The Grapevine - The Latest News from His Branches

Faith and Elections

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:41:00 +0000

His Branches does not endorse specific candidates in the electoral process or exercise strong political advocacy, preferring rather to demonstrate Christ's love through community-building and relationship-restoring acts of kindness and service. Along with the Pew Foundation and many others, however, we do believe that people of faith should exercise wisdom and discernment at the polls. In this regard, the online Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life is a well-researched resource for the upcoming elections. Please click on their logo, above, and visit their site periodically in the weeks to come as you prepare to enter the voting booth.

IFA Candidate Comparison

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:34:00 +0000

Intercessors for America has also prepared a thorough one-page comparison of the stands of both major candidates for President, which is available here as a PDF file for review and duplication.

Block Party a Great Success!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:15:00 +0000

Our Block Party this year capped off a wonderful Kids Bible Club week that saw about 30 neighborhood children discover how exciting the life of Jesus can be. It never could have happened without the prayer and help of our awesome team from Grace Community Church in Pennsylvania and the generous participation of so many amazing volunteers. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

Click here to see a full size slide show

Saturday started off with deep clouds and threatening thunderstorms but opened up into a sunny blue-sky afternoon with only scattered sprinkles. God's hand was evident from the very beginning, and so many human hearts and hands were involved in making our day a success that it will be hard to list them, but I'll give it a try. Our setup crew arrived early and up went the tents! Then Matt Doward arrived with his horses and their yellow-shirted "friends", Richard Stutzman hopped out of his car as Happy the Clown, Mitzie Collins and Tom Bohrer set up their Punch and Judy show, Liz Jefferson and the Owens' got their balloon-filled face painting tent ready, and a fantastic circus atmosphere began to emerge. We closed off Arnett Blvd. between Warwick and Rugby, fired up the grill, and a crowd began to gather that numbered in the hundreds by mid-afternoon. When Jeff and Rachel Peden opened up their Airplay Jugglers stage, we knew the show was on!

Special thanks go out to Rora, Eula, Nancy, and all the other faithful members of the Arnett Block Association whose tireless planning, preparation, and free food service made the whole event possible, to the City of Rochester for letting us block off Arnett Blvd. and the Rochester Police and Fire Departments for coming with their trucks and crews, to rap artist and brother Cuevas Walker, to Community Bikes for their generosity in giving away 10 free bikes and fixing numerous other ones, to Willie Lightfoot for his lively performance as our Master of Ceremonies, to all our sponsoring merchants who provided us with so many generous donations and raffle prizes, to Wanda Miller and Mindy Monk for bringing the "WOW" factor to our HCR/GFM medical booth, to Lisa McElroye for her free massage demonstrations, to Mark Dixon and Gabe Pellegrino from the Arnett Branch Library for their kids' story time, to Richmond Futch for his painting demonstration, to David Dey for hosting an open house at Risego, and to Tony Nichols and the entire New Life Fellowship Gospel Choir and Flag Team for the wonderful tribute they paid to our Lord by leading us in open worship before our God and Maker at the close of the afternoon.

Remarkably, everyone pitched in and helped to the very end, so even the cleanup was a breeze and by 5 pm you never would have known the event had happened. Already folks are asking about "next year's Block Party." Hey, let's talk about it - after we've all had a breather... God bless you all!

Block Party August 2nd!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:31:00 +0000

August 2nd - Noon ‘til 4 pm!

350 Arnett Blvd (street closed for party)

Horse Rides - Music - Fire Truck - Balloons
Food - Raffle - Story Time - Face Painting - Puppet Show

Bicycle Giveaway
Games and Prizes - Bike Repair Clinic
Clown - Rap Artist - Gospel Concert in Park

Stop by and meet your neighbors!

Kids Bible Club

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:48:00 +0000

Monday – Friday

1:30 to 3:00 pm

Games, Stories, Snacks!
Fun, Fun, Fun!

350 Arnett Blvd.

Willie Hits the Streets

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:21:00 +0000

Click on picture to play video report

Jefferson Avenue prepares for revival
Reported by: Kevin Jolly

Monroe County lawmaker Willie Lightfoot is going from door to door spreading the word. The lawmaker and minister is spreading the word about a revival tent going up in the heart of one of the city’s most challenged neighborhoods. “Some systemic issues that we’ve been dealing with drug trafficking and other crimes like robberies, things of that nature,” said Councilman Lightfoot.

It’s not just crime. Businesses there are also struggling to survive. Nelson Baldwin has operated a barber shop on Jefferson Avenue for 30 years. “I’ve seen Jefferson Avenue at its best, thriving best I should say,” said Baldwin.

He’s also seen it at its worse with the crime and drugs. “A lot of them just hang out down here on the Avenue and do the wrong thing. That’s because they don’t have the training they need and they happen to reject it these days and time,” said Baldwin.

Pastor George Dailey is teaming up with Councilman Lightfoot to help spread the word. He says its just one way of reaching residents and turning this neighborhood around. “We trying to reach everybody we possibly can. We reach people and their lives have changed it'll be a better community a place where we can live together,” said Pastor Dailey.

Councilman Lightfoot says he’s seen the revival work in the past and hopes to have the same success this year. “We've seen drug dealers, we’ve seen drug addicts come give their life to Christ as a result of this tent revival. Turn their lives around and then join the other side of the team and start helping us with the positive efforts instead of the negative efforts,” added Councilman Lightfoot.

The revival begins on Monday July 7 and is scheduled to run the entire week.

A Garden Bouquet

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 05:50:00 +0000

Susan Morehouse Releases New CD

At an Open House for family and supporters today, Susan will be introducing her new harp CD Harpsongs II - A Bouquet from My Mother's Garden.

The album is a 65-minute "bouquet" of 22 classical, Celtic, and spiritual pieces, several of which feature Nicole Ferguson on the flute.

If you would be interested in obtaining a copy, please visit Susan's website or contact her directly.

French Quarter Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:46:00 +0000

A Taste of the Crescent City in the Flower City

Only open for six weeks, the French Quarter Café on Arnett Boulevard already has the cozy feeling of a neighborhood institution. The warm, friendly dining room has little touches that make it feel just a bit like a tea parlor or your grandmother's living room, and the service is attentive and helpful without feeling intrusive or fussy. The real triumph is the food: simple, honest, straightforward - the sort of food your mother or grandmother would cook if she happened to be from New Orleans.

Click here to read the entire review by James Leach in this week's City Newspaper.

Good Neighbors

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:32:00 +0000

Local entrepreneur invests in neighborhood's future.

In one form or another, 332-336 Arnett Blvd. has long been home to commerce.Part of the row building housed The Creator's Hands gift store and gallery for a number of years. When the business showcasing works by American artists and craftspeople moved out in 2005, the storefront windows looked out on some far less savory capitalism, with occasional drug dealing out front.

Today the space in the 83-year-old building, just west of the Arnett branch of the Rochester Public Library, is hosting a family of businesses and business services aimed at a target audience of a few square blocks of southwest Rochester.

Inside the operation called "The Arnett," a small coffee shop sits alongside a copy shop. Diners at the cajun/creole restaurant The French Quarter Cafe eat steps away from a credit counseling service and a business consulting operation.

The idea is to provide both a series of niche businesses lacking in the city's 19th Ward, such as higher-end retail, and the needed training and services to help other businesses launch in the area.

The neighborhood "has a lot of good housing value," said David Dey, who created The Arnett and runs a pair of operations there with his wife, LaDonna. "But on the other hand, it has a series of challenges. It's an ideal area to launch this model."

Click here to read the entire Democrat & Chronicle article by Matthew Daneman.

EO to begin STD testing

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:35:00 +0000

His Branches and Embracing Options have received a $1000 grant from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation through the intercession of Dr. Andrew Doniger and his staff at the Monroe County Health Department to fund a pilot project offering EO clients free urine testing for the two most common STDs, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Jessica Speares, our Rochester Youth Year worker, has been studying the issue and planning with Dr. Morehouse and Sandi Clawson for nearly a year, developing protocols and teaching materials and training volunteers. The pilot project will start next week and end with a full analysis of the results after 50 tests (at $20 a test) have been done. Those clients who test positive will be offered follow up clinical services through Grace Family Medicine. We're trusting that the results of our initial project will demonstrate the need and justify the allocation of further funds to continue. Please pray that our counselors, using this additional testing tool, will be able to reach more and more at-risk individuals with our message of hope, healing, and life.

Spring MD Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:01:00 +0000

The MCCF Spring MD Breakfast will be held on Saturday morning, April 26, from 9-11 am at the Academy of Medicine, 1441 East Avenue.

Drs. Dave and Mary Kay Ness will be back from Oaxaca Mexico to share with us about their commitment and recent missions experiences serving in Roca Blanca. For more background information about the ministry they've become involved in, check out their website and then come to hear an up-to-date report!

Please mark your calendars and RSVP using our Response page. Be sure to note our new location (click here for Directions to the Academy of Medicine).

RISEGO Grand Opening!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:22:00 +0000

GMC Open House on 2/2

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:30:00 +0000

On Saturday, February 2nd from Noon to 4 pm we'll be holding an Open House at the Gerhardt Ministry Center (906-918 N. Goodman St. next door to Joy Community Church). Our satellite medical office (Joy Family Medicine) and crisis pregnancy care center (Embracing Options) will be open as well as a food pantry (the Hope Shop) next door. Staff will be there to show you the facilities and answer any questions you may have. Refreshments will be served. Come and bring your friends and neighbors!

SOHL Day of Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:33:00 +0000

Embracing Options will be hosting its 2nd Annual SOHL (Sanctity of Human Life) Day of Prayer on Friday, January 18th, from noon to 5 pm in our conference room at 350 Arnett Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14619. Light refreshments and coffee will be provided.

Invited: All Pro-Lifers in the Rochester area who either stand on the front lines daily against abortion or if you have a heart for the sanctity of human life. We ask Pastors to come pray with and over us to bless us for the upcoming year of this battle against abortion and its ravages on our community. Contact Sandi Clawson at: (525) 235-0690 if you'd like to attend or share a brief message of encouragement for all the staff and volunteers in the local pro-life community.

Winter Missions Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:21:00 +0000

Please set aside the date and sign up now for our Winter Missions Breakfast coming up on Saturday, January 19th, from 9-11 am at the Rochester Academy of Medicine, 1441 East Avenue. We're going to have a smorgasbord of local speakers (including 2 URMC residents and one faculty member) who'll be talking about missions experiences and opportunities from Honduras to Iraq, by way of Uganda and Tenwek Hospital in Kenya, so don't miss this one!

Please mark your calendars and RSVP using our Response page. Be sure to note change of location (click here for Directions to the Academy of Medicine).

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:54:00 +0000

Merry Christmas
from the Morehouses!

As time goes by we are more and more grateful for our family and friends, our health, the Life we have in Christ, and our spiritual family at Joy Community Church. We’d love to hear from you and spend more time together! In the meantime, click here to read our annual letter to friends and family and check out some of our candid pictures.

Christmas Caroling!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:18:00 +0000

Christmas Caroling in the Park

Join us on Tuesday, December 18th from 6:30-7:30 pm
at the corner of Arnett and Wellington.

All are welcome! Bring flashlights or candles. Hot cocoa provided.

RISEGO Open House

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:11:00 +0000

I am writing to invite you to either Open House event on Friday, December 7, 2007 or Friday, December 14, 2007. The events will allow our special friends to tour the Social Entrepreneurship Center before we open it up to the general public later this month.

You have been instrumental in helping RISEGO achieve this milestone. We also had a great deal of help from youth and volunteers (some pictured above) that have devoted their weekends to help complete the development project. The specific event information is as follows:

Date: December 7, 2007 or December 14, 2007
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: 336 Arnett Blvd., Rochester, NY

We look forward to seeing you on December 7th or 14th. Coffee and refreshments will be served.

David Dey
President & CEO, RISEGO, Inc.

DREAM GIRLS Party

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:16:00 +0000

EMBRACING OPTIONS presents our 1st "DREAM GIRLS" Christmas Party to be held here at 342 Arnett Boulevard on Sunday December 16th from 2 to 4 pm.

GIRLS ONLY, ages 13-18. Dessert and hot beverages provided on beautiful Tea Cup sets. Bring a friend and both will receive a Christmas gift. Call Jess to hold your place - space is limited - (585) 355-1317.

NEEDED for the event: Mature Christian women to come along side these young girls to love on them and show the love of Christ to our young girls in the neighborhood. Donation of home made desserts and/or Christmas cookies. For more information, contact Sandi Clawson at (585) 235-0690.

News from Jerusalem

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:07:00 +0000

Beverley Timgren writes from Jerusalem:

I returned to Israel early November and am settling back into life here. I kept in touch with my staff dentist and was able to keep the dental service going as usual in my absence. Besides our Lebanese patients, I was also contacted by a local congregation to ask if we could offer dental care to several Sudanese refugee families they were helping and of course I was happy to help them too. Since returning I've visited a number of Lebanese families, including family members of the Lebanese family I have been helping to resettle in Canada who were very happy to have a first hand report from me. Next week, I'll take dental equipment and supplies to a new project in the Bethlehem area.

Personally, although I know I still have work here, I also know the Lord planned for me to be available to help my youngest sister in her fight with cancer and I seek guidance as to how to use my time over the next months. Linda is starting radiation treatment today over the next two weeks. Chemotherapy will follow starting sometime in January or February. Please keep her in prayer as she undergoes treatment. We are praying for healing, that she will come through all of this cancer free.

While in Canada I explored new ministry opportunities and found a training course for ESL that would give me a certificate from Cambridge University that is widely recognized throughout the world. I also found opportunities for ministry among new immigrants and refugees. 2008 will be my 25th year of ministry in the Middle East (Lebanon and Israel). As I shared with you during my last visit to Rochester, I believe the Lord is preparing me for changes, but I'm praying for guidance as to what and when.

I missed seeing all of you this year, but I hope to visit again sometime next year. Until then, I appreciate your friendship and your faithful support in prayer.

Click here to read Beverley's 2007 Holiday newsletter.

Stephen Series Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:36:00 +0000

On October 13, Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Rochester, NY will host a Stephen Series Caring Ministry Workshop from 8:30 am, to 1:00p.m., which will feature three sessions highlighting Stephen Ministry.

Is your congregation committed to lay ministry and caring ministry? Would 10 or 20 trained caregivers make a difference at your church? Experience a sample of the training Stephen Ministers receive, such as “Ministering to Those Experiencing Grief” and “How to Care in a Distinctively Christian Way.” Learn why more than 9,000 congregations representing more than 100 Christian denominations use the Stephen Series for training and organizing laypeople to do one-to-one caring ministry.

The cost of this workshop is $15 per person or $50 for a group of four or more from the same congregation. Put together a group from your congregation to attend this outstanding workshop. For more information or to register for this half-day Caring Ministry Workshop, call Stephen Ministries at (314) 428-2600 or click here to register online.

Praying for Jerusalem

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 12:32:00 +0000

DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

The International Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, instituted with the endorsement of hundreds of Christian leaders from around the world, representing tens of millions of Christians, will be held annually on the first Sunday of every October, until the coming of Messiah. Our call is for sustained, fervent, informed global intercession for the plans and purposes of God for Jerusalem and all her people. This global grassroots prayer initiative coincides with the season of Yom Kippur, and for the first time in Church history, makes an effort at linking the Christian liturgical calendar with the Biblical, Jewish calendar.

On October 7th, this coming Sunday, thousands of worshipers from around the world will be lifting up their voices in prayer on behalf of Israel as they pray for the Peace of Jerusalem according to the scriptural mandate given in Psalm 122: 6–9: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

Would you consider taking a few minutes during your Sunday morning service to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and all its inhabitants? For further information, please contact Diane Beaudoin, Rochester Coordinator for the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

Embracing Options Banquet

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:11:00 +0000

Embracing Options of His Branches, Inc.

cordially extends an invitation to our
first Annual Fundraising Banquet

Please join us for an evening
of food, fellowship and
celebration of our Lord's guidance
and provision over the past year.

Thursday evening, October 11th, 2007 at

New Life Fellowship
330 Wellington Avenue
Rochester, NY 14619

Dinner & program with special guest speaker:

Pastor Mark Mills
from Glory to Glory Fellowship

from 6:00 pm 'til 8:00 pm

Tickets are $35. RSVP by October 6th
to Sandi Clawson

Entrepreneurship Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 12:32:00 +0000

On Wednesday, October 10th from 3-5 pm His Branches will host a workshop sponsored by Rochester Youth Year and led by Bob Tobin, Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the University of Rochester’s Center for Entrepreneurship, titled “An Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship.” We've been chosen as hosts through Jessica Speares, our full-time RYY worker.

As Bob describes it:
“A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change. Whereas business entrepreneurs typically measure performance in profit and return, social entrepreneurs assess their success in terms of the impact they have on society.”

Space is limited and advance registration is required. Click here to view a program flyer. For registration or more information contact Sam Nichols, RYY Program Coordinator at (585) 275-5957.

19th Ward House Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Bill) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 12:15:00 +0000

The 19th Ward Community Association's thirty-second House Tour will take place on Saturday, October 6 from noon to 5 pm. This year's Tour will feature seven fabulous houses, including the home of Dr. Bill and Susan Morehouse, St. Monica's School, and the Pioneer Cemetery. As usual, the tour will highlight diverse architectural styles and decors. Gracious homeowners include singles, families and extended families, all eager to share their love of their homes and the neighborhood. Tickets cost $10 with a $2/ticket discount for Association members purchasing tickets at the Association office. Tickets are also available (at full price) at Hunt's Hardware, The Creator's Hands, Parkleigh, and at all Wegman's locations (Wegman's sells vouchers which must be redeemed for a ticket book at the Office on or before the tour).

Discussions with tour-goers in prior years reveals several reasons people take our tour - curiosity about the "old neighborhood" where they or their parents grew up, prospective homeowners interested in learning what it is like to live in the 19th Ward, and searching for decorating/renovating ideas.

Click here to read the description of the Morehouse's home published in the House Tour guide.