Christian Life Center Christmas 2009 Update
Christmas is quickly coming upon us. It is with joy that together we prepare to celebrate the birth and life of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ! May the blessing of knowing Him personally in both of those capacities be upon you and your family.
It is a Christmas tradition for many of us to send out an annual family update newsletter at this time of year. This letter is intended to be such a letter for the Christian Life Center. When you live in community as we do here at CLC, we want to endeavor to have a family relationship within our body as much as possible. So please accept this letter much as you would from one friend to another, written from the perspective of a proud parent.
THIS LETTER IS INTENDED TO TELL YOU ABOUT BOTH THE BLESSINGS GOD HAS BESTOWED UPON THE CLC FAMILY AND THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AS A RESULT OF THOSE BLESSINGS!
God has been very busy in the Christian Life Center family in Waveland during 2009, let me tell you just some of what He has been doing.
1. David Bartelt, long time, energetic and exuberant Thrift Store manager has taken the CLC Thrift Store from its humble beginnings in a Quonset hut through the growth to occupy four (4) Quonset huts, and now through a move to a permanent building off of the Christian Life Church grounds. This significantly expands the connection base within the Waveland/Bay Saint Louis community for personal and CLC ministry. This new facility is approximately 2000 square feet in size and is set up in a normal store format with a very pleasant coffee bar area. It provides an excellent opportunity for the establishment of additional small group and discipleship relationships for the CLC.
Now however, God has called David Bartelt from this training time at CLC to an enhanced role in Kingdom work. David’s home church is in the process of establishing a church plant in the inner city area of Milwaukee and has extended a call to David to be an essential core member of that team. We rejoice for this great opportunity that God is providing for David.
2 As reported in our prior letter, John and Christy Rohrmayer have been called into a further growth step of their Christian walk. John has informed us that he will be leaving his role at CLC and moving over to the CMA Gulfport Church plant to be the assistant to Pastor Darren Sanford. We rejoice in this great opportunity that God is providing for John.
These two events clearly demonstrate the fruit from one of the main purposes of existence for the Christian Life Center. The focus of being a Training and Development Center for the volunteers and staff that God calls here has been a dominant theme from the very beginning of this ministry. God does not call us to His work to leave us the same as we were before that call. God gifts us, shapes us, empowers us, and directs for His purposes through that call and the experiences that flow from our obedient response to it.
THIS BRINGS US TO THE NEEDS AREA:
A. We are asking God to raise up and provide the next person to be the Thrift Store Manager. Having a warm and open heart for the local people who come to the Thrift Store is a primary necessity for this position. A desire to interact with local people with an ultimate goal of Kingdom work in their life is the essential focus of this position. Yes it also involves the managing of the retail operation at the store, but the people work is fundamental and the retail work, while important is secondary.
B. Likewise, we are asking God to raise up and provide the next person to lead the Construction phase of the out reach at CLC. Knowledge of construction methods and managing volunteers is important for this position, but again, a desire to interact with local people with an ultimate goal of Kingdom work in their life is the essential focus of this position.
There is a lot of flexibility that can be structured around the skills, abilities and needs of the individual(s) God calls in response to either of these needs.
IF YOU THINK GOD MAY BE CALLING YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER OF THESE MINISTRIES PLEASE CONTACT US TO DISCUSS THIS.
But now what about the rest of the CLC family. This is important since God is at work in all of us.
Del & Peggy Banowitz are back for their fourth winter as staff with CLC. Their time goes back to the NAPA Center days. Peggy manages the kitchen and prepares the CLC meals while Del works to maintain the CLC property. Both have also moved into personal ministry functions with Peggy starting up a “Ladies Gab and Craft” morning meeting at the new Thrift Store location, and Del organizing a small group around an interest in “gardening and mulch making”. Del has also taken a local man under his wing in a mentoring relationship. God has been doing some very beautiful work in Peggy & Del’s lives.
Carlos and Lily Saavedra have been very active in a Hispanic outreach as well as staff at the CLC. God has taken the two of them through the Christian & Missionary Alliance licensing procedure, with Carlos becoming a Licensed Worker and Lily a Consecrated Worker. This is one of the steps on the way for them to be involved in a Hispanic Ministry either here in the United States or back over seas, wherever He calls them. Carlos and Lily are also active leaders in the Christian Life Church youth and children’s programs.
Judy Love has been on staff at CLC for almost a year now. She has blossomed in her handling of the front desk. Judy is the first person that many local people meet when they come to the CLC. Her smile, open willingness to extend the love of Jesus, and eagerness to ease each person through that initial connection is a valuable asset to both the CLC and the local community.
Greg Ralph likewise has been on staff at CLC for almost a year. It is incredible how time flies when you are walking in obedience to God. It never seems to be boring either. Greg has grown significantly, as many of you know from sitting under his teachings in the Volunteer Devotion times at CLC. Greg is currently supervising the construction of a 2000 sq foot storage building, which will be used as a receiving, staging and distribution facility in connection with the Thrift Store. This is on the property of a local family who has had a long connection with the CLC. The materials are being provided at little or no cost to CLC. God’s provision of Greg’s skills, together with the property and materials is an amazing blessing.
Long term volunteers Brian Campbell and Jeremiah Gilfoy have been active workers under Greg’s leadership. Jeremiah has also provided support to the Christian Life Church’s youth and children’s programs. Both have also been actively involved at the Thrift Store, while Brian has been engaged in a multitude of construction ministry projects. We are waiting to see what God’s call and the needs of the CLC are for their future plans.
Bob & Betty Palardy have committed to join us as staff in mid to late February. They have a great heart and are willing to fit in wherever God leads. A small group ministry and Thrift store involvement seem to be that direction, but collectively we are still seeking God’s direction.
Dave Cornelius remains as the Pastor of the Christian Life Church, assisted by his wife Donna, and Tom and Barbara Barbour remain as the Directors of the Christian Life Center.
As you can see, God has truly utilized the CLC as a ministry opportunity and training center for the staff and volunteers as well as a blessing to the local community.
COULD YOU BE SOMEONE WHO HE IS CALLING TO TAKE THAT FURTHER STEP FROM SHORT TERM VOLUNTEER TO LONG TERM VOLUNTEER OR STAFF MEMBER AT THE CLC?
WE EARNESTLY SEEK YOU PRAYERS BOTH FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE STAFF AND ALSO FOR YOU TO DETERMINE IF GOD IS CALLING YOU TO EITHER OF THE TWO ABOVE OPEN POSITIONS OR TO ANY OTHER AREA OF INVOLVEMENT AT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE CENTER. IF HE IS CALLING YOU, THE NEXT STEP IS PRAYER, AND THEN CONTACTING US AT CLC. PLEASE CALL, EMAIL OR WRITE TO:
TOM BARBOUR, DIRECTOR
CHRISTIAN LIFE CENTER
1807 WAVELAND AVE
WAVELAND, MS 39576
856-305-2371
jtbarbour@comcast.net and
tom@clcgulfcoast.com