“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10″

Your opportunity to “do good works” is almost here at FPC’s first 2012 Serving Saturday on Jan 28.  We’ll meet at the Pellissippi Campus at 8:30am for a light breakfast, short devotional, and assignments and be off by 9am to the be hands and feet of Christ.  We’re using an on-line tool called VolunteerSpot to schedule these opportunities.

Here’s how it works:

1)    Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot:

2)    Enter your email address and choose your job.  You’ll get an Email reminder two days prior to the event.

That’s it.  There are limited spots available for this first Serving Saturday, so it’s important to sign up early.  Let me know if you have any problems. See you Saturday Jan 28 8:30am at the Faith Promise Pellissippi Campus!

Holiday food distributions will be held on Tuesday, November 15th, and December 20th, from 5:00-8:00 pm at the Pellissippi Campus. Pre-registration is not required, but a photo ID must be presented to receive food.

Your contribution of food or gift cards can make a huge difference in the life of a family in our area. To help, please consider the three options below:

1. Feed a Family – Donate boxed stuffing, instant potatoes, packets of gravy, cans of cranberries, gravy, cranberry sauce, fruit, sweet potatoes, 96 oz./large plastic bottle of apple juice, and $10 to $25 gift cards for families to purchase meat, milk, bread, eggs, etc.

2. Feed a Baby – Donate plastic containers (baby food) of turkey, sweet potatoes, fruit, apple juice, and a vegetable (peas, carrots, or green beans).

3. Alternative Giving – Please donate a $25 gift card for a local food store.

We continually need food to meet the needs of families throughout the year. Grocery shopping lists are available every day on our Pantry of Promise food receptacles in the Pellissippi Campus lobby.

If you want to volunteer or have any questions, call 251-2590 ext 3002 or email pantryofpromise@gmail.com.

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It had been scorching hot for days on end.  The kind of hot that makes you feel like you can’t breathe.  Our group was all set to spend the next day at the home of a sweet lady that none of us had ever met.  And the forecast said rain.  Lots of rain.

We were supposed to tear down her deck.  Tear out the weeds and overgrown shrubs.  Power wash years of built-up dirt off her walkways.  Cut down a rotting old tree.  Then build her a new deck.  Clean her home.  Plant new plants full of life and hope.  And let her know that we love her and that she is not forgotten.

But the rain was coming, and so could we do all that we had set before us?  We prayed that God would have His hands on our project and that he would show us favor with weather that would allow us to work outside and complete our tasks.

Before I go on, let me introduce you to a family.   A family central to our story.

Meet the Bowlings.

Chad and Stephanie and their two boys are adopting two sweet children from Ghana—Bernard, who just turned 1 year old, and Christy, who is 5 years old.  The Bowlings received a grant from the Both Hands Foundation, which is an organization that seeks to live out James 1:27:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Through this foundation, the Bowlings were matched to a sweet woman called Mrs. Bain who is a widow of 24 years.  Mrs. Bain’s home was in great need of some basic repairs and maintenance.  So the Bowlings gathered a team together to go to Mrs. Bain’s home and spend the day serving and loving on her.  In return, the team of volunteers (our group included) reached out to family and friends, asking for financial sponsorship that would in turn go to the Bowlings for their adoption costs (think of a school walk-a-thon where children walk laps and in turn gather sponsorships and donations for their school).

The next morning, all the members of our group gathered together bright and early at Mrs. Bain’s home.  We arrived to a pleasant breeze, a sun that was shaded by clouds, and not a drop of rain in sight.  As we worked through the day, the conversations kept coming back to the AMAZING weather and the absolute joy and peace that surrounded us.  Hammering and pulling weeds and digging dirt and tearing down a tree was exhausting work, and yet, we were energized and excited to be standing there in obedience and love.  The very presence of the Lord was in that place.  And it was incredible.

Mrs. Bain took some time to share some sweet goodies and even sweeter words with us at lunch.  She also reminded us of words that had been whispering to her heart all morning:

 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.    -Ephesian 3:20-21

What an honor it was to meet Mrs. Bain and serve her.  What a blessing she was to all of us!  And the weather?  Well, we had perfect weather the entire time we worked.  Not only did it NOT rain, but it was NOT scorching hot, either.  The sun hid behind perfectly placed clouds through the day, and just as we put all of our tools away and said goodbye, the rain came.  The rain came and washed away the old dirt and watered the newly planted flowers and shrubs, bringing with it a promise of life, and of growth, and the knowledge that God’s way is always perfect.

This project was a blessing for our small group, and we are so glad we were able to serve in this way.  If you or your small group is seeking to serve in some way, there are a list of ministries here, and they are all overflowing with needs, so get in contact with one today.

Here’s a look at our day…I hope you enjoy!  – The Magee’s

Click here to view the embedded video.

Join us in praying and supporting the Caldwells as they prepare to serve overseas.

For a digital copy of the Caldwell’s prayer card, click here. To support them financially, go here.

Buried in a mountain of clothes:

As I sat in my closet and looked at the mountain of clothes, I was astounded. Surely someone could put them to good use. I was giving my closet a good spring cleaning and had enough stuff piled up to fill about ten garbage bags. Suddenly, it hit me! I realized that I’m probably not the only one who’s been in the same dilemma. Through several interesting twists, I ended up speaking with several local ministries that collect clothing to help homeless and low income people in our community.

Since Faith Promise is a big place, I figured I could collect a bunch of stuff all the time. Several more steps later, and we had a donation box set up at church and local ministry partners. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the past few years.

Now I know what you’re thinking… Faith Promise has a clothing ministry?? Well, sort of. We get to be the support structures for some fabulous places that are already doing fantastic work in our community. We collect it, sort it, and give it away! It takes an enormous amount of inventory to meet the needs of each unique individual that walks through their doors. AND, each of the ministries we work for is already strategically placed in the downtown area, gives the clothes away free of charge, and is able to use them not only to meet physical needs, but spiritual ones as well. We truly get to be the suppliers of a lot of hope in our community, even if we are behind the scenes. By the way, we currently partner with Lost Sheep, Angelic Ministries, and Water Angels.

But why clothes?? Well, I firmly believe that if you want to share the gospel with someone and they have obvious physical needs staring you in face that you don’t address, those people aren’t going to listen to a single word coming out of your mouth. The most important need in their life may be Christ, but if their teeth are chattering so loud they can’t hear you, you are in trouble. Christ called us to go and tell and also meet the needs of those in poverty. I have gotten so much more than I dreamed because of this “behind the scenes” outreach.  I also love introducing people to these wonderful places to serve right in our own backyard. Because it’s not about fp, it’s about Christ and what he called us to do.

And here’s another reason you may not have heard about us….it’s just me and two others lugging your stuff around town, and there’s just not enough of us to go around. We have been so blessed with donations. We have gone from averaging 1-2 bags a month to almost 10 bags per week!!! Fantastic!

If you are interested in working with clothing donations on the Pellississppi Campus contact fpclothes@gmail.com. If not, I would love your prayer as we continue to reach out to those in need in our community.  Thank you so much!!

Brad Ervin, Missions Pastor, writing to you here.  Once of the most exciting things that has happened at Faith Promise this year is that God is raising up young couples to follow His leading into full time overseas missions!  This means that these couples are ready to give up their jobs, their homes, their American Idol, their Starbucks, and the conveniences of being close to their families.  They are willing to do this because they are so smitten with the absolute immeasurable love of their Heavenly Father that they want to go and share that love with a hurting, dark, and lost world.  What an adventure!!

One way we at Faith Promise can help them is by getting the word out about what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how others can partner with them in ministry.  Please read the post below from Ben, and if you feel led, give them a chance to come share about the work God is doing in their lives with you.  Have a blessed week!!

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“What are you doing right now in your life that requires faith?”

Last year we were reading a book with our small group, and that question was asked. I thought about it, and I realized that throughout my life there haven’t been many times when I have really been pursuing something that requires faith. That changed last November.

My wife Krista and I have spent a lot of time in Jamaica on mission trips to the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD). CCCD is a residential deaf school for children in Jamaica who wouldn’t have access to appropriate education otherwise. CCCD’s mission is that no child will leave without a language, an education, and knowledge that Jesus is Lord. In fact, because of those trips, Krista decided that she wanted to work with the deaf as her career. She went to college and got a degree in deaf education so that she could teach the deaf. Last November I was talking to a good friend who is involved with CCCD. He expressed a need that CCCD had for missionaries. Krista and I applied, and we were accepted to join staff.  Krista will be working in the classroom, and I will be leading work teams who are there for mission trips. We know that God has been preparing us for just this. It’s exciting to be taking a step of faith. We know that without God we won’t make it to Jamaica.

CCCD is a very small organization, and because of that there are many things we need to do on our own. We are responsible for raising 100% of our own support. This money will pay for our insurance, housing, food, plane tickets, etc. Right now we are in the process of raising support to cover costs to get down there and costs once we’re there. We know that we need both God and fellow believers’ prayer and support to get down to Jamaica. We invite you to partner with us!

Check out bkbeukema.org for more information on us, CCCD, and giving.   We would LOVE to come in person and share our story, our vision, and let you know how your small group or family can partner with us!  Thank you so much!

In Christ,

Ben Beukema

In case you missed the video from this past weekend, you’ll want to check out this video.  Amazing to see the impact of just one small group serving the needs in our community.

And if you haven’t signed up already, you can be a part of Operation Inasmuch.  Check out the project list.

I have a 5 week old little boy at home.
He is our first child.
We are new parents.

For those of you with children, those three sentences are loaded with memories, both happy and terrifying! I could write post after post about all that I am learning about myself and about God during these sleep deprived weeks. About how selfish I am with my time, about how much of a control monster I can be, about patience, and at times…a little taste of what unconditional love must feel like.

Many nights, my wife and I will be laying in bed, doing our best to sleep a “whole two hours” between feeding the creature in the other room, and I’ll look over at her and think about how much I love her and how proud I am of her. Somewhere in the middle of the mushy thoughts, invariably, a cry will erupt from the other room – the “netherworld”, I call it. My wife awakens with a start…and now, the title of my blog comes into play. If I were to tenderly reach over, tap my wife on the shoulder and say sweetly, “I love you”, and then roll back over and leave her to go and take care of the dirty diaper/cold/hot/hungry/tired/grouchy baby, do you think it would make a huge impact on her? Would she be telling me the next morning, “Honey, that was the sweetest “I love you” last night at 3:15am, it really made the two-hour baby consoling marathon that followed go by so quickly!

Now, imagine the same situation: asleep, baby crying, we both are awake…except this time, I lean over, quickly kiss her on the forehead, and jump up to go into the other room and meet the needs of our son. Change his diaper, rock him, sing to him, etc. I didn’t say a word to her, but what did I communicate? I hope that she heard what I was saying in my heart as loudly as I could…”I love you!” Obviously, at some point in the night, she was still going to have to get up and feed him and I would have to sleep as well, but when I see her the next morning and she says, “Thank you for being so sweet last night. It makes everything easier in life knowing that I’m not doing it alone and that you love me enough to help in the ways you can.”

Which “I love you” says more? A few sweetly whispered words? Or an act of intentional, selfless service? Can you think of an example in your life where someone has served you lately and it made you feel loved? If yes, you’re probably smiling right now. There is something about being served and cared for that speaks more loudly to our hearts than any words written or spoken. I believe this principle is true in romantic relationships, in friendships, and believe it not, in everyday life with complete strangers. Actions often do speak more loudly than words.

On April 9th, 2011 – Faith Promise Church family, you have the opportunity to shout a giant “Jesus Loves You!” to the entire East Tennessee Valley. We are participating in Operation Inasmuch, which is an incredible ministry that helps us, as Christ-followers, actually take action in meeting the needs of the poor, the lonely, the disaffected, and the helpless in our own backyards. We aren’t shouting from our church steps – “Jesus loves you! Come to church!” – We are actually being the hands and feet of Jesus and loving people right where they are all over Anderson, Blount, and Knox counties. Our Operation Inasmuch team has found projects that are in need of willing hands and hearts and put them on our website where you, your family, and your small group can sign up to share the love of Christ to our community. Most of the projects are family friendly, because we want to give your entire family a chance to serve others, and I truly believe, be blessed and energized more than you can imagine!

We need your help to get the word out to the entire Faith Promise Family about this day of service on April 9th. There is a sign up page where you can find a list of projects. A project leader will then contact you with more detailed information about the day. This is an incredibly easy opportunity and first step to reaching the world outside the four walls of our buildings.

It is such a privilege for me to serve you, my Faith Promise family, and I hope by writing this blog and helping find opportunities to serve, you are hearing me say, “I love you and Jesus loves you.”

Do you hear it?  Yes, that is Christmas music playing in your favorite store!  It’s that time of year again, and you will find a Christmas tree in the lobbies of our Faith Promise campuses this weekend, as we kick off our Angel Tree ministry for 2010.

This year we will be providing Christmas gifts for kids from Beaumont Elementary, our partner school in Western Heights.  You can bless a child this Christmas by taking a tag from the tree and committing to buy gifts for that child.  Volunteers are also needed to assist with distributing the tags, and receiving the gifts.  Go here to sign up. There are many ways to volunteer!

Be sure to grab your Angel(s) from the tree this weekend.  They will go fast!

Happy Holidays, Faith Promise Family!  Yes, it is true… it’s already the holiday season!

Currently, the Pantry of Promise is experiencing shortages of some food groups. We have begun our yearly food drive for our Thanksgiving and Christmas distributions, and we expect to serve 100 families for each of these holidays.  Our goal to see every small group member at Faith Promise donate 1-2 items a week from October 30 to December 12th.  If the Faith Promise family would all chip in a little, together we can make a huge difference.   Containers will be available in the Lobby each weekend to receive donations.  See below for a list of needed items and who to contact with questions.

In addition to the holidays, the Pantry of Promise distributes food every 1st and 3rd Tuesday throughout the year, so contributions are needed all year long.    Thank you for joining in and partnering to serve the hungry and hurting in the Knoxville area!

Questions ?
Call 251-2590 ext: 3002
or email: pantryofpromise@gmail.com

For Families:

• Gift cards for Turkey or Ham ($10-15)
• Boxed Stuffing
• Can Cranberries or Cranberry Sauce
• Green Beans
• Can Sweet Potatoes or Box Mashed Potatoes
• Can of Gravy
• Canned Ham
• Apple Juice (64-96oz.)

For Babies (plastic containers, please):

• Turkey
• Sweet Potatoes
• Peas, Carrots or Green Beans
• Fruits
• Apple Juice

Other Immediate Needs

For 1st and 3rd Tuesday distributions (no glass containers or refrigerated items, please):

• Apple (or other) Juices (64-96 oz.)
• Breakfast foods (boxed cereal, oatmeal, etc.)
• Canned fruits
• Peanut Butter (pt. size)
• Canned Vegetables
• Canned meats (tuna, chicken, Spam, etc.)
• Canned Ravioli/Spagetti-O, etc.
• Canned Beans (various kinds)
• Canned Soups
• Packaged Rice
• Box Dinners (Hamburger Helper, etc.)

On Saturday, Oct 16th from 8:00 am-12:30 pm, our entire church family is invited to be a part of our first ever Serving Saturday.  This will be a day when everyone is encouraged to stand as one body, with one motive – to go and love our communities with acts of service.

We will all be meet at the Pellissippi Campus/Blount Campus at 8:00 am to pray together and receive our assignments.  We will then disperse into the community to help out fellow churches, para-church organizations, and local businesses with projects that will bless and encourage them.  Some projects will be family friendly, so bring your kids.  And if you have a weed-eater, blower, or wheelbarrow, we can use that as well!  Please email missions@faithpromise.org with questions, and let us know during the weekend of 10/2-10/3 if you will be joining us on the 16th.  That way we can make sure we have enough supplies and projects!

See you then as we get to live out the love of Jesus in East Tennessee!

(This post was written by Caroline Ervin, Membership Director)

There is a topic of conversation within the church that I continue to hear across many circles that sounds something like this:

“I know someone at my work that needs help paying their bills, we should help them!” or
“I know someone in our small group that can’t provide for their children, we should help them!” or
“There are so many in Haiti and Nashville that need our help, we should help them.”

The more I have tuned into these conversations, I’m starting to realize that the “we” to which they are referring is the church organization. They don’t think they should be the one to help provide the resources for that help or that they should be the ones to go spread that message of hope, but it should be done by the organization.

I want to challenge you to ask, ”What if God revealed that family with a need or that information about a country in need because He actually wanted you to be the one to help them or you to be the one to help spread that message across the world?” It’s so much easier and more comfortable to pass the responsibility on to someone else.

I can speak from experience, because for years, this was me. I can vividly remember conversations I had with my boyfriend (now husband, Brad Ervin) in college as we would discuss traveling on mission trips or even thinking about being missionaries. I would quickly respond by telling him, “God has definitely not called me to go on a mission trip to even go visit and definitely not to move half way across the world. He would never call me to do that, and I just won’t go.” Little did I know that to say never to God is the most dangerous and humorous phrase you can utter.

Fast forward to 2006. I have just come on staff as the Membership Director at Faith Promise and just a few months into being full-time, Josh Whitehead comes to me and says, “We have spot open on our mission trip to Thailand. I think you should go, and I need you to go!” I said I would pray about it, knowing full well God would not call me on that trip (that left in only eight weeks). I begged God not to make me go. I begged Him to break a bone so I couldn’t go. I even prayed to get really sick. Yet all the while I knew I was going to go on that trip. If it isn’t already obvious, I was not looking forward to it at all. The day I was supposed to tell Josh whether I was going or not, the last line of the book from my quiet time read, “Have you ever considered going to a foreign country and sharing the gospel in another language?” Ouch! If that isn’t blatant confirmation, then I don’t know what is.

That trip changed my life forever. God opened my heart and showed me a new love for Him and for His people that I would have always missed out on had I not stepped out of my comfort zone and traveled to the other side of the world to experience it. Since then, I have traveled to Macau, China, and Cape Town, South Africa three times. We just returned from Africa about a week ago, and I am begging my husband to sell all our possessions and move our family to Cape Town, South Africa to serve as missionaries.

I want to share my story because maybe you have told God, “I will never go on a mission trip!” or “I would never be able to give up my own money to help someone else in need.” I want to encourage you to be willing and open to God asking you to do something out of your comfort zone. He may have placed that situation, family, or trip into your path because He wants to work in your life and reveal Himself to you in a way that is unlike anything you have ever experienced. You just have to be willing to say “Yes!” And also, to never say never.

(This post was written by Brad Ervin, Pastor of Outreach and Missions)

Hello Faith Promise Family!

Over the last few months, Faith Promise has had the privilege of sending short term mission teams all over the world – Thailand, Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti, South Africa, Portugal, and more! It’s been a huge blessing for me to see how God is using the overflow of Faith Promise to share love to hearts all over the world. I have personally had the great joy of being a part of two of these mission teams – Haiti and South Africa. In both countries I’ve witnessed some of the most horrific living conditions imaginable. I’ve likened the area in Haiti to a garbage dump with a city on top of it … and the townships in South Africa aren’t much better. However, as I have reflected on both of the these trips, God’s voice has shared some really impactful truths with me.

1. He is ALL we need. That statement is an easy throw-away phrase for most American Christians, but when you are in an environment and a culture where they truly don’t have anything material, and yet you see joy and peace in the lives of the people there, you know it is TRUE! The abundant life that Christ speaks of in John 10:10 can (and should) be had regardless of circumstances! There are rarely moments as a believer in Jesus more humbling than having someone with no home, no health, and no job, praying God’s blessing on YOU! But that is the beauty of our faith … we are all part of the same family, brothers and sisters in Christ.

2. He is THERE in the midst of crisis. It is very easy to look at places where the economic, health, and living conditions are in shambles, and ask “Where are You, God?!” I’ve got to be honest, that has been me on more than one occasion. But as I continue on this journey of love and grace, I begin to see with different eyes, and suddenly, I realize He is there in the center of all the pain. In Haiti, I see believers come together and share their homes and food with each other. I see an 80-year old missionary who has been giving her life away to Haitians for generations still faithful each day to teach young women about God’s love for them. In South Africa I come across community pastors who have a passion for seeing the souls of their towns enriched, with no regard to monetary riches or blessings. I look with my “new” eyes, and realize that God is working out His perfect will unceasingly in all of these “forgotten” areas. I see Christ followers in the darkest of all these places with a peace that defies logic and a love for others that can only come on a direct line from Jesus. I know that I may never understand why God allows some people to live with such excess and others in complete poverty, but I know I can trust that He loves both unconditionally and He is walking with us all through all circumstances.

3. Jesus loves YOU. This is has been the theme that God has been repeatedly echoing in my life over the last few months and it was so cool to see that same message being shared in all these other lands. In Haiti, the first words I heard spoken from the orphans I was talking to was, “Jesus loves you.” In Africa, from the stage at Hillsong Church, the main theme of the evening we visited was “Jesus loves you.” What a powerful message! No matter what you’ve done, who you’ve hurt, how you’ve messed up, or what you are even doing right now…HE LOVES YOU! Actually, He loves you just as much now as He ever will! You can’t do anything to change that all consuming, one-way love that He has for you! And because He loves you, He wants to know you and walk through all of life’s good and bad times with you. I know that I can trust that even though I’m not still there to hug the orphans, or to encourage the local pastors, or even to feed the hungry.  I know that our Father loves them and will take care of them.

There are going to be some amazing opportunities for you to join Faith Promise in a short term mission trip next year! Make sure you check the missions page on the Faith Promise website for the latest news on these trips and how to get involved. I would especially encourage you to begin praying now about where God would have you go and start saving your pennies so you can say YES to the right opportunity!

The weekend of August 7 & 8 is our “Back to School Backpack” supply collection weekend. We will collect school supplies to share with local children who are in need. Please bring new backpacks, glue sticks, crayons and pencils. These items can be dropped off in the designated area of the Lobby.

This is the time of year when many families start gathering school supplies – backpacks, paper, glue, pencils and more.  For many in the Mechanicsville/Western Heights area of Knoxville, buying pencils and paper is a luxury that their children have to do without.  Eighty percent of residents of the Western Heights housing projects are single mothers with little to no income.

The good news is Faith Promise is partnering with an awesome ministry, Water Angels, to help out these families.  On Saturday and Sunday, August 7/8, Faith Promise will collect school supplies at a table outside the main entrance to the Worship Center. Please bring new backpacks, glue sticks, crayons and pencils.

If you’d like to be a part of the give-a-way party, it will take place on Saturday, August 14th, at Water Angels.

Thanks in advance for your generosity!  If you have any questions, you can email SusanT@faithpromise.org.