Cause we care there’s cause central

May 21, 2013 at 5:01 pm (Ancient Paths Church Network, Denver Inner-City Mission, Friendship Fellowship, Intellectual Disabilities, Mentors Training, Poetry, Rocky Mountain District, Sermons, Special Needs Pastors, Urban Ministry, Word and Spirit, Worship)
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Grand Rapids: What do you do when a dynamic leader is suddenly gone? That is the question that the Ministry of Leadership and Communications posed to the staff members at Friendship Ministries in Grand Rapids this week. Nella Uitulugt, the executive director of Friendship Ministries a resource organization whose motto is “Sharing God’s love with people who have Intellectual Disabilities,” passed away sometime before Palm Sunday in April. DSNE has learned that an interim director will be named in the next few weeks and that there is interest from a few men and women who are uniquely qualified to run the outreach.

Friendship Fellowship III

At Ministry of Leadership and Communications, the leadership thrived on Nella’s enthusiasm and took her wise advice in planting Friendship Fellowship along the Front Range of Colorado. Since the time of Nella’s death, the special needs pastor at Friendship Fellowship planted the second Friendship Fellowship church at a day program in Colorado Springs, and now a third at a nursing home in Old Colorado City, Friendship Fellowship has started a Monday group to Senior Citizens with Intellectual Disabilities. “Our churches are on mission this summer with two weeks planned to reach out to inner city Denver.” This is the 4th summer that Friendship Fellowship has been involved in Summer Missions and the third where the church is actively recruiting special needs pastors; new places of worship; and training people to get involved, to start Friendship in their communities.

The Melting Pot of Message; Mission and Music

At a coffee house in Colorado Springs, a new network called Five Points Communications is being discussed. 5 PTS is a media group that is cultivating new ways of creating; producing and broad and pod casting materials that would be based on their five points of impact in the community. Evangelism; Special Needs and the Least of these; Media that feeds a hungry culture; Prayer and prayer walks; and Community Building are the main components of influence. The breakthrough question is “How do we gather, produce and fund great messages and stories; remain on-mission in our approach; and gather an organic music publishing company that will be a melting pot of praise and worship music?” This would also be a new adverting agency for sponsors and affiliates (Likewise).

Cause we care

Based in New York, Likewise is creating; producing and distributing great audio commercials that help to sponsor new Christian-based programs; organic praise and worship music (The Melting Pot) and a digital publishing tool called Triology that publishes studies; relationship building and outreach to local communities. This includes bringing Friendship Fellowship; Ancient Paths and The Word and Spirit Network to communities like yours. One of the ways all these MLC’s get funded and supported are through adverting; creating resources; and then the third is opening cafes in churches. Mission Coffee Roasters based in Colorado Springs is a cornerstone in raising funds for missions. “When you sell a bag of coffee at your church cafe, the church or ministry receives $5 a bag;” Brett Bixler explains. the founder and roaster, whose branding statement is “really good coffee with a mission,” is on board with starting cafes or simply selling coffee to the churches at wholesale. Bixler roasts coffee for mission brands like Windfarm which supports Daily Audio Bible. A new label is being discussed for Five Points Media that will support all of their causes that are based on Five points Communications under the umbrella of “Cause Central.”

“You buy coffee anyway, what if you supported the ministries that focused on evangelism; special needs, better media that feeds the culture; prayer groups and worship and then community building and influence in your neighborhood. That and a better cup of coffee!” E-mail us at Friendshipfellowship@juno.com.

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We are all convicted in Philadelphia

May 14, 2013 at 9:12 pm (Ancient Paths Church Network, Denver Inner-City Mission, Friendship Fellowship, Intellectual Disabilities, Mentors Training, Rocky Mountain District, Sermons, Special Needs Pastors, Urban Ministry, Word and Spirit)
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For many years it has been an unspoken practice. Yet many parents have faced an aching conflict on what to do when they get the results that list the chances of having a child with an intellectual disability. Gabe Lyons the author of “Un-Christian” and more recently “The Next Christians,” explains his personal experience of his son with Down Syndrome  and the journey his wife and he were about to embark on. Yet there was fear and trepidation at first. “Very few Down syndrome babies make it into the world,” Lyons writes. “Many pregnant and expectant parents who are presented with a prenatal diagnosis terminate their baby.”

Better Information

While the Lyon’s chose life for their son, they ached for the parents who chose to end the pregnancy and in doing so came up with a pamphlet that “leveled the playing field. Understanding a Down Syndrome Diagnosis is distributed to every ob-gyn’s office in Atlanta. With that and the news from Philadelphia this afternoon, this poses good news for people with Intellectual Disabilities and their parents.

Human Rights or Civil Rights?

The question this brings up helps to bring up a new conversation regarding women’s health, children’s lives and what human and civil rights have been violated in the guise of privacy. The question this morning is if this is an isolated incident or do conditions like what was found in Philadelphia, run rampant in this country? Planned Parenthood is spinning it as an abnormality that justifies their method, and clinics funded by government so abortion is safe and private. Yet in looking into some of the Planned Parenthood clinics and history Planned Parenthood may be safer in comparison to the clinic in Philadelphia, yet the record and long term physical and mental health care of women is subject to question and investigation. At no time has Planned Parenthood done a reliable follow up survey that can prove better health for the mother because of an abortion. In all cases, human rights violations against the unborn child have been violated because of abortion.

Deciding when life begins and ends

The case of civil rights against women and children can also be made with the cultural and political perception of when life begins. It blurs the vision of medical personnel like, (yet not limited to) Dr. Kermit Gosnell, who for too many years became the judge of when life ends, therefore violating the civil rights of many children, and showing a reckless regard for life. It is the hope of many in every community that the Gosnell’s in their neighborhoods will be stopped now.

 

Need to talk but struggling with the practical things to say? Visit TheCommunicationCure.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Between one disability and another

May 10, 2013 at 6:54 pm (Ancient Paths Church Network, Denver Inner-City Mission, Friendship Fellowship, Intellectual Disabilities, Mentors Training, Poetry, Rocky Mountain District, Sermons, Special Needs Pastors, Urban Ministry, Word and Spirit)
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The newlywed Forziano’s in Wading River, NY

On a promising April day in the county of Suffolk, one man and one woman were married in Long Island, New York. The groom is Paul Forziano (29) and the bride Hava Samuels (35) have known each other for years and wanted to make their relationship official. But hold on a moment. The couple has been kept apart since they both were living in group homes and both homes have claimed them to be “too intellectually disabled to live together.” Claiming that they don’t have the intellectual ability to live together as husband and wife is an opinion that will have to be decided by the courts. That is unless the group homes come to an agreement and make arrangements or transfer the couple to a “host home.” It seems ironic that politicians are fighting so hard for gay marriage that the rights and expression of love between one man and one woman is being denied based on their intellectual disability.

Attorneys for the couple are taking the matter to Federal Court claiming that the two group homes and the state are violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act. Surprisingly the judge is considering the defendants’ motion to dismiss.

The Forziano’s are only permitted to see each other once a week for dinner, and spend the weekends together at their families’ homes from Friday night to Sunday.

Mrs. Forziano, resides at Independent Group Home Living, and Paul Forziano,  lives at Maryhaven Center for Hope, both in Manorville, NY.

In other cases Intellectually Disabled people have been married and have lived together and some have even had children. At Friendship Fellowship in Colorado there has been a movement to start churches based on people’s intellectual disability and to encourage expression of faith. “Marriage is an expression of faith,” one of the pastors told us. Just last month in Colorado Springs many people received their first communion at Friendship at Easter time. “there were questions and answers and there was joy and blessing, but most of all their was understanding and expression of that understanding. Marriage is the same thing. To get to the point in your life to ask someone to spend the rest of your life with them, shows understanding. According to the disabilities newspaper Able News, a Long Island publication, “the agencies have no legitimate reason for denying housing to The Forzianos.” The fear of the group homes is “if the plaintiffs do win the case, it would set a precedent.” This is not the case because similar agencies in New York State have housed married couples successfully for many years.

“The agencies believe that people who need supervised group homes are too intellectually disabled to live in the same home as a couple,” said Coleman. “For some reason, the agencies think it would cause problems. But there are several group homes in this region that have accommodated married couples with no problems.“

The couple met seven years ago at a day rehabilitation program. Nearly 200 guests attended the Forziano wedding, in Wading River, NY.

Have a comment on this story? E-mail Friendshipfellowship@juno.com.

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Seasons of Friendship

May 7, 2013 at 7:09 pm (Ancient Paths Church Network, Denver Inner-City Mission, Friendship Fellowship, Intellectual Disabilities, Mentors Training, Rocky Mountain District, Sermons, Special Needs Pastors, Urban Ministry, Word and Spirit, Worship)
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New Season- Friendship

The Friendship Fellowship season for 2012/2013 has come to an end. Yet it is a beginning in another sense and a time of giving, guiding and growing this ministry to people with special needs; their families and caregivers. In Denver and Colorado Springs the growth season is short and this year because of water restrictions limited to two days a week. Friendship Fellowship with Ancient Paths and Word and Spirit church networks has moved their Denver location to Pilgrim Church in the Elyria/Swansea area. In Colorado Springs the church saw growth by adding a Tuesday fellowship at Mosaic’s Day program on Garden of the Gods Road. There was also a small Friendship Fellowship at a local nursing home and in September and there is talk of beginning a student group at Roundup School. It costs the Friendship staff and volunteers $22 a month per person.

Friends and Family

This last season the church combined reached 65 people with disabilities. The total budget for Friendship in terms of giving was $7200 incoming allowing Friendship Fellowship to purchase curriculum and supplies for nine months. Since 2010, the Friendship season has run from mid September to May. “We have run two or three groups and Pastor Rich is also a consultant to Evangelical Free Churches in the Rocky Mountain District. “There has been interest from churches in Canon City and in Centennial but there is also hesitation on commitment. It’s like re-building the temple, you do not want to start something that the cost is not counted and the workers don’t show up, only to disappoint the  people who we are ministering to,” he says. That’s why we need the summer to ask people to give; to help guide and to grow our outreach.

Mission Coffee

In September Friendship Fellowship will begin Wednesday night studies, relationship building and outreach at Mission Coffee Roasters. For every 12 ounce bag Friendship Fellowship sells Mission donates $5.00 to Friendship Fellowship. The Friends and Fellowship guide and curriculum that will be studied is a digital publication that costs $4.00  http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/289017-friends-and-fellowship. “What we want to do is to help people learn about this ministry, study the Biblical, participate in praise and worship and then train teams to reach out and work with this population.” It is all about giving ( and when you buy a 12 oz bag of coffee you are giving $5 to reach 1 person with special needs a week.).

Give, Guide, Grow

It is also about guiding, when you learn and then guide one person, once a month in helping them express their faith, you become a Friend and Fellowship guide. Then the third part of giving, guiding and growing is for some who want to start Friendship Fellowship at their church or community center. There are thousands of people who are in group homes and host homes, and their are families and caregivers who need a couple of hours a week of respite or participation in church. To get give, to learn to guide and to grow Friendship along the Front Range and beyond e-mail friendshipfellowship@juno.com.

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Three in one community and Triads

April 30, 2013 at 4:16 pm (Ancient Paths Church Network, Denver Inner-City Mission, Friendship Fellowship, Intellectual Disabilities, Mentors Training, Rocky Mountain District, Sermons, Special Needs Pastors, Urban Ministry, Word and Spirit, Worship)
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gaz

Progressions. Triads. 3 in one. Progressive, without parameters, sense of disorder and chaos. There is a strong correlation between the theology and relationship with God and the 88 keys on a keyboard and there is quite a difference between progressive thinking, free thinking and progressive music. A Biblical mindset and worldview with a systematic approach and lifestyle, are powered by evangelical sharing and design utilizing our unique gifts and talents. At Friendship Fellowship the members are often concrete thinkers. People with intellectual disabilities work well with Biblical concepts, a system of living, and they long to share the experience. That is what Tri-ology is all about and that is why acts of worship begin with singing the theologically based hymns; praise and worship songs; and choruses. There is a distinct connection and a longing to share it with one another.

Free Thinking and experimental music

On the other hand free thinking is just that, you get what you pay for and in this case it is free. Daily discipline and daily balance in the creative mind and heart winds up to be controlled improvisation. Jazz and Bluegrass, and classically trained musicians know the parameters, the rules and the regimen that understands the progressions, get what it means to be in relationship to one another in rhythm; in progressions, and in melody and lead solos.

Life progression

Theology is important and when you work within the rules of the mindset of God’s creation you can bring order to art, beauty and creativity because the foundation has been laid for us and we follow His lead. Jesus was the great improviser of coming to a situation and approaching people with power to heal; redeem, and he was easy to follow where he was going in our life song. When we approach everything in an act of worship to God, we rely on His sound foundation in prayer and dialogue, and once you understand the progression, and you follow the servant leadership of Christ, you become adept at step by step faith and intervals; healing; freeing; and following the lead. When you are ready to do it on His strength, you and I are communicating through message; on message; and in music. It is what relationships are all about.

A grant from the Holy Spirit

What are you powered by? One concept at Friendship that the leaders are trying to ensure and communicate is the concept that Paul told to the Romans (Romans 12:1). The renewing of our minds is Biblical and a renewing of our hearts is also a daily progression and the result and outcome is that our time; our gifts and our investment is the living sacrifice that is acceptable to God.  Again this is the mind that needs to be renewed in reading the Bible daily; then systematically doing what the Word says; and then there is a chemical reaction that takes our knowledge; and lives out God’s desire and gives us power that comes from the Holy Spirit. Musicians understand this concept. The musical mind takes the design of the composer and then begins to apply the knowledge to the instrument and then through everyday usage; everyday practice and everyday worship; everything begins to come together.

Flying solo

There is another part of that equation that the writer of the letter to the Hebrews writes” “Don’t forsake the Fellowship.” The musician, the worship leader understands this better than anyone. The free thinker and the progressive is often alone in a room with his or her books. Along with that they are constantly bored and looking for their own progression, living in their own room, and cutting off the flow of community. Stuck in our own ideas brings on a path of the grieving process that lacks relational flow. The solo artist begins to deny; experiences loneliness with no give and take. There is anger in the words and music, there is doubt in the existence of God and there is little hope or effort to seek out community because when it is the general practice, there is no accountability; no correction or challenge and that leads to depression. This is where we need to reach out to the isolated; and lovingly invite them into community.

The Triad Community

That is the difference between free thinking and Biblical mindset; it is the difference between a finger-pointing; legalistic approach and a  loving approach and a systematic process. Evangelism and Evangelical Theology is an integrated lifestyle of refilling the mind and the heart and living on the power of the Holy Spirit in community. That may not sound progressive but it is a progression to community. The composer has the song in mind that he or she creates, the lead takes that song and approaches it, teaches it to the band, the rehearse it, at first alone to an audience of one, it penetrates the mind and the heart and then the other instruments and voices come together. The experience of mind and heart rehearsals-to an audience of one-varies. Then they come together in community. Individuals empowered by God to their calling and on the same page, playing each part. The foundation of the progression; the approach of improvisation and making music flows into a power; that is beyond a singular platform; bringing on dimensions. Progression. Triad. Three in one.

Who we are: The Mission Experience is one that you can participate where you are and beyond. At Mission Coffee Roasters in Colorado Springs there is room to raise support; share in mission work and experience fellowship. You can also bring “really good coffee with a mission” back to your church by starting a Mission Coffee House where you worship. Please contact Richard Beattie at missioncoffee@juno.com.

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Church Strategy for Friends, Fellowship and you

April 23, 2013 at 7:12 pm (Ancient Paths Church Network, Denver Inner-City Mission, Friendship Fellowship, Intellectual Disabilities, Mentors Training, Rocky Mountain District, Sermons, Special Needs Pastors, Urban Ministry, Word and Spirit, Worship)
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At Friendship Fellowship the three year anniversary of ministry; leadership and communications is coming up and the third season of reaching people with intellectual disabilities is coming to a close. This is the time when the leaders look back and get feedback and reassess strategies and objectives. The main thing is to look at what we studied; what relationships were built and what was the outreach index for 2012-2013. The second thing that is determined is next steps and strategy for September 2013 thru April 2014.

The numbers

In Denver forty of our special needs friends returned and studied the gospels and the life and mission of Jesus. The meeting place was at Washington Park Chapel in Denver and the involvement of the house church network from Ancient Paths and Pilgrim Church increased. The leaders and counselors from Roundup Fellowship increased the number of people involved at Friendship Fellowship-Denver to 50 strong. In Colorado Springs, along with The Word and Spirit Network began a new Fellowship reaching 20 new friends at Mosaic Day Program. In March, the Mosaic “program” decided that they wanted to be a church plant. With 20 friends and counselor involvement Friendship Fellowship- Springs reaches about 30 people at their Tuesday service. During this season at Friendship Fellowship-Springs the study integrated Psalms; Proverbs; God’s Story and the Trinity as well as the Gospels. Pastor Rich is writing a study of the Parables and the Sermon on the Mount which will begin in September.

Strategy and MAPS

The idea of Friendship Fellowship is to follow the lead of Jesus, who reached out to the least of these, trained and equipped people to be leaders; who reach out to the least of these. It is this cycle of multiplication that should be the mission of Friendship Fellowship. While the strategy has worked in planting Friendship Fellowship, the movement and leadership training has been slow. When one of the four leaders is traveling or sick there has been no one to fill in. “We have people on waiting lists who need a church in both the Springs (there is a youth group that we had to stop doing for lack of resources.) There is also a group in Aurora of 30-40 individuals that needs a church home. All total the need to reach about 60 more friends, has the opportunity to reach 40 more group and host homes and possibly 25 to thirty families is something that Friends and Fellowship have been putting off on the Front Range.

A Coffee House Movement

In New York City there are five churches interested in starting Friendship Fellowship. Friendship Fellowship is hoping to conduct workshops and begin research and development and equipping New York ministries starting this summer. At Ancient Paths in Denver, the house church movement is getting ready for inner-city missions that may include outreach to organizations that minister to people with special needs. The strategy is to begin to train teams of people this summer by leading studies; by team building and building relationships in the community and to train guides and mentors, leaders, and even special needs pastors to be able to reach out to people with intellectual disabilities; the agencies and counselors and also to help family members in the community. Professional and family caregivers are a top priority in the mix and so we are helping by starting coffee house ministries that offer respite so the church can meet the spiritual and lifestyle needs of home providers and families. These would begin in Colorado Springs at Mission Coffee Roasters and help to bring people into the leadership of Friendship Fellowship and plan; pray and prepare people to be part of this life giving ministry.

Ministry of Leadership and Communications-Orchards 

The orchard method is to take the words of Jesus and to see, “By their fruits you shall know them,” is the management style of the Ministry of Leadership and Communications. Jesus concludes the sermon on the Mount with that statement. Eugene Peterson in The Message states it this way:

5-20 “Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned.”

Performance and produce

The management team at the Ministry of Leadership and Communications exists to plan where and when and then drop seeds; prepare the ground and the soil and pray that the orchard planted will produce fruit. “We have five types of trees that we are nurturing,” says one of the leaders. “Evangelism that produces life; The Least of these that produces love; Media that feeds a hungry culture; Prayer that produces answers; and Community that builds kinship.” At a management training course in Colorado Springs this morning there was a discussion on performance management. “How do we measure results?” “By the fruit that each of the team members produces.” Along the way there is painful pruning. Along the way their is much preparation and equipping, and treatments so that the ground where people are planted get the best results.

Ordination and preparing the ground

The Word and Spirit church network is an international church planting organization that prepares pastors with Biblical and Systematic Theology with Evangelical and Spirit filled and spilled ministry that reaches out to communities throughout the world. One of the areas that Word and Spirit is called to reach is the special needs community; their caregivers and family members. That is where Friendship Fellowship is working towards in partnership with existing churches and community centers as well as agencies that manage and regulate both host homes and group homes. The pastor of Friendship Fellowship will be going through the ordination process with other Word and Spirit Pastors for the next two years.

Friends and Fellowship: Study-Relationships-Outreach

At the same time the leaders at Friendship Fellowship are involved in their communities and neighborhoods by leading studies; fostering and bolstering relationships and training people to participate and be part of the Friendship Fellowship church. “This summer we will begin a Wednesday night home group for couples and families who want to participate in study and worship; build strong relationships and teams and participate in weekly outreach,” explains Pastor Rich. “We will be meeting at Mission Coffee Roasters at Voyager just North of Explorer Drive.” This will be the group that will plan and open the two other Friendship Fellowship outreaches in Aurora and the Youth Group at Roundup School in Colorado Springs.  In September the Friends and Fellowship Church is in the plans to begin a Sunday Church service at Mission Coffee. This would double the outreach to people with special needs; families and caregivers, and begin fostering community involvement in the movement.  If you are interested in becoming part of this church planting opportunity please e-mail friendshipfellowship@juno.com.

 

 

 

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New works at Friendship Fellowship

April 16, 2013 at 6:59 pm (Ancient Paths Church Network, Denver Inner-City Mission, Friendship Fellowship, Intellectual Disabilities, Mentors Training, Poetry, Rocky Mountain District, Sermons, Special Needs Pastors, Urban Ministry, Word and Spirit, Worship)

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“The work is great but the workers are few.” While these are the words Jesus used to illustrate the harvest that yields a crop of people it also reflects the sentiments of special needs pastors and mentors in the harvest of people and churches who are willing to give their time to people with intellectual disabilities. In Denver and Colorado Springs, Friendship Fellowship is about to close a third season. In between and throughout the summer until after Labor Day a group of leaders will host workshops at area churches, train new mentors and hopefully work with people who will plant more Friendship Fellowships along the Front Range. “God’s kingdom is like a mustard seed,” Jesus tells his disciples, “A man took the seed and planted it. Now the mustard seed is the smallest seed of all. But it grows into the biggest plant in the garden. It becomes a tree. The birds fly to it. The sit on its branches.”  These words connect with the synoptic gospels in Matthew (13:31-35) Mark (4:30-34) and Luke 13 (18-21).

Yeast and human nature

People who work at Friendship Fellowship understand the concept of the Kingdom that Jesus illustrates. “God’s kingdom is like yeast, a woman mixed the yeast with a lot of flour. She mixed it all through the batter.” From agency workers to directors, from people who volunteer and guide people with special needs, their joy increases when their service increases. Jesus continues with how even finances increase with our right attitudes of giving. “God’s kingdom is like riches in a field.” “The riches were hidden under the ground. A man who was digging found them. He covered them up again. He was very glad to find the riches. So he sold everything he owned so he could buy the field.” Those who have looked into Friendship Fellowship invest in “buying the field” once they see what a treasure the ministry is. “To experience life change helps us correct our vision, to rise to the challenge of helping and investing in others.”

Good fish and bad fish

From a mustard seed, to yeast and from a treasure and a field, the proposition and the prospectus is that when men and women give they invest; when men and women take time to guide, they enrich, and when they take the gifts given and invest them in other lives they reach more people, they grow ministry, they serve in leadership and they communicate the message, they walk the mission, and they sing and play the music together. “God’s kingdom is like the precious pearl, it was the best. Would you sell everything to get the pearl? “God’s kingdom is like a net in the lake,” Jesus tells us, “Many different kinds of fish swim into it, filling the net.” The fishermen pull up the net, they put the fish in baskets.” Thrown out are the bad fish.

Teachers, preachers and you

“Some teachers know about God’s kingdom,” says Jesus. “They are like people who own houses. They have rooms where they store things. At times they bring new things out of storage and sometimes they bring old things out. The last unit at Friendship Fellowship this season are the stories of Jesus. “Jesus hardly said anything to the people without a story,” according to author Karyn Henley who compiled the stories of the Bible in a children’s book called “God’s Story.” “But he told his friends what the stories mean. So the psalm came true. “I’ll talk in stories. I will tell secrets hidden since the world was made.”

Becoming a guide, a friend and experiencing fellowship

If you would like to invest time and or money in Friendship Fellowship it costs $22 a month to reach one person with special needs for curriculum; crafts and staffing. For others it costs an hour a week and for some it takes both. If you would like to find out more and perhaps even start Friendship Fellowship at your church, day program or community center e-mail Pastor Rich at friendshipfellowship@juno.com.

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Friendship Fellowship and Communion

March 26, 2013 at 3:48 pm (Ancient Paths Church Network, Denver Inner-City Mission, Friendship Fellowship, Intellectual Disabilities, Mentors Training, Poetry, Rocky Mountain District, Sermons, Special Needs Pastors, Urban Ministry, Word and Spirit, Worship)
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Lent is a time of Spring and although late March can often post the coldest of conditions, signs of new life are everywhere. We can deny it, we can run from it; we can try to shovel our way out of it, but last week we praised the warmth and the thaw of a frozen season, tolerated only by hope of the coming of the Risen Savior, getting ready for a time of a peaceful Spring Day, given in love and culminating in the unspeakable joy of the new season, the new promise and the new life found in Easter.

Washed and Cleaned

At Friendship Fellowship in Colorado Springs between 12 and 20 people will congregate on this Tuesday at Mosaic’s Day program and declare that new life. They will sing, they will sign and they will pray and they will answer the questions of the last four weeks. Some will be baptized, and others will receive their first taste of communion. They will point to the map of the world when taking about God’s creation, they will point to the cross for the explanation of where their final destination will be; and they will point upwards when speaking of that destination. They have come together in fellowship as friends and they will sing, listen to the earliest songs of the church and the hymns and praise songs that have rallied many from days of oppression, in the midst of our winters and they will dedicate themselves in studying God’s Word and motive for their lives; to serving as Jesus did and approaching one another the way Jesus approaches all of us with open arms. Poured out water in baptism for those who ask, the bread served to the body of Christ and the grape juice, as we remember His sacrifice on this week of washing feet, of political upheaval and Pilate  washing his hands of responsibility for Jesus, and our decision to follow Jesus.

Feed my sheep

In one instance Friendship Fellowship will anoint and pray in an elder. The words of Paul and his letter to leadership will stand as the testimony of a new elder named Will.

1 Timothy 3:1-7: “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of an elder, he desires a good work. An elder must be blameless, of good nature, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not wanting what others have; one who leads and teaches his his brothers and sister, having the respect of all of our friends and staff and family. (For if a man does not know how to serve and lead his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not inexperienced in God’s word and ways, and not being puffed up with pride so he won’t fall prey to Satan. Most of all He must have a good testimony and live a good life among those who are outside, so he won’t fall into darkness and the snare of the devil.”

The Pastor will anoint this leader in the Mosaic community and they will sing the Doxology.

We are reminded and we read the stories of Jesus, we read the Psalm of Creation, we lead a progressive worship service that culminates with the Risen Christ. The Benediction is simple: “Do you love me?” “Lord – you know I love you.” “Do you love me?” Jesus I love you.” “Do you love me?” “Lord I love you, you know I do…” Then feed my sheep, Feed my sheep, Feed my sheep.”

Book a workshop with Pastor Rich, buy the digital book and  get a guide on how to start Friendship Fellowship in your church. E-mail Friendshipfellowship@juno.com.

http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/289017-friends-and-fellowship

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Bon Voyage Nella! We will miss you

March 25, 2013 at 3:19 pm (Ancient Paths Church Network, Denver Inner-City Mission, Friendship Fellowship, Intellectual Disabilities, Mentors Training, Poetry, Rocky Mountain District, Sermons, Special Needs Pastors, Urban Ministry, Word and Spirit, Worship)
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nella

It was a great journey!

Most Civil Rights groups make a lot of noise on what they are against and forcing people to see the atrocity that they have gone through, and in most cases this is rightfully so. Civil disobedience; protests, and a charismatic front person often accompanies a message and a mission that are essential in changing the tide of public opinion on an issue or a right in political and/or social arenas. And yet the quiet obedience of the evangelical; the civil disobedience of movements; and the outreach of individuals and churches or community organizations who are “for” the Biblical, live systematically and equitably; don’t compromise truth or love in the mix work for a quiet change of heart as opposed to a noisy, shrill of desperation.  While there was plenty of publicity surrounding “Freedom Riders” in the south more than half a century ago, an evangelical leader quietly but passionately grew the consciousness of a country that was operating under gangland law.

Judgement=Character

Dr. Martin Luther King, waxed Biblicaly, lived Systematically and reached out Evangelically to  the entire country, White, Black, Asian, Hispanic; North, South, East and West, the able, and the disabled, men, women, and children. Dr. King, taught more than he fought, he loved more than he judged, and he understood the equation of character. Judgement= Quality of Character. ‘Bring it on” we can say, ‘judge me not by my outward appearance, my abilities or disabilities but instead by the content of my character.

Friends and Fellowship

Last Tuesday the people at Friendship Fellowship were planning an Easter week  service that would include the baptism, communion, and full membership into the church family for people with disabilities. There were logistic questions regarding full immersion; congregational involvement; and the ingestion of bread and grape juice for the twenty or so friends. As the special needs pastor I called my go-to expert the foremost authority on “doing” rather than protesting the rights  of people with intellectual disabilities. Nella  Uitvlugt was at home recovering from foot surgery and her assistant asked that we call her at home. Nella answered the phone in her strong Canadian northern dialect. “When in doubt,” we say, “call Nella.”

Call Nella

Nella answered the questions and gave advice on other ‘matters of the church’ in no uncertain terms. Her assistant said, “I don’t have the answers that Nella has, I just administer what Nella does. “Call her at home Pastor Rich, she would love to hear a friendly voice, and talk shop.” Nella said, “Sprinkle in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” “Make sure that communion is administered by feeding tube, and make sure that supporting churches see what God is doing,and they will want to be part of it.” “I didn’t argue and I didn’t disagree,” Pastor Rich explains. Nella is an evangelist who is strong on giving the opportunity for people with special needs to express their faith and to be able to answer the questions; express joy through sign language and pointing, singing out loud and prayer at their denominational choice. “I agree with that,” says Pastor Rich, “but as a inter-denominational church plant and a non-denominational, evangelical pastor, Friendship Fellowship starts special churches for people with disabilities and becomes that part of the body that is essential for evangelicals to reach.”  At the end of the telephone conversation, Nella laughs and says, “We don’t always agree on the method, but we never have had a disagreement.” There has been a mutual respect for the approaches tp reaching people. “We are not a think tank and we are not theorists, we are planners who plant; and we do it through message, mission and music.”

Invitation to starts and stops

Godly obedience not civil disobedience is the way Nella works. She spoke of her desire to go to her Friendship Ministries group at her church last Tuesday evening and to visit relatives on Easter Sunday. “They are not handicapped accessible, so they will have to come to me-instead, ” she laughed. The snow was falling hard in Grand Rapids and so Nella ruled out going to Friendship last Tuesday. Overnight between Thursday night and Friday morning, Nella was gone. She leaves a quiet legacy that does more than it says, it enables more than it protests, and it empowers more than any public demonstration can. She leaves her husband Eric and two grown children, and a legacy of example, godly obedience, books, resources, webinars and countless lives changed in the process. This Tuesday, tomorrow Pastor Rich will ask the questions and the Friends will point to the cross, the pictures of baptism, and they will point at Nella who will be smiling down on her friends who have entered “His gates with Thanksgiving in their hearts.” “This is not the end,” Pastor Rich says, “Nella, who had Canadian roots, remembered the words of Bruce Cockburn, “we’ll meet again at the festival of Friends.” Thanks Nella- I know you will be there tomorrow.

Coffee House

Richard Beattie

I started coming here when I had writer’s block. I’d come here with my pen and sometimes I’d go up to the meeting room and lay down so chords on my guitar. I would sing out, and it turned out they were like prayers to God and this was before I found the energy of a rebirth. You laugh- you obviously have never have been present at a birth if you didn’t realize how very painful birth can be. Rebirth – if it is genuine and real can be just as painful… Like nails on a cross..

(Begins to play) C Cmaj7 (a little riff)

Nails on a cross. Fingernails on nylon- on steel.

The sound of the dreadnaught, honest and painfully real…

Sight and sound- homeward bound

Time and space,

bringing hope – home to me… I’ve never been home

never so free.

I’ve been down and out (nobody knows)

like sand and drought (it never shows)

Finding place- like in history, I’m in his story

Dm9-G9- Never so free.

 

Dm

Strings and Skin

Em

Enter in

F

Wood on earth

(single notes) E Am

the energy of this rebirth

F G9 Cmag7 C

Yes it’s energy of his rebirth!

C cmaj7 C

I never forget

the eyes of this silhouette

judging you for your content

Found in a composite sketch

that saved a wretch- yes saved a wretch like me

never so free.

 

 

nails and skin

stings within

upon this cursed and wretched earth

the energy of my rebirth

the energy of this rebirth

the energy in His rebirth…

 

Spoken: I build my world around that hope. No point of going through that pain again. You press reverse and go through it all again – for no good reason. It doesn’t really matter, the reason why you go back to and through our hells on earth except for one thing- to see how far He brought you from that moment until now. That’s why I asked you here- I needed someone to share it in an intimate, quiet place… the good, the bad and all the in-between. Some of it funny, others tragic and still some others hopeful, peaceful, loving and joyful… I promise none of this will bore you. Meet me here tomorrow. I’m buying.

Mission Coffee- “Really good coffee with a mission.” Find out more by e-mailing Missioncoffee@juno.com.

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A real church for real people

March 19, 2013 at 7:30 pm (Ancient Paths Church Network, Denver Inner-City Mission, Friendship Fellowship, Intellectual Disabilities, Mentors Training, Rocky Mountain District, Sermons, Special Needs Pastors, Urban Ministry, Word and Spirit, Worship)
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Friendshipfellowship denver

In Colorado Springs Friendship Fellowship looks like any other church. The guitarist starts a prelude, a welcoming song and opens with a word from Psalm 100.

Psalm 100

A psalm for giving thanks.

1 Shout to the Lord with joy, everyone on earth.
2     Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come to him with songs of joy.
3 I want you to realize that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we belong to him.
We are his people.
We are the sheep belonging to his flock.

4 Give thanks as you enter the gates of his temple.
Give praise as you enter its courtyards.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 The Lord is good. His faithful love continues forever.
It will last for all time to come.

Lenny a percussionist begins the beat with the congas as the congregation claps hands, shakes tambourines and sings “He has made me glad.”

The worship sounds like any, acoustic and rhythmic, Biblical and harmonic. There are other shouts and laughter and it is just then that the visitor to Friendship Fellowship realizes that the congregants are a mix of staff, family and caregivers for a day program designed for people with special needs. “They started off wanting a Bible study,” says Pastor Rich. It has grown with study, worship and the most fundamental expressions of prayer, relationship building and fellowship. This is their church and we meet them where they are.” The worship set continues with a more contemporary group of songs mixed with traditional hymns. “Next Tuesday they will install a young man with Cerebral Palsy as an elder. A blessing and anointing based on questions on the basic tenants and doctrine of  the church are asked. Next week people will be baptized and receive communion and they will begin a unit of study that combines aspects of the Trinity.

Songs

He has made me Glad

Holy is the Lord- God Almighty

Unfailing

Everlasting God

I confess

Gloria

Doxology

Then there is a responsive psalm (104)

The Friends have done a unit on Psalms and responded well and while this is a sampling for practice and preparation. Then there is the reading. The public expression of faith and more songs:

Creed

Sanctus

Jesus Messiah

Proclamation – “Mystery of Faith”

Lord I am not worthy to receive the bread- only say the word and I shall be healed…

Invitation-Hold on Together

“The invitation into God’s Family is what this is all about. There is leadership, there is discipleship and there is fellowship,” Pastor Rich tells the group. He reads a portion of Paul’s letter to Timothy (1-Tim 6:11-12, 20-21)

There is a short message- about this passage and what it meant to people in the early church and what it means to us now.

Then there are the closing songs

The Lord’s Prayer

(Prayer time)

Our God is Greater

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

In this week of preparation there are logistics to work out.

Baptism, Communion Scriptural Basis from 1 Corinthians

2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3 and all ate the same spiritual food,
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ….
6 Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did.

Friendship Fellowship is a network of special churches for people with special needs. It is non-denominational and is in partnership with Ancient Paths Church Network and Word and Spirit Network based in Denver and Colorado Springs. If you would like to volunteer, help support the cause or start a new Friendship Fellowship in your community please e-mail Pastor Rich Friendshipfellowship@juno.com.

 

 

 

 

 

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