ENGAGEMENT NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER2024
This is our first montly Engagement Department Newsletter! Continue reading to learn about our mercy and missions ministries, what we have been up to, and what is to come!
WELCOME
Thank you for taking the time to read our first monthly newsletter! In this month’s issue, we will overview the ministries available at Christ Central Church. We will highlight some of the ways our congregatition has shared God’s love, mercy, and justice with each other and the community over the past few months. And we will underline a few exciting upcoming events!
ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
At Christ Central Church we believe that one of the natural fruits of Christian discipleship is the desire and ability to share God’s love with our congregation and community.
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
As such, we empower our community to share this love for others through the creation and implementation of a Global Missions Board, the creation of in-house ministries, and the mercy functions of the diaconate.
Global Missions Local Mercy
GLOBAL MISSIONS BOARD
In alignment with scripture, Christ Central Church seeks to contribute to Christ’s command for the discipleship of all nations by supporting missionaries around the globe
Global Missions
Recent Christian scholarship has shown that sustainability of mission is multiplied when churches and missionaries invest in long term relationships that empower the partner region and foster lasting fellowship between church, missionaries, and local partners.
As such, Christ Central has identified its first partner region in Cape Town, South Africa. We support eight missionaries in Cape Town.
Christ Central supports twenty-five missionaries worldwide!
DEACON MERCY
The diaconate serves many roles in service of the church and the church body. Two of these roles fall into the category of engagement.
The first is the short term administration of mercy to our congregation and community.
The second is to overview and nurture our partnerships with local mercy, justice, and missions agencies
Local Mercy
Christ Central Church has four mercy ministries: Family Advocacy Ministry, Educational Partnership, Repair, and Circles of Support We are exploring Creation Care ministry this year.
Educational Partnership seeks to be a blessing to Durham by engaging educational inequity through direct relief efforts, congregational equipping, and partnership with other education organizations
Circles of Support is the long-term mercy branch of the diaconate It prioritzes a relational method of mercy that addresses current issues while empowering indivudals to address the roots of their crisis situation This ministry is flexible by design, as it seeks to help the congregation and community through fellowship, advocacy, information, and direct relief in a variety of crisis situations.
Repair provides direct assistance when called upon for repairs, restoration, construction service, and low-income housing aid.
The Family Advocacy Ministry (FAM) serves fostering and adoptive families at Christ Central Church. We pair each foster family with a Care Community of volunteers to rally around them with prayer and meals. We provide adoptive families with mentorship and scholarships to assist with agency fees FAM also raises awareness about the needs of vulnerable children in our community
The Creation Care Ministry empowers the food insecure to grow their own resources by planting gardens in their space and providing education and maintenance assistance as needed This ministry also seeks to contribute to food insecurity by planting gardens at congregation members' homes, managing a “church farm,” and donating the produce at harvest season
MISSIONS GALA
HIGHLIGHTS
Join us Sunday November 10 for our FIRST ANNUAL Missions Gala!
We are very excited for this new, impactful church event When you sign up for the Missions Gala, you are signing up for a great night of fine food, drinks, and desserts. You are signing up for great music by the legendary Al Strong. And you are signing up for an opportunity to learn about and financially support our Mercy and Missions ministries!
The Rev. Dr. Vuyani Sindo, who is one of our missionary partners, will be speaking on the Gospel Mission.
Each of our mercy and missions ministries will give testimony to the work God is doing through them! SIGN UP NOW!
Special Guest Speaker Rev. Dr. Vuyani Sindo. Head of Biblical Studies at George Whitfield College in Cape Town, South Africa.
Fine dining, drinks, and deserts at the beautiful Aria Center!
Music provided by the legendary Al Strong!
Missions Gala
Join us for our FIRST ANNUAL Missions Gala! This will be a night of food, fellowship, and fundraising for our mercy ministries and missions partners!
Sunday, November 10, 2024. From 4:00-7:00pm.
SignUpNow
Purchase your tickets today on our website! The evening is $25 per person Families are welcome! Childcare not available.
Sign Up before November 1 for two free raffle tickets!
Feature Story
This July, Circles of Support formed a support circle around an African refugee named Kimallah and her three girls Two years ago, Kimallah and family were exiled from their small tribe in the Central African Republic for their Christian faith. Their initial introduction to United States culture was assisted by one of our partner organizations, World Relief Durham. Kimallah and family were also being supported by friends they had made at the Durham Bruderhof Community.
Ultimately, the conclusion period of WRD’s time with the family coincided with the departure of the friends Kimallah had made at the Durham Bruderhof Community. The Durham Bruderhof Community thought of our Circles of Support program and approached us to ask if we would walk in fellowship with this family as they continue to face challenges of integration, interpretation, and adjustment. Circles of Support was excited to continue the work the Bruderhof Community had started by assisting with ride support to the grocery store, trips to the library, light tutoring, and family enrichment activities.
Unfortunately, just a few days into this new circle, Kimallah and family were evicted from their apartment. With no one else to turn to, Circles of Support reached out to our congregation to see if we had any leads on low-income housing that was immediately available
Glory to God, a home was offered to us by a congregant who owns low-income housing units. We formed a new partnership with this congregant’s organization in order to work together to house those that are in crisis or are in need of low-cost living arrangements.
Feature Story. October 2024. Circles of Support meets Kimallah.
In order to ensure that this home would be affordable for this family, Christ Central Church agreed that it would provide materials and labor to restore the home, which had sat unused for many years.
After two large efforts from Repair and Circles of Support, the home was made habitable. Repair has returned multiple times to continue working on the home. Repair will be making a few more trips this fall before the project comes to a conclusion.
We are excited to see the opportunities that arise to serve our neighborhood together as a church family Our youth even got their hands dirty painting the porch.
Ultimately, the conclusion period of WRD’s time with them coincided with the departure of the the Durham m Bruderhof s of Support kifwewould mily as they integration
In addition to Repair’s efforts, Creation Care has planted a garden at the family home in order to assist the family in meeting their produce needs.
The garden thrived over the summer. The garden produced over 27lbs of zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, greens, and other produce that the family has enjoyed.
Creation Care is currently seeding a new lawn to finish the front yard. They have also swapped out summer crops for fall growing foods!
The family will enjoy a harvest of garlic, carrots, and lettuce very soon.
CoS volunteers report that the family is frequently at work in their garden, and that they appreciate doing an activity that feels at home for them.
Ultimately, the conclusion period of WRD’s time with them coincided with the departure of th friends Kimallah had made at the Durham Bruderhof Community. The Durham Bruderh community thought of our Circles of Suppo program,a wou walk in fe s the continue t ratio interpretati
Circles of Support has continued to rally a support circle around this family. The family enjoys regular trips to the grocery store and the library. Volunteers have taken the girls to the Museum of Life and Science, as well as other enrichment opportunities.,
Most recently, Circles of Support assisted this family in transferring schools When the DPS bus system failed this fall, volunteers made sure that the girls still arrived at school to the best extent that they could.
Educational Partnership was a great resource in helping CoS stay informed about the current state of the DPS bus situation It seems that the bussing issue has resolved, and all three children are able to attend class regularly and independently.
Kimallah continues to work on her language barriers, but often needs multiple layers of translation. The specific dialect of Sara Kaba that the family speaks has been a challenge to find translators for. We are grateful for Ms. Zita and other members of the African refugee community who have assisted us with translation.
Ultimately, the conclusion period of WRD’s time with them coincided with the departure of the friends Kimallah had made at the Durham Bruderhof Community. The Durham Bruderhof community thought of our Circles of Support program,andapproachedustoaskifwewould walk in fellowship with this family as they continue to face challenges of integration, interpretation,andadjustment.
Kimallah’s three daughters speak English fairly well and are enjoying the process of going to school. They love to read and practice math and are always looking forward to their next library trip The girls love to spend time with small children and have developed relationships with many of our volunteers’ kids.
As the new Director of Engagement, it has been very encouraging to me to see so many corners of our congregation come together to assist with this family. All of our ministries have been involved to some extent. It is great to know that our church has such great capacity for God’s love, mercy, and justice.
We will continue to walk alongside Kimallah and her family as they continue their path towards feeling at home in Durham.
Global Missions Local Mercy
Thank
Upcoming Events:
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Missions Gala: November 10th, 4:00-7:00 pm.
CoS Learn: RPG Mercy Ministry: November 16th, 6:00-8:00 pm. Join us at CoS learn for an interactive, immersive workshop that demonstrates how Circles of Support Operates! Sign up now online.
