The Concord Herald 2017-03-03 · The Concord Herald Volume 10 Issue 2 March, 2017 Annual Brunswick...

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The Concord Herald Volume 10 Issue 2 March, 2017 Concord United Methodist Church 70 Concord Church Rd., Roxboro, N C 27574 336.599.6262 www.concordumcroxboro.com Rev. Karl Neuschaefer, Senior Minister Curtis Hammock, Children and Youth Pastor Mrs. Rena Morton, Music Director Our Mission To worship, witness, follow, and serve Jesus Christ as Lord. Our Vision Christ in us; God’s glory manifested! March Ushers: Bayard Crumpton Kermit Mathis Darrell Poole Kyle Crumpton Greeters: Roland & Linda Heinrich Acolyte: Riley Carver April Ushers: Jeanie Neuschaefer Zeke Smith Pam Smith Chris Nowell Greeters: Jeanie Neuschaefer & Jan Holtsclaw Acolyte: Sam Barker The Pastor’s Corner As I mentioned during worship on the last Sunday of Epiphany, we are coming down off the mountain of transfiguration with Jesus and we are preparing for the long valley march to the cross during the Season of Lent. Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, is popularly known as a season for individual self- examination, penitence, and “giving something up” as a spiritual discipline. In this context, it could be viewed as focusing on the negative, but from the very beginning of this Lenten tradition, the focus had really been on an intense preparation and time of supporting people who’ve chosen to learn to live the way of Jesus and who were preparing for Baptism and making their profession of faith. Some referred to it as a kind of spiritual finishing school flooded with learning and gaining new religious experience in preparation for lifelong Christian discipleship. In my challenge at the conclusion of the service, I asked you to consider not only giving up that which blocks you from having a fuller and richer relationship with the risen Lord, but to also consider what you might add to your daily routine that would be life- giving and draw you ever closer to God. Intentionally instituting a new practice or spiritual discipline for 40 days will almost assuredly cause it to become a loving norm within your walk of faith. It might be easy to declare that your plate is already more than full, but therein lies the beauty of removing that which serves no purpose in the kingdom of God. We all expend time, money and other precious resources on endeavors which offer no eternal benefit. May we expend our energies on that which nourishes and sustains us and those around us. As Jesus spoke with the woman at the well, she found herself desiring the living water that Jesus spoke of and said, “Where can you get this living water?” (John 4:11b) Jesus promises, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14) May we always yearn for this water, but especially during these 40 days, may we seek after it with all our heart! See you in worship! Karl

Transcript of The Concord Herald 2017-03-03 · The Concord Herald Volume 10 Issue 2 March, 2017 Annual Brunswick...

Page 1: The Concord Herald 2017-03-03 · The Concord Herald Volume 10 Issue 2 March, 2017 Annual Brunswick Stew Saturday March 4th The annual Brunswick stew event is scheduled for Saturday,

The Concord Herald Volume 10 Issue 2 March, 2017

Concord United Methodist Church

70 Concord Church Rd., Roxboro, N C 27574

336.599.6262

www.concordumcroxboro.com Rev. Karl Neuschaefer, Senior Minister

Curtis Hammock, Children and Youth Pastor

Mrs. Rena Morton, Music Director

Our Mission

To worship, witness, follow, and serve

Jesus Christ as Lord.

Our Vision

Christ in us; God’s glory manifested!

March

Ushers: Bayard Crumpton

Kermit Mathis

Darrell Poole

Kyle Crumpton

Greeters: Roland & Linda Heinrich Acolyte: Riley Carver

April Ushers: Jeanie Neuschaefer

Zeke Smith

Pam Smith

Chris Nowell

Greeters: Jeanie Neuschaefer & Jan Holtsclaw

Acolyte: Sam Barker

The Pastor’s Corner

As I mentioned during worship

on the last Sunday of Epiphany, we are

coming down off the mountain of

transfiguration with Jesus and we are

preparing for the long valley march to the cross during the

Season of Lent. Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, is

popularly known as a season for individual self-

examination, penitence, and “giving something up” as a

spiritual discipline. In this context, it could be viewed as

focusing on the negative, but from the very beginning of

this Lenten tradition, the focus had really been on an

intense preparation and time of supporting people who’ve

chosen to learn to live the way of Jesus and who were

preparing for Baptism and making their profession of

faith. Some referred to it as a kind of spiritual finishing

school flooded with learning and gaining new religious

experience in preparation for lifelong Christian

discipleship. In my challenge at the conclusion of the

service, I asked you to consider not only giving up that

which blocks you from having a fuller and richer

relationship with the risen Lord, but to also consider what

you might add to your daily routine that would be life-

giving and draw you ever closer to God. Intentionally

instituting a new practice or spiritual discipline for 40

days will almost assuredly cause it to become a loving

norm within your walk of faith.

It might be easy to declare that your plate is

already more than full, but therein lies the beauty of

removing that which serves no purpose in the kingdom of

God. We all expend time, money and other precious

resources on endeavors which offer no eternal benefit.

May we expend our energies on that which nourishes and

sustains us and those around us.

As Jesus spoke with the woman at the well, she

found herself desiring the living water that Jesus spoke of

and said, “Where can you get this living water?” (John

4:11b) Jesus promises, “Whoever drinks the water I give

them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will

become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal

life.” (John 4:14) May we always yearn for this water, but

especially during these 40 days, may we seek after it with

all our heart!

See you in worship! Karl

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The Concord Herald Volume 10 Issue 2 March, 2017

Birthdays

March 1 – Tim Crews

2 – Barbara Ferguson

4 – Mary Jane Bowman

4 – Bobbie Holeman

5 – Mac Wagstaff

10 – Alex Leonard

10 – Maleah Leonard

11 - Josh Kirby

11 – Pat Morris

12 – Mike Mandle

14 – Hunter Vaughan

14 – Doug Bowman

14 – Riley Carver

16 – Jennie Wagstaff

16 – Lacy Winstead

18 – Joe Jackson

21 – Bentley Sharow

21 – Griffin Winn

24 – Angela Thompson

25 – Tucker Hammock

31 – Preston Barker

April

1 – Anne Grabbs

5 – Kelly Duncan

6 – David Bell

6 – Ronald Whitt

7 – Andelyn Briggs

7 – Della Raines

7 – Lindsey Nowell

7 – Leigh Ann Wrenn

8 – Brody Rolison

9 – Diane Wade

10 – Thomas Carver

15 – Lisa Elliott

15 – Don Legun

17 – Jennifer Currier

17 – Donald Teague

18 – Carrie Howard

18 – Andrea Sherow

19 – Sandy Hatch

20 – Dick Hatch

21 – Donald Wilson

22 – Marv Morris

25 – Richard Kinn

25 – Kyle Pool

25 – Janie Wagstaff

25 – Kay Wagstaff

26 – Tim Chandler

26 – Peyton Crews

26 – Hugh Whitt

28 – Laurie Rose

28 – Alexandra Winstead

29 – Hayden Howard

29 – Barbara Lawson

March Calendar 1 – Ash Wednesday Service at 7 p.m.

2 – United Methodist Men’s supper meeting at

6:30 p.m.

3 – Nurture and Membership Committee meeting at

11 a.m.

4 – Annual Stew Fundraiser 6 a.m. - Noon

5 – Youth Council meeting at 3:30 p.m.

7 – PUMP Meeting at Lea’s Chapel UMC at 7 p.m.

9-12 – Men’s Emmaus Walk at Camp Agape

10-12 – Crosswave comes to Concord

11 – Woodcutting event at the Christian Help Center

from 8 a.m. to noon

12 – Daylight Saving Time

13 – United Methodist Women’s meeting (light meal)

6:30 p.m.

17 – Saint Patrick’s Day

20 – Stephen Ministry Continuing Ed. and

Supervision meeting at 7 p.m.

22 – Concord serves lunch at the Christian Help

Center

22 – Witness Committee Meeting at 7 p.m.

26 – Scout Recognition Sunday

27 – Concord Church Council meeting at 7 p.m.

Worship on Sunday’s at 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Children’s choir practice each Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Yahweh Yoga each Mon. and Thurs. at 9:30 a.m.,

Tues. at 7:00 p.m. and Wed. at 4:30 p.m.

Emmaus Reunion Group meeting each Wed. at 6p.m.

Choir practice each Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Youth Fellowship each Sunday from 5 - 6:30 p.m.

Annual Yard Sale; May 20th

Concord’s annual yard sale is scheduled for

Saturday, May 20th. Save your items for the sale. If

you have no space to store items, especially large

items, pick up can be arranged. Call Bob Zippay at

336-234-8315. All donations are appreciated.

Proceeds benefit community projects.

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The Concord Herald Volume 10 Issue 2 March, 2017

Prayer Shawl

Ministry The prayer shawl

knitters will meet

Monday, March 6th at

7:00 p.m. in the parlor.

If you have any

questions, please

contact Ernie Carver.

Sanctuary

Renovations

To Start For some time now

the church has been considering doing some renovation

work in our sanctuary. The planning has been

underway for several years and the proceeds from two

of our previous Ham Supper Fundraisers have been set

aside to help pay for the project. The Trustees have

been meeting and acquiring quotes for the work and

materials and are ready to proceed. It is always difficult

to determine the proper timing for work on the

sanctuary since there are significant events in the life of

the church where the sanctuary is most needed, such as

special worship services, weddings, etc. Based on the

current calendar, renovations are to begin the Monday

following Mother’s Day, May 15. The renovation will

include a new ceiling, new carpet, some slight

modifications to the chancel area to provide easier

access, installing ceramic tiles in the two primary

entranceways, painting, some lighting changes and

refurbishing of the main entrance doors. We are

thankful to have this project scheduled and rejoice that

it is now set to begin. The project is scheduled for six

to eight weeks duration and during this time period all

worship services will take place in the Fellowship Hall.

Anniversaries

March 15 – Ronald & Bess

Whitt

19 – Kenzie & Andrea

Sherow

30 – Marvin & Pat Morris

April 6 – Cameron & Jackie Murray

11 – Cecil & Renee Barker

13 – Robbie & Susie Britt

26 – Rodney & Melanie Crumpton

30 – Darrel & Amy Poole

Flowers For the Altar March

5 – Curtis & Dori Hammock

12 – Zeke & Pam Smith

19 – Mike & Barbara Lawson

26 – Bayard & Janice

Crumpton

April 2 – Darrell & Amy Poole

9 – Jim & Susan Rhodes (Palms)

16 – Thomas & Elizabeth Carver (Easter Lilies)

23 – Sandy Treacy

30 – John & Janie Wagstaff

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Our Known Immediate Prayer Concerns

Ethel Aiken

Judy Baker and daughters

Charlene and Donica

Cindy Blanks

Sandy Boone and her son Griffin

Brenda Callahan

Donnie Carver

Bo Carver

Ernie Carver

Sarah Clinard

Colt Cowell

Joe Daniel

Joni Dawson’s parents

Roger and Susan Gardner

Christopher Gattis

Sally Glei

Brian Hager

Keith Hall

Sandy and Dick Hatch

Jan Holtsclaw

Faye Howard

Debbie Kelly

Ann Lawrence

Jerry Lawson

Don Legun

Andrea Malpass

John Mason

Linda Masten

Ruth Ann Oliver

Elizabeth Pierson

Cotton Powell

Pam Smith’s mother, Lillian

Hilda Stegall

June Taylor

Angela Thompson & her mother

Linda Tingen

Beth Toney

Sandy Treacy

Jennifer Villeda

Chad Wagstaff

Jennie Wagstaff

Evelyn Mangum White

Donald and Becky Wilson

Becky Wilson’s mother

Kay Winstead and her grandson James

Mary Winstead

Prayers for those serving in Our Military Troie Barker, Zachary Bell, Daylon Brann, Donovan Heist,

Marv Morris, Erik Peterson, Jason Sabat, Eddie Schemper,

Donald C. Teague, and Kyle Treacy. NOTE: The globed candle to the left of the chancel area in the sanctuary is lit in honor of all those who serve; police, firefighters, and

our military, a tradition which began on 9/11/01. We also proudly recognize those in active service who are affiliated with Concord UMC.

May we continue to uphold them with our prayers and our love.

In case you miss church and would like to hear Pastor Karl’s sermon, our website now has a link you may use.

Please log on to www.concordumcroxboro.com and check out all the wonderful, powerful information concerning

Concord Church. Thanks to Keith Hall and Ken Walker for managing this site. You can even view the newsletter

from previous months.

Please contact [email protected] to contribute to the newsletter or to be added to the

distribution list.

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The Concord Herald Volume 10 Issue 2 March, 2017

Annual Brunswick Stew

Saturday March 4th The annual Brunswick stew event is scheduled for Saturday,

March 4 from 7 a.m. - noon. All are encouraged to

participate. There is an opportunity for all to serve.

Ingredients need to be prepared beforehand and brought to

church on the morning of the 12th. (Please see the

ingredients board at the back of the fellowship hall.) Some

are needed to arrive early and prepare the stew. Others are

needed to arrive around the 9 or 10 o’clock hour to start spooning quarts. If you wish to purchase stew,

you must pre-order with Susan Rhodes. Contact her at [email protected] or you may call or text at

504-5938. All checks should be made payable to Concord United Methodist Church, with “Stew” in the

memo line. Not only is this an essential fund raiser, it is a blessed time of fellowship. Monies raised from

this event are put to good benefit in the community. If you have questions, please contact Bayard

Crumpton at [email protected].

My Life Matters Annual Banquet

March 14th Our church is invited to attend the My Life Matters

celebration at Westwood Baptist Church on Tuesday,

March 14th at 6:30 p.m. What was previously known as Youth for Christ has now changed to My Life

Matters and each year they celebrate the accomplishments of this ministry. It will be a time to worship, to

reflect on the ministry accomplishments, to hear testimonies, and to offer support. For additional

information please see George Evans or Dudley Dawson.

Plenty of Opportunities to Serve All men are invited to join us for our next monthly meeting. It is

scheduled for Thursday, March 2nd at 6:30 p.m. We will meet in the

church fellowship hall.

Also, keep in mind that Annual Concord Stew is Saturday, March 4th.

We will need many hands on this day to help with setup, stirring pots, organizing ingredients, and clean-

up. We will be getting started by 6:00 a.m.

Lastly, Saturday, March 11th is the date for the next large wood cutting event. This will be held at the

Christian Help Center. With Lyman Johnson’s leadership the truck load count for this year is already up to

272! Thank you Lyman!

We also want to send a huge Thank You to the 16 individuals from Person county that made the trip to

Rowland NC for the storm damage clean up on February 11th. Great Job Everyone!!

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JOY Club celebrated

Valentine’s Day in the

Traditional sense By: Joni Dawson

J.O.Y. (just older youth) fellowship enjoyed a late Valentine’s Day celebration complete with chocolate and hearts

on Friday, February 17th. Each participant brought Valentines to deliver to each of us allowing us to leave with a

bag full of love. It was not only fun but, brought back some sweet memories of our own childhood school days

sharing valentines with sweet friends.

Marcia Loudon gave a wonderful devotion on the importance of being in sync with our fellow brothers and sisters

and used the Tundra Swans as an example. The swans rely on each other to make their 4,000 mile semi-annual trip

from Alaska/Canada to North Carolina. The fact of them being able to fly 50 mph and 2 miles high is amazing in

itself, but, what is really incredible is that they purposefully position themselves in such a way to coordinate their

wing beats perfectly with each other to minimize energy. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 give us the same example of two

being better than one as we serve and love the Lord and together we can positively change our lives and the world

for Him. Thank you Marcia for the great reminder for all of us as we strive as one body and one focus to be light in

our world.

The joy continued as Joanne Jachimiak a regular J.O.Y. attendee from Westwood led all in a fun game of Valentine

trivia and Valentine word scramble with prizes being delivered to 4 winners. JOY lunch consisted of the best cooks

of Concord and area churches providing a banquet fit for royalty.

Continuing with the program, Marcia shared some of her team’s travel ideas some of which are as follows:

March 31 – Art in Bloom, NC Art Museum in Raleigh and lunch at Pam’s Farmhouse Restaurant. Cost is

$22 per person includes admission & transportation. Money is due in advance, by March 17th meeting.

May 12 – Tour Duke Gardens and enjoy lunch nearby. Cost of trip is $14, includes admission and

transportation. Please pay in advance by the April 21st meeting.

June 3 – VIR Vintage Race Cars celebrating race cars from the past. You will not want to miss this fun

day. Cost is $10 for early registration. Money is due the May 19th meeting.

Fri, June 30 – Red, White and Broad concert at the Prizery in South Boston. Dinner will be at the Four

Oaks before the concert. Tickets are to be purchased in advance. Cost is $14 plus dinner on your own.

Money is due by the May 19th meeting. We will leave Concord at 5:00 p.m. for 5:30 dinner reservations.

Plus lots more, late August Reidsville Revival with African AM Choirs from all over the country, great speakers and

lots of hand clapping and spirit raising times, fall trip to the Conservator Center for those who were not able to go

last time, this is a great trip and fun for all ages. If you are interested in any of these trips or would like to be a part

of the planning Marcia’s e-mail is [email protected]

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Sewing, Stuffing, Beading;

All to show Jesus’ love By: Karen Mathis

Great Food, Fun and Fellowship was had by all! Thirty

five ladies, guests and one little helper met Saturday

February 4th to sew, stuff, give eyes and noses to Salvation

Bears to travel with CrossWave to Peru once again.

Over 160 Salvation necklaces were made for the

bears and the recipients. Even though we had high

hopes, we still have bears with missing eyes, noses

and necklaces. Let’s meet again (all ladies,

daughters, mothers, etc. are welcome) Saturday

March 4th (Stew day) at 8:30 a.m. (or as soon as

you can get there). We will finish the bears, take a

group picture (hope all attendees can make it

again), love on them and ready them for their

journey to Peru. The group picture is to send with

each bear, with a Scripture verse and our Love!

The new friendships, food, fellowship and insight

by Ally Poole, was the highlight of our time

together! Listening closely during our short

business meeting, Ally (3) very appropriately said,

“If you have Jesus in your heart, you don’t have

to be afraid, because Jesus will take care of you.”

Jesus’ teachings in the Scriptures, with ministry to

women, youth and children, will be our focus now

as a Wesleyan Covenant Church women’s group.

Please come and join us as we strive to live out

Jesus’ teachings and not be conformed to the

world.

After completing the bears, please prepare to stay

for the Stew packaging around 10:30 a.m. Lots of

hands are needed to get the job done quickly. #BlessedtobesupportedbyawonderfulgroupofLadies

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Planning Session Scheduled: Are you prepared in the event of a

sudden illness or even death?

Our Stephen Ministry team invites the congregation and the community to a very

important planning seminar on Sunday, April 2nd following the 11 a.m. service. Lunch

will be provided.

Unfortunately, many times people put off end of life discussions and decision making until it’s

too late. Lisa Brown Cole, Director of Pastoral Services at Duke Regional Hospital, has witnessed the hardships

faced by family members facing critical last minute end of life decisions too often. Lisa, also an Ordained Elder in

the United Methodist Church, has made it a mission to help families plan in advance to prevent these immense

hardships. She will be coming to Concord to advise us in ways to

protect ourselves and our loved ones from this unnecessary agony.

She will inform us of important considerations and address

planning tools such as living wills, advanced directives and

healthcare power of attorneys. She will also provide copies of

these directives. Since she is a notary, one outcome of attending

this seminar will be the opportunity of completing one or more of

these directives.

This seminar is not just for our more mature members, but also for those who have teenagers. In a recent event a

mother found she had no ability to authorize medical treatment for her son who was 18. He had been in an accident

and was in a coma. The law recognized him as an adult and without authorization would not let the mother authorize

care even though her son was still on her insurance. With a little planning this could have been avoided. These are

difficult considerations, but well worth your time to plan ahead. Please make plans to come join us on April 2nd.

Trip to the HOLY LAND in 2018; Sign up info: The signup for the trip to the Holy Land that occurred during February was

conducted to determine if there was enough interest to move forward with

planning. We are excited to report that we had interest on the part of at least 20

individuals! We will be meeting in March to begin the detailed planning of the

trip. Again, the cost for an 11 day trip would be approximately $2,800 per person. This is

all inclusive with the exception of getting to our point of departure, which would most

likely be New York. Do not be alarmed if you did not sign up during February, there is

still plenty of time to be a part of this trip and we encourage your prayerful consideration.

The trip will likely take place in the January-February timeframe in 2018 so there is still

time to consider this life-transforming pilgrimage to the land where Jesus walked. Those

that traveled in 2015 will be glad to share their experience and let you know how moving

the trip was for them. If you are interested or want more information, contact pastor Karl

at 336-470-1690.

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Youth and Adult Leaders commit to rural

Appalachian mission By: Curtis Hammock

At the time of this newsletter, 23 folks from Concord have signed up to be a part

of our first Appalachian Service Project mission week on July 9th-15th. ASP

provides one of the most rewarding structured service opportunities in the nation, bringing thousands of volunteers

from around the country to rural Central Appalachia to repair homes for low-income families. For 48 years, ASP has

made homes warmer, safer and drier for families and provided transformational service experiences for volunteers.

Last year, 16,231 volunteers served with ASP, providing critical repairs for 493 families and constructing 26 new

homes. I'm proud that Concord folks are stepping up to be the church beyond the walls of the church and beyond the

comfort of our community.

Crosswave Ministries returns to Concord We are blessed once again to have Crosswave Ministries coming to

our church on Friday, March 10th through Sunday, March 12th. In

addition, our youth will be engaging with the activities of Crosswave and

our confirmands will be using that weekend for additional learning.

Crosswave is an outreach of Gateway Christian Fellowship in Raleigh

and seeks to equip, challenge, mobilize, and establish an emerging

generation of young people (ages 10-20) who are eager to respond to the

Great Commission and follow the Great Commandment! Crosswave is

able to minister the life-changing grace of God in many different settings. They will reside in our church throughout

the weekend and lead both of our worship services on Sunday. Please plan to attend and be intentional about inviting

others so that they too can receive this blessing. We are planning a covered dish luncheon following the 11 a.m.

service and all are invited.

The Walk To Emmaus Numerous members of our church have participated in

the Walk to Emmaus and have given testimony to its incredibly positive impact on their faith journey. And why

wouldn’t it when anytime we set ourselves apart to walk with God for 72 hours - how could it not?! It is a bit of a

misnomer since you don’t actually walk, but rather, you spend the structured time at a retreat center where all your

needs are met. The weekend is filled with singing, worshiping and exploring ones faith at a deeper level. There are

elements that make the weekend so special that those who have been are reluctant to share about them, which has

given some the impression that it is a secretive community, which is absolutely not true. They simply don’t want to

ruin any of the special blessings in store for those who have not yet experienced it. As Pastor Karl has said, there is

nothing he could do in a 72 hour period that would have such a tremendous impact on your faith journey more than

the Walk to Emmaus.

Please prayerfully consider allowing yourself this tremendous spiritual walk with God. The upcoming walks are as

follows:

Men’s Walks are scheduled for March 9-12, 2017 and Sept 21-24, 2017, and the Women’s Walks are scheduled for

May 4-7, 2017 and October 12-15, 2017. Applications are available in the back of the Sanctuary and Fellowship

hall. For more information speak to one of our members who have been on the walk, talk with pastor Karl, or simply

log on to the website: www.carolinaemmaus.org.

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Our ZOE Working Group Is A Reality!

We are officially partnered with the Budiriro (Translated–Prospering)

Working Group in Clare, Zimbabwe. This group started in October

2016 and will extend through October 2019. The Budiriro Working Group consists of 34 youth ranging in

age from 15 – 20 who represent the head of the household, with an additional 66 dependents, making a

total of 100 orphans that will be impacted by our support. Here is some additional information about the

ZOE program:

The ages of the orphaned and vulnerable children in the ZOE program range between infant and college

age. Many of the children in Zimbabwe’s program are living with an elderly grandparent or caregiver who

is disabled or otherwise unable to care for the children. It is often the case that such arrangements include

shelter only and the caregiver is unable to provide food, education, health care or other support which the

children need. Child rights are especially important in such situations so that the children are not abused.

Please note, children joining the ZOE program are living in extreme poverty situations. Often they have

no parents or birth documentation and have suffered multiple traumas in their young lives. Additional

orphans are frequently adopted by the group, and a small percentage of children will leave the group due to

family reunification or other reasons. ZOE strives to keep the list as up-to-date as possible. All the names

on this list are real children in need of our prayers.

Focus on: Faith

Often the isolation that the children feel when they begin the ZOE program extends to their thoughts about

God. Because they are abused and discriminated against by their community, (and often this includes

Christians in their village) they believe God has also abandoned or even cursed them. At other times they

believe that maybe God does not exist, or if God does exist that they are somehow beyond God’s love. In

the very first meeting, the staff often addresses the Lord’s Prayer with the children and talk about what it

means as an orphan to call God “Father.” They learn that they are not truly orphans because they have

their heavenly Father who loves them.

ZOE shares the gospel with these children, but this sharing goes beyond words to deeds. The children both

hear and see the very best of the Christian message, and often respond to this in inspirational ways. At

each meeting they begin with Scripture readings, prayer and devotions given by a group member. While

this is available to the children, they are never coerced into the Christian faith. ZOE’s program is

religiously non-restrictive, but offers a compelling view of the love Christians show to others.

One of the most powerful parts of the empowerment program is the way these children put their faith into

action in their own community. They forgive those who have harmed them, feed others who are even

poorer than themselves, adopt other children and share their resources and knowledge with them, pray and

care for one another, and pay fair wages to those who had once taken advantage of their situation with hard

labor and poor pay. These children return good for evil and can be examples to all of what it means to live

our faith.

Focus on: First Connections

One of the biggest disadvantages orphans and vulnerable children face is isolation from peers and the

larger community. Struggling on their own, the children lack moral support, access to community

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resources, and a network of people to help them progress and face challenges. ZOE creates connections.

Peer group. Even though there may be hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children living in a

community or village, they often self-segregate because of the conditions of their poverty, disease, and/or

the stigma of HIV/AIDS. When each new member tells their story during the first working group meeting,

they are greatly encouraged to find that there are others who share their same struggles. ZOE then

introduces the children to young people who have already graduated from, or have made significant

progress through ZOE’s empowerment program, and the new ZOE participants are inspired and energized

to begin the work of transformation.

Program facilitator and mentor. Each working group is assigned a program facilitator/social worker.

These ZOE staff members usually speak the language of the region, hold a diploma in social work or

related fields and have experience working with children. Additionally, the working group members select

a person from the local community to serve as a mentor and advocate for the children within the

community. Mentors receive training from ZOE and then attend weekly meetings, make home visits and

help ZOE resolve challenges the group may face in the community.

And a powerful connection is you! All ZOE working groups know the opportunities they receive are

from God through the love and concern coming from their partners far away. They are amazed that you

would care for them without ever having met them. This powerful connection is further strengthened

when a Hope Companion visits the children to witness what they have achieved. In many ways you stand

in place of their parents, and to hear that you are proud of what they have accomplished is transformative

for these children. Thank you for being a part of building God’s Kingdom in this way.

In the Spotlight: Featuring Our Zoe Family

Page 12: The Concord Herald 2017-03-03 · The Concord Herald Volume 10 Issue 2 March, 2017 Annual Brunswick Stew Saturday March 4th The annual Brunswick stew event is scheduled for Saturday,

The Concord Herald Volume 10 Issue 2 March, 2017

(continued from previous page)

Here are the names and family units of the Budiriro Working Group:

Shpelan 16

Saymore 9

Dhausi 6

Yasin 6

Panashe 9

Kudakwashe 6

Takunda 5

Munashe 19

Action 19

Josiah 17

Emmanuel 20

Prosper 18

Simon 15

Aaron 10

Shepherd 8

Josephat 17

Magret 11

Benson 19

Rosemary 19

Eunice 20

Anesu 16

Memory 15

Bybeat 18

Shelly 16

Melody 5

Brighton 10

Beyonce 1

Lesly 1

Courage 17

Valary 15

Maxwell 13

Pauline 20

Patience 20

Last 10

Chido 6

Talent 13

Talent 18

Perpertua 17

Tecler 7

Kudakwashe 15

Blessed 18

Tinevimbo 14

Runyararo 8

Antony 19

Bernard 13

Carnisco 12

Prince 13

Arleta 15

Patience 18

Tatenda 15

Precious 18

Tadiwa 10

Beauty 17

Kupakwashe 1

Maria 20

Tinotenda 11

Iwine 6

Tinashe 18

Delia 7

Takunda 5

Blessing 3

Panganai 19

Jona 14

Esteri 9

Shylene 7

Clever 20

Panashe 5

Ruvarashe 3

Ashely 2

Ishanesu 16

Clara 2

Misheck 16

Tanyaradzwa 9

Given 15

Lydia 10

Latifa 5

Melody 16

Memory 14

Dadirai 6

Esther 5

Isaac 3

Tonderai 15

Nokhuthula 15

Remember 13

Munyaradzi 18

Tichaona 17

Gumisai 16

Ngonidzashe 11

Tatenda 9

Angeline 16

Innocent 14

Maria 14

Vitalis 9

Marshia 8

Tatenda 5

Takudzwa 5

Shantelle 2

Ronald 18

Gamuchirai 14

Anna 20

An Opportunity to Serve We are in need of a Sunday School teacher for a middle school age Sunday School

class. Please prayerfully consider this most important job. Please speak with Susan

Rhodes with any interest or questions.