Reaching Out to Joplin Missouri

Reaching Out to Joplin Missouri Committed Relief (a ministry of Calvary Chapel) is responding to the devastation caused by tornadoes in Joplin Mo. They are working with Jim Stewart from Calvary Chapel Kansas City on that end. Their main contact in Joplin today said that along with the death toll there are also reports of 1500 people unaccounted for at this time. A staging area has been secured where they will be able to feed the community hot meals, distribute supplies and host teams. They are also shipping a 50' trailer filled with new clothes, toiletries & bedding.  This shipment should arrive in Joplin on Friday May 27th.  A kitchen trailer and disaster relief feeding center is on it's way. It should arrive in Joplin on Wednesday June 1. The goal is to start feeding people hot meals and begin distributing supplies as soon as they arrive.  It is our desire here at Calvary Chapel Visalia to come along side of this relief effort to the people of Joplin Missouri and reach out with the love of Jesus Christ.  They are looking for teams to help over the next few weeks and for donations.  ·      If you would like to donate please make checks payable toCalvary Chapel Visalia and note Joplin Missouri in the memo.  ·      If you would like to donate online, you can go to  www.ccvisalia.com  click on donate then in the box marked "other" notate "Joplin Missouri." ·      If you are interested in going with a team or want to help in any way, please contact Pastor Mike at the church office (687-0220).

Compassion For The Japanese People

In the Bible, the word compassion literally means “to suffer with.” It also means to show sympathy, pity, and mercy for another.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Tells us that our God is a compassionate God.
      
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort….”

So shouldn’t we be?

1 John 3:17-18  Commands us to show compassion.

“But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”

The devastation of the recent Earthquakes and Tsunami in Japan has opened up many opportunities to respond with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ.

Our vision, here at Calvary Chapel Visalia, is to come alongside the churches in Japan, through the leadership of Committed Relief, to serve and reach out to the Japanese people, not only financially and physically, but with the love, compassion, and Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are weekly teams going into Sendai and Ishinomake distributing food, clothing, diapers, and Bibles while sharing the Gospel of Jesus through worship settings or one-on-one conversations. The teams are also beginning to help clean out homes that are filled with mud and debris.  

They are now ready to receive teams from outside of Japan. Calvary Chapel Visalia, along with Calvary Chapel Houston Texas, is teaming up to send a team into Japan in July.

Please pray for this team as it develops. If you are interested in information about this team, please contact us or if  you are interested in supporting this effort financially, please send checks to Calvary Chapel Visalia PO Box 6219, Visalia Ca. 93290.

Make checks payable to Calvary Chapel Visalia. Please note on your checks that it is for Japan Relief.

Welcome to Calvary Chapel Visalia Missions/Outreach

I want to welcome you to our new Missions/Outreach blog.  Our goal is to keep all of you informed in what God is doing in the area of missions, outreach, and evangelism, both local and worldwide.

Romans 1:16 tells us....."For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

Acts 1: 8....Tells us that we are to be witnesses of Him in Jerusalem, all of Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth.....In other words we are to take the Gospel not only to other countries, but our own neighborhoods and communities as well.  Jesus didn't tell us to do one or the other, He said to do all of them.

In future posts I am going to start encouraging you by keeping you informed on upcoming missions trips, local outreach, and evangelism efforts as well. Pray that the Holy Spirit will open doors for us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I pray that God will encourage each of you to "Reach Out" with the one thing that our community, nation, and world needs, the saving power of Jesus Christ.