Volunteer Opportunity This Week....

Hey guys, if you have time tonight and tomorrow and want to serve the homeless in our community, come on out to Pershing Park tonight or Alameda Park tomorrow.  Below is an email from Deborah with the scoop, if you need more info contact her or call me.

Love you guys,

J

WEDNESDAY PERSHING PARK FOOD SHARING   Hey Outreach Team,   Rain or shine we are serving each Wednesday, but we are blessed with sun today and it looks like until next Monday! Time to dry out a bit!   We will be meeting our very hungry Street Friends tonight. I would like you to pair up with someone, male and female if possible, and actually walk around and meet the friends and see what needs they may have. (jackets, tarps, blankets shirts, etc) as they are back on the streets tonight. Pls not if someone is hungry, we have small packets of food to hand out.   We have plenty of clothing and blankets to share which will be in my truck.   We have foods to share next Monday as it possibly rains too. I am asking for volunteers to come along side and help with this. They have had some long days without food in emergy shelters from 6pm to 7:30 am and are truly hungy and thirsty.   For tonight, before we mingle, Pls meet me by my truck for a word of prayer and some updates. If you are out and about today, we are searching for Shakey. He has not been to the shelter for a couplle nights we understand and has not been found. He is particularly weak right now. Shakey is in a wheel chair. His best friend Gator is in jail.   Please dress appropriately and bring a flash light. I can't wait to see you all there....it seems like we have been away from serving together for so long due to the weather. (those that came on instinct last week in the rain, THANK YOU...God provided just enough!)   Please today be in prayer for Thursday night outreach at Alameda Park 6:30pm. If Thursday is better for you or if you desire to do even more, Thursday is where we can serve a smaller population and get to know them. Pls let me know tonight   Volunteer training class coming up next week Monday, 9 Feb at 6:30pm. The session with Jeff Shaffer last Thurs was a good one as an eye opener and to ask questions. (Sorry Dr J could not attend due to issues at the emergy shelter) The next one will be an actual training session with the do's, don'ts and how to handle situations, Who to call and how to manage your relationship building, etc. Please email me if you can attend.   Pleae welcome some new volunteers tonight and pair up with them. TKs for your hearts. I appreciate you.   DEBORAH BARNES 805.331.0865 Life Saver Services Blanket Blessing Outreach Lifesaverservices07@yahoo.com   if each one with a home reached out to one without one, there would be not need unmet

Pray for Haiti...

Men, here is a video by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle about the needs of the Church specifically in Haiti.  It's pretty gnarly and graphic so be prepared, but it will direct you on how you can be praying for the body of Christ in Haiti.

Homework Assignment...

Hello men!  Just dropping by to encourage you all to be in the word this week!  We had a great time of fellowship tonight at MG as we sort of recapped "the story so far" in the Gospel of John.  As we're entering into a new season and a new year, we thought it would be cool to get refreshed in the word and lay a good foundation for 2010 by remembering some of the great lessons we learned last year from John's Gospel.

Next week, we will be back to business as usual, Lord willing.  So homework for this week is to read John chapters 1-8.  Don't trip out, we're not putting you under the yoke of legalism- though a bit of discipline is a good thing for a Godly man to develop, so don't be scared.  Reading these chapters won't gain you merit with God, ha ha.  They will however fill your heart with love for Jesus and give the Spirit of God opportunity to minister to your heart and to teach, reprove, exhort, and train you for righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16.  So why wouldn't you wanna dig in to the word.

As you read through the Gospel this week, keep these questions at the front of your mind: 1) How is each character transformed by their encounter with Jesus (no one meets him and remains the same), and 2) How does this encounter display the Gospel?  How is this encounter "Good News"?  Then humbly ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through His word, ask Him to transform you and to do a work in your heart.

So if you couldn't make it this week, don't sweat it.  We'll see you next week!

Love you guys!

J

Same great Mens's Group- New great Location

Hey guys!  Tonight we'll be meeting at Darryl's house in SB at 6:30.  Do your best to spread the word, don't leave anotha brotha behind!  535 W Arrellaga St.  Santa Barbara, CA 93101

See you there!

Click here for map


J

Learn to feed each other

I know this is not 100% theologically true, but it makes you think in it's simplicity.

A Holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'
The Lord led the holy man to two doors.
He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.
In the middle of the room was a large round table.
In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew,
which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly.
They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.
But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell. They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one.
There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water.
The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The holy man said, 'I don't understand.
'It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill.
You see, they have learned to feed each other.
The greedy think only of themselves.'
When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you. 

Get Schooled on the Felt Needs of Our City.

Hey guys, our friend and sister Deborah Barnes is organizing this meet to be held on the 21st so that we, as the body of Christ, can be informed on the needs of the homeless in our city, and how we can minister as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, Act 4:30. Are you called to serve but don't know how? Are you being convicted but aren't sure where to serve? Do you have the heart but are afraid? Do you just have questions about the homeless and broken? Come be informed THIS MEETING IS FOR YOU! The homeless and broken are growing in numbers daily. There is a huge need to come serve alongside them and get to know them. Mom’s with kids, young families, Vet’s, teens, and many middle aged women are living in their cars or on the street, scared and alone. 28 deaths happened that we know of in 2009. 22 in Ventura. 8000 are homeless in Ventura and no new numbers were available for SB. 14 known are homeless in Carpinteria. This is a fact-finding meeting that will provide you with some information that may help your choices about serving the homeless and broken in several ways. We will have 2 brief speakers: *Dr Lynne Jahnke, SB oncologist has served the homeless for 15 years *Jeff Shaffer from Uffizi Mission Project who is on mission working full time with the homeless and poor Deborah Barnes with Blanket Blessing will share the needs Magda Barnes with Laundry Love People SB will share the needs Homeless Prayer Partners needed Other needs will be displayed Date: Thursday 21 January Time: 6:15 to 8:15 Location: 1105 Via Balzano (between Cathedral Oaks and Patterson) Directions: Take 101 north to Patterson exit- Turn RIGHT Stay straight to signal at Cathedral Oaks- Turn LEFT Turn RIGHT on Cambridge Drive Via Balzano is ¼ mile, right side, top of hill, Blanket Blessing sign out front Park on the street please Please send questions/RSVP to lifesaverservices07@yahoo.com Kindly place Homeless Meeting in the subject line Everyone is welcome    Consider sharing driving together

New Season, Fresh Start

Well men, we've made it through another year in the strength and power and grace of the Lord!  As we're entering into 2010 I just want to say thank you to all you who have been coming out week after week to get together in Jesus'  name and seek His presence and direction for our lives.  I know I have been incredibly blessed this past year by each of you, and I thank you all for pouring your lives into me and the rest of the guys in the group.  It's been amazing to see the growth that comes to us as a result of the power of God as He ministers through His people.

This season let's be sure to start strong and finish well.  I encourage you all to invite a friend or two in the coming weeks and let's continue to encourage, equip, and disciple one another in service to Christ for His glory!  It's good to come together each week and study the Word, worship together, pray for each other, and share our struggles with one another with the goal of going back into the world  refreshed and refocused on the Gospel.  Let's seek the Lord's transforming power in our lives and let the Holy Spirit inform our decisions, affect our relationships, and transform our communities.

I'm excited to see the Lord work this year in each of our lives.  Let's all agree to spend some time in prayer this week for one another and for this season of men's group, that it would be fruitful and powerful, and that we would meet Christ there every single week.  He is our life!  Let's expect great things from Him and attempt great things for Him!

As I posted earlier, we'll be meeting at Paul's house this week (Jan 11), check below for the address.  We will see you at 6:30 my brothers!

In His service,

J

No MG this week!

Hey Men!

We're taking tonight off, so use this time to hang out with the Lord and get refreshed!  We'll be back next week though and it looks like we'll even have a regular place to meet again, praise the Lord!
Next week we'll be gathering at Paul's house- 3340 Richland Dr apt #7, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

See you all then!