00

Other things you're good at: popping popcorn, building fires, feeding Sunny two pieces of popcorn, putting lights on Christmas trees, sneaking onto the CRCC golf course, giving thoughtful presents, downloading iPhone apps, making fun of mom (and dad), drinking coffee, and being a good friend (just to name a few...).

Hooray!

2010-01-19T21:52:03.079-05:00

Hooray!

what about hitting volleys?

2010-01-19T21:02:19.365-05:00

what about hitting volleys?

Wise beyond your years.

2009-03-22T13:33:00.000-04:00

Wise beyond your years.

Maybe being a good Twitterer runs in the family :

2009-03-17T19:55:00.000-04:00

Maybe being a good Twitterer runs in the family :

I agree. I mean, it's not fun to rehash old detail...

2009-03-12T13:52:00.000-04:00

I agree. I mean, it's not fun to rehash old details of your life, because we like to think we have moved on from them, but it can honestly be the best way to confidently move ahead. Because then you'll have more understanding and appreciateion for where your life has led you, and what God has brought you through. Some may say it makes you aware. :)