Welcoming Jesus, is also my heart's desire ... to enter into the days of preparation (Advent); daily rest stops that prepare me for the coming of Christ? 

Some of you have joined us to minister at Christmas time to the families of N.M. over the past 18 years.  Three years ago, however, we shifted our focus.  It was an empowering idea ... that Christmas belongs to the parents of our kids, and we needed to figure out a way to give it back.  As you know, most inner city missions give presents to "needy" children.  That is a good thing!  But it is an even better thing to find a way in which the parents of these same children can do this for themselves.  The Parent Volunteer Program was begun with that premise, and has become much larger than we could have ever dreamed.

• 95 parents (representing 90 families) have participated in the parent volunteer program logging ...
• 3,752 total hours doing ...  
• all kinds of things at The Neighborhood Center:  receptionist at our office and other office related jobs, preparing for all weekly programs and putting things back together afterwards, fixing broken things, maintaining the N.Center, all thanksgiving box deliveries, preparing meals for multiple ministry events, loading and stocking food bank, preparation for the Clinic grand opening, working with Headstart
• 31 churches and groups are helping with gift donations ...
• of all kinds of things: new toys (just the kind their kids want), gift certificates to local favorite stores, household items (like heaters, new bed sets), bikes, furniture, baby items, shoes, clothing, microwaves, dish sets, boom boxes, cameras ... and a gift wrap area
• Family photos can be purchased to be taken the next week at The Big Christmas party
• Who's helping on store night?:  Bible study groups, a group from California, high school groups, junior high groups, families with children

All their work  goes towards  a paycheck that purchases Christmas gifts for their kids and families  ... but all this work also gives them the real satisfaction of contributing  to their community.   

Prayer requests for December 6:

• We still have a need for more gifts
• Safety and security with so much merchandise on the property
• For Sandra Talamantes, one of our parents, who needs an anesthesiologist for an upcoming surgery
• True celebration of Christmas, where genuine love and appreciate of each other's hard work pervades
• That this real community effort spins out more and more ownership of solutions for these families
• That something intangible, the deep love of Christ, somehow become known to every parent, that these gifts only represent
• The Bible study that has grown out of The Parent Volunteer program
• That these parents would also be discipled & grow in Christ

December 13  

Big Christmas Party

 On December 13^th,  we will celebrate Christmas with a community outreach party at The Neighborhood Center.  This event is annual and will have food, gifts for the children of the Neighborhood Ministries programs, our famous carnival games, Christian rappers and other fantastic performers (a live Nativity by the Lost Boys of the Sudan), and special booths offering health care resources and other community resources to the families.  We are expecting around 2000 people at this event.   

Prayer requests for December 13:

This event reminds us of the uniqueness and preciousness of Christmas, Whole families will come to this event together, old patriarchs to the youngest infant.  It takes many months to get ready for this day, and many workers setting it up.

Please pray that Jesus is known, present in the gifts of this evening.  Please pray specifically for these:

• Kids Stores (600 + gifts going out) -- additional gifts are still needed
• Transportation for our families to/from the event
• Food for 2,000 (enough food for all)
• Entertainment Performers, most of whom are evangelistic 
• Carnival Games (some in various states of disrepair)
• Craft Booths
• Booths for community Organizations and invitations to other community partners
• Set Up & Clean Up

Jeremiah 29:7 (NCV)

Also do good things for the city where I sent you ...
Pray to the Lord for the city where you are living,
because if good things happen in the city,
good things will happen to you also.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 (this card was designed by the children of Neighborhood Ministries)