THANK YOU TO 23 Families (some known and others anonymous) who have dropped off their eggs &/or money for EGGS! If you've committed to them please drop them off before April 9th! If you haven't filled them up yet, everyone is saying to buy them at Big Lots or Wal Mart for the cheapest! If you are just hearing about the egg hunt, it's April 15th and it's for hundreds of kids living on the westside of Santa Rosa in what has been deemed the "most dangerous" place in the city. It will be held at Comstock Middle School and we need thousands of plastic eggs filled up! Our living room is full of thousands of eggs! How fun is that? We only need 20 more families to fulfill their commitment (we had 43!)and we should have near 10,000 eggs! WOOHOO! But we really need you to follow through~ Considering the fliers went out last night to 250 families about the egg hunt on the 15th! Thanks to Lisa & Jim luvarekids@aol.com for getting the pancake breakfast figured out, Mike & Angie hopesr@sonic.net for getting UTURN to hide the eggs and Nick for giving the message, the Bennetts for promising a jump house and Hope West for the portable sound system, Liz and Shayne on worship and Naomi on prize baskets... Streetwise Ministry www.streetwiseministry.com (Bobby and Dot Chance) for their generous contribution and RAVEN Ministries www.BigGrace.com (Pastor Troy Bohn) for starting off the donations w/ a very generous donation! Also, thank you to Maddie and Cece Gonzalez, Jenna and Connor Schumacher, Alex Canepa, Samantha Rasore, Glory Upchurch and Alondra who came to fill 1500 eggs Wednesday night (!) and Kelly Marshall who filled over 1,000~ thank you to the UGO4GOD girls who filled over 1,000 too... only about 3,000 more to fill! WOOHOO! Naomi, I'm with you...it's not crazy...it's fun! There is a place for all of you on Saturday, April 15th to GO4GOD! The eggs are just a sideshow~ let's bring JESUS to the most "revived" part of town! Wear RAVEN color (BLACK) and just show up w/ a servant's heart at 7am-10am on the 15th~ God Bless you ALL!
Friday, March 31, 2006
REACH OUT SPRING SCHEDULE
Papago Ct./ Apple Valley/ Guerneville/ HOPE4HOMELESS/ ugo4god girls
Please contact: Lori gonzofamily5@aol.com for Papago/Apple Valley/ugo4god girls
Tonie quigstuff@comcast.net for Guerneville Outreach
Brian bennettspainting@worldnet.att.net for Hope4Homeless Outreach
Thursday, April 6 4:30-5:15 Load Groceries Hope West (all ages)
5:15-6:30 Outreach in Papago/Apple Valley
7:00 pm Guerneville Outreach
Saturday, April 8 4-6 pm UGO4GOD Girls (all ages)
Meet at Hope West
Studying PEACE &
Makin Change4GOD
Wednesday, April 12 9-11 am Food Bank Shopping (no child under 12)
Thursday, April 13 9-11 am Pack Groceries at Hope West (all ages!)
4:30-5:15 Load Groceries at Hope West (all ages!)
5:15-6:30 Outreach in Papago/Apple Valley
7:00 pm Guerneville Outreach
Saturday, April 15 6:45-7 am Meet at Comstock Middle School Fields
All ages wear RAVEN black on top!
DO NOT wear red or blue! Jeans ok!
8-9 am Families enjoy pancake breakfast/ worship/message/egg hunt
10 am DONE!
Saturday, April 22 4-6 pm UGO4GOD Girls (all ages)
Meet at Hope West
Studying PEACE &
Makin Change4GOD
Wednesday, April 26 9-11 am Food Bank Shopping (no child under 12)
Thursday, April 27 9-11 am Pack Groceries at Hope West (all ages!)
4:30-5:15 Load Groceries Hope West (all ages!)
5:15-6:30 Outreach in Papago/Apple Valley
7:00 pm Guerneville Outreach
Saturday, April 29 11:00 Meet at Hope West for Street Church in
12:00 noon Papago Ct please wear RAVEN black DO NOT wear red or blue (jeans ok)
bring any salad/side dish/dessert Costco sized & case of water/soda
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Guerneville Outreach update
THURSDAY RAVEN TEAM
A big shout out to GOD! Over 10,000 lbs of food~ for $350! 500 bags of groceries with fresh meat, produce, cereal, bread plus palletes of milk, cottage cheese, snapple cases and potatoes to be delivered to 250 + families~ will you come see what the Lord has done? Have you ever had to see to believe? Come! Come see what the Lord is doing~ we can't (without HIM) do great things~ but with HIM He is turning our humble offering into SO MUCH FOOD! Please come to the church at Hope West today and be a part of the RAVEN team GOING4GOD to Apple Valley and Papago Ct. It's California freezing outside (really Terry Schuff and Pastor Troy, it's for real cold today) and there will be children and mothers waiting for some prayer and food outside! Rudy's in the Philippines and he needs you to come out because he'd rather be on Papago tonight! If for any other reason, come see what the Lord hath done! 4:30 pm~ 5:15 pm at Hope West then over to hand out! If you have a covered suv or any truck (we have tarps) please bring it~ we need lots of trucks tonight! Please DO NOT wear red or blue~ WEAR RAVEN BLACK!!!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
RAVEN
Raven Rescue: Mexico Church BuildPastor Troy D. BohnMar 27, 2006
RAVEN Ministries has long worked in both the spiritual and practical side of ministry since its earliest stages. From operating the Jesus Cafe' where we provided hot, sit-down meals for approximately 250 homeless men, women and children to our annual Thanksgiving Outreach and Food Distribution that saw 1200 a year take home all the things necessary to provide a full-blown holiday meal for their family to Hurricane Relief and Raven Street Church.
Jesus said in the be-attitudes that "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Mercy is just not some idea, or philosophical expression---mercy is REAL-LIFE! Mercy is not a "pat on the back" and a "you're okay and I'm okay" thing that comes without effort or for that matter, a price!
To the hungry, mercy is something to eat. To the homeless, mercy is a place to sleep. To those held captive by sin, mercy is deliverance. Mercy is us being His hands and feet.
Last year we joined with Streetwise Ministry (www.streetwiseministry.com) to reach into Tijuana, Mexico. We helped enlarge a church there and assist the pastor in ministry to the community. Our work and support there will continue.
This year, in addition to Ti juana, Mexico on the west side of the nation-- we will be adding a ministry project/opportunity to Juarez, Mexico- just across the Texas border from El Paso.
I spoke with Pastor David Roberson, the director of Casas por Cristo (www.casasporcristo.org) this past weekend about the tremendous need and awesome opportunities to take the MERCY and MESSAGE of the Lord Jesus Christ into this deserate place.
Our goal is to build an ENTIRE CHURCH in Juarez, Mexico in the early fall of this year. We will need to raise approximately $10,000 to finance the construction and associated costs of this project. We will be drawing from a skilled labor force of ministry volunteers in Texas, New Mexico and other surrounding areas to turn-key and dedicate this project to a local pastor in about FOUR DAYS of construction!
We obviously need YOUR help. Raven Ministries International is already set up to send monthly support to the ongoing ministry of Casas por Cristos in addition to the church build project. We believe in what they and Pastor David are doing there and their heart to reach people for the Lord Jesus Christ.
I told Pastor David that I would immediately began raising the necessary finances to build the church and would get with him on a specific date when 1/2 ($5,000) had been raised. I'm am believing God that ALL the needed funds will be recieved by June and that we can schedule the build for sometime in October.
I have already been on the telephone with an electrician, and a couple of framers who have committed to come assist in the project (many of you know that I operated a drywall business for several years early on in my ministry--and you'll see me there hanging sheetrock too!).
LET's GET MOVING on this soon and nail down a date for the build so those wanting to join us can make plans (and hopefully that will include YOU too!). What would be TOTALLY AWESOME would be if we could not only raise the funds to build the CHURCH, but also an additional $5,600 to build a house to go along with it!
Here's what needs to be done:
1. PRAY. When things start in prayer, they end in victory! Pray for people to give. Pray for help on the build. Pray against the attempts of the enemy to derail this work.
2. GIVE. "Faith without works is dead." Put some substance (money) to your support. Melanie and I are personally giving the first $100 towards the project TODAY---so the need has already went down to just $9,900 in just a few minutes. I am believing that we are going to see a rapid multiplication in a short amount of time!
3. HELP. Maybe our annual "Mardi Gras Outreach" seem s too much for you. How about coming and getting your hands dirty for Jesus? We will be doing the construction project AND setting up to prepare FREE hot meals for the community and doing daily and evening ministry there to the locals as well. There is a place just right for you!
You can give your financial support one of two ways:
Go to our ministry website at www.BigGrace.com and click on the "Make A Donation" button and give your donation through PayPal (credit card, electronic check, etc.) or you can send your check to:
Raven Ministries - Mexico Build
P.O. Box 113196
Metairie, LA 70011
Blessings,
Pastor Troy D. Bohn
"When you SEE IT like JESUS saw it...then you will DO IT like JESUS did it!"
VBS Craft Needs~ C'mon, who's "called" to shop?
VBS Craft Needs (Those in green have already been promised!)
contact jennie@kkcabin.net or junecleever5@aol.com from Hope West if you're in to buying any of these before June! C'mon!
Construction Paper
Craft Wiggle Eyes (Small & large)
Hole punch 3
Children’s scissors (20)
Cardstock: Green 50 sheets
Light Blue 50 sheets
Dark Blue 50 sheets
Various other colors
Craft Glue 4 bottles
Craft Cement 4 bottles
Packing Tape (clear) 2 rolls
Glue sticks 50
Green Tissue paper at least 50 sheets
Heavy Duty Paper Bowls 50
Medium width paint brushes or sponges for glue 20
Small Empty Butter Containers 25
Yogurt Containers w/lids 50
Newspaper
Empty water bottles with labels removed 100
Aquarium gravel (any color) ½ cup per child (enough for 100 kids)
Plain colored (inexpensive) aquarium gravel to fill bean bags
Small craft pearls
1 bag green mylar
Colored electrical tape (No black)
Craft Foam: All colors (definitely some yellow)
Red felt 100 sheets
Foam fish 150 pcs
Small Sea shells 150 pcs
Tropical/Ocean scene fabric cut into 15”x18” 50pcs
11x14 cardboard sheets 50 (Like the bottom of the cases of water or soda please save!)
7” Colored Rubber bands 100
Bright colored Fabric Paints
Thumb tacks 300
Legal sized Manila Folders 30
Cotton Balls 10 Bags
1” Angel stickers 50
Fine grit sand paper Gray 25 sheets
Fine tip markers
Black Markers
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Invisible Children
Dear Friends & Family!Sunday night I got the opportunity to see an amazing film for the secondtime. The film is called "Invisible Children." It was made by three youngmen who left for an adventure in Africa the same day the war with Iraqbegan. They weren't sure exactly what story they would come back with, butthey knew they were entering dangerous territory. Initially they wanted toget into Southern Sudan, but ended up documenting children in Uganda whohave been deeply impacted by the Ugandan war.Let me share my paraphrase of the situation there and what these youngfilmmakers documented. Each night thousands of children walk into the citiesto sleep under verandas, in hospitals, anywhere they feel safe from theLord's Resistance Army (LRA) which has made a habit of abducting children tobrainwash and train into warriors, to abduct more children, etc and opposethe government. The founder Alice Lakwena, and the current leader, JosephKony, of the LRA claim to be led by a spirit and use witchcraft andintimidation as they lead their soldiers. Children as young as 5 are dailyexposed to brutal killings in order to desensitize them and mold them intochild soldiers.One boy, Jacob, in the film said this: "I have nothing. I don't even have a blanket. We don't haveanything to do with food. Maybe we can eat once a day...so it is better whenyou kill us. And if possible, you can kill us, kill us. For us, we don'twant now to stay. ...no one taking care of us. We are not going toschool..." Jacob and his brother escaped from the LRA after their olderbrother was killed.I first viewed this film, with some girls from my church about a year ago.Afterwards, we all just sat their and asked, "What can we do about this?"Children's lives are much too precious to just ignore. The filmmakers havesince formed a non-profit organization devoted to making the public aware ofthis situation and taking whatever steps they can to stop it. See, theAmerican government knows about this situation, but when the filmmakers wentto Washington to ask what they are doing about it, they were told that theyneeded to see the American people take an interest in the troubles inUganda. You should check out their website to find out more:www.invisiblechildren.com.My friend, Kara, works for Invisible Children in San Diego, and is sendingme a few copies of the DVD to share with people I know. I am hoping to showthe film to whoever would like to see it within the next few weeks. Besides donating money (which is of course a great thing to do), one way Iam planning to support Invisible Children, is in taking part in their"Global Commute Night." On April 29th, in 136 cities all across the countryand a few in other countries, people are taking to the streets and doingjust what the children of Uganda do every night, walking from their home toa safe-place, where they can sleep for the night, without fear of beingabducted. I'm heading to San Francisco (the location hasn't beensolidified-but Union Square is what they think) that night. Will you join?I know my few paragraphs can't even begin to describe the impact this filmhas made on me and so many others. I hope you will visit their website andthat you will have the opportunity to view the film as well. It is trulyheart-changing.I love you all, and I thank God for the protection he has provided me eachnight.Love,Liz
help4liz
Hey Friends!
Would any of y’all be able to help me, for a bit tomorrow and/or Thursday between 9 and 4 at the office? I need help preparing 600 letters to mail for Easter. Anybody able to help? I just need to know when you are coming and how long you can stay. I would appreciate it so much. I might even give you candy.
Thanks.
Liz Jones
Secretary
Hope Chapel
Phone: 707-539-4673
Fax: 707-539-4676
E-mail: hopesr@sonic.net
Website: www.hopechapel-sr.org
VBS Volunteers Needed!
Hope West and Hope East need Vacation Bible School Volunteers! If you are interested in bringing JESUS to the children of Santa Rosa please consider contacting Terry Clifford junecleever5@aol.com and/or Pam Gandy via Hope Chapel hopesr@sonic.net There is an informational meeting this Sunday at 6:30pm at Hope West~ Children's Ministry Leader Jennie will be there jennie@kkcabin.net to answer any questions! Here is what I know about VBS this summer: I want to help reach the children of Santa Rosa w/ JESUS! I am willing to commit to rallying up people to get there and children to get there! I will be leaving for a missions trip to the Yucatan on June 23~ Jennie and Terry have agreed that Hope West's VBS will be on: June 19-23 meaning, if you are available to help 3-5 days (Mon-Fri, Mon-Wed or Wed-Fri) of that week please do! I will be there Mon-Wed for sure! Registration for teachers/volunteers begins this Sunday. Background checks will be performed so we need to know who's in! Hope West is opening up VBS to the children of Papago Ct, Apple Valley and their surrounding neighborhood (Schaefer Elementary neighbors)~ they are hoping to have transportation people, worship people, craft people, hospitality people, film/video people, snack people... any help needed! There is a lot you can do to contribute w/o actually "teaching" in the upcoming weeks!(shopping, photocopying, donating supplies, money, time, burning cds,photography, translating into Eritreian/Spanish and PRAYER) so please help these women bring JESUS to hundreds of kids throughout the city this summer! I am not sure of the time/dates and details of either Hope Chapel's VBS programs~ I encourage you to blog it here (what you know) and contact the leaders! No need for everyone to go to the Yucatan this summer or Cambodia to bring the gospel~ PLENTY of children in Sonoma County need it too! Please be a part of the revival that is happening for JESUS! Get behind Terry, Pam and Jennie! There will be information handed out about VBS to all the children at the Easter Egg Hunt on the 15th~ please consider helping Jennie and Terry with registering kids that day! Come to UGO4GOD girls (homegroup for girls of any age April 8 & 22) and hear more about upcoming events like VBS, Human Race, etc~ where you can help children grow closer to God! Any questions please email Lori at Lori@UGO4GOD.com or gonzofamily5@aol.com GO4GOD!!! Dear Jesus, I thank you that there are women who are committed right here in Santa Rosa to bring the gospel to the children of Santa Rosa~ I lift them all up to you Lord and I ask that their burden be light in finding willing mothers, fathers, men, women, teens and children to help them~ I thank you JESUS that you alone can stir up people to do your work~ that there is joy found in serving you~ and I ask that you would use my family, myself and my friends to be your hands and feet. Together, Jesus, I believe you can equip a team of us to do great things for you~ so I ask that you would use this website, use emails, use our voices to get servants to GO4GOD today, tomorrow and this summer! I come to you Lord not knowing the details but with expectancy knowing you alone can do GREAT things! Holy Spirit MOVE! AMEN.
Monday, March 27, 2006
SF Chronicle Battlecry
SAN FRANCISCO Evangelical Christian concert draws 25,000 Teens flock to hear rock 'n' roll that eschews sex, drugs
Janine DeFao, Chronicle Staff Writer
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More than 25,000 teens converged on San Francisco's AT&T Park on a windswept Saturday for a daylong rock concert -- with none of the sex and drugs that go hand in hand with rock 'n' roll.
Kids screamed and swooned while smoke poured from the stage and electric guitars screeched. But the lyrics could have been ripped from a hymnal, and one rocker actually took a break to read from the Bible.
It was part of "Battle Cry For A Generation," an event to encourage evangelical Christian youth to fight back against a pervasive popular culture they say promotes sex, violence, drugs and alcohol. While anything-goes San Francisco may seem an odd place for a Christian youth rally, organizers said they have a great deal of support in Northern California. Similar events drew 7,000 youth to the Cow Palace three years ago and 9,000 to Sacramento's Arco Arena last year.
"We're in the middle of a spiritual battle but also in the middle of a cultural war," BattleCry leader Ron Luce, a Concord native who runs the Texas-based Christian group Teen Mania, told the crowd. "Your generation is being pounded with sexual messages. ... All the messages being sent through the movies, the Internet, point-and-click pornography. It's literally destroying your generation."
Nathanael Ramos, a 14-year-old Roseville (Placer County) freshman, admitted he does watch MTV, which Luce's organization says features nine sexual scenes and almost as many "unbleeped" profanities each hour.
But Ramos vowed to stop.
"It really isn't helping me out," he said. "I'm going to start watching better stations He (God) would want me to watch."
Lacey Runik of Cameron Park (El Dorado County) said she was initially drawn to the event to see some of the top Christian rock and rap acts including tobyMac and Jeremy Camp. But being surrounded by Christian peers and hearing BattleCry's message caused her to have a revelation.
Dressed head to toe in black, with dark eyeliner and a studded belt, the 13-year-old seventh-grader said she even plans to change the way she dresses.
"This isn't me. This is the way people want me to be," Runik said. "I gave in to this look."
The teens were greeted Friday at a kick-off rally at City Hall by an official city condemnation and protesters who called them anti-gay, anti-choice and intolerant. Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, suggested they "get out of San Francisco."
While youth did travel from throughout the Western United States for the two-day event, which cost $55, Leno may have been surprised how many live in the Bay Area, and even in the city itself.
No protesters were on hand Saturday, and the vibe was not one of condemnation, but of celebrating the fact that it can be cool to be Christian.
Crystal Lee, 14, a freshman at San Francisco's School of the Arts, said she wanted to be surrounded by the "incredible energy" of like-minded believers.
She was especially buoyed by the abstinence message of Lakita Garth, a 36-year-old former Miss Black California, who lost her virginity only after she got married seven months ago.
"Do you know what I do means? It means I do you, you do me, and we don't do nobody else," Garth told the appreciative crowd, peppering her talk with scared-straight statistics on teen sex and warnings that condoms don't prevent all sexually transmitted diseases.
Lee, herself a virgin, said casual sex at her school is rampant, with girls trading oral sex for CD players or even car rides.
"Already, half our class has lost our virginity," she said. "It's scary."
She said some of her friends are influenced by "rap, hip-hop and the booty shakers on MTV."
MTV isn't BattleCry's only enemy. The group says teens see 14,000 sexual scenes and 10,000 violent ones on TV each year. Ninety percent of 8- to 16-year-olds have seen pornography online, and many are exposed to violence and sex in video games, they say.
While Saturday's event -- which will be repeated in Detroit and Philadelphia -- was largely preaching to a choir of already converted Christians, BattleCry, and the teens themselves, have plans to spread their message.
Saturday night, Luce unveiled a new battlecry.com, which he called "My Space with God in the middle." Teens and youth organizers also plan to return to BattleCry cities this summer for service and other activities.
In addition, some 2,500 teens answered Luce's call to go on missions this summer to spread Christianity. They circled the Giants' playing field while the crowd raised their arms to pray over them, and then plunked more than $90,000 into passed buckets, with the proceeds counted on the spot.
Patrick Himenes, 18, of Fremont, said he was willing to take a break from a summer of houseboating and hanging out to join the crusade.
"I want to make a difference," said Himenes, sporting a black T-shirt reading, "The devil's a pimp. Don't be his ho."
Later, Emilio Bustos, 18, swayed and sang along with Jeremy Camp, his arms raised and eyes closed.
"This is Generation Y -- why bother?" said the high school senior and youth leader from Iglesia De Dios in Hayward. "The desire I have is creating a youth that is no longer apathetic about life. The only way to do that is through God."
street church april 15th~ not this saturday!
Hi y'all! Street Church for April will be an amazingly great time for you and your family to come and share the love of JESUS! If you weren't able to go to TJ Mexico and deliver the 1500 toys w/ Streetwise Minstry for Christmas~ come out to Santa Rosa (!) and watch the kids hunt for thousands upon thousands of eggs for Easter! We're collecting eggs and candy and $ to have a pancake breakfast, worship, message, jump house and most importantly will be sharing the gospel of JESUS to hundreds of families here in Santa Rosa! For all of you die-hard ugo4goders, streetwisers, ravens...you know who...we aren't having street church this Saturday eventhough it's usually the 1st saturday of the month! We need to change that for April and May~ April's Street Church will be the Saturday Easter Egg Hunt/Pancake Breakfast/Service 7am-10am (come hide eggs, set up, face paint, worship, etc)~ meet at Comstock Middle School/Northwest Community Park early Saturday morning~ WEAR A BLACK T SHIRT OR SWEATSHIRT>>>no red or blue!!! Contact Lisa Broyles luvarekids@aol.com for more information or Lori Gonzalez gonzofamily5@aol.com And this Saturday, April 1st, instead of Street Church, come to Hope East and bring your work gloves to beautify the campus! Contact Hope Chapel for more info hopesr@sonic.net AND...Prison ministry in Fresno and Men's Camp is the first weekend in May~ so contact asimms@vom.com to be a part of the weekend prison minstry (you need to register even if you might not go by this wednesday) or Hope Chapel for the Men's Camp hopesr@sonic.net GO4GOD!!!
Opportunities!
This is the day the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it! Will you? Are you looking at today as the day the Lord made just for you? Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, rejoice and be glad in it! No, life isn't fair! It's not easy~but there is joy to be found! On this day! The joy of the Lord, Jesus Christ! Who sits at the right hand of the Father and receives our prayers! So many opportunities today! If you are reading this blog, thank JESUS for your ability to read! To be able to communicate with others the love of JESUS! I was instant messaging my friend this morning and realized that we pray together a lot through instant messaging~ have you tried it? Who's your friend online that you never see? Do you ever send them a prayer? Lift them up! Where's your blog? What's going on w/ your life and your relationship with Jesus? I wanna hear it! I've been thinking a lot about opportunities. That the pastors at Hope Chapel in Santa Rosa sure do create a lot of opportunities to get closer to God~ they have homegroups, church on Saturday, church on Sunday, worship nights on Wednesdays, Bible studies, youth groups, discipliship groups, mens camp, women retreats, missions, so many opportunities! And I wonder, what is it going to take for 94% of California to get closer to God? Because these Pastors and ministry leaders, many of them have 40 hour a week jobs on top of what they do for the church! These things they do for the glory of God are reaching 6% of California~ so how can we, "church going" Christians hold up their hands and help them out to reach the rest of the population? Do you know? Listen to them! Pray for them! Help them! Forgive them! Love them! How many times in your life have you gone to church and said you didn't like the Pastor so you turned away from God? How many times have you gone to church and said you liked it but don't know Jesus? Really, know Jesus? I was talking w/ Rudy and thinking out loud about how do we help change the perception of "church going" Christians those who know Jesus... change the perception of ministry isn't something we "do" on Sundays, or at bible study, or youth group, or outreach...it's who we "are." Because often times people will say to me, Lori, how do you do it? How do you do ministry and mothering...and I say back, "how do you not?" I don't do very much for Jesus. I fail repeatedly at what I am called to do. I used to battle with Rudy about him spending so much time w/ missions and church. I hate to admit that. I hate to admit that I wanted more from him for myself rather than wanting him to give of himself to the Lord. I prayed a lot about it because it hurt our marriage. "Get behind me Satan!" How subtle it was~ that I saw Rudy growing so close to God as a bad thing because it took away from ME. Ever been there? Well, I still go there but not as much... I've learned that there is more joy in this marriage when we have both submitted to the Lord~ more time together~ more blessings when I put myself aside~ sure, I miss him but how cool is it to be married to man who loves JESUS so much? Teri Bennett and I actually got to see firsthand at the Mardi Gras Outreach our husbands in worship for hours...and what a blessing... so for those of you out there who get mad at your husband for serving God...DON'T. Just start praying about it... don't be the one thing that discourages your husband or child from serving and drawing closer to God! The world as it is, 94% of California (!) doesn't know JESUS! 94%! Those closest to you don't need you to be the one thing that keeps them from knowing God better! The pastors can't do it all! They need (I think) your commitment to love others and love God! It's not enough if we just go about our days and nights letting them love others and love God! There are just too many people out there who need love! I dare you, actually dare you to instead of having an attitude of being "mad" at them (your husbands or pastors or friends who you think are Jesus freaks), JOIN THEM. It's really the best thing I've ever done. It's better for my marriage, my children, myself and most importantly, I've never felt closer to God in my entire life. I can't do great things for God. But with God, all things are possible.
GOING4GOD today across the world
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you that you know just where Rudy and Chris are at this very moment as they are in air, across the oceans, heading to the Philippines. I thank you that your promise is to go before them, protect them, open their minds and hearts to see your glory~ Thank you that you will not forsake them, give them boldness to witness all for your glory~ thank you for opportunities, Jesus, thank you for your abundant love. AMEN.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
this was battlecry friday night in the rain. the altar call was amazing. thousands of kids coming to the Lord. amen
VIDEO_00008.mp4
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Friday, March 24, 2006
DO SOMETHING by RAVEN Pastor Troy
* If the picture did not post, go to http://ravenoutreach.blogspot.com/ to see it.
This picture was taken by photographer, Kevin Carter, in 1994 and won a Pulitzer Prize. The picture depicts a famine stricken child crawling towards a United Nations food camp located just under a mile away. The vulture was waiting for the child to die, so that he could eat it. The world was shocked when it saw this picture. No one knows the outcome of this situation (including Kevin Carter, who left the scene immediately after taking the picture.) Carter committed suicide three months later after suffering severe depression.
When my wife, Melanie, called me over to her computer to look at this picture and read the above caption, the same thought immediately came to our minds. "This is exactly what many in the church are doing today!"
How could this man see this child literally "crawling for his life" and merely snap a picture and leave the scene? How could you reconcile in your heart that it would be okay for this emaciated little child to fend for itself in the face of starvation and the threat of being eaten by a vulture and just going about his own business?
Did he reason to himself; "I am not here to feed or resuce people, that is someone else's job, responsibility or gifting." or "If it is meant to be, then the child will make it to the food camp." or simply, "There are so many in this condition, what I could do would not have any great impact."
I wonder if he had to ask himself te same question afterwards? Was the realization that he could have done something the thing that pushed him over the edge and caused him to take his own life? Did the guilt of seeing the child about to die and just walking away plague him to the degree that he could not cope any further?
What about you? How many salvation starved people do you casually pass on a daily basis as they struggle to find the only spiritual food that can keep them from dying and going to hell (Jesus)? How many people have passed by as the vulture of this world (Satan) waits to pounce on their fallen, starving souls and you just walk on by without lifting a finger to help?
Do you ever say that winning the lost is the responsibility of someone else? Do you say that your job (or gift) is doing something other than rescuing the lost and dying as they struggle in their sin. Maybe you have been called to do something a little less intense (like just take pictures of the problem).
On every street, in every shopping mall, school, and place of business, there are multitudes just like this starving, dying child needing you to do something MORE than just gaze at their situation. They need YOU to chase off the vultures of death, hell and destruction and carry them (if you must) to the only place that they can be fed (the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ).
If you don't...you have already committed spiritual suicide. Do you thing that the parent of this child would look at the Pulitzer Prize winning photograph and say, "Well done!"
Neither will God, the Father.
Ezekekiel 3:1818 When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood."
Thursday, March 23, 2006
FW: Please Pray for These Young Men
From: "Raven Ministries" <ravenmail@cox.net>
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To: <mshanclan@hotmail.com>
Subject: Please Pray for These Young Men
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2006 14:18:08 -0500
Raven Ministries
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Please Pray for These Young Men
Pastor Troy D. Bohn
Mar 23, 2006Sometimes the conversation on the street goes much deeper and involves a great more than what some would consider basic-evangelism. Because I have spent 90% of my ministry as a "pastor", I tend to evangelize from a pastoral perspective. This has served me well in two ways:
First, it has provided me the the persepective necessary for the "Church" to incorporate a soul-winning mentality into the the everyday life of the Body. Since, I planted and built churches I know that their must (and is) a practical way for church leaders to equip and release their body into "the work of the ministry" in their own neighborhoods and communities--as well as getting involved im mission work (both a home and abroad).This pastoral experience and "flavor" has also enabled me to visit and minister in many churches and many different denominations--because I know the challenges that pastors have in regards to both the equipping and releasing of the saints of God in evangelistic endeavors.Secondly, my experience (calling, gifting, or whatever one would term it), has allowed me to move beyond the sometimes superficial "get em saved and get em outta the way" mentality that has often stereotyped evanhelism and evangelistic minitries. I see people not just from the "fishermans" vantage point, but also from that of the & quot;shepherd" as well.
Having said that, I thought I would "introduce" you to two young men that I had the chance to minister to at length the other night. I'll call them "Tom" and "Bill" in this forum.
While these two young men may at first glance seem very different, when one looks beyond the surface elements of race and culture--you'll find two young men who are very much alike.
"Tom" the African-American young man was standing in front of a local club on Bourbon St the other evening when I approached him. I asked him, "Hey, what are you waiting for?" He looked somewhat puzzed and said, "What do you mean?" I replied, "Well, I have seen you standing in that same place the past 15 minutes and I thought you might be waiting for the same thing that I am." To which he relied, "What's that?"
I said, "Man, I am waiting for Jesus to come back!"
I then h ad the blessed opprotunity to talk and minister to this young man for the next 30-40 minutes there on the sidewalk. I found out that he was 22 years old and was a "Katrina Survivor." He and his family actually had to make (5) moves before they could find high enough ground to escape the floodwaters. He grew up in a local housing project but now had the opportunity to get out.
We spoke and he shared his dreams and desires about attending a Junior College in Southern California this coming fall and having the opportunity to realize another dream: to play college basketball. I prayed with him and he acknowledge his need to get back to where he needed to be with Jesus--then I asked him if we could take our picture together.
I told him as I showed him the picture above on the small screen of my digital camera, "One day, you and I are going to be standing center court in either a basketball arena, a stadium, or a church full of struggling inner-city kids and I am going to have the picture falshed on the Jumbo-Tron and tell those kids that "Tom" is proof positive that Jesus is still in the life changing business and you are going to share the testimoy of how Jesus met you right where you were on Bourbon Street one night and then you are going to share the same Gospel with them!
His face lit up and he began to see it in his own heart. Pray for him, that he will see the fulfillment of the destiny that God has for this young man.
The other young man, "Bill" was just (4) days from his second deployment to the Middle East. At first he was speaking with another of our team and they called me over to "hand off" this hard case to! (Thanks)
In fact though, he wasn't really hard, he was just working to keep the last bit of sanity and courage that he could--knowing that in just a few days he would be back in harm's way and away from the friends and family that he had enjoyed spending t ime with during this leave.
He too was a young man in his early 20's. You could see the grit and determination in his eyes that is often evident in those shapen for battle by the US Military. (A trait that should be in the eyes of those shapen by the Word of God and the passion of the Holy Spirit as well).
As we spoke, he at first sought to justify his evenings behavior (drinking, fornication, etc) but you could see that he was just grasping at straws. Even as the girl he was with tugged at his arm and gave us both dirty looks--he just couldn't find it in himself to walk away.
He offered excuse after excuse and justification after justification for his actions. He said to me, "I have gone to church much of my life and what you are telling me is so different than what other pastors have said. Are you saying they were all LYING to me?"
I told him, "I don't know what they told you. I don't know if you heard them right. All I know is what t he Word of God says and that is the standard by which all of us must one day stand before Jesus on."
He said, "Man your tough! You need to be debating Bill O'Reily of something." I told him, "No, I am not tough, I just love you enough not to want to see you go back to a place where you could possibly die--without first having the opportunity to hear the truth of God's Word."
With that he allowed me to pray for him and then walked over to my brother who had previously been talking with him and shook his hand and allowed him to pray for him too."
Please keep both of these young men in your prayers. The enemy desires to steal, kill and destroy their lives in different (but the same) way--but Jesus came that they might have life andlife more abundantly!
Let's Get Busy
Isaiah 61:1-6 says, �The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anoin ted me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.�
This is a word that the Spirit has greatly impressed upon my heart as the rally call. I believe that we have an opportunity for new beginnings, realized promises and manifest miracles in many lives!
Consider this: When Jesus launched into His public ministry as recorded in Luke 4:18; it says that Jesus begin to teach in the synagogues and that on this occasion the Book of the Prophet Isaiah was handed to Him and He read from this portion of scripture.
From this point forward, there were things that characterized the message and ministry of our Lord and Savior. He spoke the Word in power, authority and in boldness and He moved in mighty miracles that served to confirm His Gospel.
I believe that God has been speaking to my heart that this year will truly be a breakout year for REVIVAL across this nation and beyond and all who would dare believe!
Jesus said in John 14:12, �...I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and gre ater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.�
What were these works that He did? I believe we are given the basis for them right in Isaiah 61:1-6: He has �anointed� (or set aside for service) me to:
Preach - Bind up - Proclaim
Release - Comfort - Provide
Rebuild - Restore!
This is quite a spiritual laundry list in regards to the things that He has destined for us! They should serve as the description of what our personal and corporate ministries should reflect and be characterized by in this fresh opportunity!
Why should this time be any different that any other? There is really only one necessary reason to expect it: The returning of the Lord Jesus is nearer now than ever before in history!
We are primed for REVIVAL! Look at the headlines of recent years:
�Tsunami Claims 150,000 Lives�
�Dozens Die in Bomb Attack�
�Hurricanes destroy G ulf South�
�Same-Sex Marriages Legalized In Several States�
�Catholic Church Rocked By Sexual-Abuse Scandals�
"War lingers on in Iraq"
These are just a few of the headlines that have been blazed across this nations newspapers in the past couple of years. Something is happening unlike anything and at anytime. There are birth pangs reverberating throughout the world. It is time for a move of God to return the Church to it true place and back to the true heart and purpose that Jesus died for!
Consider just how relevant the words of Charles Finney, great evangelist of the second Great Awakening, are today (almost 200 years later!)
�When there is a lack of brotherly love and Christian confidence among believers, then revival is needed. Then there is a loud call for God to revive His work. Expect a revival when there are dissentions, jealousies, and evil rumors�These things show that Chris tians have grown far away from God. Revival is needed when there is a worldly spirit in the church. The church has sunk into a low and backslidden state when you see Christians conform to the world in dress, parties, seeking worldly amusement and reading filthy novels. When the church finds its member falling into gross and scandalous sin, then it is time to wake up and cry to God for a REVIVAL��
This could just as easily be a description of the modern church as it was of the churches contemporary to Mr. Finney (1800�s).
Divisions, bitterness, worldliness, scandal and immorality have run rampant through the professing church.
Many pastors, fearing that they may lose popularity, membership or money have chosen to turn a blind eye from the obvious and have become partakers in the offence! Most churches operate like the world�s system rather than the KINGS SYSTEM! I have heard of dear men of God being fired from churches because their image didn�t reflect the new direction that their church was going!
Now, rather than praying until God speaks and imparts vision to the Church, we hire outside consultants to bring their slick salesmanship and market research into our churches to increase our numbers and devise strategies to fill church coffers and build more buildings to house more dead, powerless psuedo-believers.
I believe that in the coming months, that we will begin to see the TRUE CHURCH (not the true organization) begin to rise up from the ashes of complacency, compromise and self-absorption.
God is calling us to �seek Him while He may be found and to call upon Him while He is near.� He is �returning the hearts of the fathers back unto their children.�
VISION is the bridge that God gives to carry us to the destiny that He has set before us. Bridges span things. They are vehicles that enable one to get to a place that might otherwise pr ove to be impossible.
For many years God has been speaking into my Spirit things that He has called us to do; not only in the City of New Orleans, but also in other places that He might direct from time to time.
In giving me VISION, I have seen the hand of God serve to span places, obstacles and circumstances that seemed far too enormous to be accomplished in the natural. It was only through supernatural empowerment and divine intervention that these things were done.
VISION is truly hearing the heartbeat of Jesus for a world largely deafened by its own cares and callousness.
It causes one to know and to realize that what God says is more real than what one sees!
VISION is not obstructed or diminished by our personal limitations, but just the opposite! True, God-birthed VISION will always cause you to look far beyond the parameters of what you can do on your own. It demands the �waling by faith and not by sight.�
God is also showing me that VISION in forward looking and contagious! It never looks back or measures itself by what was, but instead by what shall be! It can also be �spread around� like a virus!
A cold can be �passed� through personal contact with others. It multiplies and effects the other person the same way that it effected you!
Over the years I have seen people �catch� VISION. We have taken people into the streets to see them get a dose of compassion for the lost. We have seen people �stricken� with a heart to feed the hungry or to preach the Word of God as we have shared and demonstrated the passion that God has placed in our hearts.
Most of us are familiar with the passage from Proverbs 29:18 that says, �Where there is not VISION the people perish.�
Another rendering of that is, �Where there is no VISION, the people cast off restraint.�
This restraint ca n be likened to the bridle that guides and serves to control a horse. Without a bit and bridle, the horse is of little value.
It may be beautiful to look at. It may be powerful and valuable, but without a bridle or something to guide and restrain it� the horse will never get to its destination or realize its full potential.
VISION is the bit and bridle that keeps us on course and directs us in those things that God desires for us to do for His Kingdom.
Let�s Get Busy!
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Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Prison Ministry Opportunity this May!
Andy and Val Simms of Hope Chapel Santa Rosa are holding a meeting this Sunday after church (about 12) to talk about an upcoming Bill Glass Weekend of Champions Event in Fresno~ Registration for the event is due by March 29th~ go to www.lifechampions.org/WeenendofChampions.htm (yes the spelling is Ween - whatever) Under Accept the Challenge you can sign up.....no obligation to go but be prepared..... GO4GOD!
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Gang meeting tonight, Tuesday 7pm
Due to the recent drive by shooting near Starbucks (by Kohl's) there is a meeting tonight at Airway Community School at 7pm~ please attend and/or pray for discernment among officials and an opportunity to speak. Love, Rudy and Lori
Monday, March 20, 2006
Ephesisans 3:17-19
In doing the Growing Deeper with God Bible Study (Tuesday nights) we were introduced to Ephesisans: Paul prayed that the Ephesians would have the power "to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-- that (they) may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." We were then asked if there was someone who could pray this verse for us and if there was someone we could pray this verse for... so please join me in prayer: Father God in Heaven, almighty Father, perfect, merciful, loving, powerful Lord, I cry out to you that for whomsoever shall read this blog today whether in Australia, Singapore, Nicaragua, Canada, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Texas, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Santa Rosa or next door, that they would know how wide, how deep and how long your love is for them. Father God, for those who only know 'religion' and not a 'relationship' with you I ask that they would turn their eyes and hearts away from things of 'religion' and you would pour down your love, this wide, deep, long, high love you have for them and just fill them up to overflowing! Father God, I thank you that as the loving Father you are you wait in expectancy for all of us to choose you, having a perfect plan for our lives~ the plan which your word says does not bring us harm but hope and a future~ so I wait to see my friends and family know you...for those that already do, I thank you! I ask Father that it doesn't take an earthquake or cancer or divorce or loss of life for any person reading this to finally cry out to you~ for in our weaknesses you are made strong~ and I know I myself have denied you until tragedy has hit~ but this day, I ask that it will take but a gentle whisper from them that says, "Lord, come into my life and forgive me for all that I have sinned, thank you for laying down your life for me so that I can have eternal life. I want to know what this hope feels like that Lori keeps telling me about...but it doesn't make sense... I need you to fill me up for your glory~ I declare you the Lord of my life~ this world has nothing for me, come into my life Jesus." AMEN
Friday, March 17, 2006
Prayer for Payton
RICE AND BEANS
I just read the rest...have you?
Well, yesterday I had the chance to go over in my bible the scriptures of Matthew while in the car waiting for my friends to come out of the Safeway while their baby was asleep in the carseat Mariah got donated to them~ and I was thinking about it again..... how easy it is to serve God... to pack up 500 bags of groceries and find joy in the opportunity. I asked my friend Mariah what do I say to those who question whether or not I'm "enabling" those we are feeding... because I usually give the Lori look of, "You have got to be kidding me" and no words come out. She told me that I should read the scripture again (okay, Rudy...I mean, Mariah...) so I did. Then she explained to me that the world's view of what we are doing is "enabling" others...but the word says to feed the hungry...and so, that's what we are doing. I was raised knowing this so when I am questioned about why we do the things we do, I sometimes forget other people weren't raised with JESUS and you sometimes have to tell them and the word is the way to tell them! So, I am copying this scripture for everyone who reads this blog... I have to admit that I knew Matthew 25-40...but I didn't know the last six verses until yesterday. I wasn't raised w/ these last six verses... how about you? Matthew 25:31-46 (The Message)
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
The Sheep and the Goats 31"When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. 32Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, 33putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, "Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. 35And here's why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
36I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'
37"Then those "sheep' are going to say, "Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? 38-39And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' 40Then the King will say, "I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me--you did it to me.'
41"Then he will turn to the "goats,' the ones on his left, and say, "Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. 42And why? Because--
I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'
44"Then those "goats' are going to say, "Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'
45"He will answer them, "I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me--you failed to do it to me.'
46"Then those "goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the "sheep' to their eternal reward."
Papago, Apple Valley, Gurneville
Hi Everyone! Another AWESOME night in Papago Court and Apple Valley!! 250 bags tonight! And a lot of awesome testamonies! I got to preach a message right before we went out to serve!! My first one really... It was neat i did it on Luke 4:18-19.. it was awesome! But anyway I just wanted to let ya'll know that it was great and we could have used 20 more bags! Now Tonie Quigley is starting one in Gurneville which is going to be awesome... she went out last night right after Reach Out and her husband Kevin and her friend Penny went and they distributed 20 bags of grocieries!! Wow! God is so good! Thats just so amazing how he starts it in all different places!! I just want to lift up Papago Court and Apple Valley, and Gurneville to the lord... so here we go Dear Jesus i just lift up Papago Cort and Apple Valley to you right now and Jesus thank you for everything that you have done there lord... for not so many fights, thank you jesus that you have protected it.... thank you that you are just multipling all of the bags each week! Lord just make it so then we cant have chairs in the sancuary... it will just be filled up with bags!!! Lord Jesus i ask that you would do the same in Gurneville, that you would protect it! Becuase that isn't the devils place eather! NOTHING IS THE DEVILS! WE JUST REBUCK THE DEVIL IN JESUS'S NAME! NO MORE!!!! Let everyone come to know you... lord just let them keep coming to church! I just lift up Tonie, Kevin, and Penny, to you... thank you for letting them take on Gurneville! LORD WE ARE GOING TO HIT ALL 4 CORNERS OF THIS COUNTY! THANK YOU LORD JESUS IN YOUR SONS POWERFUL NAME!!! AMEN!!! ~Maddie
United Churches
A few weeks ago we read John 17 in Church,
20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
For those of you who missed last Sunday night’s County Wide Concert of Praise, it was an answer to Jesus’ prayer. Not only were the music and signing solid praise and worship, but also it came from one united body of believers (you cannot appreciate how good it was unless you where there). Many Churches were represented there, but there was no mention of that, it did not matter whom you were or where you were from. The only focus was signing and praise God together, and that was AWESOME!
Trust me when I say you do not want to miss the next family reunion. The world will only see unity if we practice it, otherwise we are all show and no go.
Ken
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Thursday Morning 500 bags put together!
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
re: Yea God reports...
MEN WANTED TODAY
Yep, that's right! We need some MEN to help some moms w/ kids today afterschool (Wed) to Papago Ct to hand out lunchables God provided! Please oh please! MEN W/ TRUCKS or SUV's or just a heart filled with love! Meet at Hope West at 4:30 and help us load up and take them over to the kids~ come and be blessed by seeing what GOD provided today! Yep, tomorrow's outreach is still on! Come pack some groceries...about 500 bags...we'll start at 9am at Hope West and keep packing 'til we can't pack no more! BYO Starbucks! I'll be there to watch the little ones :) Then, tomorrow night RAVEN team forms... 4:30 at Hope West, done by 6! Love you all! Lori
RAVEN UPDATE
March ReportRAVEN MINISTRIES: Pastor Troy D. BohnMar 14, 2006
Tuesday, March 14, 2003
Report For March
Dear Friends, Family and Servants of Jesus,
Wow--it is already half the month and I am just now getting to sit down and send out the March report! If it was that I was sitting on a beach in the Bahamas that would be one thing (a good thing?) but we have just been in the flow of some glorious things that God is doing here in New Orleans and across the county as well!
First off: The Mardi Gras Outre ach (February 24-28) was I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E to say the least. This was our tenth year of ministry during Mardi Gras and it was by and far the very best year yet. We had about 125 "Raven" on theteam this year and every single one of them was a tremendous blessing to Melanie and myself.
When you get together with such precious, Jesus-loving folks, you can't help but say to yourself, "THIS is how it should always be when His people come together." The funny thing about it is, I had two different pastors say to me at the end of the outreach, "This really messed me up! What do I do now? I can't go back to normalcy!"
Don't you just love it when God s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s you in ways that you only imagined in your mind, but never knew how He would actually do it? Those are the times when "refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord" Acts 3:19
Even though this year was the 10th for RAVEN, it was also a 1st as well. This is the first year that we have ope ned up the camp to High School aged youngstaz. Prior to this year we had always had a minimum age requirement for this particualr outreach at 18 and older. I just felt as though the Holy Spirt was directing me to invite Spirit-filled young people to rise up and stand with us in this. I was not disappointed in the least.
We had about 25 teenagers and these guys ROCKED! They were truly standard bearers from day one. Their love for Jesus, their unity towards each other and the body of Christ, and their zeal to reach the lost and dying was contagious to us all! Praise God for a new generation that is tired of "just hearing about it" and desires to "go do something with it!"
There were so many that came to Jesus during this years outreach. I kept telling people, "You are going to see that it is different in the French Quarter and on Bourbon Street." I told them that it had been such a time of harvest and that I was believing God for it to continue during Mardi Gras....an d it did!
It was just "easy" to witness this year. There were so many hearts open to hear the truth. We saw people bound by homosexuality come to Jesus. We saw drunkards and drug addicts lay down their bondages and receive His deliverance. We saw young people challenged, changed and transformed by the Spirit of Truth. We saw older people SMACKED by the power of God as an open demonstration of His Lordship!
In short--it was a Jesus-Time in New Orleans over Mardi Gras!
One of the highlights of the weekend was our community outreach on Saturday they 25th in St. Bernard Parish (NewOrleans East). Our camp this year was located in the New Orleans Command and Ministry Center (established by the Church of God) and it also housed a warehouse full of relief supplies (food, cleaning items, supplies, etc). We joined with Pastor Terry Ray of New Day Christian Center (New Orleans) and distributed food to an estimated 600 vehicles that day (representing 1000's of effected f amily members still hurting in the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina).
While the supplies were great to give away, the high point was seeing so many people being ministered to, coming to Jesus, being healed, delivered and comforted during the distribution.
The line was so long that you could not see the end of it stretching down the roadway, but we had our team stationed at about 20 yard intervals ministering hope and life (Jesus) as each car advanced in the line! By the time they reached the front--most had been ministered to and prayed for multiple times with many praying for salvation!
I have many pictures posted on the website www.BigGrace.com
BOOT CAMP IN THE BIG APPLE
May 18-22 Bobby Chance (Streetwise Ministry) and myself will host the First Annual "Boot Camp in the Big Apple." This will be an outreach to NYC for a team of (30) men that we are assembling. We will be taking the "Team" out in to s everal very strategic areas of the city (Times Square, Ground Zero, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, etc) and doing one-on-one witnessing, open air preaching, singing, testifying, etc.
If you would like to be a part of this team, please go to the "Boot Camp In the Big Apple" section on our website for more details. Space is very limited, so make your plans now to attend. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly by email (troybohn@cox.net) or at my office (504) 304-6535.
Would you consider helping sponsor this event? Your financial gift would sure ease the burden of the expenses necessary to minister those five days. You can make a donation online at www.BigGrace.com and going to the "Make A Donation" page for secure giving or by sending your gift to:
Raven Outreach
P.O. Box 113196
Meta irie, LA 70011
Be sure to check out all the updates on the website, we have dozens of new pictrues with dozens more added daily!
Blessings,
Pastor Troy D. Bohn
20 more people!
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
400 dozen eggs!
Hooray! We have an opportunity to bring joy to the kids of Apple Valley and Papago Ct! We are going to provide them w/ an Easter egg hunt the Saturday before Easter! We have been giving groceries and JESUS to these 200-225 families every week~ now it's time for some fun! We anticipate at least 400 kids to come to the egg hunt! Which means... we need 400 dozen eggs! Which means...we need your help! If 40 people would contribute either 10 dozen already filled plastic eggs that's it! Done! Or, if you want the UGO4GOD girls to buy and fill the 10doz eggs, then please contribute $20! We will go to the $1 store and buy 10 dozen eggs w/ your $10 and enough candy to fill them up with your other $10! That's it! Pretty easy! We need you to commit to this~ please oh please~ only 40 of you! You can send a check to your Hope Chapel/UGO4GOD-eggs and/or donate on the paypal www.ugo4god.com or, you could drop the eggs on my porch! Please email me and let us know you're in! I'll keep an ongoing count until we get to 40 people willing to bring joy to 400 kids! Make that 39....I already signed up Rudy :) Thanks everyone! In Joy, Lori Lori@UGO4GOD.com gonzofamily5@aol.com
Monday, March 13, 2006
Happy Birthday Rudy!
Please join me in the heaven sent gift of prayer for my husband today! Dear Jesus, I thank you for Rudy Gonzalez! I thank you for all that you have blessed him with and I ask you Father that this next year he be blessed with abundant joy and opportunity to be used by you in a mighty way~ for your glory! I ask that you would protect him while he is here and overseas~ I ask that you would give him encouragement, strength, rest and restoration. I thank you so much for the friends you have brought into his life this year, the divine appointments, the mercy, forgiveness, joy and love that have all come from you. I thank you JESUS that he is drawn so close to you and that he has told me there is so much more to do for you~ so I ask for affirmation and motivation to keep Rudy going4GOD this next year! I ask that he would be used in a powerful way to serve you with grace and might. I thank you JESUS that you have a perfect plan for his life and that I can be a part of that plan. Surround him Lord with men and women to stand in faith with him as he seeks a closer relationship with you~ cover his children in blessing and protection~ protect his marriage~ bring forth many opportunities at work, at outreaches, at home, wherever he finds himself to spread your light. Bless his parents, his sisters and all his nieces and nephews. Let this be a year that all of our families and friends declare you LORD in their hearts and that we can all shout together praise! Give him vision and expectancy of the victory for you JESUS, this year of Rudy's life. Thank you Jesus for sending me a man of faith that I can adore everyday with love...in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, AMEN.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Guerneville Homeless
Friday, March 10, 2006
North Korea Allows Foursquare Prayer Teams
Who wants to go share Jesus with North Korea? Just this morning, I received this
email at the church office.
Love you,
Liz
North Korea Allows Foursquare Prayer Teams
The North Korean government has agreed to allow entry of up to 300 people at one
time to pray over their nation and in their cities!
Rev. Dayoung Kimn, a Korean/American Foursquare leader and LIFE Pacific College
graduate, is organizing prayer teams, a large conference, an English camp for students
and various sports outreaches.
Rev. Kimn has done a great deal of work in China and has been sending supply containers
into North Korea for the past two years. His petitions to the government were granted
the first week of March, allowing ministry teams to enter the county for the 10
weeks between August 10th and October 10th.
Rev. Kimn is appealing to local Foursquare churches and individuals to pray for
these outreaches and consider joining him in going to North Korea during this historic
opportunity to reach a nation that has traditionally been closed to the gospel.
If you would like more information about how you or your church can be involved
in a World Impact Team to North Korea please call Foursquare Missions at 888-635-4234
Ext. 4320 or email: teams@foursquare.org.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
200 FAMILIES AGAIN!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the market place as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering that claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves, on the town garbage heap, at a crossroad so cosmopolitan they had to write his title in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. At the kind of place where cynics talk smut, thieves cruse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is what he died about. And that is where churchmen ought to be, and what churchmen should be about.
-Ian Thomas-
Bread & Fruit to pick up Thursday at noon
Hi y'all~ Could use your help tomorrow at 12 noon~ please meet me at the Food Bank and we'll load up on bread and fruit~ it won't all fit in my minivan! We'll get 200 bags of bread and 200 bags of fruit then drive it over to Hope West (around the corner) and unload it for tomorrow nights reach out in Papago Ct.... thanks so much! Please come! Lori (Thursday, March...9th!) 478.7061
Monday, March 06, 2006
Have you forgotten?
Dear Friend, this is a letter from my heart.
You’re driving through abandoned streets and for miles and miles you see nothing but complete and total devastation. Homes that once gave warmth and protection to families and laughter now lay strewn in pieces. Huge, old trees lay on their sides, uprooted. There are mounds of debris with flies, mice, and rats taking refuge within it. The few humans you see live in badly damaged buildings where no human should be living. These buildings have massive holes in their roofs, no running water, no electricity, and no heat. There isn’t an open food market or gas station for miles and miles. You and your team stop at a warehouse that is housing pallet after pallet of relief supplies, but there’s no one available to hand it out. You pull up the doors and suddenly the needy come from everywhere, weeping, saying “I thought you forgot about us!” And the line doesn’t stop in the cold, in the pouring rain, for over six hours! So, where are you? Are you in some war-torn third-world country or in a scene from a Hollywood movie stage about the day after the big bomb hit? No. Sadly, you’re in Louisiana or Mississippi in 2006. What I just described to you happened in February 2006 to a team of Prayer Warriors and Relief Workers sent from my church Hope Chapel West in Santa Rosa, California.
Are you tired of the finger pointing by the bureaucrats trying to lay the blame for who didn’t react quick enough? Well, I am. It’s been six months since Katrina hit and our poorest of our poorest citizens are still suffering. Can you just accept that? I can’t.
Get involved. Unclog the artery of relief. Tell our elected officials that enough is enough! Our United States citizens are in need now, and they deserve far better than they have been given to date. Below are the names and email or addresses for the representatives who can do something in government to loosen up the relief efforts. Take a few moments and write them, tell them how wrong this is and ask them what can be done to change it.
I give you my thanks, but I also thank you for the poor, forgotten people of Louisiana and Mississippi. PLEASE SEND THIS ON TO YOUR OWN LIST OF FRIENDS. MAYBE, TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE!
Rose Kempton
George W. Bush, U.S. PRESIDENT, comments@whitehouse.gov.
Kathleen Blanco, Governor Louisiana http://www.gov.state.la.us/ OR
http://www.gov.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&cpid=8 OR Office of the Governor, P.O.Box 94004, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9004, 1-866-366-1121
Haley Barbour, Governor Mississipp http://www.governorbarbour.com/Data/Services/Services.asp is NOT up and Running. Write to: P.O. Box, 139, Jackson, MS 39205 1-601-359-3150
Email for All State Governors: http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/govemail.html
Michael Chertoff, US Homeland Security Secretary, http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/contactus
House of Representative issued report called “A Failure of Initiative”. Contact for Representative http://www.house.gov/writerep/
R. David Paulison, FEMA director FEMAOPA@dhs.gov
Diane Fienstein, Senator CA http://www.senate.gov/~feinstein/email.html
Barbara Boxer, Senator CA http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm
Senators from other states: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm\
Senator from Louisiana: Mary L Landrieu landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Senator from Louisiana: David Vitter vitter.senate.gov/?module=webformIQV1
Ray Nagin, New Orleans Mayor: http://www.urbanconservancy.info/how-to/send-an-email-to-new-orleans-city-government/ (all other New Orleans City Government sites are not up)
New Orleans City Hall 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112
Saturday, March 04, 2006
thank you JESUS
Dear Heavenly Father, I come before you in awe...for all the salvations today on Papago Ct...for the RAVEN team that formed...from all the different Hope Chapels...everyone representing YOU. I thank you Father for the leadership at Hope(s) that encourage others to GO and be unified as the body of Christ... Father God, I especially lift up Pastor Russ and his wife Terry and thank you for their hearts to bring the gospel to the streets. I thank you that their congregation grew today by tens up0n tens of people and I thank you for everyone who stepped out to lift their hands and encourage them to GO4GOD. I thank you for our sisters and brothers, young and old who received you and were born into your kingdom. I thank you for the intercessors across the nation who prayed for today's outreach...no, reach out to families. I thank you for the bags of groceries, the salads, the bbq, the servant's hearts of so many who turned out today to bring the singing to the streets. I especially lift up the worship team, the youth pastors, the hospitality teams, the jump house guys and the set up and clean up teams.... we are all tired because of this holy ghost workout...and I thank you that we are tired for your glory. I thank you for the girls who showed up tonight for UGO4GOD girls to hear the word about JOY and share JOY and read scriptures and pray for each other. I thank you Father for your promises about JOY. I love you JESUS and am thoroughly amazed by the JOY you have brought into my life, into my marriage, into my family through service to YOU. May YOU JESUS, continue to strengthen our hearts and minds to be your hands and feet~ release the bondages in our lives and hear our cries saying HOLY< HOLY< HOLY is your name. Thank you Father, Son, Holy Spirit...AMEN.
A Smile to Brighten Your Day
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