Posted by Pastor John Slotten

Last month we served 3,400 people a Thanksgiving meal, either at Monarch Gardens in Appleton or delivered to their homes. It was the smoothest year ever since I have been involved, but also the most difficult in terms of people’s need.

First I want to share how very dynamic and positive the volunteers were at loving people well. I saw so many people connecting with and even witnessing to the guests at their tables.  The relationships went beyond just those few hours at dinner. An example–one volunteer brought a homeless woman to church with her the weekend following Thanksgiving, and we we were able to facilitate a bus ride down south so that she could spend time with family and hopefully get her life kick-started back to health…. (pray for Debra that her street days would come to an end!)

The hard part for me personally was the darkness I experienced this year witnessing to people at the tables. It reminded me of those the holocaust movies where you see the empty faces of those waiting to go to the gas chambers…it seemed like people had lost so much hope!I felt for first time a big segment of the Fox Valley has deeply lost hope. I feel very inadequate as a shepherd, and I think we all need to trust God and keep trying to love well in witness.

At one table I met with a woman and her daughters. They had never ever been in a church. I invited her to ours but I’m not sure if the mom is going to come.  However she shared some encouragement: her youngest daughter had been invited by a friend to go with a friend to a youth group!  I told them my story about our kids and foster kids going to multiple youth groups and told the daughters that is how I ended up coming the CTR was so much through my kids and my kids friends. I also told the oldest daughter about Crossing, our young adult ministry here on Friday nights.

Then at another table a gentlemen told me a story of how he lost his job three times in the past year, and how he feels hopeless.  All the networking with his friends, family and everyone who knows everyone has not worked out.  He said he never ever thought he’d be at an event like this for a holiday, but said that it blessed him greatly.

These are just a fraction of the stories we heard and the relationships with people we are building as we reach out to those who are suffering hardships. Thanks again to all those who volunteered and donated to make this possible.

Check out our photo gallery for images of the day:

Posted by Christine Hall

Most of us have a desire to share the Gospel, but we don’t know how. A very easy way to do that is by hosting an evangelistic Christmas Gathering—a holiday party featuring seasonal treats, sharing of Christmas traditions and a brief, non-threatening gospel message.

When I began my walk with Christ I attended a Bible study that came out of a Christmas Gathering. I had never studied the Bible before and the materials were very easy to use. I have since hosted Christmas Gatherings for co-workers, neighbors and mothers at my children’s school. This year my husband and I are hosting one for an apartment complex in our city. I am convinced that hosting a Christmas Gathering is one of the easiest and most effective ways to share my faith.

I will say that I don’t know if sharing my faith is ever comfortable for me. But it is worth it. I’m glad someone took the risk to tell me about Christ. I was very afraid to share Christ with the people I knew. But I had to be willing to risk what other people thought of me if I really cared about them and where they’re spending eternity. Are you willing to risk your reputation for the sake of the gospel?

We provide training, which will be held from 6:15-8:30p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9th at Sonshine Center in Menasha. You will see a demonstration of what actually happens during a Gathering and discuss everything from spiritual preparation to follow up. The cost is $12 and includes a detailed instruction manual.

A trained speaker will be provided for your Gathering (or you can choose your own speaker and have them attend training the same night). Speakers are given a clear presentation of the gospel which they personalize and share at your Gathering.

To register, please call Doris Steinberg at 751-3855 or pick up a brochure at the information station in the CTR lobby.

Did you know that CTR’s Food pantry started out the year serving about 16 families each month? The number of people in need of the Food Pantry’s resources is growing, according to staff ministry leader Tracy Komassa. “We have seen an increase in the number of families coming to CTR’s Food Pantry in the summer and now the fall months, and we’re getting many more voice mails requesting food,” she says.

Faces behind the forms

In order to meet people’s physical as well as the spiritual hunger, the Food Pantry team is taking a new approach to how people are served by consolidating the food pickup hours to just one day a week. The idea is to ensure that families and volunteers can meet face to face and begin to develop personal relationships with the families while helping them find community resources they may not know about.

Komassa says many of these families have never been inside our doors before.

“We want them to feel comfortable with us and know that we here to help. By getting to know them, our volunteers are also better able to meet additional practical needs as well as their spiritual needs. We are open to giving them tours of our church and hope they feel welcomed,” Komassa says.

The need

CTR’s Food Pantry Team has almost a dozen volunteers—not nearly enough to handle the influx of food and people in need. Komassa says it would be awesome if more volunteers could be available during the new Food Pantry Hours on Tuesdays from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. or 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

As for food, the pantry can always use donations to help meet the hunger need in the Valley. “Most of us think of canned goods, but what we always run short of is the grains like boxes of breakfast cereal, pastas and rice,” Komassa says.

If you can help, please call 730-8383 ext. 416.

No game face required!

As guys, we need to be purposeful in building friendships with other men. Yeah, I can call up my high school or college buddies or pop over to my neighbor’s garage, but expanding the friendship circle is something women are good at. me, not so much.  And then when we think about hanging out with new friends from church, it takes tremendous effort for that to be comfortable. Especially when it comes to talking about spiritual things.

CTR’s Men’s Reaching Farther Conference Oct. 4-6 will give us the environment and the comfort level to make it a whole lot easier.  It’s a weekend away at Green Lake Conference Center about an hour east of here, and they’ve got an amazing campus on the lake with outdoor activities. There are a number of accommodation options at Green Lake with different pricing, and we’re registering by phone this year. Check out our CTR Web site for more info.

Our guest speaker Mike Yankoski, who wrote the best-selling book Under the Overpass. It’s a chronicle of his 5-month experience as a homeless man, living on the streets of six American cities and taking great risks of faith to bring Christ’s love to the neediest of God’s people.

If you have questions about room or cabin rates or are ready to sign up, call (920) 294-3323.

Green Lake Conference Center is located just west of the city of Green Lake on State Hwy. 23 in south central Wisconsin.

The address is W2511 State Road 23 Green Lake, WI 54941

Last week’s Destination Unknown trip for our junior high students was an incredible adventure into reaching out to those in the community.  Unbeknown to the 29 students, their destination was Wausau, our neighbors to the west.  (Hence the name of the annual “Destination Unknown” retreat.) Lead by AMPED youth pastor Bee Vang, the group worked incredibly hard in ways that were physically and spiritually challenging!

Bee’s own story about his road to redemption as a youth is interwoven with tales of how our AMPED students spent their week. Check it out:
(Reprinted with permission from the Wausau Daily Herald)
July 25, 2009

Former gang member brings youth group to Wausau for good works

A former gang member’s road to redemption brought him through Wausau this week, where he has led dozens of acts of good work.

Bee Vang and 29 AMPED junior high students from CTR wrap up their Destination Unknown mission trip.

Bee Vang, 22, of Appleton brought 29 junior-high-age teens and nine adult volunteers from the Fox Valley on a church mission trip that started July 18 and ended today. The group stayed at Rib Mountain State Park and worked on a variety of goodwill projects throughout the area. Projects the youths from Christ the Rock Community Church worked on included sorting, moving and organizing goods at The Neighbors’ Place in Wausau; helping clean and maintain trails and other areas on Rib Mountain; sprucing up the area around the Phou Bia Oriental Market on Sherman Street in Wausau; organizing items for the New Day Christian Church’s garage sale; and helping a homeowner the group met do some household chores.

At night, the group worked on matters of spirituality, further developing relationships with God.

Ten years ago, Vang was on a vastly different path, participating in vastly different group activities.

“I was in my early teens, and I got into drugs, partying, stealing,” Vang said. “I was looking for love, looking for acceptance. I found them in gangs. They were my bros; they were my boys.”

That sense of belonging was powerful for the Hmong-American boy growing up in Manitowoc and Appleton. His father wasn’t a strong influence in his life. His mother worked long days to gain a foothold in America. He felt the sting of racism.

Gangs helped ease that sense of alienation, but they led him into trouble with the law. By the time he was 14 years old, he found himself in Rawhide Boys Ranch, a program for troubled teenage boys in New London.

His experience with the Christian-based organization led to his transformation.

“It was there that so many things happened to me,” he said. “My grandmother passed away, and I was asking a lot of questions. One night, I was just praying for answers and God answered; he came into my life. I’d say God found me.”

Vang studies at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and took a position as youth pastor at Christ the Rock church a year and a half ago.

He decided to bring his church group to Wausau because he wanted members to get away from Appleton, but also to help people in a similar community. He has friends and church connections here that helped pave the way.

“I think it’s a tremendous idea,” said Tom Rau, executive director of The Neighbors’ Place. “I think it shows that you don’t have to travel 500, 600, 700 miles to find people in need. Needs like these are all over the place.”

The teens all know Vang’s story and background, and in some ways, it helps him make connections with them.

“Bee’s got such a heart for God, and he loves other people,” said Cait Schumacher, 13, of Kimberly. “He shows us no matter what we struggle with, we’ll definitely get through it.”

A personal story shared by one of Christ The Rock’s master gardeners, Tammy Borden.

I confess, I’m not much of a vegetable gardener.  I much prefer the delicate beauty of flowers and using them to design a stunning landscape.  For some reason, a pepper plant swaying in the breeze doesn’t bring me the same delight as that of the tender blossom of a bleeding heart or daffodil.

But then there is the tomato… Yes, I know, to the true botanists out there it’s not technically a vegetable, but a fruit.  Although, in 1887, the U.S. Supreme Court did apparently rule that it was indeed a vegetable. So legally, it seems, the tomato is not a fruit. Ah, but I digress.

For me, it’s not the most attractive of garden plants, so that’s not why I cherish it so much.  And it’s not so much that I even like the taste of tomatoes.  I would much prefer a freshly pulled carrot after wiping the dirt off on my sleeve, or those sweet sugar snap peas plucked right from the vine.  Yes, my love of the tomato runs deeper than my taste buds.  My love of the tomato is because of love itself.

His name was Louie… a larger than life character.  I remember visiting his house in early spring and walking through the narrow pathways formed in his garage that hadn’t seen a car in years.  Every possible space was filled with flats of seedlings.  There were many kinds of plants that he intended to later sell out of the back of his rusty Volkswagen van at a nearby parking lot.  The crudely written price signs drawn with a grease pencil on a sheet of notebook paper were his only marketing tool.

But his plants were legendary, and his pride and joy were his tomatoes: Early Girl, Jet Star, Beefsteak, Giant Pinks, and the list went on.  He could tell you the unique characteristics of each variety – its flavor, color, shape, texture and size.  I remembered his own small plot of land where he grew tomatoes that looked like something out of the Little Shop of Horrors. They were immense, with plants reaching the eaves of his house and tomatoes the size of musk melons.

Louie was my father-in-law, and I had the privilege of knowing him for more than 15 years before he went to that big tomato patch in the sky where there is no disease or blight – a comforting thought as I reflect on his battle with cancer and emphysema that eventually took his life. But his passion for the lowly tomato did not go unnoticed, and I have since taken on the challenge of continuing the tradition.  Now, I am the one hauling flats of seedlings to share with friends and co-workers.  Now I am the one saving seeds from his mystery Heirloom tomato – the one he always called “Giant Pink.”

The tomato… When I pluck that first one from the vine I get an immense sense of satisfaction and nostalgia as I think of Louie.  That’s why gardening is so much more than a laborious task of weeding and pest control to me.  Gardening for me is about relationships.  Yes, much of my time in the garden is spent alone.  But even in solitude I’m reminded of relationships – I can look at a plant and tell you who gave me a cutting of it, who I was with when I got it, who helped me plant it… As I look at the birds and butterflies I enjoy my relationship with nature and the one who created it all. And the lowly tomato – I can’t look at one without being reminded of my relationship with Louie, whom some may have considered a lowly old man himself, but whose wisdom and beauty brought unbelievable flavor to my life.  Those are the things that make gardening so meaningful and enjoyable for me.  Those are the things of life.

Louie’s Top Ten Tips for Tomatoes

1. Don’t over water seedlings – let them dry out a little

2. Dry leaves – wet roots… always water seedlings from the bottom

3. Keep seedlings out of brisk winds

4. Use a 15-30-15 fertilizer

5. Plant the seedlings deep!

6. Use lots of compost

7. Sun! Sun! Sun!

8. They grow best in soil between 6-7 ph

9. Once planted, keep consistently moist

10. A little salt and pepper on a slice of Giant Pink – nothing better!

Do you have a favorite gardening memory or tip to share? Add a comment and we would love to hear it!

Posted by Patty Dempsey

Our Campus Garden planting team digs in.

What a great morning we had planting our brand new Campus Garden!  On Saturday, May 30th, fifteen people (some not shown in picture)  joined together to help plant our 30×50 foot Campus Garden. Our vision for the garden is to invite anyone in our church to help.  As food becomes ready to harvest, we openly invite you to take some of the food if you need it, take some to give to a family you know who could use it, or help bring the rest to a local food pantry.  If you don’t have your own garden or simply want to work together on a garden with other people, here’s your chance.

Planting takes planning!

Last Saturday on our planting day, even in the on and off drizzle we had a lot of fun.  It was especially exciting to hear people connect through their own garden stories and sharing of garden tips.

We had beginners working alongside experienced gardeners, and everyone got down and dirty in the mud!

Gardening is for the shoe-hardiest among us!

The Campus Garden is just one of the gardens in our new ministry called Compassion Gardens.  If you’ve seen the grounds of our church lately, you have noticed the transformation that has been taking place not only with the Campus Garden, but the Hmong Gardens as well. 

Many people have been offering their talents and resources to make all of this possible!  First of all our clay ground is not easy to break up, so we’ve been thankful for the services of Don, a farmer who comes in with his large tractor to make the first pass at the ground.  We were equally blessed for Bryan Zempel and Randal Lamers who also came in with their smaller tractors to help till up the dirt, not only for the Campus Gardens, but for the Hmong Gardens as well, giving us greater hope for a good season.

On the planting day we were privileged to have parents bringing in their children to help plant the seeds.  What a precious sight to see the children work so hard with everyone to place the seeds in just the right spot.

Bryan Zempel and his daughter make memories

One family was able to share the experience across three generations, as Grandpa worked alongside the parents and grandchildren.

A generational experience!

We are all excited to see how everything grows.  Thank you to those who took the time to grow seedlings for our garden and bring in seeds.  Because of your generosity, we have a strong start to our garden.  We were able to plant a wide variety of vegetables and even some muskmelon.   We had more than we could have imagined!

Soon the sprouts will appear.

If you would like to help us weed and water through the summer or help pick the vegetables at harvest times, we would love to have you join us.  You can sign up at the information center at church or sign up online at www.christtherock.org/communityopportunities.

May the Lord bless our planting, watering and weeding as He alone can make things grow.  We thank Him for this gift of working with Him to create a harvest that potentially can bless many in our church and community.

Posted by Susan Campbell, CTR Sisterhood

We have had four great CTR Sisterhood events and are praying that our fifth and final event before summer break is one that will encourage women to reach farther in their families and communities.  Our guest speaker fits that bill perfectly!

Margo Feiseler came to mind for two reasons:  1. She came highly recommended by many people.  2. She is very involved in her community and works diligently on behalf of the poor.

Then I spoke with her, and that sealed it.

Margo is very dynamic.  She is deeply passionate about life and especially about women and their walk with Christ.  She loves to laugh and bring the JOY of Christ into daily conversations.  It just flows out of her!

I sense that our entire Sisterhood  will immediately connect with Margo and her vast life experiences. Plus, she loves our Sisterhood theme and our outreach this ministry has to offer the women of Christ The Rock.

On May 12 she’ll share how she came to know the Lord in her early 30’s and has had to learn to be content in Jesus…and she’ll motivate us to do the same.   There is Joy in this Journey of womenhood and sometimes we need the encouragement and motivation to keep walking with faith.  Margo will give us some tools to journey on!

I hope you’ll come. And I think you’ll leave the event feeling blessed and feeling prepared to bless others. Register online at christtherock.org/sisterhood.

Last Saturday about 120 men came to Christ the Rock Church’s Reaching Farther Breakfast. The quarterly breakfast event is put on by HIScommunity, CTR’s new name for our growing men’s ministry. Kudos to the 20 leaders who put this event together!

Here’s what HIScommunity super-volunteer John Dwiggins reports:

MEN REACHING FARTHER

By John Dwiggins

After some great fellowship and worship time, guest speaker Greg Bourgond, founder of the Heart of a Warrior ministry, inspired us with a message on how to leave a lasting and pleasing legacy in the lives of people we are called to serve. Greg also urged us to have a laser-like focus in life, serving God and others with the gifts, calling and abilities that He has blessed us with

After Greg’s message, three men shared their testimonies of how God is helping them reach farther by mentoring younger men, leading men in a Heart of a Warrior bible study and by witnessing to others and praying for them in their work environment.

CTR’s new  Global Executive Director Norm Leatherwood shared how we can reach farther globally by meeting the physical needs of the hungry in the world, having compassion on others and by committing ourselves to have a real and sustained impact.

And Pastor John Slotten shared how in our local community, we can proclaim the gospel in our homes and neighborhoods, comfort others and meet physical needs through the OAKS ministry and the CTR food pantry.

Praise God for how He deeply impacted the men by all that happened at the breakfast! Eight men even signed up for a year-long commitment to learn how to become warriors after God’s own heart by completing the Heart of a Warrior training program.

We hope and pray that all that came will follow through on the “reaching farther” ideas the Lord gave them at the breakfast and that more men can be blessed by future HIScommunity activities in 2009.

A great church experience is always exciting to read about, especially by those who are passionate about sharing via the written word! More people are discovering the joys of journaling their thoughts electronically these days, in the form of blogs–like the one you are reading now.

A blog is simply two words (Web and Log) shortened into one. Bloggers are everywhere. By some estimates, there are 5 Billion blogs worldwide! But there’s no way to tally them precisely.

Some people in our own body are bloggers, like Jen of Wisconsin.