Henderson Family In Need

We have been made aware of a family in need, through a mutual friend.

A mother of 9 children passed away while giving birth to her 10th child.  At this point no determination has been made as to where all of the children will go.  I believe they are staying with their grandmother and/or their uncle, and the newborn baby will be going to the father.  The catch is, the grandmother is also ill and has recently been hospitalized for heart problems.

If you would please pray about this situation, we would greatly appreciate it.  Also if you feel led to buy school supplies, school clothes or school shoes for any of these children, please get in touch with me via email at radicallifeoutreach@yahoo.com or phone 919-224-7038.

Loving Radically Through Christ,

Melissa

Upcoming Crosswalk - AUGUST 29th

Dean has taken off of work on Friday, August 29th to go out and share the Gospel on another Crosswalking Evangelism Event.  We hope to have friends coming up from Asheboro, and we hope to have YOU coming along also.

He has not decided on a location yet, as he always prays beforehand and tries to go where he feels the Spirit is leading him.

Please call or text him at 919-665-8997 if you would be interested in going with him.  He can keep you updated on the meeting time and place.

Also we continue our (every other) Tuesday night Kids Club in Oxford...this coming Tuesday will be on the Boots of the Gospel of Peace.  From Ephesians 6:

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak

Continue to pray for us...as said in verses 19 and 20 above...for the crosswalk, for the kids club, for our daily life:  "Make supplication also for me, that words may be given to us in opening our mouths boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which we are ambassors in chains, that we may declare it boldly, as we ought to speak."

Loving Radically Through Christ,

Melissa

Time4Learning Homeschool Curriculum Review Coming Soon!

I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning can be used as a homeschool curriculum, for afterschool enrichment and for summer skill sharpening. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning.

Why Yes, It Has Been THREE Months Since I've Posted!!

I know, I know - I should be hung out to dry for not posting...but I'm just a facebook girl at heart that we post everything regarding the ministry there...from pictures, to events, to updates, to need requests.

But for those that still read the blog, I wanted to give a quick update.

We have begun the kids club in Oxford.  We have started out by doing the Armor of God and we are having a great time!  We are meeting every other Tuesday night at the building for the Oxford Housing Authority.  Turnout has been great - especially since we just started!!  We've have between 20 and 25 kids each night so far.

We have some great helpers and workers and everyone is putting forth wonderful effort to get the life-changing message of Jesus out to these kids.

If you would like pictures forwarded to you, or specific needs requests, or a schedule of events for the kids club, please email us at radicallifeoutreach@yahoo.com and let us know!

And what else is going great and getting ready to gear back up for me??

HOMESCHOOLING!!!

It's already that time of year again (and probably the main reason why I didn't have any posts here over the summer.)  This has been my first year ever having both kids at home with me full time. 

With that being said, we will be trying Alex out with the homeschooling also.  And they will be starting NEXT WEEK!!!  Ahh.....let the lesson plans and early mornings begin again!

(I will be posting a review of an online curriculum for Alex soon, in case anyone else out there is thinking of homeschooling and wants to see what this one is like.  I'm going to try out www.time4learning.com for a month or so and see how it goes.  So be on the lookout for my post on that!!)

Please keep me/us in your prayers, as always...for the outreach ministry and the homeschooling ministry ;)

Loving Radically Through Christ,

Melissa

Upcoming Events

We have some upcoming events to tell you about/invite you to!

May 25th and 26th, Dean is planning a Crosswalking Evangelism.  Save the date for this as I will post later with specific meeting locations and times.  We will be going Sunday after church on the 25th because we have a friend joining us who we met at the NC Pride Parade last year.  She will be driving in from out of town and we are excited about having her now come and evangelize with us!

May 25th I will also be speaking at a church in Raleigh.  I was invited by a sweet friend to come and speak to the church at their "True Love Waits" ceremony day.  I am so honored to be able to share my story and what God has done through me.  Teenage purity and discipleship has a huge place in my heart and my personal ministry.  PLEASE pray for me to speak exactly what God wants me to say.

June 8th through 10th is the prison revival here in Butner.  I'm not sure of the exact details of this yet, but I believe that we will be the "speaker" on one of those nights.  Please pray for that event also.  I will give more details on that as I get them.

June 5th is our 4 year anniversary, June 11th is Dillon's birthday, and June 12th is Alex's birthday.  I will follow up with birthday party info if we decide to go that route this year.

June 12th is also the last day of school here in Granville County.  Ginella Mitchell and I have had a couple discussion/lunch meetings about doing some local outreaches/Bible groups with the kids in the area, and we are ready to get this started!  We would LOVE to have your help with these.  They will probably be done in Butner on Monday OR Tuesday evenings for 2 to 3 hours each night.  We will go into the local neighborhoods and do Bible study/snacks/games with the kids once a week during the summer months.  We will definitely need lots of snack items and probably some game/craft items, so if you would like to contribute to that, just let me know! 

I'm sure Dean will schedule another Crosswalking day in June, so keep on the lookout for that blog post also!  He is getting really antsy to get out and do some more crosswalking and get to talk to folks about Jesus.  We really hope you will join us, and we promise that you will not regret it.  It will definitely spark a fire in you to get out and share the Gospel, and it will also help to dispel some of the common fears that go along with sharing.  Sharing the Gospel isn't just a job for pastors and "evangelists"...we are all called by Jesus and equipped by the Holy Spirit.

Again, I will update on these events and others as I get more information.  Please keep us in prayer and let me know if you're interested in attending any of these.

Loving Radically Through Christ,

Melissa

Help Needed for a Roxboro Family - Grass Cutting

We are writing because we are asking for help cutting grass this weekend for a family in Roxboro.  We will need a riding lawn mower to do this due to the size of the yard (about an acre and a half).

We do not have a riding mower, only a push mower.  Right now we have Dean's Jeep and his brother's trailer, but that is currently for sale as we are trying to purchase a ministry van, so I can't even be sure we'll have the Jeep and trailer to transport a riding mower come this weekend.

Please help if you can!!

Thanks,

Melissa

Ministry Van

We are started to browse the (very cheap) market for a passenger van for our ministry.  Dean is selling his Jeep in order to get the funds for this. 

Please keep us in mind if you have a cheap passenger van or are looking for a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4418506998.html

Thanks,

Melissa

Saturday, April 19th - Crosswalking Evangelism

So the weather is looking great for THIS SATURDAY'S Crosswalk.  We're thinking we'll meet at Northgate Mall in Durham around 12:30.

This will be an excellent visual for the community for the upcoming Easter holiday.  We will be reminding the folks of the Resurrection....the real reason for the holiday.

Dean has been known to go for 6 or 8 hours straight, but please do not feel obligated to stay that long.  You can come and stay as long as you'd like.  We may move from place to place, so if you do not make it by 12:30 and want to know where we're at, just give me a call on my cell phone:  919-224-7038.

Hope to see you there!

Melissa

Upcoming Week

We have been having a wonderful time of fellowship at our house on Friday nights at 6:30 pm.  If you are in our area and want to join us, please do.  We would love to have you.  We always have some (charismatic) praise and worship, prayer, testimony sharing time, a message from the Word or book study, and then snacks and fellowship.  Tomorrow night we're doing some open discussion on how Satan works to squeeze the life out of us and I'm making some triple chocolate Ghirardelli brownies.......yummy.

Tomorrow also marks the start of a great 'Easter' book that we'll read in our home this year.  It's called "The Final Week of Jesus" by Max Lucado.   I'm very excited to be able to share the real meaning of this holiday with my kids this year.  (Thanks for the book Minette.  You donated it a few years ago when you cleaned out your book room!)

Saturday we have our weekend food pick ups and distributions.  And Saturday also is the ladies tea with June Evans from 2pm to 4pm at Bethel Christian Center in Durham.  This is definitely going to be a wonderful time of fellowship and exhortation!  If you've never heard June speak, now's your time.  You won't regret it!

Tuesday will be jail ministry for Dean and Terry.  I know that will be a great time of ministry, as usual, and I hope to have a blog post to update everyone on how the Spirit moved in the pod.

Wednesday will be mid-week church, and I am STOKED.  Last week I was able to begin a study with the girls in the youth group on sexual purity.  I was so excited when Michael asked me to fill in and start the study.  This is one of my big time passions....reaching teenage girls and letting them know that God has a BETTER way than what the world demands of them.  Many of you know my story....my past....my pre-Jesus life.  I was the poster child for sexual impurity and I paid the price.  I can't wait to get together with the group of girls again and share my experiences from the heart, coupled with the Truth of the Word. 

John 8:31-32:  “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Miss Jean (a member of our ministry) holds a children's Bible study in her home on Thursday afternoons.  I hope to be able to help her out with this as she talks about the resurrection of Jesus and the real meaning of the Easter holiday.  I think 'Jesus' (aka Dean) is going to do a surprise visit to the kids to make the story a little more real and exciting.

And then the following Saturday will be the Crosswalking Evangelism outreach for April.  WE NEED YOU!!  There is strength in numbers and we promise you will have a great time.  Even if it's only your first time, your faith will be strengthened.  We will probably be meeting around Northgate Mall area, beginning there, and just going wherever the Lord leads.  As this event approaches, please be in prayer that we will have divine appointments, and that we will walk in the Spirit so that we can be effective.

Until next time....

Loving Radically Through Christ,

Melissa

**Save the date - Saturday April 26th - Bull City Outreach Ministries Open House**

Food Ministry - Guest Post

As some of you know, we have a weekend food ministry that we've been doing for a couple of years now.  We got started with this ministry with Bull City Outreach Ministries.  Terry graciously allowed us to take part in his food pick ups and we were able to offer the same type of ministry in Southern Granville County that he was offering through his ministry in Durham.  After his food pick ups were cut off, we were able to make contact with a grocery store in our area.  Now every weekend we get food pick ups from this local grocery store.  We sort, clean, separate, organize and distribute this food into boxes for families in the area that need help.  We try and find families that are struggling for a season and are not already getting governmental assistance.  We also use this as an evangelism tool.

We have been helping one local family for a little over a year now.  Here is their story:


*****

Hi readers.  I wanted to take a moment to share my story.  

This has been the most challenging year and a half of my life.  I was injured while helping my boss of 15 years, as he neared the end of his battle with cancer, and his 6'3' size was no match for me.  I thought I'd pulled my back and knees.  At the time, I was working at a newspaper for a decade and a half, while teaching Zumba classes 3 nights a week.  I continued trying to teach with braces on my knees and back.  Then it became crutches.  Then subs.  Then I gave up my business and the joy of my life that I'd worked so hard for, as I could no longer barely stand.  

I went from one sports orthopaedic surgeon to another.  By the time I reached my 3rd opinion, I'd already had two normal MRIs and undergone 3 mos of PT, both in the pool and gym, without progress.  My right knee swelled a week after my boss fell on me.  I didn't think to file workman's comp since his family was now dealing with him in hospice, and didn't want to cause further stress.  Plus, what's $50 copay for a one time deal when I'll just take ibuprofen and get on the heating pad and be better in a week?  Well, I never thought it would turn into something much much bigger.  So, by my second $1000 MRI and PT 3x's a week at $50 a pop, still puzzling orthos, rheumatologists and internists, I informed my deceased boss's wife I was filing workman's comp  since I couldn't afford the financial burden any longer.  She then fired me.  

Rich was already on unemployment after losing his job, and benefits ran out.  We were without an income for 5 months and me and my two girls were going hungry and when Rich's son with Downs visited, he eats like any other teenage boy and we would go without..  We fell between the cracks of not qualifying for any aid, including Obamacare.  I felt so helpless that I was still on crutches 8 mos after the injury, no resolution on a diagnosis, and no way to work.  

Shortly after being fired, my mother got sick and passed away a month later at 68.  She was in the ICU for a little over a month and had arrested and been resuscitated twice.  I found out she was hanging on with the hopes of making it to her two year date of life insurance becoming payable to leave me something.  She died 3 weeks before it had reached it's date after I gave her permission to go home and that I couldn't bear to watch her suffer and we'd be okay.  She passed 24 hrs later.  I wasn't prepared for the profound loss.  It consumed me.

No child support, no job, no income, no mobility; and two children to feed, I was anything but okay, as I had reassured my dying mother with a smile of confidence before bolting out of the ICU to cry..  

Finally my 3rd opinion doc diagnosed me. I was shocked.  Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) aka Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) was the verdict.  Most people are not aware of this monster, but it is more common than MS and affects children, women and men alike.  It is the MOST painful disease of the medical profession's McGill Pain Scale, ranking more painful than natural child birth or cancer of amputation minus anesthetics.  I was beyond shocked.  I was angry and depressed. How could this happen?  Why me?  Would I end up having a leg amputation like the admin of the RSD website?  Or end up in a wheelchair for life like the 14 yr old on 20/20 and CNN?  This disease naturally also has the highest suicide rate because who can stand 24/7 unbearable pain?  My children have given me a reason to fight, although I'm bed bound now 90% of the time. This once active gardener, world traveler, scuba diver, baker, zumba and dance lover now has almost no quality of life.  

I met Melissa in my classes.  I then found out she had a ministry.  I was always the giver, the volunteer, the rescuer.  Now I had to swallow my pride for the sake of my children and reach out to her for help.  Her and Dean came to our aid.  I am now waiting for disability, after my first denial and appeal, and expect to have at least one more, followed by a judge ruling.  It could be another year or two or more.  Rich has finally found work 3 days a week, but we're so in debt after being without income for over 5 months that it may take us a year or two to pay off the credit we lived off.  My compressor blew and we've been without heat or AC the whole winter.  Now it's getting hot.  But we don't have the money to fix it since credit cards are maxed out.  Who ever thought the small gesture of helping a man walk to his car would turn into a lifetime of pain?  I'm so grateful for Melissa and Dean's help.  My children are fed, and that's one less thing to worry about in what seems to be an avalanche of trials.  They have delivered food to our home when we couldn't make it there.  We live off of what they provide and I'm in tears as I write this, thinking of the days when my children complained that there wasn't anything to eat.  I will be forever grateful that at least tummies are full!!!  We have come to know and love their family and I just can't say enough about what they've done for ours. 

 Thanks for reading my little saga (lol while crying).  

For more information on RSD, visit:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaTlI6bfF64 (video on YouTube of the 14 yr old) or see http://rsdfoundation.org/

 

THANK YOU PADGETT FAMILY FROM THE BOTTOMS OF OUR HEARTS!!!

Jill, Rich, Erin, Ivy, and Mason <3


*****


There are many other families in our area that have been helped by this aspect of the ministry.  I wish I could share all of their stories. 

Two members of our ministry, Marcia Rowland and Jean Nine, handle the Sunday pick ups and distributions.  I know for certain that they help between 5-10 families every Sunday.  These ladies are essential to our ministry and expand the window of opportunity with all the people that they know.

If you feel led to help with the food ministry in any way, please let us know!  We can always use food donations, grocery store gift cards (for families that need specific items that we do not receive), and gas station gift cards (for the weekly pick ups and deliveries). 

Thank you, as always, for praying for us.  Please keep this portion of our ministry in your prayers as well.

Loving Radically Through Christ,

Melissa

Mardi Gras Mission Trip - Part Three

Recently I posted a 'guest post' by Jeff and you were able to read about some of the specific individuals that he ministered to at Mardi Gras.  Each team member has their own list of people that they were able to talk to and I wish I could share them all.  Together I bet we talked to HUNDREDS of people.  You wouldn't believe all the different types of people we were able to talk to.  Can you imagine standing in the middle of the pit of hell for hours each night and being able to talk to person after person about Jesus and Scripture?  And we weren't dragging them over to talk to us....they came willingly and started conversations!!

Yes, some of the conversations weren't a bed of roses.  Yes, we were cussed out, made fun of, pelted with beads, mocked, had drinks thrown on us, and thought of as stupid.  But those moments are just part of the territory.  We can't expect the forces of evil out there to embrace us.  The darkness despises the light.

Did we go down there expecting this type of treatment?  Of course.  Do we like it?  Not really.  But will it deter us from reaching whom God has set before us?  No.  Is sharing Jesus and planting the seed of Truth worth the little bit of suffering and persecution we put up with?  Absolutely.

Although we have yet to go through what Jesus or His disciples did, you can see from the Word that this suffering is not to be despised when it is used for His glory.  It should actually be expected when we are living a fully committed life.  I could try and type up something persuasive, and get you to see why we feel the persecution and suffering is needed and beneficial, but I think the Scriptures can speak for themselves :)

Suffering

Mark 10:39 - Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering.

Romans 8:16-18 - For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.  Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

Philippians 1:28-29 - Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.

2 Corinthians 4:9-10 - We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-6 - And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you. 

2 Timothy 4:5 - But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

1 Peter 2:21 - For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

1 Peter 3:13-14 - Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.

1 Peter 4:12-14 - Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.  So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.

1 Peter 5:19 - Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Persecution

Mark 10:29-30 - “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution.  And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.

2 Corinthians 12:10 - That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

2 Timothy 3:12 - Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.


These surely aren't pretty topics....if we're truly honest, we probably just want to get saved and love people and have a happy, prosperous, comfortable life until Jesus comes back.  But how can we overlook everything that is talked about in God's Word?  How can we read this and think that it doesn't have to apply to us?

Jesus tells us plainly:

Luke 14:27-29 - And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you.

Until Part 4.....

Loving Radically Through Christ (and totally examining myself for shortfalls after this post),

Melissa
 

Durham County Jail Ministry - 4/2/2014

Last night Terry and I went in to the 4B Pod at the Durham County Jail.  We go every other Tuesday night to minister to different pods.  There was a guy that Terry and I both knew named Tyrone.  Terry had ministered to him quite a bit on the streets, and I had talked to him before in another location.  He had just been arrested and put in jail again.  I began to talk to the guys about living in a cycle of sin, and if they had been in and out of jail during their life and it was their constant cycle, then that pretty much showed who they were at the present moment.  As Terry and I continue to minister, Tyrone began to cry.  He spoke to the other inmates about the truth of the Word that was being preached.  He also admitted that he knew the right way to live but had gotten continually caught up in the sin.  He was very remorseful and repentant and said that he had cried out to God.  He knew that he needed to submit all to Christ and that would be his only true way out of this lifestyle.

Another man spoke up and said that he had been listening to what had been said about living in a constant cycle, and he admitted that it had been the constant cycle for his life since 1979.  He said there were instances where he had cried out to God and really gotten serious for about 3 years, but one night he had a dream about doing drugs and it began to draw him back in.  He went right back to the drugs and the cycle started back over.  But he didn't understand why God would allow that to happen to him.  We replied that it wasn't God that tempted him because God doesn't tempt anyone with sin, and that it was Satan that came and tempted him.  We explained that as long as he was in this body of flesh, he would have to contend with this battle.  We explained how we have to resist this temptation.  I said to the man that I guaranteed that the night he had the dream that the devil was tempting him with the drugs, but the Holy Spirit had also been leading him and giving him a way out.  The man admitted that, and I continued to explain that he had the way out but he made his choice.   

James 1:13-15 - And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

We asked the guys which ones were saved, and all of them said they were, but two said they were backslidden.  So we asked them about being backslidden and what that meant to them.....if they were still saved or if they had fallen away and were no longer saved.  Terry asked them if they would have went to heaven or hell, and both believed that they would have went to hell.

We discussed further how to break those cycles in their lives.  I discussed the addictions I had in my life and how I never thought I'd overcome them.  I explained how you have to get to the point where you humble yourself before God and truly repent of it and DAILY die to the flesh in that area.  It's not just something you do one time...it's an everyday thing.  Everyday we have to submit to God and resist the devil and resist the flesh.  Just because we're saved doesn't mean the fight is over and we have to stop resisting the devil.  A lot of times people try and resist the devil before they've humbled themselves.  That's not what the Word tells us to do though.  It won't work like that.

James 4:7-10 - So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

We also talked about the following passage and how it applies to their cycles of sin:

John 3:19-21 - And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.

People won't stop their sin because they love it more than God.  We have to get to the point where we hate the sin.

The real key to it all is the relationship with Jesus Christ.  You can't let that relationship slip.  You can't just have a part-time relationship and expect things to go like you want them to.  You can't overcome things without living it 100%.

Many of the guys talked about various different things, which is somewhat unusual.  They are usually quiet.  But we had a great time of ministry and look forward to the next time.

Living Radically for Jesus,

Dean

Upcoming Outreach Evangelism Opportunity

Now that the weather is nicer, we are ready to get out-and-about and get busy with the evangelism!  There is nothing more important in a Christian's life than to share the Gospel and the Truth with the world.  So Dean is planning a crosswalk/evangelism outreach on Saturday, April 19th.  This will correspond with the traditional Easter holiday. 

We would like for everyone who loves evangelism to join us.  We would also like everyone who is the least bit curious or interested in seeing how this type of evangelism works to join us.  We promise that you will not leave disappointed, nor will you leave the same.

We will continue to do these monthly (or more frequently) during these warmer months - so if you can't make this one, you can still make another one.

Please email us or give us a call if you want more information or would like to confirm that you're coming.  We will decide on a meeting place and time as it gets closer.


Loving Radically Through Christ,

Melissa

***The Bull City Outreach Ministries open house has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 26th from 12 to 5.  Please see www.bullcityoutreach.org for more details.***

Acquire the Fire

This past weekend I was asked to drive the church van to Greensboro for the youth group event, Acquire the Fire.

Who would have thought I'd have more fun than the teenagers?

I had such an amazing trip and got to bond with most, if not all, of the teens that went.  I went with the mindset that we would have at least one or more "Melissas" there....yes, I mean me....the teenager that only thought about myself and what I wanted - the teenager that you had to watch every second because I was constantly trying to get into something that I wasn't suppose to - the teenager that pretended to be one thing to the youth pastor, but completely different to my friends.

But I did not encounter that at all.  I went with the most respectful, well-mannered and mature group. 

Yes, they had fun.  Yes, they were goofy and silly at times.  Yes, they rocked out to the bands that caused me to have a migraine.  But they also prayed fervently, worshiped wholeheartedly, and listened intently.

I was also able to have a few great, meaningful conversations with my buddy Jared about being "in this world but not of this world" and what it really means to follow Jesus and not just put on the label of His name.

I'm excited to see how God is going to work in their lives in the future, and I'm anticipating ministering to them (and with them) in the near future.

Loving Radically Through Christ,


Melissa

1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT) - Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Mardi Gras Mission Trip - Part Two - GUEST POST**

The following is a guest post from one of our mission trip team members, Jeff Sobieralski.  I believe this was my second time meeting him, but my first time really getting to know him and minister with him.  He was such a wonderful man of God and had this great intellectual side, not to mention he had a hidden talent for making up rap songs of Bible stories while we were stuck in traffic in the van for 2 hours.

We sent all the atheists and scientifics to him :)

SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

March 19, 2014 at 9:25pm

People often ask about my eyes because of the recent complications with them. Through these trials God taught me an important lesson. I had always imagined that blindness is darkness, but I learned that when a person loses sight, he doesn’t just see darkness, he does not even perceive what is missing. For example, ask someone to hold up some fingers behind your head. Then tell them how many fingers you see. You can’t; not because you are seeing their hand as darkness, but because there isn’t any signal outside of your vision range to send from your eyes to your brain. And that is what happened when I lost part of my peripheral vision. I no longer see things that are next to me. I don’t perceive darkness; I can’t even discern what I’m missing.

“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)


In a way, spiritual blindness or “spiritual darkness” is like this; those who are spiritually blind cannot even perceive what they are missing. The light of the Good News is completely blocked from an unbeliever’s brain, unless the person is humble (seeks) and God removes the veil of darkness from him (so he can find).

The spiritual blindness was much more apparent at Mardi Gras this year than I had noticed in the past. There was incredible wickedness, and yet so many people could not perceive the Light missing there.  Most believed that Christians are “anti-science” and having faith in God is “unreasonable.” However, those I spoke with not only received reasonable answers for the hope that we have, but they also learned they were misinformed. They found they were the ones blindly following beliefs without examining the facts to make informed decisions. The great news I can report, is that when someone was humble enough to receive the Gospel, it was shared!
 
This year I joined a team of twelve passionate, humble people.  We lived in community, and spent the days worshipping God and praying: for the city, for divine appointments, for wisdom and for softened hearts (versus the hardened “I’m a good person,” or “I’ll repent on Wednesday”); and the nights out ministering.  My personal continual prayer is that the false sense of peace that unbelievers/hypocrites have concerning the direction of their lives would be removed. That the light of the One, who is eternal life, would be revealed and glorified! And that I may be an instrument used to help return the lost sheep home.

Although I had many encounters, there were three individuals who stood out to me: Tom, the Bio-med student, who thought he knew more about life at 20 than all the “unscientific Christians” in the world. Stuart from Great Britain, a wealthy, promiscuous, world traveler, who loves the party scene. And finally, Elton, the father of two, who was an ex-minister, homeless, and a drug addict.

Saturday night, as I stood on the corner of St. Ann and Bourbon Streets, my friend Pastor Lance, brought a young man over to me whom he introduced as Tom, a Biomed student from Duke University.  Tom had some deep scientific questions he wanted answered before he was willing to consider Christianity. Tom recited standard arguments used to try to show Christianity is wrong, and when I recognized that he was just enjoying challenging me and didn’t really care what the answers were, I shifted the questioning over to him by asking him to give me real evidence for molecules-to-man evolution. Since Tom didn’t have an answer, he changed the subject by asking about “The Shroud of Turin.” I politely explained that though I believe that the “Shroud of Turin” is a cloth, and likely nothing more; however, I haven’t done any research on it because the truth of my convictions doesn’t stand on whether it is really the cloth that Jesus had on Him in the tomb.  I added that I wasn’t here to try and stump him, but that I wanted to help him get information he might not have yet and think it through. It was at this point Tom became open to hearing and having a great conversation. Lance took over and spoke with him for more than an hour and was able to pray with Tom before Tom left. To God be the glory!

Also on Saturday night I met Stu, from Great Britain. He challenged Christianity contrasting what the majority believes, quoting what he heard from the Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham debate. Although Stu could repeat what he’d heard, he hadn’t thought about the facts themselves, and was surprised to hear some of the many assumptions that go into secular science Ken Ham hadn’t had time to share during the debate. However, when Stu continued to disparage the intellect of Christians, I informed him that if we were not going to continue a cordial exchange of information the conversation was over. The Spirit must have been drawing him because Stu stopped the attacks and asked to hear more of my evidence and convictions. I explained the authenticity of the Scriptures through the manuscripts, archaeological finds (over 24,000), fulfilled prophecy, and the continuity of the Scriptures over thousands of years and their agreement throughout. I am continuing an exchange with Stu via email.  Pray he will submit to Jesus.


Finally, on Sunday, as we were finished for the night (or should I say morning), we were heading back to the van when I heard a voice whisper across the parking lot asking if I had a bottle of water to share. The man introduced himself as Elton, and as I handed him a bottle of water, I smiled and mentioned that I had Living Water to share with him too. Pastor Lance came over, and Elton shared that he used to be in the ministry, but heroin and crack were his current gods and he could not seem to get away from them. He had a Bible in his backpack and still prayed that he could be freed. However, Elton also admitted that he wasn’t really ready to go into a program anywhere. Unfortunately, this addiction has cost him contact with his two children, who he seemed to care about dearly. We prayed for Elton and let him know about a local ministry that could help him when he is ready to give up on the drugs and start anew in Christ. The ache for the pain and sadness in Elton’s eyes still show up in my thoughts daily.

Although there were many, many more encounters I would love to share, I would have to write a book. J  So, I end this letter with a very special thanks to the prayer warriors, for the monetary support, and for the thoughtful encouragement many of you gave me leading up to the trip.


“I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.” – Philippians 3:18-19 (NLT)

With warm regards in Christ,


Jeff Sobieralski

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."  - Philemon 1:6 (NIV)

Discipleship is Beautiful

dis·ci·ple

1. Religion :

• one of the 12 personal followers of Christ.
• one of the 70 followers sent forth by Christ. Luke 10:1.
• any other professed follower of Christ in His lifetime.

2. any follower of Christ.

3. (initial capital letter) a member of the Disciples of Christ.

4. a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; follower.

 

 

There is almost nothing more that I love than being able to disciple someone in the Word or in their new walk with the Lord.  Sometimes it may just be an encouraging word or a prayer, but other times it's an ongoing conversation or relationship that digs deep.

Within our ministry, we may not be able to break through to everyone we come into contact with, but the people that we are able to get to know, build a relationship with and disciple, make it all worth it.

It is so exciting to watch someone grow deeper in their faith - for them to see a new Truth of God's Word and to understand it and apply it to their life.  And it's even more exciting to get to be the one that God has entrusted with teaching this person.

But it's a hard job.  There are ups and downs, tears and smiles, mountains and valleys....more valleys, quite frankly.  Sometimes we try so hard to get through to someone, and we give them the tools, we pray for them, we fret over them, and in the end we feel like they've left our life no different.  But we've been entrusted with this job.  It isn't some haphazard thing we just decide to take on one day.  When we 'sign up with Jesus', we sign up for discipleship.

I'm sure everyone is familiar with The Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus is telling US that we are to GO and MAKE DISCIPLES....and then to teach these new disciples to obey all the commands He has given.

It is not our responsibility to go and get people saved.  (We can't do that anyway.)  

But we can share Truth.  We can plant seeds.  We can pray for the Holy Spirit to move.  We can do the works of Jesus....greater works even by the power of the Holy Spirit within us (John 14:12).  

And we can teach people, just as Jesus has instructed.  That's all discipleship is anyway....teaching people with the knowledge and experiences He's given us.

Would you please take a moment to pray for us and the people that are in our paths right now?  Would you please say a prayer that we are able to be strong in the Word but sensitive to the Spirit, to know what to say and when to say it?  Would you also pray that God will draw people to us...not because of us...but because of Him living in us?

Thank you for your support,

Loving Radically Through Christ,

Melissa

(Keep on the lookout for more Mardi Gras Mission Trip information and for more upcoming event information.  Right now we would love to have you join us at:

• Converting Hearts graduation ceremony - Thursday, March 27 - 7pm
• Weekly Bible study/fellowship group - Friday, March 28 - 6:30pm
• Bull City Outreach Ministries Open House - Saturday, March 29 - 2pm to 6pm
• Testimony Sharing for a friend in Roxboro - Sunday, March 30 - 6pm
• Ladies Bible study/fellowship group - Monday, March 31 - 12:30pm
• Weekly Bible study/fellowship group - Friday, April 4 - 6:30pm
• CROSSWALKING/EVANGELISM - Saturday in April - specific date still TBD - LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS ONE AND WHICH SATURDAY WORKS FOR YOU

Mardi Gras Mission Trip - Part One

So I decided that the best way to get this Mardi Gras post accomplished would be to break it into smaller sections.  It seems like an overwhelming task trying to condense this all into one blog post.  I realize people are more likely to read multiple, smaller posts instead of one, long post.

I think the easiest thing to start out with is the schedule and logistics of the trip.  We left Durham on February 25th at 5pm.  We parked our cars at our church, Bethel Christian Center, and loaded up on the Bull City Outreach Ministries JESUS van.

From left to right:  Jamie Locklear, Dean Padgett, Felisha Sandifer, Melissa Padgett, Courtney Glenn, Chris Ferrer, Kristen Ferrer, Terry Shuff and Angie Shuff.

Ralph Thompson (Emergency Chaplains) came to pray for the group and see us off.

We began the trek to Atlanta, where we were able to stop and sleep in wonderful hotel rooms provided by Kelly Gordon!  It was well after midnight when we arrived, and we were exhausted.  The girls shared a room and the guys shared a room.  Angie even got to share a bed with Courtney, which I'm sure she heavily appreciated since Courtney sprawled out and took up 89.9% of the bed.  We got up and had a seriously wonderful continental breakfast and hit the road at 7:45 to drive the rest of the way to New Orleans.

The ride was great:  Courtney took up 89.9% of the bench seat that her and I shared (I see a pattern here).  Chris Ferrer was awesome enough to play most of the New Testament outloud from his ipad.  We I looked like headbangers as Terry blasted us with Jesus Freak by DC Talk to get us pumped. We got to stop and try Krystal burgers and chicken sandwiches at 10:30 am (time zone change that none of our stomachs knew about).  We also got to talk and bond and mentally prepare ourselves for the upcoming week.

We arrived in New Orleans and immediately stopped at the RAVEN camp to see Pastor Troy Bohn and his fellow week-long missionary group.  We also picked up two more team members, Christian and Claudia Stancil, who had flown in earlier that day.

Our next stop was our home for the week....the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) compound.  We shared a huge house - girls bunked in two rooms, guys bunked in three.  The house had everything we could possibly need.  We even had access to the community house which had a larger kitchen and an open room area that we used as a fellowship meal/meeting area.  We unloaded our luggage and prepped ourself for dinner and our first night out on the streets.  No time wasting for us!  We were ready to get out there and start sharing the Gospel.

The second day in New Orleans we had three other team members join us.....Jennifer Robinson (from Texas), Jeff Sobieralski and Lance Prathaftakis (both from Indiana).

The ladies also ventured to Sams Club this day to buy our food for the week.  I volunteered to head up the "meal planning department", but it proved to be a more difficult task than I expected.  Estimating food for that many people for a week, and trying to figure out things that everyone could/would eat, was a little stressful.  But you live and learn and you gain wisdom for the next time.

The rest of the week included spending time at the YWAM house when we needed a rest, and spending time out on the streets of New Orleans sharing the Word.

I've included a few pictures from the house showing our fellowship/bonding time and also some times around our dinner/meeting table.

More on our Mardi Gras mission trip on the next post.............................