God Stories @ Central

5th@Central Fall Kickoff

2011-10-06T13:54:00.001-05:00

On Friday, September 30, 44 5th graders and some parent helpers gathered in the Ignite Room for the first 5th@Central event of this year. We had an amazing evening playing games, eating snacks, and having a devotional talk led by Mark Ebbers. Many kids brought friends.

One mom shared that their son brought a unchurched friend who their family has been praying for. They had asked before but had been told “No” previously and decided to ask one more time. And this time they said yes! The Central Wesleyan mom said, “We are so thankful for what Mark [Ebbers] shared at this event and for the church to be reaching out to young children at this important stage of their lives. We know that the seed has been planted in his life and we are praising God for the opportunity to bring him with us.”

We have events all year including a retreat and special Bible studies. Our goal is to help 5th graders grow spiritually and develop good friendships before they head off to Middle School.

Colleen Bajema
Elementary Coordinator

One-On-One

2011-09-20T08:56:00.002-05:00

All of our special needs kids participate in Kid Central with a One-On-One buddy to assist them in any way they need help. They also fully participate in worship and listening to the Bible lesson for the day as well as help their student with their Bible story related activities.
On September 11, our fall kick-off Sunday, I walked into C-Zone (3rd-5th graders) to check on a student and his One-On-One Buddy. In the front of the room Mark Ebbers, the worship leader/teacher, pointed to his right and said enthusiastically, “This way!” Everyone moved in that direction with their feet moving in heel-toe fashion. Then he told everyone to move back to his left. I wish you could have seen the pure joy on this student’s face as he moved from side to side with the music. He LOVES to worship with his whole body and looks forward to coming to church each week.
We also have a girl who has been participating in Celebration Station (3-4 yr. olds). She is older than the other students but fits in perfectly in this age group. She loves to sing and listen to the Bible story and absolutely has fallen in love with Jon and Ellisha Bornfleth who have been our faithful worship/teacher leaders in this room for many years.
This year, Jon and Ellisha are serving in Kingdom Clubhouse (5’s & K’s). When this student and her buddy went to Celebration Station, she didn’t see Jon and left the room looking for him. She asked everyone, “Where’s Jon?” Upon arriving at the door to Kingdom Clubhouse, she saw Jon, called out his name and handed her Bible to her buddy while opening the door. She immediately began clapping her hands to the music and began making her way to Jon. After a great big, beautiful greeting and hug from Jon, she joined the other children in walking in a circle and clapping with the worship song.
Praise the Lord for faithful worship leaders, teachers, small group leaders, and One-On-One buddies who make it possible for kids with special needs to feel welcome, loved, and shown the love of Jesus.

Debbie Heiser
Exceptional Events Coordinator

He calls us friends

2011-09-20T08:52:00.002-05:00

During the worship time in our class of 5 year olds on Sunday the kids were taught about how Jesus calls us friends...they had time to draw whatever came to their mind during that time. Then the kids were able to share their drawings with their friends. Five year old Malachi chose to share his picture and this is what he said: “The bigger person is God and the smaller person is me when I was playing basketball. I was going up for a dunk and all of a sudden I heard a voice. Right there I knew that the voice was Jesus and that he was talking to me."

Dawn Heneveld
Early Childhood Coordinator

A choice of the Heart

2011-09-14T08:37:00.003-05:00

Many years ago I responded to God in a church service. As I reflect on that time, I had no prior knowledge of God. I was a child in a church service and it was all new to me. We sang some songs I didn’t fully understand but when the teaching started, it was compelling. So as an unchurched 11 year old, I found myself responding to an altar call and I made a choice that changed my life. It is amazing that God speaks through the Word, or through a song, or through a person. Just a few weeks ago in a worship service, two of our elementary-age kids (a sister and brother) responded and desired to re-commit their lives to God. Coincidence, I don’t think so. They heard the Word and made a choice of the heart. As a pastor I am encouraged to know children are so open to God. Children can often lead the way and model openness, honesty, and a willingness to say yes.

Pastor Jay Hostetler

Reach Out!

2011-02-21T09:07:00.001-05:00

My husband and I were in Chris Hofland's outreach class. He is a very interesting, passionate sharer of the Word and his passion for outreach. He challenged us to find out about our neighbors—their needs and interests. We felt very convicted as we have lived in our house for about five years and really only knew two neighbors in all the ones around us. So we took up Chris's challenge and had a bonfire inviting our neighbors and our small group from church.

What a blessing it turned out to be. We not only got acquainted with all our neighbors who 100% showed up, but found that our neighbor across the street had a connection with two of the men in our small group! He had had some really rough times, but had recommitted his life to Christ, was looking for a church home for his family, and for a small group!

Because of Chris's influence, we not only were able to encourage this family, but they now attend Central again (he was saved there some years ago) and our small group grew so big, that we now have birthed a new group right in our community of Allendale. If Chris were not faithful in sharing what God has shown him, none of this would probably have happened. Thank you all for you commitment to excellence in God's work.

Kids Hope Winterfest at the Gazebo

2011-02-18T08:27:00.008-05:00

Saturday, February 12 proved to be a wonderfully fun and satisfying winter celebration. Beautiful weather, beautiful grounds and 180 wonderful people showed up at Central Wesleyan Church in Holland, Michigan, to sled, snowshoe, ride a hay wagon and the big hit…take a ride in a dog sled.

It was evident everywhere you looked that the crowd was having a great time as laughter and smiles could be heard and seen everywhere. Hot chocolate flowed; the bonfire was as warm as the friendships and camaraderie! Almost everyone went home with a stomach full of chili, hot dogs and cookies, as well as memories of the fun had with family. The many mentors who came to enjoy Michigan’s Winter Wonderland with the kids they mentor also made great memories that day.

Organized by Central Wesleyan Church Kids Hope USA program, Director Steve Whitney reported that his leadership team "outdid itself" this year. Steve said, "We almost doubled our attendance compared to last year, and it looks like we will definitely need to do this event again in 2012"

We wish to thank:

The Ottawa County Mentoring Collaborative for running the snowshoe course.
Norm Webber, Kim Gentry, Steven and Kari Dresseler and Terry Perysian for bringing and running the dog sled event.
Mike Bos and his small group from Central Wesleyan who prepared and served the food.
Janet Drooger, Jeremy Meyer and Paul Shultz for photographing the event.

Early Childhood Salvations

2011-02-15T09:32:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to celebrate this past Sunday in Early Childhood! The plan of Salvation was taught to our 3-year-olds through Kindergarteners. What an awesome morning!! 12 Children expressed that they had said the prayer to ask Jesus into their hearts with their leader that morning! Praise be to God!

Dawn Heneveld
Early Childhood Coordinator

Kids Hope Prayer

2011-01-12T16:10:00.007-05:00

What a precious time we had at Jefferson Saturday Morning as 21 folks gathered to pray for the staff, kids and mentors. It was a beautiful morning… freshly fallen snow clinging to dormant plant life, as well as coating the homes of our community. It made me think of how Jesus promises to wash us whiter than snow…WOW! We had hot coffee and donuts to fellowship over, and then the time of prayer. How rich.

We had signature sheets made up for many staff people. There were personal messages of encouragement and promise of continued prayer expressed on these sheets from those who prayed Saturday. We put them in their mail boxes at the school for Monday.

I’m including a few pictures…along with the following comments that were made.

“While I was praying, I felt like I was part of God’s army doing battle against the enemy!”

“I couldn’t help but remember the teachers that impacted my life growing up at this school. Praying they will continue to impact and touch kids in ways that they will never forget.”

“Seeing all the organization of the classrooms, and the personality of the teachers coming out in how they organize, decorate etc. made me realize how dedicated these individuals are. It is a calling, not a job for them!”

“I pictured an angelic bubble being placed over and around the school and also the Jefferson community. I think God is going to do some amazing things second semester.”

I stopped by the school this morning, and one teacher commented about the signed messages left for various teachers. She said, “What a great way to start a Monday morning, knowing not only that I was prayed for, but these messages simply made my day. They are so encouraging and uplifting. Thank you for thinking of this!”

-Steve Whitney
Kids Hope USA

Crossroads God Story

2010-12-13T10:06:00.001-05:00

In May 2009 I lost my job. Last Friday my car blew an engine, but today I am encouraged!

You see, I took a temporary position back in June, covering for a lady on maternity leave. I really liked the work, so when she came back in October and I was asked to continue as a temp, I said yes.

I'm praising God today as I was just offered a permanent position with this organization!

The past two years are not what I had planned for this time in my life, but I have trusted the one whose plans are greater. Keep pursuing Him!

May you know the peace that comes from Him this CHRISTmas!

Kathy Bentley

Salvations in Kid Central

2010-12-07T09:40:00.001-05:00

Recently two of the elementary teaching teams presented the salvation message. As a result, 19 first and second graders indicated they had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior for the first time!

What is even more amazing is that many of the 1st graders came to us and indicate they had already accepted Jesus. Both the Early Childhood and Elementary teachers and small group leaders are doing an amazing job of bringing children to Christ and continuing to disciple them.

Well done and thank you to all of our amazing volunteers for making a weekly and eternal difference!

Colleen Bajema
Elementary Coordinator

Laura's Story

2010-11-29T15:53:00.003-05:00

Boy meets Girl...they fall in love.

Boy and Girl meet Jesus. Funny thing...they were not even looking for Him. But Him was looking for them.

Boy and Girl become one, 8-8-98, in their garden, full moon, clear sky, best friends on the beach till sunrise. Honeymoon in Europe for 2 weeks. Laura's french lessons pay off big time!

Walk on beach together late summer 1998...agree to try to have kids.

Lord blesses Boy and Girl with 2 gorgeous daughters.

...but then...

Girl gets sick. Their world shattered. Massive surgeries, double dose chemo, horrible winter.

Girl gets well. Stays well for 5 years! Girl "cured"!

Boy and Girl design and build dream house together in 2008.

Girl gets sick again in summer 2009.

Worse in summer 2010.

Much worse in September 2010

"You are here".

We are all "here" in this moment.

Here can be super scary. Here would be a whole lot scarier if it were not for the 2nd line of this story (see above). Embedded in that line is our future...together...as a family. Not "hoping" for the best. "Planning" for it. Together we have studied, prayed, devoted ourselves (and our children) to that future. Are we "Perfect Little Christians" that always think, say and do the right things...uhhhhh...no. Sorry...those, like unicorns, don't really exist. But in between colossal, freshman fumbles, we do try our best to listen to and joyfully obey Jesus. Knowing Him gives us the hope we desperately need during this dark hour. It gives us purpose, peace and a vision for an eternal future. If you don't know Him...I would personally encourage you to check Him out. I'm sure grateful someone had the "courage to encourage" us to do so a dozen years ago. Cannot imagine being on a mountain, or in this Valley, without THAT guide.

On a lighter note...About The Picture: I included the goofy picture above not because its the most flattering...of either of us. But because of the spirit it represents. First...it was taken during our biggest family vacation ever. 2 weeks in Mexico this year for Spring Break. With the encouragement of some friends...we really "went for it" this year. Glad we did! Thanks friends...you know who you are.

Second it was taken by one of our daughters...thats cool too.

Lastly...and most importantly...the picture just makes me smile. Because our daughter caught us "playing" with each other. I reached behind this tree and my hand landed on Lauras shoulder like a tarantula. She jumped back, laughed and was pushing me away. We have a lot of "nice" pictures of us "as a couple" but I just love this one because we are playing...like kids...and thats how it all began...in the 1st line of this story.

And the story's not over. Laura has touched a lot of peoples lives. Probably yours. One recent poster captured it with the phrase "direct openness" when describing her first meeting with Laura. When I think back 16 years to when my eyes first met Laura's I think "beautiful humility". Whatever you call it...its uncommon, its good and we all love it...and her.

Lola Buikema

2010-11-08T14:27:00.001-05:00

Lola, is a one of our shut-ins and just lost her husband a couple months ago.

I have seen her on the following dates:
October 5th, 12th 19th
On those dates she was happy to see me and just enjoyed talking about the weather and the birds and flowers outside. It had been windy so she preferred not to go outside for our walk. She inquired each day about my family and enjoyed hearing about them. She had fallen and was very sore the 19th when I was there-but we went for our walk anyway. She speaks clearly and seems to understand all that I say. She states she has no family, children or otherwise. So we have just have fun with small talk and our walks and she loves showing me the birds every time. She does not recognize or remember me or the visits we have had. So I just say that I am visiting her today because I enjoy speaking with her and enjoy our walks.
Thanks for giving me her-she is a joy to visit!

Jeanne Jaeger

A God Story From Our Night of Baptism

2010-08-09T15:48:00.001-05:00

Larry and Lynn DeWitt clean up the papers in the worship center on Sunday mornings. They also ushered last night at pond.

Enjoy this email from them:

Sunday was a day full of blessings for us! The service was awesome and we felt the message for just for us. How we needed to hear it! We cleaned up after the 2nd service and on our way out of the sanctuary I noticed a lady sitting on a chair in the dark. I spoke to her and she said she was waiting for the baptism service. She was mentally challenged and had gotten a ride to the 1st service and was being driven home after the picnic by one of the volunteers. Therefore she was alone and sitting in the dark. We invited her to come spend the day with us. We went to Fennville and picked apples and peaches. We gave her a bag that she could put her own fruit in. She was so very happy!! She said she had never picked fruit before and was very pleased with her pickings. "Thank you Jesus for this day", she exclaimed! We were so blessed and so glad that the Lord put Mary in our path.

Thank you, God, for being in control. We find that nothing is really by chance but by God's plan.

We are so blessed! CWC has afforded us so many opportunities to grow.

Thank you for all you do!

Lynn DeWitt

Prayer Shawl Thanks

2010-07-12T08:57:00.002-05:00

Jeff and Jayne Berens have been part of Central Wesleyan's fellowship for several years. They have recently moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Now Jayne is in intensive care in a Denver hospital. A shawl made by Lila Meyer was sent to her.

Dear Prayer Shawl Ministry,
I received many gifts during my stay at the hospital, one of which was a prayer shawl. I cried when I opened the package because a woman I had never met knitted me this shawl. The stitches were woven with prayers just for ME! Thank you, thank you, thank you for knitting and sending me the prayer shawl. It was such a blessing to have that in the hospital and now at home. It was a good conversation starter with the nursing staff and a great tool to share Christ! I have the shawl on my rocker where I pray and read my Bible. I LOVE it! Thank you for thinking of me, and please let Lila know how much I appreciate this gift.

Thank you from Colorado Springs,
Jayne Berens

Give Yourself A Hand!

2010-06-02T17:33:00.002-05:00

Though Tulip Time was a ways back by now, we wanted to share this thank you we got from someone who was involved in a performance we hosted during the festival.

Please convey the Dutch Heritage Cast's appreciation for making CWC's chapel available for our show. Many of the cast are members of CWC and we are committed to maintaining the message of God's faithfulness as part of the Dutch Heritage. Again this year, audience member have approached us with tears in their eyes to tell us how God used our production to remind them of them of a faith long forgotten and how he unexpectedly touched them through the show. This is why we do what we do - we trust he will use our efforts for His glory. Thanks for opening the CWC doors to our group at Tulip Time and partnering with us.

Appreciatively,

Judy

We worship a good God, and we have the blessing of attending a church overflowing with people that desire to bless others. Let us continue to serve Holland and beyond!

Praise For A New Job!

2010-05-31T20:55:00.002-05:00

In this economy, it's an unfortunate fact that many of those at our church and in our community have recently found themselves out of work. While we hold on to the fact that God always provides, it's not always easy to remember that perfectly clearly.

Praise God I can report that one of our brothers, Andy Tabisz, recently found work at Amway. It's a six month contract job, following a period of unemployment that ran eighteen months.

Hallelujah for the ways our God provides!

Salvation!

2010-05-26T16:56:00.002-05:00

During snack time in our 1st grade classroom we have some lively conversations about our Bible lesson, pets, family, and school. One of our 1st graders was concerned about a pet, another was thankful for their newly adopted sister from Asia. The subject turned to being sorry for sin in our lives and asking Jesus into our hearts - not really sure which student brought it up. I then mentioned that my friend in Borculo had invited Jesus into his heart this year.

I asked the class if they knew what asking Jesus into their heart meant.

One of the girls gave a very, very sound answer. She mentioned that we are truly sorry for the bad stuff that we do in our lives. She told the class that she did this by praying to Jesus and that it also means that ALL her sins are forgiven, because of Jesus on the cross, and that it means you decide to follow Jesus as your God or King. Three or four other children also volunteered that they had accepted Jesus into their hearts. The whole class was focusing in on this and so I asked if there were any that would wanted to invite Jesus into their heart today. Two boys were especially eager and so I explained what it meant again.

The boys wanted to continue, so we knelt by the dry-erase board and prayed for forgiveness & salvation. For one of these boys it was the first time. His mother was very pleased to hear this when she picked him up. Another parent overheard and said it was a great thing, especially after hearing a message in the "Heaven & Hell" series.

Mark Bajema

Jamaica Update from Todd Johnson

2010-05-17T20:10:00.001-05:00

Yo mon, what gwoin?? We had an amazing week at the Jamaican Deaf Village. We couldn’t have asked for a better trip. We were blessed to have smooth travels and no major injuries for the week. We continued working on a building that will be used to house nearly 100 guests and available to be rented by people in the local community for receptions or parties. Our days started at 7:00am and we would work for about 8 hours a day in the hot and humid conditions. The team was amazing! They never complained or whined about the work and did whatever was asked of them. We mixed cement, built forms, tore forms down, poured cement, cut rebar, cut wire, helped the electrician, laid cinder block and many more things. The work was exhausting but incredibly rewarding.

Every day, each of us took a turn at the “prayer chair” for 30 minutes. We would write in a journal and it was beautiful to be able to read the prayers of the team members. The greatest God moment was being able to see the Body of Christ at work. The team, along with some of the men from the village, was encouraging, helpful, and teachable and loved on each other on that construction site. We shared so many laughs and tears last week. We were truly modeling the church of Acts.

We also had an opportunity to visit an Infirmary (equivalent to a nursing home) that has horrible living conditions. It was a very shocking experience for the team but they handled it so well. They just loved on the people there and didn’t let the rough conditions prevent them from doing it. Wednesday afternoon, we visited a local children’s home and were able to play games with them and love on them. Overall, it was a life changing week for the team.

It was awesome to be able to watch the young adults love each other and live life together for a week. They reached out to the deaf community and tried to communicate the best they could. We all picked up some sign language and were able to use a pad and pen to talk with them if needed. This was my second year there and I continually fall more in love with the people and the ministry of CCCD. It was very hard for me to leave my friends and the work but I know that the Lord will allow me to go back and keep the relationships growing. Thank you CWC for allowing me to serve there. I have been blessed to serve in several countries but my heart is in Jamaica. God is at work there through CCCD and it is a blessing and honor to be a part of it.

A Good Song for the Heart

2010-04-28T14:53:00.000-05:00

Sunday will mark the second message dealing with the sensitive subject of hell. I've been very pleased with the response I've gotten on this series, Of Heaven and Hell. It seems that the Lord has been pleased to stretch and challenge many regarding matters of eternity. This Sunday I'm doing a talk called, "Hell: For Real?" from the same passage in Luke that we dealt with last week. I believe that the Lord will be pleased to use this to draw people into relationship with Himself. My heart and mind go to the fourth stanza of the hymn that was written more than two centuries ago, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." Here's the stanza:

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

That's a good song. That's a good song for my heart.

Much love to you, Central Wesleyan. May this be an exceptional week followed by a blessed Sunday!

Pastor Paul

Hope 4 the Single Again

2010-04-28T14:35:00.000-05:00

Last night we finished the current H4SA series. We had 25 attendees this time. We experienced two life commitments, 12 who indicated they have repented from the sins that contributed to the breakdown of their marriage, and 7 who indicated they have forgiven someone they needed to forgive.

Here are some of the comments:

“I came devastated but I'm doing much better now.”

“This workshop gave insight and hope for my life.”

“I didn’t believe this healing was possible.”

“I liked the great teachers and learned something new every time. I love my shepherds.”

“I liked how Biblical principles are followed.”

“The instructors and coaches have experienced similar life challenges and can offer tips.”

“I came in very broken and emotionally fragile. I still have a lot of work to do, and may come back through this course to help me apply all aspects of what is taught.”

We rejoice in the Lord’s help given to these people!

Larry Johnson

Bedtime Snacks Project

2010-04-26T14:22:00.000-05:00

My PLUNGE project was putting together “Bedtime Snack Bags” for children who are at the Family Mission on Fairbanks. We had 16 people (including children) who helped put together 90 bags. After the bags were done we loaded them into volunteers' cars to deliver after we finished at Lakeside Vista, where we handed out carnations to residents who don’t have visitors very often. Several in our group had the opportunity to pray with some of the residents. I know God used us to bring some of His light into their day! The topic of conversation with my oldest granddaughter, Taylor (6), was “why did the man have a hole in his throat and why did he put his finger over the hole to talk?" Don’t you love children and their questions?

When we dropped off bags at the Family Mission, one of the staff members gave us a quick tour so that the children who helped put the bags together could get a better visual of what the mission looks like. The staff on duty Saturday asked that we be sure to thank the CWC staff and volunteers for caring so beautifully and practically for those in need in our community! Our intern Staci led the “Care Bags” project (bright colored bags, and tissue paper) that contained personal grooming items given to women when they come to the Center for Women in Transition. Staci and I delivered them today and they asked us to be sure to thank everyone at Central for caring and reaching out to those in need. We included individual written cards in each bag.

I ran errands on Saturday afternoon and ran into several people with their PLUNGE shirts on and several who stopped me because they saw my PLUNGE shirt on and wanted to say they served too! I love the shirts. What a great way to share with people who ask “what is the PLUNGE?” We came together and God blessed!

Linda Annett

The Plunge 2010

2010-04-26T14:00:00.000-05:00

Saturday was a great day of Plunging into the community! Thanks to all those who participated as well as those who put in time to make this a meaningful day. We deepened our relationship with Holland Public Schools by working at four schools, cleaned a truck stop parking lot (go Pastor Paul!), made some great connections with people by detailing cars, got a coat of paint on the Byrd’s house, and of course did a ton of spring yard clean-up.

Here’s a few ways God was at work Saturday:

"Our Plunge mission was to spring clean at a food pantry warehouse. We anticipated 10 - 12 volunteers. The night before the Plunge, our head count was four. Three adults and one teen. The project involved scrubbing floors, doors, disinfecting work surface areas, re-arranging shelves, outdoor work if time and weather permitted, etc..OK..LORD we thought. Perhaps four people are all you intended. But then the phone rang! Our son's friend had a proposition. He could add three more teens to our total if we could provide the ride. We gladly accepted. We adults were so impressed with the willingness, attitudes and helpfulness of our teen workers. Our labor was fun! Our teens even inquired about how could they serve at the pantry on a more frequent basis, not just once a year. WOW! God calls us to serve. We learned not to be discouraged by the number HE calls, but encouraged and blessed by the group that HE calls! :)"

"Chris, if I could have written a perfect scenario for this morning at Grace, I could not have written it any differently than God did for us. It was an incredible morning. The folks from CWC who showed up blessed the socks off our team. The team from Grace that showed up was incredibly humbled and thankful."

"Chris, kinda neat story this morning. Our maintenance man was in Menards Saturday afternoon after being here at the Plunge Saturday morning. He ran into three people who had their Plunge shirts on. He spoke with them for some time. Seeds have been planted. God is good!"

Please continue seeking ways to be involved in service and encourage others in your ministry area to do the same!

Chris Hofland

Bombali Bana Transformational Development: Seeing Lives Changed and Families Resourced

2010-04-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Tommy sat in front of his house watching his two grandchildren play with the other neighbor kids. Since his own three kids have left to find their own fortune, Tommy and his wife have been raising the grandchildren. With the deep recession and high unemployment they have not been able to find work, but their needs are being met through the contributions of others from the Wesleyan Church they attend. They will tell you that God is good and He has supplied all of their needs.

Though their story is not too dissimilar to many here in our area, Tommy and his family don't live in West Michigan. They live in the small village of Bombali Bana, Sierra Leone in West Africa.

In the fall we began a special three-year project, to help the people of Bombali Bana through World Hope International. Life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 34 years, and 28% of children die before the age of five. But 60% of all illness could be solved with things as simple as fresh drinking water and mosquito nets.

Our project will work with the village leadership and the church leaders in six areas: agriculture, education, community health, leadership mentoring, anti-trafficking and spiritual formation.

Most important of all we hope to change their worldview to one in which they can not only identify their own problems within their village, but also one in which they can come up with their own solutions, using their own resources. Then they will be able to solve future problems and live stronger lives knowing they are blessed by God.

Already the staff of World Hope has begun to work with the local people to construct three "drying floors" where the rice and seeds can be dried for storage. They have been contacted the state health department to bring a mobile health clinic to the village twice a month. They hope soon to construct a home for the Wesleyan pastor who now walks two hours just to get to the village.

You can make a difference for Tommy and his family and every family in Bombali Bana. Join us in praying for Bombali Bana, raising awareness of this project at Central Wesleyan and contributing to Faith Promise Giving to support this project and future short-term teams.

GREAT church on a morning that CHANGED EVERYTHING

2010-04-08T08:40:00.004-05:00

Easter Sunday was an outstanding day! I have received scores of comments about the power of the service and the thought and deliberation that went into it. You can read some of them below. I’ll say that the introduction video and moving into the “He’s Alive” number with the choir and orchestra rising up was such fun. The choir number with Micah was electric! I was so celebrating the resurrection! I loved having the choir seated before me as I preached. They created a great “Amen” section that I found personally motivating and encouraging. The baptism video left folks in tears. I loved having the actual baptisms interspersed with singing and cheering. Special thanks to the choir, orchestra, tech crew, kids and dancers, and everyone who was there for the duration of both services. What a gift you gave to our whole community! THANK YOU for serving the Lord. It was a GREAT day.

--Pastor Paul

We wanted to let you know what a tremendous blessing and challenge the Maundy Thursday service was to Jan and I. It was the best service of it's kind that I have ever attended. We found it tremendously moving with such a sense of the Lord's presence.

-- Bob Terpstra

As a devoted Catholic for 49 years, I have been to your Sunday service twice now as a visitor. My words can't express the positive connection myself and your entire congregational family had with the Risen Lord this Easter. Everyone responsible for such an impressive ceremony should be commended. Some may say that "its too much,” but I'll say, wow – I’ve rarely felt closer to God. Thank you so much. God bless the greeters, the singers, the musicians, the baptismal confirmers, the awesome AVer's, and Pastor Paul. You are all the best. Be humbly happy inside.

-- Dr. Keith Thomae

What a morning! That was GREAT church on a morning that CHANGED EVERYTHING! My family thanks the Lord for you more than you know.

-- Lynnelle Pierce

What a great Easter Service! Thank you for the Gospel message that you shared, we are so grateful for the chance to hear God's word. Praise the Lord! We are so thankful for you and all of the people at Central who made this a true celebration of His Glory.

-- Jan and Phil McDonald  

WOW!! I just want to say how awesome that service was! The music was so meaningful and the front of the sanctuary was gorgeous. It reminded me of just how beautiful heaven will be. The message was wonderful. We are always amazed at how fresh and exciting the messages are each week. We so much appreciate your ministry at Central!

-- Pam and Carl Sietsema

The team did a phenomenal job for Easter. That service hit all the senses, and if someone didn’t feel a connection to God, they were working hard at not having a response. The praise and worship was spectacular. In addition, I was particularly moved by the baptism video. The creator of that video is incredibly skilled. I was getting choked up describing it.

Great job! Great worship! Great church! Greater God!

-- Gerry DeGraaf

This was the best Easter Celebration I have ever experienced! The only thing missing was Roger and Cathy. I know they would have been so blessed to experience the passion, dedication and love that was poured into the preparation. The name of Jesus was lifted high!

-- Linda Annett

We've made the final decision to JOIN Central Wesleyan Church. All our hesitations have been erased.  We want to express deep gratitude to all who worked to make Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday such incredibly deep and moving ministries.  Our hearts were deeply touched, our minds and hearts instructed, and our souls strengthened to witness for HIM and to follow HIM more closely. Thank you to all. Craig said it was the best Easter week he ever had.

-- Sharon Ellison

Kids put together supply packs for Haiti

2010-03-12T12:53:00.000-05:00

Brent and I have felt that we needed to do something for the people of Haiti ever since the earthquake but hadn't felt that 'nudge' until Sunday when Mike McKay mentioned the supply packs for Haiti. We looked at each other and knew that was it. We already had a birthday party planned for our three kids that afternoon and decided that we wanted to offer the kids the chance to give a gift to others before they received their own presents for their birthday. I ran out to the dollar store and a couple other places to pick up the supplies for the kits. We had a total of eight kids who would be attending the party and decided we wanted each create a bag to send. I wasn't sure what I was going to pack them all in but thought I'd check at Walmart for backpacks at a reasonable price. It turned out they had put a number of them on clearance for $3, which was a blessing. On top of that, there were only three 'boy' backpacks left - the exact number of boys who would be at our party. It was more confirmation that we were supposed to do this. The kids had a blast packing the bags and the parents/grandparents/great-grandparents had a great time watching and helping. The kids were ages three up to 11. I just wanted to share that little 'God-story.' Thanks to CWC for making this opportunity possible.

Karen & Brent Vorac

Alpha Winter 2010

2010-03-11T09:04:00.000-05:00

We have been blessed with a very diverse group of about 25-30 seekers each week during Alpha this winter. Just the other night I looked around at all the people who were listening intently to Nicki Gumbel’s sermon and thought to myself with a warm smile, “Wow, now this is the church!” Everything about the Alpha experience screams the Body of Christ, and this session is no different. What is even more of a blessing is that many of those who went through Alpha in the fall have returned to be helpers this time around. They are doing a marvelous job! In my group, the sharing we do is so open. Some of our group members are even sharing their testimonies and wanting to know Christ deeper. Our retreat is this weekend and just about everyone who attends Alpha is going, which is amazing! I anticipate a large turnout and would love your prayers this Saturday for our day away. Bob Berghorst will give a message on the Holy Spirit which is sure to be insightful and compelling.

Another additional note: typically, when our small groups let out at the end of the evening, many of the leaders assemble to debrief. During last week’s “debriefing” some the guys from the mission were there waiting for their ride. This time of meeting was absolutely hysterical as we were all just joking around and making each other laugh. Watching this, one of the guys said, “Wow, I just didn’t realize that Christians could have so much fun!”

I continue to be amazed by how the Alpha program transforms people’s lives. I feel utterly blessed to be a part of it. Thank you for all your support and prayers.

Becky Steiner

God provides for the Breakfast with Baby ministry

2010-03-09T09:40:00.000-05:00

Here's a simple, cool story of how God has provided resources for Breakfast with Baby. One of the blessings we are able to share with BWB families is a piece of NEW clothing each month. Because the BWB budget is very tight we thought we wouldn't be able to purchase additional NEW winter clothing to finish out the cold season. In February we handed out our last new piece of clothing, and resolved to the fact that we would not be able to provide this in March. Well, that's when God stepped in. Teresa, our super shopper and baby store organizer, "just happened" to go to a local store on Monday morning. Low and behold she "stumbled" across $0.75 baby outfits. She was able to purchase what we needed for the rest of the winter for a fraction of what we would have normally spent. Thank you Lord, for your faithfulness to the BWB ministry.

Chris Hofland

After 15 Years, Kids Hope Continues Awesome Outreach

2010-03-09T09:09:00.002-05:00

Winterfest, the closing event of our celebration of 15 years of Kids Hope USA at Central, was a wonderful time of fellowship and fun. One hundred thirty Jefferson School kids, their families, and CWC mentors and their families "played together" in several snowy events. The biggest hits of the evening were the sled dog rides and the sledding hill. Kids and adults also participated in a snowshoe obstacle course and a hay ride around the ring road, provided by Teusinks Pony Farm. A bonfire and hot chocolate at the gazebo kept everyone warm and having fun. The evening ended with chili and hotdogs in the gym.

As the director of Kids Hope, the evening was particularly meaningful for me because we had invited the whole school to come, and probably 75 percent of the families who came were from Jefferson and not affiliated with our Kids Hope USA program. It was a great outreach, and now we're talking about making it a yearly event.

Steve Whitney
4theKids <><
Psalm 71:14-18

The church is "salt and light" through Adopt a Teacher

2010-03-09T08:53:00.002-05:00

Our 4th and 5th graders are learning to write a "seed" of a story rather than trying to tell about the whole watermelon. To really look at one small moment in time and write it into something meaningful. This little seed happened to me the day after my sister's funeral this past September.

I was rushing around the building, trying to put a classroom together, trying to figure our which students I was supposed to be serving, and generally not getting much done. Lunch break was just around the corner and I was looking forward to sitting down with colleagues for food and conversation. Just as the lunch bell was ringing, I was called to the office. As I headed that way a friend told me an elderly lady was waiting for me in the lobby. Either way - a parent in the office of an old person in the lobby - it was going to cut my lunch break short, and I just didn't need that right then. The office call was about the lady in the lobby. I politely introduced myself. She told me her name, where she was from, and that her small group had chosen me as the person they were going to love and pray for this school year. What? I tried to register what she was saying as students, parents, and staff buzzed all around us. She repeated it in the most kind and gentle tone, handing me a small wrapped gift. Our group is going to love you and pray for you. Do you have anything special you'd like us to pray about. Are you kidding!? My sister just died, my sons just got married, we're moving into a new church home, I'm starting the school year in chaos. Yes - please pray for me. Comfort and joy washed over me. Here was a stranger, in the lobby of a public school, holding my hand, sent on that day, to let me know in real flesh and blood that we are all held in God's loving arms always and ever. We held hands and prayed amidst the hustle and bustle. I floated to the lunchroom with a gift in my hand and my heart.

Every month I receive a gift from my small group of lovers and prayers at Central Wesleyan Church in Holland. They are thoughtful, usually homemade, touching reminders that there is a group of strangers out there praying for me each month.

Thank you, dear God, for sending this band of angels when I needed them most; for reminding me that we are all part of the body of Christ and need each other desperately. Thank you for the gifts that grace our lives revealing your glory and presence all around us. Amen.

Sandy Foster

LoveMercy Wesleyan Youth Convention

2010-02-26T11:24:00.002-05:00

On December 28, 2009, 57 high school students and leaders from Central Wesleyan traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for LoveMercy, the 2009 Area Wesleyan Youth Convention.

For three days they were impacted by powerful speakers and awesome musicians. Not only was it an incredible opportunity for students to grow in their relationship with God, but it was also a great way for them to develop a stronger bond with each other and with the amazing adult leaders who attended.

This year, LoveMercy took place in four different cities—all of them being focused around the theme of "LoveMercy," which is based on Micah 6:8: "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." The speakers taught the simple truth that God's Word challenges us to face the needs of our world by asking us to do three things: act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

By embracing Micah 6:8, Wesleyan students from across North America were challenged to settle the dust and the noise from the world and turn their focus toward the important—the eternal.

At the event, $45,000 was raised to help dig fresh water wells in Mozambique through the ministry of World Hope International. They will now be able to dig wells in ten villages that currently have no clean water.

Hundreds of students received Christ as their personal Savior for the first time, while many more re-dedicated their lives to Him. Hundreds of students answered the call into full-time Christian ministry. Over 5,000 students opened themselves to take a bold step for Jesus and live their faith out compassionately, seeing the dignity of every child of God, becoming compelled to respond and make a difference, even at a cost to self. It was amazing to see how God blessed the event and how our students' lives were changed for the better. Praise God!

Thanks for Noël

2010-02-23T09:43:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to say thanks, long after the event, for the Christmas concert featuring the orchestra, large, choir, and Wintely Phipps. I really appreciated the beauty and excellence with which the entire concert was performed, and it was an unexpected bright spot in my holiday. I attend Mars Hill where beauty is not a priority, and I did not realize how much I was missing it. I think it's pretty awesome to be able to get that many people together to pool talents, do it up big, and do it right - a fitting celebration for the commemoration of the birth of Christ.
Thanks again!

Carol Kuiper-Squires

Breakfast with Baby

2010-02-22T13:47:00.001-05:00

On the second Saturday of each month, 20+ Central Wesleyan volunteers gather at 9 a.m. to pray for the 65+ Breakfast with Baby families. Mothers from seven months pregnant to having children up to one year old come toting babies, car seats, diaper bags, children and family members. Each month families can expect the Gospel to be communicated, a hot breakfast served and baby items shared.

You may already know that at Breakfast with Baby each family receives a pack of diapers and wipes, so we need 65+ packs of diapers each month. We need volunteers to work in the kitchen, sit and talk with families and more.

However, you may not know that Breakfast with Baby volunteers have supported families in custody cases, are often present for the birth of children, help empower families to help themselves, have led BWB folks to Christ, have provided Christmas trees to families, and pick up BWB families for Sunday church.

Below is a letter a volunteer shared recently:
I truly enjoyed being present at the appreciation dinner tonight for Breakfast with Baby. I can feel God's presence and see it in this ministry, and definitely in the hearts of the volunteers and dream team of this ministry. Through the night the Spirit kept revealing to me how gracefully and lovingly BWB sets an example for the community of believers God calls us to embody. They are all so sensitive to the needs of the families and how to serve and develop relationships with them. They are the neighbors that we are called to be, knowing one another, being there in those times of need and wearing the hope that lies ahead for the families who enter the doors each month. I continue to envision the growth of this ministry and sense how impactful this group is and will grow to be, even more so in our community. And I believe in my heart that BWB is anointed in such huge ways by the Lord. It gives me goose bumps and teary eyes to envision what is ahead for this group.

This letter communicates that over the last 3 years, Breakfast with Baby has proven to be life-changing for both our families and volunteers. The people of Central Wesleyan show unconditional love to the families on a monthly basis. Thank you for providing an environment where the Breakfast with Baby families feel safe and accepted. The family who drives from Grand Rapids each month does not come just for diapers—but rather for the love they feel when they walk through our doors.

Please consider getting involved in Breakfast with Baby by volunteering on a Saturday morning or simply providing a pack of diapers each month.

Chris Hofland

Sunday Valentines

2010-02-22T13:14:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday something special was happening in one of our first grade classes. Lynda Wigger had a Valentine's Day party for her kids and wanted to personally buy and give them a “love” gift. She brought in a wrapped box and they opened it together. The kids were so excited as they opened the box and each received a new “kid-friendly” Bible with his or her name written in it. One little guy loved it because the “safari” Bible matches his room. It was an awesome party. We are blessed with super volunteers working with our kids.

Donna Hostetler

Bringing Transformational Development to Bombali Bana, Sierra Leone Update

2010-02-08T13:06:00.001-05:00

During World Impact in November, Pastor Paul announced that Central Wesleyan would be taking on a special project to help a village in Sierra Leone, West Africa. If you're wondering why we chose Sierra Leone, here are some of the reasons. The United Nations ranks Sierra Leone as the poorest country in the world, with 86% of the people out of work. Life expectancy has dropped to just 34 years, and 28% of their children die before the age of 5. However, 60% of all illness there could be solved with things as simple as fresh drinking water and mosquito nets.

We have chosen to work with the village of Bomabli Bana in northern Sierra Leone. The 700 inhabitants are farmers growing rice, cassava (also known as the yuca root) and peanuts. There is a Wesleyan Church in the village as well as a Catholic church and a Muslim mosque, with 15% of the people being animist (a traditional African religion).

Recently we had an assessment team visit Bombali Bana and meet with the leadership council of the village, the Wesleyan pastor and the staff of World Hope in Sierra Leone. Our project will work with the village leadership and the church leaders in six core strategies: Agriculture and Livelihood (seed distribution and animal multiplication), Education, Community Health, Capacity Building (leadership mentoring), Anti-Trafficking and Spiritual Formation.

Most importantly, we hope to change their worldview so they not only can identify their own problems with their village, but so they can also come up with their own solutions using their own resources. Then they will be able to solve future problems that come their way and live stronger lives knowing they are blessed by God. We hope that they will also be able to inspire other nearby villages to look for their own solutions to their issues.

Envision every family able to eat, earn money, be healthy, worship and not be exploited—so that they can experience all that God has for them on earth and in eternity. We want the people to understand that they are blessed to be a blessing.

Join us in praying for Bombali Bana, raising awareness of this project at Central Wesleyan and contributing to Faith Promise Giving to support this project and future short-term teams. Thank you.

George Beals
Global Ministries Pastor

One child—one hour—one church—one school at a time!

2010-02-01T14:29:00.000-05:00

A Kids Hope USA mentor shares his experience:
My student, Manny, cannot believe his luck. Someone wants to spend a whole hour completely focused on him! And get this—he does not have to go to his Spanish lesson.

In one hour, Manny:
• Made a new friend
• Got to be in charge and showed me around
• Chose to play Uno, a card game that he won so many times he purposely let me win a game
• Did some writing, even though he generally hates writing
• Got excited about some future activities, like kicking a football
• Talked about himself to someone who was interested, and
• Finally enlisted someone (me!) to help him to a clean-up project on the playground.

All this in one hour! Has an hour made a difference to Manny? Well, it certainly made a difference to me!

Please join us this February as Central Wesleyan celebrates our Kids Hope USA partnership with Jefferson School. Check out the displays. Grab a coffee with a Kids Hope USA volunteer and talk to them about their students. The mission of Central is to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ as we build redemptive bridges of influence to Holland and beyond. Kids Hope wants to accomplish this, one child, one hour, one church, one school at a time.

Thank you, Kids Hope mentors for living this mission, for listening to the voice of God and volunteering to touch the life of one child. Happy Anniversary!

Steve Whitney
Kids Hope Director

Thank you!

2010-02-01T14:26:00.002-05:00

Dear Central Wesleyan Family,

We want to express our appreciation for the overwhelming love and support we have felt this past week as we recover from our house fire. No collection of words will ever describe how thankful we are to be part of this church family. You have shown our children that church is not a building, but rather the people inside the building. Thank you for loving us so much!

The Hofland Family

Christmas Cards for Troops

2010-02-01T14:02:00.000-05:00

We want you to know that your Christmas cards this year made a difference! We received a note from one of our troops, Ed Richter, who is in Afghanistan. His unit had been moved around, and when they got to their last location, Christmas mail chased them down, and he received the Christmas cards from Central. He thanked the many families at Central for the blessing of all the cards (and a drawing from Trevor). All the troops are thankful to all at Central who sent them Christmas greetings, well wishes and prayers. Thank you again to everyone who participated in this wonderful ministry!

India Update 1/28/10

2010-01-29T08:26:00.000-05:00

I woke up early again, so since I can't sleep, I'm glad for a little time to connect with home.

God has been so gracious to us, and it is so clear that He hand picked this team to be a witness for Him. The team dynamics are so great, and each person is giving all they have and is shining so brightly for Christ! I could go on and on about how I see God working in and through each person, but for now, just a couple of quick snapshots...

Yesterday, Tyler (who is my roommate and talks in his sleep :) gave his testimony to a couple thousand students at Atkinson Catholic School, about how God used music to draw him closer. He was so articlate and genuine. Molly was also moved to share her heart about what the role as "greed" in the drama has meant to her. Her intended 90 second testimony turned into a full on salvation message! Preach it, girl! Marlys has made friends with a number of people at the crusades while the band is rehearsing and leading. Numerous women have asked her to bring their children home with her to the US, including a little girl with cerebral palsy who was literally dropped into Marlys's arms two nights ago as the momma walked away. This little girl clung to Marlys and worshipped God with her one working limb as the band led.

Last night at the crusade, a beautiful young girl in a bright red sari gave a Bible to Elyn, which was written in the Taligu language. Shortly after that, i was praying for a poor elderly woman, who, in addition to having significant pain in her head and teeth, was desperate for a Bible in Taligu. Imagine Elyn's delight to be the messenger of God's word to her! Steveo strikes up conversations with just about everyone, including our bus driver who is a Hindu and speakes very little English. Many people are drawn to him for prayer and he is very bold in his witness.

Darryl's contagious laugh (which fills every restaurant we go to) and his heart for Jesus has spilled out onto all of us, and he's a master at leading kid songs! Madisyn keeps us laughing too, and is beautifully owning her role as Eve in the drama. She also brings level headed insight as we are trying to figure out how to respond to the beggars that we encounter on the street. Ryan (also my roommate) is so fun to watch on the bass guitar, and was deeply humbled the other night as God used him to lay hands on the sick. Shari carries such an anointing for worship and prayer. Right in the middle of a worship set the other night, she spontaneously prayed over the crowd and the presence of God was so strong. In addition to playing the keys, Kathleen is a natural with the children's ministry and drama, and is always in lookout mode for the next divine appointment. We pick on her a lot which is great fun, probably because she dishes it out!

And me? Well... I think my biggest contribution to the team was sporting a pair of powder blue slacks the other day that I got at Good Will. Halfway through the day the "fashion police" got after me. It was "for my own good", they said. Darryl confessed that he wasn't man enough to wear such things, even in India, and that he was ok with that. :)

So far, we've led worship at the main crusade site three evenings in a row, and this morning we will perform at our third school. It's amazing how the kids respond and participate. They love doing the motions to the songs, which is quite a site with their dark skinned arms and their light colored palms. Shabach has been a big hit. :) During the drama two days ago, Marlys was observing one little boy who was visibly responding to each stage of the story line. He shook his head in frustration as adam and eve took the apple and then he cheered out loud when Jesus took the throne!

After we performed yesterday, hundreds came forward for autographs and prayer. It's a bit surreal. One minute, you feel like a rock star, and the next minute, you feel like Jesus might have felt, or one of the apostles, as the crowds pressed in on them for a touch of hope or healing. It's really, really humbling. Last night, as we were mingling through the crowd before we led worship, people were approaching me from all directions for prayer, for all kinds of ailments. Some would weep as I prayed, and I was overwhelned with how precious these people must be to God. As we pray, I believe that God is touching them in ways that we can't necessarily see with our eyes. But I told some members of the team last night that I long to see them healed, spiritually and physically. I believe that God longs to see them whole as well. Please pray that the compassion of Christ would be revealed in this way, and that many would come to know him as a result.

The sun is soon to come up here in Viyajawada, but the symphony of street sounds has played all night long, and will only get busier in the daylight, with a constant melody of engines and horns, beeping at different pitches and timbres. The traffic is fast and chaotic and a blast to be in the middle of! It reminds me of the scramble system in Phelps Cafeteria at Hope College, bobbing and weaving, pushing and shoving, with no lanes, no order, and yet somehow, everyone gets where they're going.

And the people... There are people... Everywhere.

India feels like a massive and endless sea of humanity, colorful and chaotic, painful and hopeful, dirty and broken, and yet so so beautiful. It's such a great reminder of how big God is, and how diverse and wild and magical the world is outside of our own little corner of the globe.

In addition to the needs of the people we are encountering, please continue to pray for the health and strength of our team, for adequate rest, for team unity and laughter, for protection from the evil one, and that God would anoint us to share the good news of Jesus Christ and the hope and healing we have in him.

It's now 5:30am and the Muslim call to prayer just started. Time to get and get ready for the day. God bless you all and THANK YOU for prayers and support.

More soon!

In His care,

Duwet Bell
(how I was introduced yesterday in the school. :)

God Sightings in 20s & 30s Crowd

2010-01-27T13:48:00.003-05:00

The Lord is doing great things in 20s & 30s Crowd right now. The amazing leadership team is hitting it out of the park with the Bible study, inviting people to things, and having community with each other. Bible study resumed three weeks ago after the Christmas break and we are averaging 45 people each time. One girl has been bringing the few singles from her church and they love it. Two of the guys, James and Ray, graduated from the Life Skills Program from the Holland Rescue Mission last night. A group of their friends from 20s & 30s Crowd was there to support and cheer for them...it was AWESOME! It has been humbling to be a part of a ministry where people are hungry for His word and for community with others in the same life stage. The Lord is doing great things and I pray that it continues to grow.

Todd Johnson

God is Faithful...Right?

2010-01-26T08:33:00.000-05:00

“He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it on the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6

A word from Pastor Paul about our faithful God in light of this world’s trials, pain, and suffering:

These are things I believe we can confidently embrace in times of pain, tragedy, and loss. Sometimes these principles are easier to share with some folks than with others depending upon what I'm able to discern regarding the other person's faith in the face of difficulties. Here goes:

* I believe that God does all things well. He makes no mistakes. He sees everything from the perspective of eternity. I would always choose what God chooses if I could see things as He does.

* I believe that all things really, really do work together for the good for all those who are called according to His purpose. For me, that's Bible. That's truth. And it really IS true or it is NOT. I put my trust in this as a promise from God. I may not understand what's happening. I may not like it nor, if it were up to me, have chosen for it to happen; but I believe this is true. And if I question this or fight against this, where else would I go? Does believing otherwise offer me greater comfort or hope?

* I believe God loves me. I believe God is committed to my best. Nothing can happen to me that isn't first filtered through my loving, sovereign Savior. I can trust Him to use every life experience for my wellbeing. I don't need to understand. I don't need to like what's happening. I do need to trust.

* I believe in heaven. I believe we are made for heaven and eternity and we hold the things of this world lightly in proportion to our confidence in and grip on eternity. The less sure we are of heaven and God's purposes, the more susceptible we are to clinging to the things of this world.

* I believe that God knows my frame. He understands that I am but dust. He understands my questions, my pain, my frailty, and my hurt. He even understands when I am angry at Him.

* If I really do believe these things are true, then the final choice I must make involves my attitude.

All of these are part of my reality. I embrace them all, even when at times they seem to contradict one another and must be held in tension. I seek to communicate this to others in ways that are appropriate. These matters, I believe, are best embraced in one's life before tragedy strikes. It's tough to form this framework in the midst of life's trials.

Pastor Paul

Sunday Service in Sierra Leone

2010-01-25T09:40:00.003-05:00

Sierra Leone Update 1/22/10 1:38p

2010-01-25T09:39:00.001-05:00

Hot & Hot & dusty.

Full reception by school children and then 2 groups of adults singing and shouting. We met with possibly 200 people for introductions and opening prayer both to Christ and then to Allah. Interesting. We later met for more than hour with about 30 village leaders made up of men and women. Went down to the (dirty) water hole. I shot about 65 minutes of video. I have seen new things.

I am worn out and its only 5 PM. We will do some debrifing and have dinner.

George

Sierra Leone Update 1/21/10 3:44p

2010-01-22T07:51:00.000-05:00

It was only a few miles but it took more than an hour to get across Freetown to World Hope office. After a late lunch and buying supplies we hit the road and arrived in Mekini after dark. Tommorrow we go into Bombalibana.

Hot, humid and tired

George

Sierra Leone Update 1/21/10 9:48a

2010-01-21T09:59:00.002-05:00

Arrived with no issues or problems. We are on the ferry crossing over to Freetown from the airport. There is a Muslim prayer time going on on the upper deck.

In Freetown we will buy supplies and then drive up country to the World Hope office in Mikini where will spend the night before going on to Bombalibana.

Very warm & humid.

More later

George

Bombali Bana Assessment Team Itinerary

2010-01-18T16:42:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow (Wednesday, January 19) we will send out our Assessment Team to Bombali Bana, Sierra Leone. The following itinerary is provided if you would like to lift the team up in prayer. The team consists of George Beals, Jeff Johnson, Jack Lynn and Steve Michmerhuizen.

Tues., Jan. 19

Depart Grand Rapids for London and then on to Sierra Leone

Wed., Jan. 20

Arrive in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Night at Lungi Airport Hotel

Thurs., Jan 21

Travel to Makeni, the headquarters of World Hope Int., Sierra Leone

Country orientation at WHI

Night at Makeni Hotel

Fri., Jan. 22

Visit Bombali Bana and capture images and stories

Mon., Jan. 25

Meet with WHI leadership to review

Travel Back to Freetown, Sierra Leone

Night at Freetown Hotel

Tues., Jan 26

Visit WHI office in Freetown

Sightseeing

Depart for USA via London

Wed., Jan 27

Arrive in Grand Rapids

Prayer for Kids Hope USA

2010-01-13T14:02:00.000-05:00

“What do a traffic jam, Jericho, and “one child, one hour” have in common?” I asked myself this morning as I woke an hour and a half ahead of my alarm. I tried to make sense of my jumbled thoughts by asking God why these three thoughts wouldn’t go away. I was prompted to write this to you.

There is so much going on in our lives these days. Our schedules are full, busy, and distracting. The demands of life just keep coming for you, me, and the staff and kids at Jefferson School. The mission of Kids Hope USA, “one child, one hour, one church, one school” is simple yet profound. One church, Central Wesleyan, adopts one school, Jefferson. One volunteer is matched with an at-risk child to tutor one hour a week, which turns out to be about 24 weeks during the school year. That is the equivalent of one 24-hour day. Simple right?

Now we bring in the the everyday issues that we all face in life. For adults this includes unemployment, financial anxiety, health issues, family relationships, job responsibilities, our spiritual health…the list jamming our lives goes on and on. The children we see at Jefferson also have stuff jamming their lives. Family relationships, peer relationships, self-esteem, and basic needs of food, shelter, clothing and safety. All these jam our lives, and slow down, sometimes even stop, our ability to smoothly navigate life. Do you see the traffic jam? Traffic jams create walls of anxiety, frustration, and even anger because we are being prevented from progressing to our destination. So what do we need to do?

As Joshua faced the walls of Jericho, the Lord told him “I have delivered Jericho into your hands” (Joshua 6:2). This has become the theme of our Circle of Prayer event at Jefferson this Saturday at 9:00 a.m. We are standing on the promise that God has given Jefferson to us. Joshua’s army had to march around the walls of Jericho seven times before they fell down. We don’t have to march around the walls of Jefferson. We get to go inside. God is already there…he has been and is and always will be. I want to draw your attention to the end of Joshua chapter 5. I hope you will take time to read verses 13 – 15. This is a critical prelude to the walls falling. We need to recognize that it is all about the Lord. You and I cannot accomplish anything apart from reverence to and for our great King. We must recognize the Holy Ground, and that it is His Presence that makes it Holy. Therefore, anything we do apart from getting our marching orders from the Lord becomes “aimless effort.”

So I am making a request of you because you have a vested interest. If you have read this far, I invite you to join us on Holy Ground at Jefferson School at 9 a.m. to pray. We need you. Your presence encourages others and in essence forms the army that God uses to win battles. Our Kids Hope USA volunteers need you. The children and the staff at Jefferson need you to pray over their relationships, their struggles, and the needs that have jammed their lives and threaten the progress of a smooth 2010. You know how big the issues are because they exist in your life also. I know you are busy, we all are. Will you please do whatever you can to spend this small amount of time redirecting traffic in your life, as well as in the lives we are involved in at Jefferson School? I believe God is calling you and I to pause on Holy Ground, so that we can get a fresh view of His deliverance at Jefferson as well as at Central Wesleyan Church in 2010.

I look forward to seeing you!
Steve Whitney

4theKids <><
Psalm 71:14-18

Bringing Transformational Development to Bombali Bana, Sierra Leone

2010-01-08T10:18:00.000-05:00

In November Pastor Paul announced that Central Wesleyan would be taking on a special project, to help a village in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Why Sierra Leone? The United Nations ranks Sierra Leone as the poorest country in the world, with 86% of the people out of work. Life expectancy has dropped to just 34 years, and 28% of their children die before the age of five. But 60% of all illness could be solved with things as simple as fresh drinking water and mosquito nets.

We have chosen to work with the village of Bombali Bana in northern Sierra Leone. The majority of the 1,000 inhabitants are of the Limbas tribe. The people are mostly farmers growing rice, cassava and peanuts. They raise goats and sheep and process palm oil. They are also involved in carpentry and blacksmithing, small scale businesses. There is a Wesleyan Church in the village that has an average attendance of 90 each week. The primary school is for grades one through six with about 430 students enrolled. About half of the people are Christians, 30% are Muslim and 15% practice traditional religion. There is a health center about four miles away, and the common diseases in Bombali Bana are malaria, diarrhea, malnutrition, scabies, and hypertension.

Our project will work with the leadership council of the village and the church leaders in six core strategies: Agriculture and Livelihood (seed distribution and animal multiplication), Education, Community Health, Capacity Building (leadership mentoring), Anti-trafficking, and Spiritual Formation.

Most important of all we hope to change their worldview to one that they can not only identify their own problems in their village but come up with their own ideas to solve their problems with their own resources. Then they will be able to solve future problems that come their way and live stronger lives knowing they are blessed by God. We hope that they will also be able to inspire other villages to look for their own solutions to their issues.

We Envision Every Family Able
To eat,
To earn,
To be healthy,
To learn,
To not be exploited,
To worship,

so that they can experience all that God has for them on earth and in eternity, that the people would understand that they are blessed to be a blessing.

Join us in praying for Bombali Bana, raising awareness of this project at Central Wesleyan, and raising the financial support needed for this project and future short-term teams.

Thanks for a wonderful evening

2009-12-21T11:03:00.000-05:00

Many thanks for the excellent evening at the NOEL program. We felt welcome and important when the doors were opened for us and the carolers were singing. What a reception! The ushers' warmth and expertise in seating the crowd, and simply the kindness of one and all deserves thanks. We want to let all involved, from the concert to the cookies, know that we will long remember this night. What a wonderful time, good music, and good message.

Harvey Alley

Christmas Plunge

2009-12-17T09:51:00.001-05:00

At the Christmas Plunge I had the privilege of taking several children to shop for their parents and make crafts, and taking the whole family to get a photo taken and to decorate cookies. Jose is a 5th grade boy who was very thoughtful about choosing a gift for his dad. He then decided to give his little mouse craft to his mother because she likes candy and it had a candy cane for a tail. He asked me when he should give his parents their gifts and I said that he could put them under the Christmas tree until the family opens gifts together. He said that he didn't have a tree. I sure messed that up. So we talked about how fun it would be for him to add his gifts to the ones his parents were shopping for and to think about all the secrets that were in them. I suggested that his family could walk through the neighborhood and enjoy lots more trees than he could ever fit in his house and he thought that was a great idea. We had such a great time together.

Although Jose and his family might not have a tree this year, because of the Christmas Plunge, each child in his family will have three gifts to open. Mom and dad have gifts given to them by a very sweet and loving son, too.

Chris, Linda and all the volunteers and those who made donations did an amazing job of serving and loving community families. I will not forget to pray for Jose and his family.

God is so good.

Debbie Heiser

The Christmas Store

2009-12-15T08:15:00.002-05:00

Saturday afternoon was our Christmas Plunge, The Christmas Store, at Jefferson School. I'm sitting at my keyboard and cannot seem to put the day into words. It was a REALLY SPECIAL day. Parents were able to provide Christmas for their families, kids made gifts for their parents, families were brought closer by their experience.

Here's what 97 families experienced:

Each parent or set of parents had a CWC volunteer assigned who spent time with them. The volunteer helped them shop for their kids, answered questions, asked questions, held gifts, and made them feel comfortable. We had a crew of CWC volunteers help wrap approximately 800 gifts! There were hugs, tears, and many thank you’s. One single mother shared how hard it has been for her kids since their father committed suicide four months ago. This was their opportunity for Christmas.

Each child also had a CWC volunteer assigned who helped them choose donated gifts to give to their parents. They also worked together to make crafts to give to the parents which were then wrapped for them. It was quite wonderful to see our folks sitting at tables with huge smiles making kids laugh!

Once each group was finished the family reunited in another location where they decorated cookies and made additional crafts. Here families were able to work together, sharing in laughter and just stopping to spend some time together. CWC volunteers also helped facilitate activities here. At one point a single mom got up and starting shooting a basketball by herself. You should have seen her kids’ faces! They joined her and had a ball!

As the families left, which for some was two hours later, they were able to choose a family portrait setting. There was a traditional setting, a Christmas scene with a tree and brick wall, and a manger scene. Each family will be sent an 8x10 print once our experienced photographers edit the photos.

This alone was a wonderful day, but what overwhelms me is the 140 plus CWC volunteers who served by standing in the cold directing traffic, singing carols in the entry, working registration, stocking the snack table, and making our guests feel loved. Also the close to 500 gifts donated by our generous congregation. And the close to 60 people who helped sort toys and then set up the store on Friday night and Saturday morning. It was wonderful to see Central folks talking and getting to know each other better, and meeting people for the first time as they served together.

On Saturday CWC conducted church at Jefferson School. Just a reminder the church isn't the building, it's the people.

Chris Hofland

Kids Hope Experience of the Birthday Party for Jesus

2009-12-14T16:20:00.003-05:00

I wanted to applaud Kid Central for the “Birthday Party for Jesus” held Monday Night. It was so well organized and meaningful for kids of all ages (1-92). I had the great privilege of connecting with several of our Jefferson Kids Hope students brought by their Kids Hope mentor, and some who came with their families (invited by their mentor).

Here is an email from one mentor who brought her child.
I just want to tell you that the Sunday night birthday Party for Jesus was a big hit for my daughter. I think this was the first time she put together the meaning of Christmas and who Jesus is in our life. She has had a very hard time with her parents, and now her father in jail. She was so down when I picked her up, but half way through the show she changed her attitude. She had a chance to just be a kid for a little while. I was amazed at the organization and great games and crafts that were supplied.

Thank you, Central Wesleyan, for presenting the love of Christ to the children and making a good time for Constance. It was all worth it.

Another mentor couple each brought their students and family. The mom couldn’t say enough about the help her daughter is receiving from our Kids Hope Mentors. The comment that she made that sticks in my mind was, ”Thank you for Kids Hope. It is such a great program. My daughter has changed for the good.”

Another mom (whose ex-husband died this past summer) came with her Kids Hope son and his brother. When they saw the mentor, their whole demeanor changed. Both boys hugged the mentor, and the mom greeted him and his wife warmly. In spite of the loss of his dad, this young man got an A and all Bs on his report card. This mentor has gone above and beyond making sure that this family is connected and doing well.

Alltogether I saw 10 Jefferson families, and five of these were Kids Hope families. Everyone had a great time. Thanks for putting this on and inviting the community. What an outreach!

Steve Whitney

Thank you Central Wesleyan!

2009-12-14T08:44:00.000-05:00

During this holiday season, the generosity of Central Wesleyan Church has blessed the community of Holland. Through your gifts of food we were able to deliver baskets containing various groceries and Thanksgiving food to over 60 area families. We shared diapers with the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center and at our very own Breakfast with Baby, which impacts 70 families each month. On Saturday, Dec. 12 your kind gifts gave 70+ families the opportunities to have gifts for Christmas in a way that also gave the parents the gift of restoring their dignity. Your gifts put smiles on faces—yet most importantly you were part of bonding families together. Your generosity is one thing, but the 350+ volunteers this holiday season was overwhelming. Thank you for your gift of time and for proving the church is not the building, but the people. Thank you!

Barnabas Ministries

2009-12-11T08:49:00.000-05:00

Last night, in the gym of CWC, a beautiful thing took place.

Two teams from the Barnabas basketball league played their first game of the season. Young men from VanRaalte Tech in Holland and the Hillcrest team from Hudsonville had an opportunity that would not otherwise be afforded to them: playing organized basketball in a League.

A bunch of fans, most from the Holland community, came and watched the game. I was blessed to observe one mother say many times “That’s my boy!”, realizing that without the partnership of Barnabas, the League, and Central Wesleyan, she would not have opportunity to watch her son play ball. This same mother was one of a few saying “amen” at the end of the pre-game prayer.

I have no doubt that most of the fans (at one point there were nearly 50 of them) have never been to Central. Most are not connected to any church. Yet all felt welcome on our campus, and enjoyed a great time of cheering for their favorite player.

Thank you for making CWC a place to truly build relationship with some beautiful people who often feel marginalized by our community.

Thank you for partnering with Barnabas and so many other ministries, strengthening ties, and opening doors for the church to reach out in our community.

Grateful for you,

LoriJo

Under His Wings Christmas Memorial

2009-12-09T09:35:00.000-05:00

This past Monday night "Under His Wings" leaders hosted a Christmas Memorial for our current support group, alumni, families and friends from seven years ago until now. It was a special time of remembrance of our children, and though there were many tears, we feel we can continue on through the Christmas season knowing they were remembered in this way.

We thank God for all the support we received to make this night possible: "Eternal Praise" sharing their voices, the tech people, decorators, Holly, Tim and Pastor Paul, all the people who made refreshments for the reception, and Michael for making a wonderful DVD of pictures of our children set to beautiful music. How can we possibly thank everyone for all of this? We just have to know it was all done for the love of Jesus.

Our speaker was Rev. Maury DeYoung whose son died in a car accident seven years ago. He shared his own remarkable story, did an awesome job of making us feel "normal" in our grief, and shared the hope that we have in the birth of our Savior. The evening ended with a reception where old friends reconnected and new acquaintances were made because of a bond like no other. We are so encouraged by you all and so honored to be to be able to lead this group with such a supportive staff and church.

Glory be to God for such a healing event!

In His Grace,
Marcia and Perry, Susan and Merle
"Under His Wings"

"THIS IS SO COOL!"

2009-12-09T08:15:00.000-05:00

The Kid Central Birthday Party for Jesus was the largest birthday party I have ever participated in. These are a few of my snapshots of the night: I was inspired as I watched families get their pictures taken in various spots and am hopeful it was a great memory they took home with them. Mark Thompson presented a meaningful message, and the presentation of the Christmas story by Jason, Meredith, and Matt was especially moving. I saw children smiling at all 15 game venues and laughing in the chapel. Every time I visited the craft venue, it was packed with children at tables making fun things. The nine-foot birthday cake was phenomenal, and not a single piece was left!

Thanks to the many volunteers whose positive attitude was strongly felt throughout the evening. Their smiling faces represented our love for Jesus. It was a night of meaningful ministry to our church families and many who came from outside Central Wesleyan. Over 1000 people celebrated Jesus with us!

--Jay Hostetler

My two grandchildren loved the Birthday Party for Jesus. In the Silent Night room with Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus we experienced peace and sensed that it was a very special place. Even Ashley (my two-year-old) watched in awe. We went to one of the game rooms next and when we left there, Taylor (five) asked if we could go back to the live manger. Ashley was so excited to go to Jesus’ birthday party and loved the huge cake in the gym. Taylor loves crafts so we spent quite a bit of time there. It was evident that those planning the evening thought about how children of all ages and learning styles could have a rich experience learning about Christmas. I am so grateful to all for allowing God to use them in powerful ways. As a grandmother, it means more than I can express that Ashley and Taylor experienced such a meaningful evening.

--Linda A.

My favorite part of the evening was when a 9-year-old boy came running full blast into the gym, literally skidding to a stop between the cake tables. He took a long look around and shouted “THIS IS SO COOL!” before getting his piece of cake. If there is anything kids should be excited about in December, it is celebrating Jesus!

--Lisa W.

Good Stuff

2009-12-08T09:56:00.000-05:00

We've seen some wonderful ministry here at Central in the past few days:

I have heard multiple stories of CWC women bringing others who don’t know Christ to Ladies Christmas Desserts. I’ve heard of positive exchanges, beautiful table settings, neat relationships begun, good organization, good communication…all good!

Holland Public Schools have used our facilities for Christmas events and have been met with exceptional service by our Facilities Crew and others. The place looks terrific and rings of Christmas. We’re seeking to prepare our lobby in such a way that as people come they’re able to pick up material about Central if they wish and, we believe, one more obstacle is removed from their someday coming to Central and hearing the Gospel.

Kevin’s message on Sunday was one of the best messages on outreach I’ve heard in a long time. I was so moved that I went home and invited two families to consider coming to the Christmas Party for Jesus that evening. In addition, I’m going to a place of business I frequent and am dropping off invitations to “Noel.”

The Christmas Party for Jesus was terrific! I was thrilled to see all the families with young children present, grandparents, and lots of folks I’ve never seen before. What a great, fun night! And in the midst of all the fun, laughter and humor was the presentation of the Christmas story.

And there’s so much more yet to come this month: the Christmas Plunge, Noel, the Christmas Eve service, the regional Wesleyan Youth Convention in Louisville (We have 50 high school and middle school students going from CWC, and they're expecting between 2500 and 3000 students total). Let’s pray that the Lord will abundantly bless these endeavors and draw people close to Himself.

Pastor Paul

Under His Wings

2009-11-30T09:03:00.000-05:00

The following is a note from an Under His Wings group member. We made and gave a small gift to everyone for the first Christmas without a child. The gift was a clear glass ornament with snow and a small white feather inside. On the outside was a tag with the verse 'He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge.'

"Thank you so much for the ornaments and prayer shawl. I really had to smile when I saw the feather in the ornament. I enjoy reading Christian fiction, and in the book I just finished, four different times when there was a glimmer of hope and happiness a small white feather appeared. I just finished the book Friday and received the ornament Sunday. I thought you would get a smile out of that as well. I looked twice when I saw the feather and knew that God would take care of me and sees me when I'm hurting so."

Praise God for using this small gift to help this grieving family.

Susan Ringewold

Blessing of Thanksgiving Baskets

2009-11-30T08:53:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday morning more than 30 kids and adults spent two hours unpacking and sorting the green bags we used to collect food and diapers -- over 700 bags total! The kids had an absolute ball and it was great to see. Most encouraging for me was one specific family who has been unemployed for some time and recently began to receive food stamp support. They were here showing their two young children what it means to serve, and couldn’t wait to tell me their ideas of how to teach families in similar situations how to “maximize” the food stamp support. They could be feeling sorry for themselves in their new life stage, but instead are looking at how they can help empower others in the same situation.

That night 48 individuals, families, and small groups gathered in the gym to pack Thanksgiving Baskets for close to 60 families in our community. In situations like that the very first thing I want to say is “thank you, thank you, thank you." As much as that is appropriate, I realized that’s not why they were there. Picture almost 50 groups scattered around Holland interacting with 60 families all at the same time. Pray for the conversations that may have occurred on the front steps or even in living rooms. Pray that the Lord will use those words to extend our care for them.

Chris Hofland

Community Thanksgiving Feast

2009-11-24T09:38:00.000-05:00

Following the second service on Sunday the people of CWC went from growing in their faith through worship to living out their faith through service to nearly 150 guests at our Thanksgiving feast. Judy Boyles and her kitchen crew prepared an incredible turkey meal with Judy’s famous homemade rolls and an overflow of desserts. Each family was able to leave with a container of leftovers. This has become a wonderful tradition. Perrigo Pharmaceuticals donated day/night cough syrup, allergy medications, ibuprofen, anti-itch cream, toothbrushes, and toothpaste for each family. A donated 19-inch flat screen TV also went to a single mother of 5!

About 110 CWC volunteers served by greeting, facilitating conversations as a table hosts, washing dishes, cutting desserts, and more. We have such wonderful people in our church family! Everyone served with smiles and offered firm handshakes and eye contact, making our guests feel welcome.

Sunday was a day we just said “hey neighbor, let’s share a meal together.” Yes, we shared opportunities to connect at CWC, but mostly it was an opportunity sit shoulder to shoulder and say “hi.”

It was a great day, a day the Lord had made.

Chris Hofland

Faith Promise Giving

2009-11-23T08:33:00.002-05:00

My Faith Promise for 2010 is 500 dollars. Let me share how cool God was in supplying the Faith Promise I made last year. In the fall of 2008, when the Faith Promise opportunity was presented, a dollar amount settled in my heart. I wanted to make sure it was God planting that amount and not an emotional response. So I had a conversation with God. I said, "Okay, God. You know I really want to do this if it is You. But I've got to know it's You and not just something in my head. So, I'm going to take a step of faith and pledge the 500 dollars, but for me to know, absolutely know, it came from You, I want the money to ‘come out of the blue.’" So, I made my 500 dollar Faith Promise. Just before the end of 2008, I received an e-mail from my bank's branch manager. He asked if I was interested in reducing my mortgage interest rate by 1.375 percent. I contacted the mortgage lender he recommended and was the very last person to be "locked in" to the low mortgage rate. The new, lower mortgage payment began in March. The difference between the old mortgage payment and the new mortgage payment was just the right amount to pay my Faith Promise by October -- when I would have another opportunity to trust God with a Faith Promise for 2010. Isn't that so cool! The money came “out of the blue." So, this year, when the Faith Promise amount was planted in my heart, I didn't have to wonder who put it there. So many times, I think God smiles at me and says, "I love ya, Bette." Just thought I'd share that.

Bette S.

H4SA

2009-11-20T11:14:00.001-05:00

This week we finished the 10-week Hope for the Single Again workshop. The Lord blessed us with one salvation decision, three recommitments to Christ, seven people who reported they had repented of sins that led to their marriage failures, and ten people who reported they had forgiven someone they needed to forgive.

Here are some interesting quotes from the attendees:

"I learned to turn things over to God."
"I am now ready to move on with my life."
"I’ve experienced spiritual and emotional growth."
"I have overcome bitterness and anger."
"I have gone from anger to peace."
"I came in shock, now I am sad but able to move on."
"I appreciated the leaders openness and humanity."
"The testimonies were powerful."
"I want to repeat the class."

We thank all of you for praying for this ministry!

Larry Johnson

A Day of Influence

2009-11-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

Saturday was quite a day. Central Wesleyan people spread love and the Good News to many!

Breakfast With Baby
Sixty families came to Breakfast with Baby this past weekend. Jan again gave a clear presentation of the gospel. We pray for the hearts that were touched by her words. One simple, yet powerful moment came when a woman approached one of our volunteers and asked if we had a Bible she could have. He looked around because he had just given out the last one earlier in the morning. He did however have a copy of the New Testament. She was a bit disappointed as she was hoping to have “the whole” Bible. Without hesitation, Maria, who was not part of the conversation, grabbed her personal Bible and handed it to the woman, saying please take this one. Wow. Simple yet powerful.

Second Saturday Serving
For Second Saturday Serving we began the morning by raking lawns. We had four-year-olds up to grandmothers helping out! Request Foods once again donated frozen meals for the community, so our team then knocked on every door of Harbor Village and Meadowlanes and offered frozen Turkeys and Gravy Bakes. We also invited each person to our Community Thanksgiving Feast this coming Sunday. Many people were in tears over being given a meal. One person said, “I never have things given to me.” We shared many thank yous, smiles, and hugs.

Alpha Getaway
Words really cannot describe the Alpha Getaway on Saturday. Thirty-three people spent the day talking about what it means to be a follower of Christ and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. For those of us who are walking, it was a much-needed reminder of who we are in Christ. For those who are still searching, God used the time to bring them closer to Him. Saturday night was a powerful time of prayer. There is a ton of pain and hurt in the lives of people in our church and community. Please pray for Rob and the internal conversations he’s having with God. He has grown so much. Rob is not very outgoing, yet he got up and prayed for each person as they shared their hurts in our prayer chair. He walks with a cane, and when it became too much for him to physically get up and down, he simply pulled up a chair in front our prayer chair and held out his cane for each person to hold as we prayed for him or her.

It was a great weekend.

Chris Hofland

Crossroads Good News

2009-11-13T09:38:00.000-05:00

I joined Crossroads at its beginning in 2007-8. However, at that time I was too stressed to fully participate. I lost my job in Holland and felt very emotionally drained. I had feelings of abandonment and disconnection that would not go away. I did attend a few classes but didn't feel strong enough to stay connected to the group. Little did I know God was in charge. The heavenly hounds of our Savior followed me as I moved to my second home 100 miles away.

While I was still unemployed I no longer felt unworthy and unqualified for employment. God provided for all my needs according to his riches and glory, just as he promised. I am so blessed!

After several months of no luck in job searching there I moved home to Lake County. I made friends, my name got around, and then when a job opened up the friends mentioned my name and spoke well of me. I am now in my fourth month on the new job! It hasn’t been easy, but every morning I thank God for the new day. At lunch I read a passage from the Bible and on the way home I sing to our Heavenly Father. Just in the past week I have struggled with a demeaning boss and a lazy coworker, but through all of this I have still had the most wonderful week at work. I am so grateful to our Heavenly Father. God has plans for each of us!

Sandra Kardux

Thanks Kid Central!

2009-11-13T08:56:00.000-05:00

For three-year-olds at Central Wesleyan, Sunday mornings are a ton of fun. After last week my son Malachi put on my work nametag, grabbed a pen (his microphone), and replayed Sunday's entire class. He called himself Shane's mom (the leader that week) and made us the kids. Malachi told us the story of Joshua with props (a pretend box), we sang songs, had a snack, and colored Joshua. Malachi loves coming to Kid Central on Sunday mornings and learning more about Jesus. We are thrilled that this is possible for him!

Amanda Kapenga

Surviving the Holidays

2009-11-13T08:36:00.005-05:00

For many who are grieving the death of a loved one, the dread of the holidays begins now. The thought of having an empty chair at the table, or putting up the Christmas tree in the absence of a loved one, can be too much to handle without some guidance and understanding.

On November 7, "Grieve Not Alone" and "Under His Wings" leadership, along with the help of "New Directions" staff, offered a one-evening seminar called "Surviving The Holidays" for about forty people suffering from many kinds of losses, whether child, spouse, parent or grandchild.

We started with an opening prayer and devotional and then watched the "Griefshare" DVD. The DVD offered spiritual guidance and practical advice from well-known Christian grief experts, counselors and authors. In groups we discussed what we learned and shared thoughts, hurts and practical ideas. It was a time to cry, a time to vent, and a time to realize we are not alone in our pain. Somehow there is comfort in knowing that. Most importantly we were encouraged to keep the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts throughout the season. Without the birth and death of Christ we wouldn’t see our loved ones again.

We also had a brief memorial service for our loved ones with a poem called "To Remember" and a song for remembering. I think I can safely say that everyone in that room was touched in a very special way.

Many of our guests lingered after the meeting to talk and share with each other more. Leaders had a chance to get better acquainted with some and to meet and invite new people to join our support groups in the future.

We believe that everyone went home with a little hope for the holidays. To God be the glory.

Marcia Newenhouse

The Power of Change – Day One

2009-11-09T14:53:00.000-05:00

We are only eleven hours into the Hunger Challenge and I am finding it…challenging. And the thing is, 50% of the world would find the variety of food available in my ‘challenge’ to be a smorgasboard of choices! Breakfast: oatmeal (made with clean water!) No blueberries. No sift of sugar. No splash of skim milk. Oatmeal. I am sorry to say I felt a bit grumpy at the thought of plain oatmeal. I thought it would taste blah. And I was right.

As I combed my kitchen cabinets to find the oats, the over abundance of choices available to me visually spilled in every direction. Olive oil (super-sized Sam’s Club variety); pudding & jello boxes in a rainbow of flavors (from a not so distant bout with flu); 3 kinds of dry cereal; spices galore; granola bars; sugar; flour; crackers, however many kinds of pasta; soups; mixes for this, that and the other; black beans, chili beans, navy beans. The list goes on. At the back of the top cabinet I found the oatmeal. I proceeded to make it with clear, clean tap water in my small pan on top of my smooth-top range that boils water in a New York minute. Then I ate it out of my lovely, white bisque bowl that had been sanitized to the enth degree in my high powered, oh-so- quiet GE dishwasher. I washed down my multi vitamin, calcium (with vitamin K) and potassium with tepid, clear tap water that hadn’t been filtered through my Brita pitcher. Ewww! Breakfast was over.

As I left the kitchen to head upstairs to finish getting ready for work, I flipped the kitchen light off and noticed the scattered change my husband had left on the desk from the day before. I scooped it up to place in the jar upstairs, wondering what this .87 cents would buy in an impoverished country. The sermon Ron Cline, Ambassador for HCJB World Radio, preached 11/08/09 stated the following convicting stats:

· .08 cents/day puts a radio in every home across Africa

· .18 cents/day puts a Bible in China every ten days

· .25 cents/day makes possible pure water in a village in Africa

· $1/day feeds and cares for an entire family of a martyred Christian in China

Once upstairs, the mound in the jar grew as the coins clinked against pocket change from days gone by. I hoped the change in my privileged heart was growing just as quickly. As I write this, it is time to head home for my lunch of rice and beans. As I go, I wonder how much change I might garner from the bottom of my purse today? Change makes change happen…in more ways than one.

-Anonymous

Reaching Out

2009-11-06T08:06:00.005-05:00

I was in the bank today and spoke with a woman in line. She told me that years ago she lived in an apartment on 40th Street. She was pregnant, down and out. Some people from a church stopped and talked to her. A few days later they brought her food. She was sad, depressed, and lonely. These people ministered to her in way she had never experienced. Her spirits were lifted and for the first time she truly began to know God and began her walk with Christ. She said she saw and experienced Christianity through these wonderful people at this church. I asked her what church these people were from and her answer only confirmed my belief that Central Wesleyan is a church that ministers to a community of believers and non-believers alike. Reaching out, as was done in this case, brought an entire family to know and love Christ. You are all awesome! I am so proud and humbled to worship with you. May God continue to bless you all as you continue to bless others in the church and the community. I thank God everyday for the opportunity to worship with you and grow in my walk with the Lord. From the depths of my heart, thank you!

Lynn DeWitt

High School Worship Team Retreat

2009-10-27T07:45:00.005-05:00

The elevation worship team is a team of about 40 diverse high schoolers all dedicated to one central goal: to strongly and effectively lead elevation in praising and worship God each week. The students love to do it because it gives them a chance to use their God-given talents to worship God. For me as their leader, it’s been great to see the variety of gifts and talents that the students have and the commitment they have to leading their youth group! I love to see their commitment to loving the Lord and serving Him through worship. This year, we went on a retreat to help the team get to know each other, talk about worship, and just have fun worshiping together. It was a really meaningful time. We prayed for one another and really encouraged unity as a team. The elevation worship team is a fun and dedicated team of very talented students who really have a desire to honor God with their time and talents!

--Kathleen Veenstra, elevation Worship Team Coordinator

This year, we went to Pine Trail Camp as a worship team. It was so fun doing the team building games and talking to people we don’t normally talk to. It felt like a big family get-together. We played capture the flag, ate dinner together and sang songs around the campfire with Dwight Beal leading us in song. I loved how as we sat around the campfire in the darkness, people kept thinking of more songs that we knew. We sat there for at least an hour praising God. We sang upbeat songs, slower songs, and some in between. I can’t wait to have another worship team retreat!

--Sarah Hooker, High School Junior

God's Rain Pouring Down in Hammond, LA

2009-10-26T07:37:00.005-05:00

I am not sure how I happened upon your church's website, but I watched the first RAIN message online and I know that the message was for me. I needed to hear it. I have been spiritually dry for quite some time now. Over the course of the last two years I have had many things happen in my life. I go pregnant and became a single mother. The father of my child wanted nothing to do with me and wanted me to have an abortion, which was never an option for me at all. My family and I are no longer talking. At times I get mad at God and feel hurt and deeply upset with him. I guess all of this happening could be for me to draw closer to Him, but there are times I feel the opposite has happened.

Hearing Pastor Paul's message was great. I am in need of personal revival in my own life. I don't have a church home here in Hammond, LA, but I have been following the RAIN messages online. I have had some negitive experiences with some of the churches here. I want a church where God is really there and He is leading! I am looking for people who are real Christians, who LOVE God, and are on fire for Him. There have been many times in the past two years that I have prayed to God and asked Him to bring me back to where I was when I first got saved. I was so in LOVE with God and I hungered to know more of Him, to read my Bible, to pray and go to church. I had a heart for the lost and would pray and cry for my family and friends who were not saved. I am not sure how I fell from that place. To all of you at Central, please pray for me and my son. We're going through a rough time, but I know that the battle is the Lord's and I am praying and trusting God to see me through this and come out with the victory!

Erica Thomas

A Jesus Film Message

2009-10-23T07:28:00.004-05:00

The Wesleyan Church of Ghana wishes to express its profound gratitude to Central Wesleyan for the generous donation of The Jesus Film and the equipment, and the Ghanaian team also wishes to express our heartfelt thanks to for your support both for the equipment and budget allocation to keep the team on the road. These gifts have gone a long way to fulfill our dream of evangelizing the Northern part of Ghana within a reasonable period of time.

The realization of the need to consider new life in Christ has dawned on our Muslim brothers and sisters in the North. Testimonies from converts after viewing the film abound and it is an encouraging sign that the Jesus Film is making an impact.

A man named Bugli and his wife gave their lives to Jesus following a recent showing. “Today marks my new life having seen this man Jesus dying for my sins,” Bugli said. A middle aged man named Karim Alhassan, having given himself to the Lord during the showing, invited the Jesus Film Team into his house to see his sick daughter who had been paralyzed for two weeks. As the Team prayed the mighty hand of God came upon her and she was healed.

With the showing of the Jesus Film in the Wa language, there have been over 15 converts per day, every day of the month. A Wesleyan missionary has reported that over 900 people have been added to the church since the Jesus Film was first shown in the north of Ghana.

The Team continues to face challenges in the area of transportation as we travel to remote villages, but we make the best out of the available resources. Please keep us in your prayers as we strive to share the Gospel.

Benton Harbor Mission Experience

2009-10-21T07:41:00.004-05:00

This past weekend a group of thirteen Central Wesleyan folks ranging in age from 12-73 had the opportunity to experience another culture through serving and outreach. We spent three days in Benton Harbor, MI. First we worked with a young couple to insulate their 90-year-old home so their heating bills would no longer top $600 a month. The couple intentionally relocated to this neighborhood to minister to the people there. They are using the six bedrooms as a safe haven for the homeless and for others looking to build community in the neighborhood. Other work included drywall, electrical, heating/cooling, painting, and loving this couple and the two foster children they are caring for in their home.

We also pulled out a grill in an empty lot and cooked hot dogs, seeing who God brought our way. Saturday afternoon the smell of hot dogs brought over 125 people to the neighborhood lot for hot dogs, chips, and water. What an experience it was interacting with a population of people many of our group don’t usually interact with. This is God’s world!

We were there serving the people of Overflow Church and their pastor Brian Bennett, and we had the privilege of worshiping with them on Sunday morning in their sanctuary, theatre two of the Celebration Cinema!

It was a wonderful three days of seeing God’s hand at work at in a different community. We saw our group’s gifts (drywall, heating/cooling, health inspection, loving kids) being utilized outside the four walls of our church. At one of our dinners a waitress was invited to church and one of our members prayed with a woman at the mall another night. This is God’s world!

As we huddled in groups with people from Overflow one of our group members prayed in between tears…“Thank you Lord for showing us that our mission field is just outside our door.” Thanks for praying for us while we were gone.

Thank You Lord, for using us to impact a community as well as showing us how the gifts you have given us can impact OUR community.

Chris Hofland

Answered Prayer

2009-10-16T08:25:00.002-05:00

This is an uplifting story of a woman who serves at Central. God is answering her prayers in amazing ways. After a divorce that caused great pain and separation, by God's grace her son is reaching out to her and she's started to reconnect with him. Keeping her identity anonymous, here are some of her thoughts on the wonderful work God is doing in her and her family's life:

"When this new series on RAIN began, Pastor Paul asked us to memorize the verses from Hosea and pray them over our family. We put the names of our family members into the verse in place of the pronouns and prayed it once for each member of the family."

"Admittedly I always had a hard time understanding the father's reaction in the story of the Prodigal Son, but it's much clearer now. God is so faithful and has taught me amazing things during this long, agonizing wait. I am so happy my heart could burst!"

Come, let us return to the Lord
Let us strive to know the Lord
He will come to us like Rain
- Hosea 6

"It's down-pouring baby!"

Let us praise God for His renewing rain, and the other "God Stories" and answered prayers occurring at Central and in our community!

They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love

2009-10-16T07:19:00.005-05:00

My wife Dawn and I started attending Central Wesleyan in September of 2009 and have been blessed with the time of worship and sharing from God’s Word.

Even though the buildings are big, we have felt personally greeted and welcomed. We enjoy meeting new people every week, having many warm and welcoming conversations, and we've been invited out for lunch and dinner more than we expected. I really missed this kind of fellowship and we look forward to growing spiritually stronger in our new community of believers.

I'm reminded of an old camp song with a title that captures the sentiment of our experience. The song is “They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love." It doesn’t take long before one experiences this love at CWC. This is where we want to be planted and be a part of the work that God is doing here.

Dale Day

Breakfast with Baby

2009-10-14T08:19:00.005-05:00

This past Saturday we had close to sixty families come to Breakfast with Baby. The families come to receive a wonderful breakfast, diapers, and clothing, but we believe families come month to month for the community they experience as well. Right now we have a number of teen mothers who are getting directly connected with our BWB volunteers. Families have a chance to submit prayer requests which are followed up by at least a phone call and many times a home visit. We have one family who drives from GR each month, and I’m willing to believe they spend about as much in gas to get here and back as they would for a pack of diapers. I’m also willing they come for more than the diapers.

Chris Hofland

"Quiet Up" to hear God speak

2009-10-09T08:18:00.003-05:00

One Wednesday night recently I had the privilege of working with our first grade boys at Kid Central. The video lesson that week used the words 'quiet up' and the words rose slowly from the bottom of the screen to the top while the teacher talked about getting quiet so that we can hear God's voice. Boys in grades ranging from 1st-5th grades were led in a lively discussion about what the noisy things are in their lives were like video games, television, playing outdoors, or with friends. We practiced being noisy and then said the words, 'quiet up' and became quiet to hear God's voice.

Later, I took my group of energetic boys to another room to play interactive games. After a half hour of running, jumping, and more running, we sat down to review the lesson. When asked to 'quiet up' the boys became very quiet. I asked them what that meant and they quickly told me that we need to get quiet so that we could hear God speaking to us. Each boy chose one activity that they could do less during the week in order to spend some quiet time with God.

Please join me in praying for these tender hearts to remember and obey this lesson and for our volunteers who serve every week. God is certainly reaching the hearts of our children through their faithfulness.

Debbie Heise

Food Distribution

2009-10-09T08:16:00.004-05:00

We have some wonderful people in our congregation! After worship the weekend of September 27, volunteers distributed over 2,000 frozen meals to folks in the congregation who used one meal for themselves and gave another away to someone in need.

I’ve heard two stories of folks in our congregation who were blessed immediately by this food because they were out of grocery money. The DeWitt family's generous donation of food gave Central Wesleyan folks the opportunity to meet needs in our community. We are so grateful for their willingness to give out of their resources to bless the community. The Draisma family, who own PVT Trucking, also helped with the food distribution by providing a semi-truck and drivers to pick up the food Friday, store it in a freezer truck, and deliver it to Central on Sunday. They even arranged to drive a pallet to CityLife Chruch in Grand Rapids for us!

Please say a quick prayer for those in our community who received the food with no strings attached. Pray for the seeds that may have been planted, the conversations the food prompted, and the hearts impacted.

Chris Hofland

Serving Holland Public Schools

2009-10-09T07:48:00.006-05:00

CWC people are awesome!

Recently I had the honor of accepting a certificate of appreciation from Holland Public Schools. CWC has made a significant impact on the students and staff of Holland Public Schools - so much of an impact, that rather than simply being sent the certificate through the mail, I was able to humbly accept it on behalf of our staff, church, and volunteers at the HPS monthly School Board Meeting. It was a pleasure to stand before them and THANK THEM for the opportunity to serve them and share WHY we do what we do, to tell them we care about them and understand how important a strong school system is to our community, to explain to them that SERVING is vital to our spiritual faith and to let them know we are here to be the church outside the church. One of the board members shared how much of a “blessing” we were to them and I jumped at the chance to describe how we are the ones blessed through blessing them. When I received the certificate, I asked them to imagine 80 people walking with me.

I was able to share a quick story with them of a high school student responding this past August to a need for help getting HPS buildings ready for the start of the year. She put a facebook event together to recruit other students to help. This is just one example of the importance of serving.
Thank you for doing what you do. Thank you for encouraging our folks to seek opportunities to serve. Thank you for providing opportunities for our folks to grow in ALL areas of our spiritual faith.
How we've been involved:
June: 55+ people responded to cleaning up flood damage.

August: 50+ people helped move boxes, desks, and cleaned in four buildings to get ready for open houses. One person responded to an immediate need for additional help. CWC folks generously donated 160+ backpacks and school supplies to four schools. The women and girls of a CWC small group sorted, counted, and delivered school supplies to the four schools.

September: Individuals, families, and small groups adopted a Jefferson teacher, gave a gift and committed to prayer and support throughout the year. Kids Hope provided a welcome gift to each teacher in the building. One person responded to a need of painting some bathroom stalls that had graffiti.

October and beyond: I can’t wait to see how God uses CWC!

Chris Hofland

Luncheon with Paul & Marilyn Hontz

2009-07-21T13:12:00.001-05:00

Traci and I wanted to thank CWC for organizing the luncheon that we had with Pastor Paul and Marilyn Hontz this past Saturday. We were impressed with the initial invitation to meet Pastor Paul after church, as well as the follow up that led to this luncheon. It was cool to spend time in a small group setting, and both of us came away even more impressed with the Hontz's and CWC. I wanted to say thank you for organizing this activity and to encourage Central to continue this event. Both Pastor Paul and Marilyn ade us feel special and the church has given us a very warm welcome!

Thank you for providing a great ministry!

Sincerely,
Robb & Traci VanderKamp

A visitor's Central Wesleyan Experience

2009-06-15T16:06:00.003-05:00

I just talked to a mom whose family started visiting Central in February. Look what happened:

They initially came for a concert, walked around and saw the children’s ministry artwork. They were impressed with Central's attention and priority to serving children. They have been visiting churches and not been impressed in this area. They attended services and observed their 4-year-old in Celebration Station and fell in love with that worship arena for him.

They introduced themselves to a couple who then introduced them to another couple coordinating Small Groups. That couple then took them to meet Pastor Paul and Marilyn who, of course, were very welcoming. They felt that CWC was so warm and friendly.

Since then, they've been invited to several outings and are excited about the opportunity to meet other Central folks.

The mom is volunteering at Crocodile Dock VBS ’09 and bringing her 4- and 2-year-olds. They also have a son who just graduated and a 16-year-old son who I’m sure is getting connected with our youth group.

Did I mention that they live all the way in Grandville?

Thanks Central Wesleyan, for being your welcoming selves!

Thank you to Central

2009-06-09T14:42:00.004-05:00

I have wanted to express my appreciation of Central for a while now, so here it is! My family is a "Central family" through and through :). We came to Central when I was only five years old and have been attending ever since. I was baptized at Central (in the old sanctuary hot tub!!) when I was in ninth grade, I participated in student mission trips, Small Groups and almost every Majesty of Christmas (I was a shepherd :). The ministries and worship at Central have been pivotal to the growth of my personal faith.It has not been until recently that I fully realized this and thought, "Now is the time that I need let Central know how much I appreciate the church as a whole, as well as the people, worship, ministries and countless other great things going on there!"

I recently returned from a semester studying off campus in Chicago (I am a senior at Hope). The program I was a part of pulls students from thirteen Mid-West colleges (Calvin, Hope, Dordt, Spring Arbor, Northwestern, Trinity, etc.) and brings them to Chicago for an internship and classes. Many of the students had similar stories to mine: growing up in a Christian family and attending church the majority of their lives. Often our conversations would turn to faith, church experiences, worship styles and related topics. It was during these discussions, as other students spoke of negative experiences of judgment by peers and church members, insincere worship and restricted schools of thought, that I fully realized how my experiences at Central were the opposite of anything negative.

I have never felt judged at Central nor that my life was being so closely scrutinized by others or the pastors. I realize how Central has encouraged me to think critically about issues, consider multiple perspectives and ultimately search after God's heart first and foremost. Attending several churches throughout the semester helped me realize how much I overlook at Central; even at the micro level, I appreciate how Central has several women leaders and pastors, incorporates prayer and the altar into the service, uses multiple avenues to approach worship and considers diversity and community highly important. As I reflect on my experiences at Central I recognize the opportunities that I have been blessed to be a part of, and think back on countless times when I have been brought into God's presence and been challenged to grow.

Even as I write this, I think that anyone who reads this at Central would not just accept the praise in a self-serving way (even though it is well deserved!) but rather direct the praise to God and express thanks for the way that God has used Central. I think this reflects the best thing about Central; it is a church full of passionate people who are seeking God's heart and living real lives giving God the glory.

So thank you. To Central Wesleyan as a whole for the ways that you are seeking God's heart and all you have done to help provide direction to Central.

Stephanie Dykema

Thank you!

2009-04-14T08:49:00.000-05:00

Central has indeed been a blessing to us! From the helpful greeters and friendly congregation to the fabulous music and the thought-provoking message, we are indeed blessed and challenged every week. God bless all who bring God's Word alive to us. We are grateful for the blessing you bring and look forward to worshiping at Central each week.

Lynn and Larry DeWitt

Confident Kids (H4SA)

2009-03-25T14:32:00.000-05:00

One of the fathers in Hope 4 the Single Again shared this story with me Tuesday. Last week on Thursday morning when a dad was helping his daughter get ready for school she said, "I can't wait 'til Tuesday, Dad, I just can't wait!" He thought she must have a special day at school on Tuesday, so he asked her what was happening next Tuesday. She said, "CONFIDENT KIDS, CONFIDENT KIDS, CONFIDENT KIDS! I can't wait!"

What a blessing to know that the Confident Kids program is really helping the children by making them feel wanted and loved while their parents are attending Hope 4 the Single Again classes. Thank you to all the Confident Kids helpers who show God's love to the children each week by their loving care.

Bette Johnson

Global Update-March 2009

2009-03-17T11:38:00.001-05:00

Since 1997 we have had missionaries from Central living in Central Asia among a Muslim group called the Karis People. At that time there were only 500 known Christians among this group. Within a few years we had 17 people from Central living there sharing their faith.

The Church among the Karis People is growing in numbers and maturing in faith. Praise God along with our missionaries and Karis believers for what they witnessed in 2008:
• 20 people accepted Christ
• Significant discipleship breakthroughs among Karis believers:
• 1 man started leading a house group
• 3 young ladies were baptized
• 1 woman took the step of sharing her faith with her family
• 1 young girl made the decision to surrender everything to Christ
• 1 young woman shared her faith for the first time, leading 2 girls to Christ and discipling them in their newfound faith
• At least 24 new relationships were started with nonbelievers for the purpose of sharing Christ
• Several new resources for discipleship are available in the local language

George Beals

Kid Central "Chapel Jam"

2009-03-17T10:00:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let you know after what Jay said about the Chapel Jam last Sunday:

My 5-year-old granddaughter, Taylor, talked non-stop about going into the BIG church on Sunday and learning a new song (this was her first experience). She kept saying over and over, "the BIG Church, we went into the BIG Church!!" It was obvious that this was a very special time for her, and I would imagine there were similar conversations going on about being in the BIG church. What a great idea to introduce our little ones to worship!

Please express this grandma's appreciation to your team of volunteers. Thanks for creating an environment where children can hardly wait to come! Central is so blessed to have such a meaningful children's ministry!

Blessings,

Linda

Kid Central Update, March 2009

2009-03-17T09:17:00.002-05:00

PJ Storynight
More than 120 children and parents packed into our Kingdom Clubhouse for a great night of worshipping and great stories. I want to express thanks to Debbie Heiser and Dawn Heneveld for their work on this event. Parents were enthusiastic as their children enjoyed puppets and stories presented by our early childhood volunteers. I was proud of our middle school students who assisted by making and serving warm cookies. Those cookies were really good!

Sunday Chapel Jam
As part of our strategy to introduce our young kids to the experience of large group worship, we have started "Chapel Jam." We combine 3, 4, and 5-year olds for worship in the Chapel. This past Sunday was our third experience. An amazing team of volunteers spent hours producing a 45 minute program. It was incredible. The presentation included video, drama, and music. The future of our church is in the experiences we are building with our youngest worshippers. I am so appreciative and proud of our early childhood volunteers and their commitment to excellence.

Jay Hostetler

Shadows in the Darkness

2009-03-10T08:28:00.002-05:00

I have really gained a great deal of spiritual guidance and healing in your past series, "Shadows in the Darkness." I truly believe this is a message that so many hurting people need to hear and fully understand how it can help them in their lives.

I am so blessed and inspired by your messages in this series, in the past year and the past 23 years. My life has not been what one often refers to as the American Dream. 20 years ago I walked through the hurt of a divorce and became a single mom. The views back then where quite different. I did heal a great deal through the initial divorce recovery groups.

Holding on to the belief that God would provide was my greatest support during those times. Those years can be quite challenging when you're a mother raising 2 boys on your own!

In one of the messages this past Fall, you spoke about faith. I truly feel grounded in my faith now. My life is much more stable, I have found how the Lord would have me serve others and my sons are now grown adults with great lives in which they demonstrate their faith.

I am so grateful for this "Shadows in the Darkness" series; I am bringing this series of messages and outreach to the attention of our Systems Change Committee at the Center for Women in Transition. Through this series of messages I truly do believe it reaches many victims and could empower them to become true survivors of the sins that were committed against them. I believe that this is a great change in the outreach to the community.

I felt that I needed to communicate my thanks to Central Wesleyan Church, so thank you!

Melanie Lewin

Listening to God

2009-03-09T12:13:00.001-05:00

My God story started way back when Kujo, my youth pastor, first asked me to give a message for the youth group. The very first word that came out of my mouth was, “What?! You want me to go first?!" Then he told me, “Yeah, just pray about it.”

So I started praying about it, and I asked God to give me a message if he wanted me to speak. But the whole time I was praying about it I still didn’t want to do it. I was just pretending to listen so I could tell Kujo no. So one night at youth group I was ready to tell Kujo no, but I couldn’t find him anywhere so I couldn’t tell him.

That night while I couldn’t fall asleep (stupid coffee) God totally revealed to me how I was not listening to him at all and gave me a message on listening—The very thing I was not doing! At first I was so excited that God actually gave me a message so I could speak. Then I remembered that I promised Him I would speak if He gave me a message, and I was terrified of getting up in front of my peers and speaking.

But as the day drew closer, God clearly gave me the words He wanted me to say and gave me peace whenever I asked for it. And when the time really did come for me to get up there and give the message God gave me, I was inexplicably calm and peaceful. I learned so much from this experience; it turned out to be one of the coolest things I have ever done!

Shauna Buhl

Hospital Visitation Ministry

2009-03-06T09:00:00.003-05:00

A woman stopped me in the Main Lobby a few weeks ago and said that her family had been blessed by the caring congregation at Central, even by some they don't even know! Through the Congregational Care updates, people found out about her son who was in the hospital. They called, sent cards and told the family they were praying for him, even though many didn't know the family. She said that her son felt that he was loved and cared for, and in turn, it blessed the whole family.

Healing Hearts Ministry

2009-03-06T08:58:00.001-05:00

There is a woman going through the Healing Hearts study online. What a transformation from hurting and hopeless to free and forgiven! She was so happy and thankful for Healing Hearts and how God used it to heal her past hurts and bring peace into her life. It also showed her how much God loves her and forgives her. Her life truly changed for the better because of how God spoke to her through this Bible study

Prayer Shawl Ministry

2009-03-06T08:57:00.001-05:00

Dear Ladies (of the Prayer Shawl Ministry),

Your shawl and prayers helped me through my surgery and kept me warm at night after I returned home. It also gave me strength during this journey to know that there are so many saints lifting us in prayer. Thank you and God bless you.

The Hildenbrands

Fresh Start Class

2009-03-06T08:49:00.003-05:00

The Lord has been doing so much in the lives of the new believers in our class this year. One young wife and mother in particular came in shy, scared and desperately needing help. She was facing some domestic abuse, lost her job and her home was being foreclosed. She has been very faithful in coming in Wednesday nights and Sundays. She says she has grown so much in her love for the Lord and learning to talk to God about her needs. She expressed to us that she does not know what she would have done without our support and prayers. She doesn't want the class to stop. The Lord has already answered many prayers on her behalf. She sheds tears often each week. The Lord blesses us to see what He has been doing in helping others.

Dick and Donna Perkins

H4SA God Stories

2009-03-03T14:47:00.003-05:00

In each of our last four H4SA workshops we have witnessed at least one salvation decision and several renewed commitments to God.

Our Life Connections (mostly singles) class has grown from 10 to an average of 30. It's great to see people who are struggling with the divorce issue sit around tables and discuss the Bible together. They become supporters of one another and learn from each others' stories. Each week they are challenged to trust God to heal their broken hearts. More than half of these are from other churches or no church at all. Some of them only attend the class until they feel good about joining some other class.

Recently we have included the element of praying for one another throughout the week. For some this is quite a challenge since they have been solely focused on their own situations. It's neat to hear them thank each other for the prayers of that week.

God is very visible, and we praise Him for His faithfulness.

Bette Johnson

Showing the Jesus film in Wa, Ghana

2009-03-01T14:55:00.000-05:00

Q.) What do evangelism, police detention, hippos, African bees and a five-hour drive on washboard gravel roads have in common?

A.) An almost complete African experience (we gladly missed out on snakes and health issues)!

Recently, Central sent a team to Ghana, West Africa to observe the showing of the Jesus film in a remote area, centered around an ancient trading town called Wa. The Jesus film is a powerful depiction of the Gospel of Luke, and it is being translated worldwide into local languages (often it’s the only media ever viewed in a particular language). Central sponsored a translation into the Wali language. Part of our sponsorship included the hiring of a local team to spend the next twelve months traveling and showing this film through the entire region. We were able to be present for the first showing of the film in two different localities.

We had the privilege of watching God’s Word, depicted on film, have an amazing impact on these people. Just as in Jesus’ day (and ever since) we observed a wide range of reactions; from indifference to total engagement. It was quite moving and powerful for all of us. We realized something as we watched the film alongside villagers and city dwellers: the daily life of rural Africa is quite similar to the rural life of the New Testament. We saw women at the well; we saw men washing the dust off their feet; we saw marketplaces and long, dusty roads; and we saw sheep and goats. We began to understand that the story of Jesus continues to be relevant in context with the daily life of much of the world. Sometimes in our Western culture we have a harder time with context because we feel so far removed from it.

We came away with deep gratitude to you, our church family and your love for people of this world. We were humbled and honored to represent you. Thank you for letting us go! Thank you for your generous support through Faith Promise giving, which makes a difference in this world every day.

(As for hippos and African bees: we saw a sign saying Hippo Sanctuary and expected to zip in and zip out (very American of us)! Instead, we embarked on a three-hour tour that included awful roads, leaky wooden canoes, a swarm of bees, a grounding and near capsize mid-river, and a 30-second glimpse of two hippo ears 500 yards away. The day before in Wa, a local official stopped our guide and said we needed a permit to take photos. Unfortunately, the police chief wasn’t sure what to do. He called Immigration, and after a few hours let us go. Thank the Lord!)

Mike McKay

2009-02-15T14:57:00.000-05:00

Just before Thanksgiving, CWC completed the fall 10-week session of Hope for the Single Again (H4SA). As we have experienced in the past, God really moved and worked in people’s hearts and brought about healing that only He can bring!

We welcomed people who are all in different stages of the grieving and healing process as a result of a long-term relationship break-up, marital separation or divorce. Most are a bit apprehensive and afraid to come to something like this where they feel vulnerable. However, God’s grace gives them the courage to come, and they are always glad they came. The ministry team works diligently to foster an environment that is safe and promotes healing of the heart.

Children are also very affected by divorce or break-up. As a support to them, we also sponsor a children’s ministry called Confident Kids. This program focuses on healing for children and teaches them that divorce is not their fault. The class is offered at the same time as H4SA and is for children between the ages of 6 and 12. Nursery for children 5 and under is also available.

We’d like to share with you feedback we received this fall from some of the
participants in the class:

I have moved well into forgiving my former spouse and feel a great sense of peace. I no longer feel constant upset and turmoil.

Thanks for ministering to a population that seems to be “forgotten or looked down upon” in many congregations.

Thank you so much for having a kids component along with this (class). My daughter so looked forward to coming every week.

What a wonderful ministry. There is so much pain and healing with this process. I wish there were more groups for people...

Praise God for His faithfulness!

Bette Johnson

God's Garden

2009-02-14T11:03:00.000-05:00

God looked around his garden

And found an empty Place

He then looked down upon the earth

And saw your tired face.

He put his arms around you

And lifted you to rest

God's garden must be beautiful

He always takes the best

He knew that you were suffering

He knew that you were in pain

He knew that you would never

Get well on Earth again.

He saw the road was getting rough

And the hills were hard to climb

So he closed your weary eyelids

And whispered, "Peace be thine."

It broke our hearts to lose you

But part of us went with you

The day God called you home!

Don Shields

Oil Change Day

2009-02-11T09:13:00.000-05:00

This is a story of CWC folks using an "event" to start a relationship and then sustain it.

In October, the Influence Department held an "Oil Change Day" where we offered free oil changes and light car repair. This event was initiated by a mechanic who attends Central. There was one woman who attended to have her car fixed. She was a single mother of 2, and she needed quite a bit more work done on her car that we were doing on that day. She did get an oil change and had some brake work done, but she needed much more. The mechanic didn't just send her on her way, but he set up some times to do additional work for her. During the next few months, he did various repairs on her car, bringing his sister with him. She and the young mother instantly hit it off and has helped to care for her children so she could have a break. The mechanic and his sister also helped the young mother with various baby supplies when she needed them. The mother has attended Central a few times, gone to Breakfast with Baby and has recently called asking how she can have her children baptized.

What started out as a free oil change... turned into a great relationship... and in turn has let a young mother know that she has friends down the road at Central.

Chris Hofland

Spiritual Growth

2009-02-10T16:02:00.000-05:00

My story is the growth I have seen in Moses Pena since I first met him 15 months ago. Moses is a baby Christian, and watching him mature in Christ has been a pleasure. He went to South Africa with the Young Adult team back in August, and seeing him love on people over there was awesome! Ever since we came back from that trip, he has been more vocal at the 20s & 30s Crowd Bible study. He is not only maturing as a man of God, but also as a leader among his peers. He is sharing his faith with his non-believer friends. It excites me to see how God is going to continue to use Moses for the betterment of the Kingdom.

Todd Johnson

Letters from Dad

2009-02-10T14:33:00.001-05:00

184 men attended the Letters from Dad kickoff on January 17.

124 men have registered to complete the journey (4 more sessions over the next few months). Some men paid for others' materials by paying extra for their own (anywhere from $68-$104).

At Encounter, a Wesleyan church plant in Belding, there are 6 to 8 men going through the Letters from Dad program. There has been an incredible response there as well! With God's help and favor, this will transform family relationships, marriages and bring reconciliation between fathers, kids, wife and parents...

God is on the move in men's hearts!

Dave Deur

Global Ministries 2008-2009

2009-02-10T11:44:00.000-05:00

Here are some Global statistics so far this church year:

412 people from Central served in some type of cross-cultural ministry. They served in 22 different countries.

We had four short-term ministry teams go out and serve outside Central (and there are more to come!)

We were able to support 55 missionaries, 42 from Central, through our Faith Promise giving.

Central took on the translation of the Jesus film in the Wali language and delivered the video and the projection equipment to Ghana. A team went to witness the first showing of the film, and it was amazing!

We provided scholarships or training for 135 people, from 11 countries, to be trained for ministry. Since January 2000, we can identify 1,169 people we have helped to train for the ministry who aren't from Central.

In this decade we have helped to start 73 churches in 14 different countries.

This year we have seen four people from Central enter full-time ministry. For the decade there have been 84 people.

Our project giving for Faith Promise Giving for Missions is $757,000, and 8.6% increase over last year's giving. We are on target to raise more in Faith Promise Giving in a church year that we have ever raised any previous year!

George Beals

From Anger to Answers (Counseling Center)

2009-02-09T14:32:00.000-05:00

Anger is a significant problem for many men in our society. They find themselves struggling with issues of control and insecurity both at home and in their careers and vocational pursuits. A successful businessman in our community chose to come to New Direction Counseling because he knew that our counseling would be driven by Scriptural principles. This man's family had become numb to his constant confessions of being wrong and attempts to change his angry behavior at home. Wounds from his childhood had followed him into his adult life and no counseling or spiritual confessions in the past had been sustainable.

Sitting in my office on that first day, he declared that he had little hope of changing his pattern of aggression, but he was losing his relationship with his kids and his wife. It has been 9 or 10 months now, and God has graciously given him victory in this area due to counseling and the diligent work he has done in learning and applying principles from the counseling sessions. Rather than further distance and tension at home, this father reports renewed interest in his children and an increased intimacy with his wife. His confession to a friend over coffee recently indicates that he appreciates the value of counseling here at CWC.

Tim Mills