Community Compassion Organization Interview #1

Church-based Organization: HOPE Ministries

     HOPE Ministries is a compassion ministry of Calvary Temple in Wayne, NJ. I interviewed the leaders of this ministry, Tim and Lorraine Carlucci. They both grew up in Calvary Temple, where they met and eventually married. The couple’s heart for missions and evangelism was apparent at a young age, so they knew that starting a compassion ministry was something that God had been leading them to do. What began with providing needy families with groceries, has evolved over the years into something much greater than they had anticipated.

     HOPE Ministries is now a registered food pantry of the Community Food Bank of New Jersey where they pick up five tons of food per month. Each week they provide food, clothing, and prayer to those in need. They are currently serving 549 families per month, over 1,700 people, not including their weekly Paterson outreaches to the homeless. They provide the homeless with food, clothing, prayer, blankets, but most of all, love.

     HOPE Ministries is all about loving people! This ministry has evolved over the years, now spanning to disaster relief, prayer, and Sunday morning Bible studies. They have become a pillar of hope in the community, providing six other local food banks and churches with the overflow of food and clothing that they receive each month.

     Throughout the year, HOPE Ministries strives to go above and beyond for the cause of Christ. These annual occasions consist of their Thanksgiving turkey giveaways, Christmas present giveaways, back to school backpack giveaways, and their Easter baskets of hope. This year, however, was the start of a new tradition, the “Race for Hope 5K.” This Race was constructed to benefit the food bank in its’ efforts to reach the needy for Thanksgiving. Over $4,000 worth of profits went to HOPE Ministries and was put towards the buying of groceries and turkeys. With this money, they were able to provide Thanksgiving dinners to 210 families in need this year!

     HOPE Ministries would not be as successful as it is without the help of the church and community. Along with their monthly five tons of food from the Community Food Bank, they receive donations of food, clothing, and money from the people of Calvary and local churches on a regular basis. People can also donate their time by volunteering to help each week. The HOPE Ministries team is made up of volunteers who assist with the unloading of the food truck, the sorting of clothes, and the bagging of groceries. There are opportunities to serve during the week, as well as on Sunday afternoons for their weekly distributions. Most volunteers come from Calvary Temple, but members of other churches have also made themselves available. HOPE Ministries’ number one task is to spread hope, so they look for volunteers who are ready to share Christ's love and pray for anyone who needs it!

Race for Hope 5K

January 22nd Interview: Phil Underwood

Jan 22 Interview: Phil Underwood, Pastor/church planter

• Phil has been married to Gill for 35 years. They came to the US from New Zealand 15 years ago, and have 3 daughters.
• Cornerstone Christian Church http://www.cornerstonedelco.org/
• Before becoming a pastor, he worked for a radio station in NZ where he was a journalist and producer. He eventually moved to Christian radio before going to Bible college.
• Phil began pastoring in New Zealand at age 25. He enjoys going to churches that have recently split due to anger/dispute. His first pastoring job was difficult, 24 out of 150 attendants left due to a controversy over music. 
• Enjoys the challenge of an empty church, and was part of a mini-revival in NZ.
• One of his jobs was to prove that moving out of strategy works, despite people's Pentecostal mindset of solely relying on the Holy Spirit, and being lackadaisical about structure.
• Phil strives to win disciples, not converts…they count salvations by the number of people who have been discipled, not just saved. He stresses quality salvations over quantity salvations.
• Strong believer in strategic planning, they do so by asking their churches to set goals.
• A principle that drives him is "you are a priest to your circle of influence." He often preaches this message to his new church congregation to get them involved with his vision of reaching the community by emphasizing their sphere of influence.
• Your job is a ministry, whatever it may be. Wherever you are, you're representing Christ. It's what we do, not what we say that we believe.

3 Approaches to Community Ministry:

• SETTLERS
• Find a community, the need, and they reach them.
• GARDNERS
• Set up a "garden"...come along side a ministry by supplying them with resources.You are a part of this ministry, but not fully dedicated to it.
• SHEPHERDS
• Not driven to specific locations, but to specific needs…(ex: prison ministers go to different prisons, but are always doing prison ministry.)

Some of what a week of ministry looks like for Phil's church…

• Outreach to alcoholics Mon. and Tues. nights.
• Life groups
• Grief share, divorce care, the are of marriage….(all designed programs where you only need to buy material.)
• Pick-up basketball league

Main Points:

• We don't always gravitate around strategies in pentecostal movements.
• "Past performance is the best future predictor." (In regards to church planting.)

January 15th: Rebekah Reese

January 15, 2013

Interview with Rebekah Reese

Notes:

·       2009 VFCC grad, Christian Min. major

·       Holy Hands is a branch of First Fruits Evangelistic Association

·       Holy Hands Director

o   Missions trips in US, northeast (DC up to Maine)

o   Goals of Holy Hands:

§  Train and evangelize US, reach lost through one-on-one convos

§  Train for 3 days in kids ministry, how to start convo on Jesus/apologetics

·       Be normal.

·       Build relationships

·       Start convo, get into a common interest zone

·       Reach values/morals of their life

·       Then talk about God. It takes time.

·       Heart for evangelism

·       Evangelism has to be a lifestyle, not just done at your job or at outreaches.

·       Trained 150 students, about 12 different teams last summer.

·       Work with Global passion missions organization in Cali.

·       Trips are 7 days, $232 not including transportation there

·       Summer trips:

o   Christiana, PA

·       Trip planning:

o   First 2 days are training days

§  Update training materials

§  Innovative/interactive with students

§  Go through classes throughout day

o   Next 2 days: outreaches

§  Mega-sports Camp

·       Interactive/sports VBS

·       Link Bible stories with sports stories that are similar to keep kids interested

§  Free for church to host Megasports Camp

·       Only children pay participation fee

§  Excursions

·       2-4 days teams go to churches and help with outreaches, community service

·       Budget:

o   Raise their personal budgets

o   Make sponsorship packets

o   Yearly budget goal: $1,500 per month

·       Discipleship process after evangelism:

o   Connected with local church

o   Involve local church at place of outreach

o   Direct people to the local church

·       Present options to church to choose:

o   Outreaches, block parties, movie nights, community service

·       Helped with Sandy Disaster Relief

o   Worked with 270/400 damaged homes in Staten Island

·       Holy Hands was started by a student, Jason, while attending VFCC

·       Focus on new church plants when fundraising because they haven’t set their missions budget yet.

·       http://www.ffea.tv/