What’s This?

Posted on September 26, 2008 by ronklabunde

This is the banner we have created for our survey sites. We think it’s cool. It is used to help attract attention at the retail stores where we set up to provide children free activities such as a moon bounce experience, water tattoos, face painting, pictures, and much more. While entertaining the children, we afford ourselves the opportunity to meet their parents, identify the communities greatest needs through our survey, and share our vision for empowering people to serve people through new community service initiatives. Every person who fills out our survey has the opportunity receive a free iPod Touch. The iPod Touch give away is a real time picture of our work to touch people’s lives as we unleash generosity in Sterling Virginia.

So why are we doing all this? It’s simple. New relationships provide new opportunities to share Jesus’ message.

Filed under: CHURCH PLANTING, community based organization | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

It’s Begun!

Posted on September 26, 2008 by ronklabunde

We have taken our first steps in starting a community based organization that births a new church! These first steps have prepared us to launch our community needs assessment on Saturday. The assessment process is enabling us to unleash generosity in the Sterling community as we 1) Relate – build new relationships with community residents, 2) Listen – listen to people identify the greatest community needs, and 3) Serve – empower people to serve people as we start new community service initiatives.

Starbucks has donated a couple hundred cups of free coffee for us to pass out to parents who are watching the athletic prowess of their kids at local athletic fields. While passing out the coffee, we are inviting people to fill out our community needs and assets survey which will qualify them for our free iPod Touch give away. The information from this survey is being used to empower people into new community service initiatives that are determined through the community needs assessment.

For those of you who are wondering what first steps we took to get to get to this point. Here they are:

  1. Became an auspice of Passion 4 Community for conducting our community needs assessment
  2. Recruited and trained Survey Team Leaders
  3. Recruited a Site Coordinator
  4. Developed our Community Needs and Assets Survey
  5. Started developing relationships with local businesses
  6. Developed and printed our Generosity Unleashed banner for our survey sites

Everything we are doing is enabling us to 1) build new relationships in the community, 2) listen to the concerns of community residients, 3) empower people to serve people, so we can start a new church that is actively involved meeting community needs while helping restore people in relationship with God and others.

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First Baptism!

Posted on September 25, 2008 by ronklabunde

I baptized my first person in Northern Virginia, in the Potomac River, in the community of Sterling. This baptism took place prior to deciding that Sterling would be the best community for establishing a new church and community based organization.

This is the first of thousands of baptisms in Sterling that are yet to come as we work with Jesus to restore people to a right relationship with God and others. What an awesome picture God has given of the many more people who will come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ through the ministry that is being established today! We are so thankful what God is already doing change people’s lives.

Filed under: CHURCH PLANTING, community based organization | Tagged: | 4 Comments »

Needing to be Needed

Posted on September 20, 2008 by ronklabunde

I had a great conversation with a guy who lives at the shopping center up the street from my home. He longs to step out of homelessness, but he is quick to state that his greatest need is to be needed. It will be exciting to see how God continues working in this man’s life while we help him become a contributor in meeting other people’s needs.

If we’re honest, we all share this man’s need – the need to be needed. It seems the best way to fulfill this need is … to live for the good of others – to live a life of service. Isn’t this what Jesus did for us?

Some of you are thinking, “But what about this man’s physical needs?” Don’t worry. He has a great group of people who care about him and are working to help him get back on his feet. He’s going to make it. And in the process God is transforming his life.

And I have a new friend.

In forming a new community based organization that births a new church, we are responding to un-met needs as we empower people to serve people.

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Generosity Unleashed

Posted on September 16, 2008 by ronklabunde

I love how God moves people to action when they hear of the vision and strategy God has given us for reaching the people of NOVA with the message of Jesus. This email came from a friend who has a 17 year old daughter who was lead by God to become a financial partner in God’s vision. It’s not the money. It is her sacrifice and heart for the lost - demonstrated in her financial gift.

Last night at the end of our family sabbath, we had a short family Bible study… and then I shared about a dozen opportunities from a wide variety of ministries for our kids to contribute to.  I explained the value of each ministry.  After I shared your strategy with our kids, our oldest, Jill (17) was totally intrigued by NOVA and your church plant.  Jill coughed up $25 (I think is was $25) and we mailed it in for you today.
LOVE BEING YOUR PARTNER IN THE GOSPEL…

I love this story! The story of God’s mission moving his daughter to a life of faith and selfless giving for the purpose of advancing Jesus’ message.

On a side note: If you are parent – are you spiritually leading your kids like this?

Filed under: CHURCH PLANTING, parenting | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

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