Faith of a Child

Maude was about 65 years old, and lived about as far out in the country as a person could live.  She had never been married – never lived anywhere besides the place she was born and raised.  Her yard was filled with chickens and cats, and she had no running water inside her house.  Maude didn’t have a car, and she did all of her cooking on a wood stove.  She seemed very childlike and naïve in her knowledge of the world as we know it.  She didn’t have cable.  She had probably never been to a shopping mall or even a movie.  Her life was so different from our lives.

I met Maude soon after she found out her father was going to die.  Her father had taken care of her for her whole life, and she was crushed.  I was a Major Group Leader at the time, and one of my groups worked for her soon after her father died.

The day I sent my group out to her house, I didn’t know her father had passed away.  I think they were a little disappointed (if that’s the right word) because I told them that they were working for a wonderful, friendly, talkative woman, but she ended up sitting quietly inside most of the day.  However, one of the guys in my group played the guitar, and it turned out that Maude also liked to play an instrument and sing.

Maude sang to us about Jesus and how she trusted in Him.  A woman who seemed to have nothing by this world’s standards – not even the earthly father she loved – could open herself through music.  She taught my group about faith and trust in Jesus Christ, her Savior.  She knew that even in her sorrow, Jesus held her in the palm of His hand.  In her eyes, we could all see that she had the faith of a child.  Though she seemed to have nothing, she was full.

I went to Maude’s house to try to give her something.  One reason I love Carolina Cross Connection is because I think I should give to others because God has blessed me in so many ways.  However, there is no doubt in my mind that I have received far more from the people I’ve met at C.C.C. than I could ever give.  Listening to Maude sing – seeing the light in her eyes – filled me up with the Spirit of God.  She let me know that God is real.  He is alive and present in the hearts of so many people.

Several years have passed since the day I met Maude.  All the details of that day are fuzzy in my mind.  However, her faith is something that I will never forget.

Lately, I have had a lot of changes in my life.  I got married and moved away from home, and have been looking for a job. I have sometimes felt empty and scared of the future.  I am reminded of Maude, and memories of her trust and faith fill my heart.  I pray that my faith and your faith will grow – and in growing will become more and more like the faith of a child.

Amanda Pollard

Mark 10:13-16, Romans 8:38-39

 

This relatively small and inexpensive piece of metal offers big support and carries the load.  Much like a joist hanger provides stability to a wheelchair ramp, recurring givers to Carolina Cross Connection offer big support through monthly financial contributions.

Through monthly gifts, Joist Hanger Club members provide new floors or porches, helping impoverished families have safer homes.  These recurring financial gifts can also give a child in a wheelchair his freedom by building a ramp or give an elderly woman pride in her home again with a fresh coat of paint.

Recurring giving does even more!  It helps CCC keep our camper costs affordable and accomplish more construction projects even as lumber and supply prices may increase.  As a Joist Hanger Club member, you can help set the pace for others to invest in CCC and strengthen the ministry’s financial foundation into the future.  All gifts to Carolina Cross Connection are tax deductible and monthly donations can be given via credit card over the phone, check, or automatic withdrawal through PayPal.  To sign up for monthly recurring online, visit our web site at www.carolinacrossconnection.org/connect or email krista@carolinacrossconnection.org to receive a brochure and registration form.

In appreciation of your enrollment in monthly giving to CCC, you will receive:

 CCC Decal: for pledge of up to $10 monthly

 CCC Irish Mug: for pledge of $25 monthly

 CCC Polo: for pledge of $50 monthly

 “New Covenant” 11 x 17 Artwork plus all the above items and discounts on CCC special events: free gift for pledge of $100 monthly

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A huge Happy New Year smile to CCC from Pam and [my son] Braydon!

We are getting extra early excited about this summer already.  Braydon says, “I can’t wait!  The best days of my life are camp.”  I have to say, nothing can ever compare to being a part of this ministry, not only for me, but through the words and actions of my 7 year old son.  We ask for God’s protection and guidance, we pray daily together, we attend church, we (the both of us) witness about Jesus Christ to friends, at school, and every opportunity we get.  I often reflect back before CCC was presented to me as an option and I still use it as part of my testimony.  CCC has literally put life in a whole new prospective for me and Braydon.

4 weeks out of 52 doesn’t sound like much, but when it’s 4 weeks spent doing God’s work, sharing and making memories with God’s people, and taking a break from worldly influences, apparently, it’s just enough.  In 4 weeks a revival, a renewal, and a refresher takes place.  Sometimes our every day becomes complacent, comfortable, and we lose our excitement.  But when your son gets emotional talking about something that is 6 months away, this tells you this ministry is doing awesome things.

I pray for God’s blessings to pour out and overflow like never before in 2012 for CCC.  This ministry has helped me to see clearer.  In laying the foundation, in providing direction, and making thought out, pray on, decisions in my young son’s life.  It has helped me to examine myself, search my heart and focus more on what really matters.  Thank you, God, for CCC, for giving me the opportunity to serve and to renew my spirit, and for the opportunity for a 7 year old boy to get to know You better, seeing Jesus through the love from staff and campers.  This has been such a huge impact for a shy, timid, and quiet little boy, a true transformation.

So 4 out of 52 is astounding when you are a part of the amazing journey that we are experiencing!  Thank you CCC for making a DIFFERENCE!  I saw God today through my precious son, expressing his love and excitement for CCC summer camp.  4 out of 52 is HUGE :)

Special prayers, special thanks and special love, all in Jesus name,

Pam

Regional Impact Days! A new part of our ministry is equipping you to serve people in your own communities at home, you know…being fishers of men and taking CCC home with you! Regional Impact Days are a chance for you to intentionally do that. It’s a day of serving with your group along with other youth groups or churches in your area. CCC can provide you some training, referrals (if you live in one of the counties we serve), and even give you a morning watch and help with worship at the end of your day of service if needed. This fall, there are CCC RIDs happening in Hickory (Oct. 22), Winston-Salem (Nov. 6) and more still being planned! If you would like to work with CCC for a day of service, contact krista@carolinacrossconnection.org.

Recruiting Summer Staff!  We do lots of talks and presentations at Colleges and Universities with Campus Ministries or at Churches with Young Adults. If you have a connection to college students and an opportunity for us to present CCC to them, let us know ccc@carolinacrossconnection.org! We begin accepting applications in mid-October.

 Externally Focused Faith Conference, Charleston, SC, Oct 3-5 CCC will be leading a workshop on Youth and Service at this National Conference. This a big gathering of pastors and ministry leaders from all across the country with the sole focus of learning how to engage the local church in caring for their local community. Krista is on the leadership team for this conference, so our CCC folks can can get a $50 discount to attend!  Just use the code viptbb during registration.  

 ReFrame Conference, Johnson City, TN, Nov. 10-12 We are really stoked about this one! This is a brand new conference just for ministries like ours. It’s our time for ”continuing education” so to speak.  We will learn and share best practices with other home repair camps and network with their leaders.  This conference is being put together by our friends from Appalachian Service Project, Mountain Top, and Confrontation Point Ministries.  

National Youth Workers Convention, Atlanta, GA, Nov. 18-20 Youth leaders (whether you are paid or a volunteer), this is the ultimate in conferences! We will be running a booth in the exhibit hall where thousands of youth leaders hang out, play crazy games, and learn how to lead and love student even better. Are you going? Let us know so all us CCC folks can get together! ccc@carolinacrossconnection.org  

CCC Camps  at Carolwood, West Wilkes MS, McCall, Loy White & Joshua Youth Camp

Camp Directors:  Amy Bumgarner, Annie Hughes Carroll, EdwardRamsey, Daniel Kerr, Briana McLeod

Lead Program Coordinators:  Katie Davis, Leeann Mangum, Jenny Motes, Haley Nantz, Jenni Wesel

Lead Field Coordinators:  Alyssa Baker, Josh Godwin, Ellen Magnuson, Anthony Mendez, Luke Setliff

Program Coordinators:  Kayla Abernathy, Lauren Epperson, Sarah Kiviniemi, Molly Ohmen, Caroline Phillips, Amy Robertson, Alex Robinson, Chelsea Spyres, Alison Strader, Ashton Wagner

Field Coordinators:  Zach Hartis, Roy Abernathy, Brent Adcock, Daniel Boulware, Beth Coody, Cara Hanley, Michael Hovis, Dylan Lawing, Jozy Mendez, Carly Suddreth, Dalton Wally, Ashton Wassack

 CCC College Week Staff

Camp Director:  Amanda Stafford

Program Coordinator:  Leane Peddycord

Field Coordinators:  Mary Heather Lineberger, plus one more TBD 

CCC Asheville HOME staff:

 Camp Director:  Kevin Eudy

 Mission Coordinators:  Laura Brown, Nicole Huber

Carolina Cross Connection has been having an outstanding year, and God has been leading and stretching its leaders in exciting new ways.  Our numbers are up from years past, thanks to the many churches and youth groups who have been registering and getting excited to serve western North Carolina’s less fortunate.  We are so grateful for the support we have received from so many friends, volunteers, campers, and staff this year.   Thank you for helping make possible is going be an outstanding year for CCC.

We wanted to take a moment to share some of the ways we have been expanding, and some of own excitement.  Make sure you download our NEW FLYER outlining these opportunities:

• Summer Weeks of Service: We offer four weeklong summer sessions dedicated to home repair in western North Carolina.  We work in twenty western North Carolina counties, and our three of our five camps include District camps Carolwood, Loy White, and McCall.   Response has been overwhelming this year, and we are hopeful we may be looking to expand to new areas in the future.

• College Week at Camp Guilrock: Much like our traditional camps, College Week is a new opportunity to serve families in need of home repair, while worshiping and building relationships.  We are partnering with Camp Guilrock of the Northeast District (a new location for us!) to hold College Week, and as the name implies, it will be for college students only!  Download the registration flyer and visit www.carolinacrossconnection/collegeweek for more info.

• Regional Impact Days (RID): For years, we have encouraged our campers to “take home what they experienced” at CCC, and our new Regional Impact Days are designed as a way to do just that.  During these mini days of service, youth are empowered to serve their neighbors through home repairs, nursing home or orphanage visits, soup kitchens, and other volunteer opportunities.  The day ends with dinner and a worship service at a local church.  Our first RID, hosted by Forest Hill UMC in Concord, brought in 150  volunteers to serve 23 families and agencies on a snowy day in January!  More RIDs are forthcoming, including Albemarle, Asheville, and Winston-Salem Districts.

• Homeless Outreach Mission Experience (HOME): We are partnering with Haywood Street Congregation to offer a unique urban mission in downtown Asheville.  We are offering four weeks this summer during which youth and adults will serve the homeless in an urban setting, ministering to needs, but also finding that themselves ministered to in very profound ways.  See www.carolinacrossconnection/home for more info.

We’ve already had a great number of folks getting involved in these ministries, but there are still openings and opportunities available! We hope you will sign up and help us spread the word, especially to folks who may be searching for opportunities to serve.

The Homeless Outreach Mission Experience (H.O.M.E.) is a new adventure for the outreach ministry of Carolina Cross Connection (CCC) in conjunction with the passion and service of the Haywood Street Congregation. For 24 years, CCC has been leading youth and adults in serving people in need with home repair and hope. But what would it look like to serve people with no homes? The Haywood Street Congregation does that every day through their ministry to all peoptle living in downtown Asheville, including the homeless. During H.O.M.E., CCC will partner with Haywood Street to give your group an opportunity to make a difference and to gain a better understanding of compassion, Christ and yourself all in the unique urban, inner-city culture of Asheville, NC.

Click here to read more and learn how to REGISTER TODAY…

You may have read in our January newsletter that our first Regional Impact Day, held in Cabarrus/Rowan counties was a huge success.  Plans are now in the works for THREE more RIDs in THREE new areas!  Look for one that might be close to you and your church, and jump on-board.  We would love to have you join in and participate in these one-day, CCC-style, high-impact opportunities to serve and worship alongside other youth and adults.  Click on the links below to download the RID packet for each event.

• Forsyth RID, hosted by New Hope UMC in Winston-Salem RID:  March 26
• Albemarle RID, hosted by Faith UMC in Indian Trail:  April 9
• Asheville RID, hosted by Skyland UMC in Asheville:  May 14

Please note that each RID has an RSVP date and contact, so if you plan to participate, please get in touch.  Call 704-721-0033 if you have any other questions about Regional Impact Days.