I served in the army four years in the 101^st airborne, 2^nd division. It’s [hard] over there. You get there and you can’t imagine the shock of what happens. I think World War 3 is right around the corner. I got the dragon tattoo to ward off evil.

Another church referred us here. We come here because we need help with food and clothes for the kids. 

-Brian

Faith Community Ministries consists of Faith East and Faith West Community Centers. For more information about Faith East Community Center’s Food Pantry and Clothing Closet, click here.

The post Stories of FCM: Brian appeared first on Faith Community Ministries Blog.

I live on $100 a month. By the time I pay my bills I don’t have any money left for food. I’m a single parent of a picky teenage boy. The food here [at Faith Community Center’s Food Pantry] helps a lot. Sometimes, I leave spaghetti for somebody else.

You can only eat so much spaghetti.

-Michelle

Faith Community Ministries consists of Faith East and Faith West Community Centers. For more information about Faith East Community Center’s Food Pantry and Clothing Closet, click here.

The post Stories of FCM: Michelle appeared first on Faith Community Ministries Blog.

Faith Community Infant Care provides a structured, caring environment for children ages 6 weeks to 36 months. Our programs are designed to care for your child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical needs the same way you would at home. Our staff will work hard to build a bond of trust, confidence, and communication with you and provide nurturing and age-appropriate structure for your child.

As a writer for Faith Community Ministries, I decided to spend some time at the Infant Care (IC) to get to know one of our ministries on a more personal level. After interviewing the girls who worked here, every single employee told me their favorite part of working at IC was getting to know the kids better.

During the children’s lunchtime, I observed the IC workers interacting with one-year-olds in high chairs. As the teachers fed the kids, they taught them sign language.

One little girl shouted to get the teacher’s attention. The teacher lovingly smiled back, motioned her hands together in American Sign Language for more. “Do you want more?” she asked with a smile. The baby motioned back “more,” and received a big gulp of food.

Lucy Doyle, one of the teachers in this class, commented on how smart and teachable the kids are at such a young age. She said that sometimes, some kids don’t learn quickly. “And that’s ok too,” said Lucy. All kids are welcome here.

But as teachable as some of these kids are, Lucy says one of her favorite parts of working at IC is learning from them. Amongst many things, such as how to take care of a fussy baby and understanding efficiently what a child who can’t speak wants, she admits that the biggest thing she has learned is patience.

In the youngest room (6 weeks to 1 year), Kaleigh Lewis and Chelsea Cahill took care of six babies.

“Everyone here is really nice and we’ve become good friends,” she said in regards to her coworkers. The girls said that their coworkers are like a family. Kaleigh told me that she originally applied at IC because she wanted to work in a positive environment. Chelsea and Kaleigh fed babies as they told me different stories about working at IC.

At one point, a baby that Kaleigh was burping spit up all over her shirt, even getting on her pants and in her hair. I watched her smile, instead of getting upset, and gently set the baby down to clean him.

“We spend a lot of time laughing at things like that,” said Chelsea, referring to Kaleigh’s need of a change of clothes. “Sometimes, on the more crazy, stressful days, we look for the fun parts about it and make memories together.” It was encouraging to see how the employees chose to view a “messy” situation as an opportunity to smile instead of complaining.

Many of the employees commented on their relationships with the other teachers. Lauren Nitzschke said that her favorite part of working at IC is “getting to know my coworkers. We all come from different backgrounds and life experiences, but we all love kids.”

Some of the employees especially love the ministry aspect of working at IC. Elise Karis, who has been employed for one year, said that it’s the best aspect of working with the children. According to Elise, working at IC is a “really cool opportunity to love on kids whose families may not know Jesus, who may choose us because it’s a cheaper daycare.”

Heather Abbott has worked for IC since the opening nine years ago. She said that she used to work 12 hour days at Macy’s, and they were getting ready to downsize. Her only child was in kindergarten at Faith Christian School so she applied for a job to be near him. She has worked with all the age levels at IC, but she mostly stays with the two year olds.

Many might consider the two year olds as the most difficult room to work in at IC, but Heather enjoys it the most.

“I think it’s the easiest. They can tell you or show you what’s wrong. You can do things with them – color, read. As long as you keep them busy, it’s easy,” said Heather. “I love working with these kids. They are fun to be around.”

Heather also says that she loves her work schedule, and that management is very flexible with her needs. Since her son is now in Jr. High, she only works while he’s in school.

Chessa Skillo is the director of IC, and also Discover Care, which is our before- and after-school care program. Both Infant Care and Discover Care are faith-based programs offered by Faith Community Center.

One of the many benefits of Discover Care, says Chessa, is that it frees up family time for working, busy parents. The staff works hard to create a caring environment to help with homework and other organized activities, so that when the parent picks them up they are ready for quality time with the rest of the family for the remainder of the evening.

Faith Community Infant Care and Discover Care are currently taking enrollments for the current school year. Both ministries are always looking for responsible adults who want to work hard to impact the next generation. If you are interested in applying for a job, please contact Chessa Skillo. For pricing, registration, and all other information, please visit our the websites for Infant Care and Discover Care.

The post Childcare Ministries Impacting Lives, Both Kids and Employees appeared first on Faith Community Ministries Blog.

The Food Pantry’s second annual Freezer Meal Workshop occurred in the Loft of Faith Community Center on Tuesday, June 9.

Amy Maxwell, co-owner of the Lafayette Dream Dinners, teamed up with the Food Pantry by providing the food and recipes for the Frozen Meal Workshop. Dream Dinners is a national franchise that provide about 12 dinners that busy families can store in their freezer. As described by their website, Dream Dinners “removes all menu planning, shopping, prep-work and clean-up by move the meal assembly process out of people’s kitchens and into specially equipped stores.”

I’m trying to help my family survive from month to month. That’s how I ended up here.

Maxwell simplified her company’s recipes so that the meals were made in a way that would be easier for lower income families to replicate in the future. Four different recipes were taught at separate stations: chicken and veggie fajitas, baked tortellini, teriyaki chicken, and one breakfast meal – mini vegetable quiches.

Recipes were catered to each family’s size. Some families cook for up to nine people, and some only have a family of two. At individual stations, each family was given a printed recipe and teenagers from Faith Church Youth Group assembled the meals in front of them. Maxwell provided tips at every station for families, such as substituting black beans for chicken if a vegetarian option was desired.

“I’m trying to help my family survive from month to month,” said Debra Nelson, who participated as a beneficiary of the workshop. “That’s how I ended up here.”

18 families and approximately 65 people were served at the Frozen Meal Workshop.

The post Food Pantry’s Frozen Meal Workshop appeared first on Faith Community Ministries Blog.

The Faith Community Development Corporation (FCDC) had its first Youth Play Day today. The event was 10am – 12pm and a total of 17 children came to play in the closed-off street with members of the college ministry.

The first FCDC Play Day took place on Hartford Street near 6th Street. On one side of the street is an old building with broken windows and graffiti on the side. On the other side is an open field. The city owns this building and the lot across the street. According the Lori Walters, director of the FCDC, they dream of using it one day as a neighborhood space.

Among the festivities today were corn hole, basketball, soccer, and computer programming. Yes, computer programming! Engineer students and graduates within the college ministry taught basics of computer programming to young people in the neighborhood. One of the dreams of the FCDC is to do technology repair workshops on devices such as iPods, iPads, and iPhones to introduce new trades to the children for potential future job skills.

Families of all ages engaged with the northern neighborhood of Lafayette. The thunderstorms came on strong before and after the event, but the sun shined down on the FCDC Play Day.

Upcoming events with the FCDC at this same location are as follows:

Youth Play Days: Saturdays June 20 and July 11 (10am – 12pm)

Basketball and Soccer Clinics: Thursday, June 11 (1-4:30pm)*

Neighborhood Block Party: Saturday, June 13 (6-11pm)

For more photos of the FCDC Play Day, click here.

*These activities are only for residents in the lower Lincoln area.

The post FCDC Play Day: A New Beginning appeared first on Faith Community Ministries Blog.

“This is something I do on a regular basis. It’s an easy way to give back.”

This was most commonly quoted answer in the poll of why citizens of the Lafayette community came to Faith Community Center yesterday evening. Frequently, the Community Center hosts the American Red Cross blood mobile so that the people of this city can donate blood. The blood drive ran 4-8pm in the Multi-Purpose Room.

Rachel, the Team Leader of this blood mobile, has worked for the Red Cross for three years. Her job is to make sure everything runs smoothly at the blood mobile. She says she loves her job, especially because she wants to help the public in the medical field. Giving blood saves lives, and she has heard plenty of stories that inspire her in her work. “People are so thankful. You see the impact on people and it makes you love what you do.”

One of their goals is to help people become lifelong donors.

“It really is so simple, people can just come in and give 45 minutes of their time.” said Rachel. “What stops them is usually a fear of blood and needles. Just come in. We have a lot of patient, understanding people who can help you where you’re at.”

Mary Lou, who has donated blood at the Community Center before, said, “It doesn’t really hurt. I’ve been doing this for 15 years, and very rarely do you see someone who passes out. There’s not a lot of drama involved.”

“Has your experience here been a good one?” I asked her.

“Absolutely,” said Mary Lou.

Doug Greeson, a physician at IU Health Arnett and also a Fun & Fitness member of the Community Center, is another regular donor. As a physician, he sees donating blood from the other perspective. He used to work in emergency and saw a lot of folks who were injured and needed blood.

“You don’t ever catch up on the need for it,” said Doug.

According to the American Red Cross website, donated blood can be used for red blood cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate. Each donation can save up to three lives.1

“I feel like I should be able to help,” said a teenage girl named Sophia, who came with a friend who gave blood. She was hoping to donate that day but didn’t bring the required paperwork for underage teens. But she says she is excited for the chance to give blood one day. She was inspired to be a donor by seeing some older girls at school donate at a school blood drive.

“If you feel a need to help people, you should try to give blood,” said Sophia. “I’m kind of scared of needles, but I’d still do it.”

Faith Community Center regularly hosts American Red Cross Blood Drives. To follow up-to-date information on what’s happening at the Community Center, or to receive a notification on the next blood drive, follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

The post Community Center Hosts Blood Drive appeared first on Faith Community Ministries Blog.

Candace Dunston was the latest speaker in the Women’s Ministries Saturday Brunch Series. Funny and bold, Dunston taught women on how to “unload” when your life is on “overload.”

Candace focused on three key points in her talk:

• We don’t have as much time as we say we do (or think we have).
• We don’t analyze our load correctly (some things can go).
• We don’t use the right tools to endure.

She started with an exercise that revealed how many hours women in the audience are actually budgeting for their day to accomplish their daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. The results were effective in revealing that many women are indeed on “overload” with all that they are trying to accomplish. When I attempted the exercise, I saw that the amount of hours needed to accomplish all that I tell myself I need to do requires a day with over 30 hours. Yikes!

Candace taught methods on how to analyze your “load” through the lens of Scripture, and then how to recognize if an adjustment is necessary. Many women have “fooled ourselves” into thinking we have more time than we do. She explained that if you don’t have time with God or hear His promptings in your life, it’s definitely time to adjust. However, some things in our “load” are necessary to endure.

“Hard is not particularly bad, hard is just hard… and rewarding,” said Candace. “I want to share some good news. You are not alone.”

The key passage used in this talk today, Luke 10:38-42, is the scene where Martha is busy serving the guests and Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus.

“I am not, not, not against serving,” explained Candace. “But [verse 42] says that ‘one thing is necessary’ – sitting at His feet and listening.” She emphasized that this was the key to endurance.

She pointed out to the women that it was probably obvious to the guests that Mary was not helping Martha serve. “Mary probably looks bad,” said Candace. “Something else seems to be more valuable.”

I appreciated Candace’s talk and the points were very applicable to my life. From a cultural standpoint concerning the Western view of time, in America we tend to place high value on schedules and to-do lists. It wasn’t very long ago that I traveled to Africa, where I saw the opposite: their culture values relationships over schedules. It was a culture shock and not something easily understood, considering what life is like here in the States. This message to “unload,” for the purpose of sitting at the feet of Jesus and making that a priority… this will be a challenge for women who are raised in our culture.

Candace’s challenge to being less like Martha and more like Mary opened my eyes to how high I value what others think of me. It’s not pretty to see how much of my time is spent in trying to convince others with my actions that I’m a strong person, but hey, just look at my load (sarcasm). It is foolishness to think that I can carry a load that contains everything that I want to do, where I say “yes” to everyone in the pride of thinking, “sure I can handle doing that too.” This type of thinking displays a lack of trust in God.

Candace’s words stay with me as I take an honest look at my schedule. Time to prioritize that for God’s glory, not mine!

If we cut things out of our lives we may look unconcerned, look lazy, look triflin… But weigh yourself down to sit at His feet. Even if it makes you look bad.

To hear Candace’s full talk, check out the Faith resource library. For upcoming Women’s Ministry events through Faith Church, please visit the Faith Women’s Ministry website.

The post Help! I’m On Overload! appeared first on Faith Community Ministries Blog.

The smell of buttery popcorn filled the air, but that wasn’t what created the warm environment in Faith Community Center. It was the excited buzz of chatter from young boys, the families gathered together with genuine cheerfulness displayed on their faces.

Today is the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby Race of Pack 3396. This boxcar race is a scout tradition that has taken place all over the country since 1953.  Cub Scouts take a block of wood and with the help of a parent or an Akela (“good leader,” which can be a parent, teacher, religious leader, a Cub Scout leader, or another type of guide who has agreed to take the position of helping the scout with harder tasks¹), they fashion a box car that weighs no more than five ounces. The top three winners of today’s race will go to a district race, held at Tippecanoe County Mall; the winners of that race will go to a state race, and from there to a national pinewood derby race.

Cub Scout Pack 3396 is a fairly new pack that began in August 2014. This pack is part of a larger organization called the Sagamore Council, which consists of 16 counties and 4500 kids. Cub Scouts are generally associated with churches, schools, or community organizations; Pack 3396 is hosted by Faith Christian School (FCS). They meet every Tuesday evenings, and there are regular meetings for parents and representatives from FCS.

This is the first derby race for Pack 3396. Besides the anticipation of a chance to race on the next level of competition, the Cub Scouts present have also earned their Wolf Badge. This badge is achieved by making something functional out of wood with hand tools.

Allen Nugent is the leader of Cub Scout Pack 3396. Nugent had not originally intended to lead this pack, however, his enthusiasm for what the scouts stand for brought him to the position of Cub Master. Nugent said he is passionate about the boys’ walk with Christ and for “their faith to be external and not internal.” With his own personal experience with Scouts, he focuses on helping his Cub Scouts to grow in leadership, caring about those around them, and “encouraging men to be men.”

“The life lessons they learn here are awesome,” said Nugent.

As each boy arrived, they were able to do one test run for their box car before handing it in to Assistant Cub Master, Michael Ivy.

Eric Seubring, who helped host the pinewood derby, led the opening ceremony. This is his 6^th time organizing a race for Scouts. The event began with the pledge of allegiance to the American flag, followed by Seubring explaining the rules and guidelines for the race. He stressed the importance of the boys to be good sportsmen. “That means we win gracefully,” he explained, “And we lose gracefully.”

“What are we racing for?” Seubring asked the boys.

“Districts!” they shouted.

“To have fun,” Seubring reminded them.

Cole Seubring, who is helping the Cub Scouts today in the Pinewood Derby Race, is the Den Chief of the Cub Scouts; a Den Chief is a privileged opportunity for an older Boy Scout to serve the Cub Scouts with whatever is needed. “I just ask what needs to be done, and I do it,” he explained.

“Boy Scouts has given Cole a lot of opportunities for growth that he wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Marcie, Cole’s mother. “Like shooting bow and arrows at Cary Camp, Boy Scouts gives him the opportunity to do ‘boy things’ in a safe environment. He is learning so much about safety and leadership.” She explained that she is thankful for the derby race today at Faith Community Center, because it “gets families together in ways other than watching TV.”

After their car competed on the race track, many of the boys ran back eagerly to their dads, most of whom helped their sons build their cars. This was clearly a family-oriented environment.

The winner of the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby Race of 3396 was Nick Bush. Nick will go on to compete at the district competition. Faith Community Center wishes Nick the best of luck at the district race.

Photos from the event can be found on the Faith Community Ministries Facebook Page.

The post Cub Scout Pinewood Derby appeared first on Faith Community Ministries Blog.

It is common for families in the community to be spending time at Faith Community Center on Friday nights. Whether it’s open gym or free swimming, there is always a buzz of activity at the start of the weekend. However, one Friday out of the month, God is bringing parents from all over town to benefit from free babysitting. First Friday is a new ministry of Faith Community Center, organized by Pastor Johnny Kjaer. Different small groups of the Faith Church youth group and young adults come together to offer free childcare on the first Friday of the month for parents or single moms/dads to enjoy an evening out.

Jerry and Beth Riley, who have been active Fun & Fitness members, said that their kids love coming to Faith Community Center for First Friday. “It’s a nice thing they are doing here.”

“It isn’t easy to get a great babysitter for busy, active boys. First Friday is such a great way for us to leave our children in a safe place, with people we trust, knowing they are making friends and having a good time,” said Leanne Heern. Leanne, her husband, and three boys frequently participate in a variety of activities at the Community Center. “I think they are just as excited to go and play at First Friday as we are to go on a date. We really appreciate that it’s free. It’s such a blessing.”

Where some teenage boys use their Fridays for their own agendas, Simeon Standridge is one of the teenagers who serves during First Friday with the 1^st and 2^nd graders. “Serving is something mandated in the Bible, but it’s fun. Serving here is definitely not hard to do,” he said.

But is this simply another opportunity for Pastor Johnny to help Faith Church’s youth group grow in Christ-like serving? Although the youth group has shown remarkable efforts over the past few years in serving the neighbors of Faith through shoveling and mowing, is there more ministry development than what meets the eye? Some say yes, and view First Friday as a bubbling potential for evangelism.

“God is bringing unsaved folks to the Community Center on these nights and we have a great opportunity to be there to meet them, get them involved in playing with us and prepare the way for meaningful conversations about our new life in Christ,” said Simeon’s father, Steve Standridge.

“It’s a fun place to hang out and make new friends,” said Simeon. “And have pizza!”

Pizza? You may ask.

Yes, pizza.

Before Simeon joins other young adults in babysitting kids, he starts his evening by helping set up pizzas with his dad, Steve. The pizzas are made every Friday for any of the parents who choose to stay at the Community Center for First Friday instead of going out. Steve, a second generation missionary in Italy through Faith Global Missions, said that nobody asked him to start making pizzas. Making pizzas is one of his passions, so he volunteered to provide food for the families who gather at the café tables.

The Standridges are among a few families who gather during First Fridays to both enjoy fellowship as a family and build relationships with those who may not be fellow believers. Parents who drop their kids off for First Friday are welcome to stay at the community center to play table games, puzzles, and cards. And of course, enjoy the sophisticated variety of pizzas made by Steve.

“It’s a great opportunity to connect with people. This has huge potential of opportunities for church people to come for ongoing evangelism,” said Steve. “People open up to the gospel when you spend time with them. They let their guard down and then it’s much easier to have a conversation about God.”

Steve’s passion for evangelism isn’t limited to overseas missions. And the Standridges are not the only family who view First Friday as an exciting mission field. Multiple families sat together in the café last Friday to play games and eat Steve’s pizza.

Steve emphasized the importance of members of Faith Church to take advantage of this monthly ministry opportunity, accentuating the need for families to serve together as one unit in the area of evangelism. Many families possibly already spend quality time together having fun, he suggested. “But perhaps few have intentionally used this as an outreach to another family or more.”

Stories are already being shared of good conversations between the families intentionally staying at the café on First Friday and other folks at the Community Center. Conversations that start, for example, over offering a slice of pizza.

“Families do need to have fun and play together in a day where renting and watching a movie seems to be the best thing many can come up with. When parents have fun with their kids, barriers are broken and healthy relationships are rekindled. Even more, the opportunity for spiritual conversations can be prepared,” said Steve. “There may be families who already have this healthy habit. This is one more reason for them to get involved in helping others to see the great value of this and come and learn to do the same.”

God is using First Friday for more than providing potential childcare needs for parents in the community. It seems that members of Faith Church don’t have to wait until bigger events like the community picnics to meet with unsaved folks. Here we have a monthly opportunity for those with a healthy appetite for evangelism.

“God is bringing unsaved folks to the Community Center… and we have a great opportunity to be there to meet them.”

For more details on First Friday, please visit www.faithlafayette.org/firstfriday

The post Pizza Evangelism: Family-Based Ministry Opportunity appeared first on Faith Community Ministries Blog.

Instead of open gym (as is traditional on a Saturday at Faith Community Center), the MPR hosted a classy event with dynamic female speakers and elegant desserts from local bakery Yum Yum Cupcakes & Tea. Lafayette professionals gathered for an inspirational conference and workshop called Give Up To Go Up. Many women from many walks of life traveled through the cold to hear women speak passionately about becoming stronger leaders in the community. The phrase “get up to go up” was first coined by John Maxwell in his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, where this motivational phrase is listed as the last of Maxwell’s seven steps of success.

Barbara Kerkhoff, Orchestrator for Indiana Voices of Women, says she is here to support women like Monica Keyes, one of the key speakers and a local nurse practitioner. “There is an African proverb that says, ‘If you educate a man, you educate an individual. If you education a woman, you educate a community.’ I see them as an encouragement to continue to be there for the community.”

Nikki Coffey is a college student, employee of Faith Infant Care, and local business owner of “She Cleans,” a business that helps others organize their lives and life skills coach. “I’m always looking for ways to work on myself,” she said. “I’m hoping this can help me in all aspects in life, not just business.”

Give Up To Go Up focused on four main topics: equip, entrust, empower, and encourage. Speakers Nina Guyton, Heather Henley, Toyinda Wilson-Long, and Keyes used personal experience and knowledge of professional success to emphasize the importance of confidence in what God has done and is continuing to do in the lives of His daughters.

“Every trial, every situation has a purpose. All of us has experienced difficulties,” said Guyton. “There is no situation in your life that has no happened that will not help, uplift, and bless the next person. ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose’ [Romans 8:28]. Even if you’ve only got a little bit, you’ve got enough to accomplish your purpose.”

Henley, who shared bits of her background that included abuse, taught on the importance of transformation through God. “What you see now is not what I’ve been through,” she said, with verbal affirmations from the crowd. Tears ran freely amongst the attendees as Henley passionately taught on forgiveness towards those who have offended.

The conference ended with an open mic for testimonies from the audience. Numbers of women stepped up with the same message: they were encouraged. A local pastor’s wife thanked the speakers, “I am so blessed to be here. You shared your stories, you weren’t afraid to talk about your weaknesses and where God has brought you.” Others shared personal stories of hard pasts and the hope to walk forward and upwards.

“Sometimes, you just don’t know how you’re going to survive. But you can make it. You just got to keep your eyes on the prize, keep Jesus in the center.”

The post Local Professionals Gather at Community Center appeared first on Faith Community Ministries Blog.