Over the course of several trips and lots of prayer and discussion we have come up with a strategy to help play a role in spreading the gospel to unreached people groups in this country. It’s bigger than one church or any one organization. I’ll talk through more our strategy in some upcoming post.

As all of our plans came together one very important component came to the foreground; we needed personnel on the ground to host teams and look after the strategy as it developed.

After a couple years of prayer and a lot of bold moves by West Ridge Leadership I am sitting here in Ouagadougou with Chris and Connie Feilds and their 5 kids. These kids are so excited to be in Africa they can’t stand it. The four year old keeps asking, ‘Where is the pool?’ Thankfully, the US Rec Center has one. Chris and Connie look like you’d expect after bringing 5 kids, all their luggage and a dog with them across 20 hours of travel.

There is more to this little plan of ours. I’m actually going to sleep in another part of the plan later tonight. More than anything each of you have a role to play that I will be explaining as well.

Follow our trip this week by visiting Brian’s website and Tony Morgan’s Site.

For now it is time for a little rest.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Tweet This Post

This may be more than just an exercise in marriage intervention. Many of you have come to me and said that it was actually a spouse that encouraged you to go on your first trip. Sometimes we have to give each other permission to take the time, or spend the money.

If you have a spouse that has talked about wanting to see the savannahs of Africa, the Amazon of Brazil, or the hidden treasure of Cuba, let’s make 2010 the year. God is allowing us to partner and do some amazing ministry in these countries; digging wells, building churches, and being a part of community transformation in these three countries. Whole tribal groups of people who have never heard the name of Jesus, are being told about Him first from West Ridge and our partners.

I would encourage you to sit down, talk about this together, and choose to make the investment of your family’s time. There is some money involved, but most of it you can raise through fundraising and networking. We will provide guidance in this. We are very interested in helping you see what God is doing in the world, and engaging His global kingdom.

Sign up by visiting www.westridge.com/global

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Tweet This Post

Over the last 10 years we have thought that people are more open to receiving the kindness of God, like September 11th or the financial collapse last year. But sitting at my desk with my view of the world this season is one like never before. Maybe it’s the flood relief we have all been involved in for NW Atlanta, maybe it’s the unemployment rate, I’m not sure. Every day at West Ridge we see families who have lost everything financially, emotionally, spiritually and physically, and they are coming to the church for help. There is no longer a high level of cynicism when we go out into our community. There is an extraordinary amount of people ready to listen to what God has for their life.

This is only possible when Christ-followers get involved and invite other friends from the community to do that as well. I can’t put a finger on what is happening, but I plan to share how we are leveraging this season to expand the kingdom.

Here are a couple of examples of what we have coming in the days ahead.

• We will provide food and toys for over 1500 families at Christmas including 400+ families impacted by recent flooding
• We will serve four-five dozen special needs families with a strategically placed Christmas respite event
• We will send a family to Africa to continue to help us engage Burkina Faso in the areas of water and education
• We will begin to unveil some of the rebuilding work that we and other churches have been called into for flood victims around NW Atlanta

I hope you will join with us in this. I think we are on the edge of seeing lives, communities, and countries transformed like never before.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Tweet This Post

The church should go out into the community and provide help to those who need it. I know you are astounded. Perhaps you are weeping. Perhaps you are applauding…ok maybe not. People who follow Jesus Christ are the church. It’s not just the name for the building and it doesn’t refer to the church leadership. The only way for the church to respond to the needs we are having on the scale we are experiencing is for people who are Christ-followers to be the eyes and ears and hands and feet of Jesus. If you love God, go love your neighbor.

Have you checked on the people you do life with? Have you checked on the people in your neighborhood? Do you know of a family that could use some extra help? There are people who are discouraged and praying for God’s help right now. God’s people need to go be the help and encouragement they need.

What an awesome thing it would be to hear of a Revolution of love and action breaking out in our community being led by disciples of Jesus.

Truth be told we are considering some other things at West Ridge Church that we can all do together. We do know of a few families who have lost everything. We are thinking and praying about how to rally around them.

In the meantime share your box fans, dehumidifiers and shop-vacs with your neighbors, and be the church.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Tweet This Post

I was inside for approximately 8 minutes. In that time I was approached about an opportunity for our church to reach out to a group of folks in an area we don’t have great exposure, was invited by a local high school to partner with them on a couple of items, thanked for helping out on the Community Makeover, and given the chance to invite someone to West Ridge who doesn’t attend church anywhere. One morning this week I didn’t ‘Pay at the pump’ for the gas in my car. As I continue to build relationships with the local gas station employees I was given another opportunity to talk church and life with someone who is clearly not a follower of Jesus.

Ok, I don’t do this all the time, but I will continue to try to do it more than not. If I always stay in my car then these conversations never happen. Outreach or Sharing Christ is not a program, it’s a lifestyle that stretches us as disciples of Jesus.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Tweet This Post

Ask yourself, do you really know what it’s like to be hungry? These people do. They don’t just think “it’s lunch time let me go to the kitchen to get something to eat.” They don’t think that because they have been in their kitchen 5 times and they know there is nothing there. These people are glad school started back because atleast they know their child will get one nutricious meal a day.
True hunger goes far beyond skipping breakfast, but from skipping meals for a day or two. True hunger is more than a rumble in your stomach; it is a place of quiet desperation. Most of you may have been there at one point in your life but most of you have no idea what that is like long term.

Warehouse of Hope is being hit by the economy tremendously. The deposit here to pay to get the food here, our lights on, and our bills paid are lower than they have been in 2 years. Not because we are helping less people but because people that come in here now are lucky if they have the gas money to get here much less the money to give a donation.

We need your help. We are asking you to search your heart and determine if you and your family can give $12 for 12 months.  That is a really small investment in a really big cause. You are more than welcome to donate  more but I’m starting out small only because I know that everyone is having to make sacrifices in this economy.  If we had 100% participation and signed up 1200 donor families, it still only covers approximately 50% of the projected ministry expenses.

As a friend of mine once said “It’s not our money God blesses us with it so use it to bless others and God will bless you even more.”

Just keep in mind when you are sitting down to eat dinner with your family that you are blessed more than most because you have not only a family but a meal to sit down and share with them. Thanks for taking your time to read this. I really hope you will spread the word so we can continue to bless others. If you need any further information please email me. Or you can mail your donations to:

Warehouse of Hope
100 Hunter Rd.
Douglasville, Ga 30134

You can use your donation as a tax deduction also. Keep in mind we also accept any clothes, canned goods, small household items, books, furniture, and kid’s toys. If you don’t feel like this is something you want to do, please consider emailing it to everyone on your email list who might be interested.

Tweet This Post

Spend some time reading over it and we will see you Sunday at West Ridge at 9 am, 11 am, or 6pm! Don’t forget the 6PM, and tell a friend!

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Tweet This Post

A couple things: This would not be possible if we made this all about us. After years of investment in the same community (by our church) the power of partnership is ‘expanding our territory’ more than anything else. We have partnered with multiple community groups and key non-profits to be able to reach out. Because of the generosity of our church, our community ,and the 4 other churches who have partnered with West Ridge Church (Pumpkinvine Baptist, Hope Methodist, Church at the Ridge, Cedarcrest Church) we will have enough food and gifts for every family.

Even if a family does not come to the party, food boxes are being delivered Monday. 1500 families will get some kind of Christmas assistance.

So one last challenge: For whomever reads this today and tomorrow, please pray for what is going to happen on this campus. We are praying with great expectations. God has shown us this was His idea. And He has stepped in to make sure it happens the right way.

Along with prayer here is some encouragement. My wife and I have cut back on Christmas this year. There are lots of reasons for it, and none of them have to do with personal hardship. It is very simple. We are extraordinarily blessed.  Over the years we have become more aware of the needs in our own community, and with my travels to Burkina Faso, the lens with which we see the world has changed. I’m not trying to be pious. My boys are getting some good gifts! We are just not going overboard. The main reason for cutting back was to be sure we engaged with A Fresh Hope and CAYA and the West Ridge Gift Offering, even if in just a small way, without letting the season pass us by.

Don’t let the season pass you by. We can still use canned goods and gifts tomorrow. And if you go to West Ridge (or another church that is doing something similar), the easiest thing you can do to engage this community and the world at Christmas is to give a larger gift to Christ than any other single gift you are giving this year. Participate in the Gift Offering this year as a way of thanking God for all the good gifts He sends our way.

I’ll post an update on this event tomorrow night or Monday.

Everyone Belongs, 

Paul

Tweet This Post