Monday, December 11, 2006

Sidewalk Sunday School December

revival and salvation. The concert benefit was INCREDIBLE!!!! Praising and truly worshiping God, being in his presence, being in the Holy of Holies. I personally could have stayed there all night. Humbling myself before God as His own. Amazing!! Awesome!!! Incredible!!! Just gives me the Holy Spirit goosebumps.
Sidewalk Sunday School is just so cool and I am so thankful and very blessed that God chose me to go to Brooklyn, come back, and used me to begin SWSS in Kokomo.(Very thankful for Pastor Jeff for being open and giving me the opportunity to be faithful, obedient, and serve Jesus with all my heart at SWSS.) Jesus Christ is the forcus of SWSS. Our eyes and heart are on Him as He guides and shows us how we can reach the kids and their families for Him.We are teaching the kids that God needs to be first in their lives. We are finishing up our theme, "Super Heroes of the Bible" with the BEST hero.. Jesus Christ.
Last night, I wished that all of you could have seen the kids eyes when they saw the third floor.(That is where we hold SWSS) Two volunteers and myself decorated it last Monday night. Their little eyes were beaming. The smiles on their faces were just beautiful. We had Christmas trees decorated and lite up in the hallway. The 7' bulletin board was decorated with the navitivy scene. Then we had a 8' tree set up in their room all decorated. The kids said, "Miss Mary, did you do this for me?" I said yes we did honey. Then the decorations they made last night are for the tree in the SWSS room. The ornaments are so pretty. The kids were so proud of what they did. My job was tying ribbon to hang the ornament and they would bring them up to me. Big smiles and say, Miss Mary, isn't mine pretty? I would just smile and say they are all beauitful. Just like all of you. These kids touch my heart every Sunday night. What a blessing they are!!
Next week we will have a Secret Santa Shop set up for the kids to come and pick out a "free" present for their parents. We are wanting to teach the kids that Christmas is about sharing and giving. Just like God gave us the "perfect" gift.. His son Jesus. Student Council from Northwestern Elementary will be helping us. I spoke to the group this morning and shared with them what SWSS is all about. I asked how many kids were coming to help. I saw about 50 hands go up. They are really excited to be helping and I am excited for them.
As all of you can see, God is good! All the time. All the time God is good. AMEN! God is constantly moving and all of us at SWS is moving with Him. Just keep climbing from one level to another. He is our Great Jehova Jireh!!!
In closing, we can't say it enough..THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of you for your prayers, donations, your time, and your servant's heart. Being used as Jesus' hands and feet. We truly appreciate ALL of you so much. "Nothing is impossible with God." All of you are our blessings here on earth. Please continue to pray for all of us as we take SWSS to another year. I'm excited to see what God will have us doing in 2007.
From all of us at Kokomo Urban Outreach.....
MERRY CHRISTMAS &
GOD BLESS YOU in 2007!!!!!!
Love in Christ,
Miss Mary

Friday, November 17, 2006

Sidewalk Sunday School November

I am so excited to see what God has planned for SWSS in the next two months and the new year 2007. As Pastor Jeff and I get together and talk about SWSS, we both are in "awe" as what God has done so far. Neither one of us put any limits on what God can do. For we know the scripture,"With God ALL things are possible." That is certainly a big AMEN!!! Each week, I am adding more and more apartments on our visitation list form both Pine Valley and Garden Square. This is definitely a "God thing". This means that SWSS is growing. Right now, we visit 47 apartments from Garden Square and 25 apartments from Pine Valley. We range almost 20 kids from Pine Valley on Saturdays and over 50 kids on Sunday nights from Garden Square. Also on Sunday nights, God has allowed an adult bible study and a youth group of 5th through 8th graders while we are doing SWSS. God is sooooo good!!!!

We had a Hallelujah party last weekend at both places. The kids loved it. The basketball goal that the children's Sunday school classes from St. Lukes bought was a big hit. They loved it!!! (Thank you.) Bridges (Travis, Casey, and kids) helped us run games. Thank you also. New carpet has been given by Grace UMC in our SWSS room. (The carpet will not be glued down so that we man roll it up when needed to be.) Judy Whorley has made our curtains. We will also being painting a scene on the walls for the kids. Again, God has blessed us with a lot of awesome people in this ministry.

We will soon be finishing up our stories on "Super Heroes of the Bible". We have shared with the kids stories of David, Noah, and Moses. Each story has had a bible verse and key words to go with it. Key words as obedience, trust, prayer, and faith. The month of December will be focused on the birth of our Saviour. We are planning on having a birthday party for Jesus for our last weekend in December.

I have been praying asking God to show me what He wants us to share with the kids in 2007. He has showed me. We will be taking the kids a little deeper in their walk with Him. He has showed me His divine order of lessons for the kids. We will be sharing more on faith, the Trinity, Holy Spirit, and then the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. We will be sharing the Fruit of the Spirit one a week. Please keep us in your prayers as God uses us to lead the kids closer to Him. I want everything that we do to be of Him and in His will.

Thank you for all your prayers, donations, and support for Kokomo Urban Outreach. I know that is why God has blessed us so much is because of the "special" people He has praying for us. The Mighty Prayer Warriors.

In closing, we have a few changes in our weekends of doing SWSS. There will be NO SWSS November 25th and 26th. Please come to Grace UMC on the 26th of November to a Praise & Worship Benefit for Kokomo Urban Outreach. The band "God's Alliance" will be there to perform. They are very anointed and awesome. I will have a table set up for SWSS. A love offering will be taken up for KOU.

Also on December 23rd and 24th, 30th & 31st, NO SWSS. We want everyone to enjoy the holidays with family and friends. I am planning on having a meeting with everyone who helps with SWSS and on Sunday nights sometime after the holidays , but yet, before 2007.

That is it from Mary Ingle. I am just so blessed and thankful to God for this amazing and awesome ministry and all the wonderful people He has allowed me to meet and work with. All of you are my blessing.

Very Thankful..
Mary Ingle

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Life on the Porch

Life on the Porch

The air is crisp, clear, and clean. It is early in the morning, very early. The darkness is giving way to a thin ray of sunlight that seems to struggle to break through. I look across the street and see the porches, empty porches. Just yesterday those same porches were full of people---sitting, talking, and listening. The children, too, spend a great deal of time on the porch and in the postage-stamp-size yard, laughing, crying, playing, and fighting....Many in town look at the porches and see those who live in public housing as people who are uneducated, lazy, uncaring, and undeserving. I really don't see that. After living in the neighborhood for over a year, I see "real" people who are generally honest, caring, under-educated, under-resourced, lonely, struggling, joyful, hopeful, helpful, wise, deserving, and generous. I know that my neighbors are not perfect, but neither am I. The vast majority of my neighbors are good people I would be less than honest if I were to say that things are ideal, they're not. However, over the next twenty three days I want to share the positive side of the neighborhood and share some observations that I have made. Each story is real. Sometimes the names of folks have been changed, the subjects of the stories have read and approved it. I want to share their stories and my observations as many of you have shared your resources with us.

Gloria

She sits on her small porch that has enough room for her plastic chair and for the door of her apartment to open and close. Two steps down sit neighbors talking with Gloria in chairs that Gloria has provided. Gloria listens intently as neighbors ask questions, share stories, and seek advice. Meanwhile, Gloria's granddaughter, along with other neighbor children, run all around the small front yard playing tag, swirling around Gloria and those relaxing in the chairs. Suddenly, one of the children spies a praying mantis hanging on the large tree in the front yard. The insect hangs on the tree, like those sitting in Gloria'’s yard hang on her words. Gloria's granddaughter runs to retrieve an old jar with a warped plastic lid resting on the top. As she bends over to pick up the jar from near the porch, she yells, "Is it a boy or a queen?"”.......Gloria is what I call the neighborhood "Pastor": she listens to the concerns of her neighbors, gives advice, and explains to young moms how to cook the strange produce that often arrives in the neighborhood. She gives tips on child rearing, advises the women not to put up with men who do not respect them or their children, and tells stories of the things she has gleaned from her sixty some years of life. It is not unusual for Gloria to be in church on Sunday, even though it is a struggle to walk across the street and get up the long flight of stairs....



Sidewalk Sunday School October

30+ kids at Pine Valley and 70+ from Garden Square. Visitation is awesome. Seeing the smiles on the kids faces when they see you and you hand them a flyer about the next week of SWSS. Some think it is time to go to another session of SWSS. Having the opportunity of visiting with their parents and writing down their prayer concerns. Then comes the best part.. praying over them and giving them a hug before you leave.

A personal invite from me to you.
I encourage you to become a part of SWSS. Come, observe , and you will be blessed.
For we are God's hands and feet here on earth. Most importantly, we are His
"Kingdom Builders.

Our needs: volunteers
candy (small & wrapped individually)
TV
DVD/Video player

Prayer Concerns: Holy Spirit continues to guide us to do His will.
Hearts will be touched and lives will be changed.

Any questions you may have about SWSS, please call me 868-3151 or email me at maryingle@yahoo.com or mary.ingle@nwsc.k12.in.us

Faithfully serving,
Mary Ingle

Monday, August 28, 2006

Charter Partners


...we have 22 Charter Partners. Below is a preliminary list of Charter Partners. If you are a partner and your name is not here, if your name is misspelled or if your spouse is not listed, please email me at urban.outreach@gmail.com so I can make corrections. Thanks Jeff



Libby Barnhart
Pete and Norma Blue
William and Judith Brown
Ed and Pat Catron
Tom and Charlene Grant
Glen and Jeanne Harland
Ron and Liz Harper
Gary and Dee Hostetler
Stan and Sandy Hurst
Rev. Barbara Kinsler
G. L. Laflin
Boyce Morris
Jeff and Chris Newton
Richard and Susan Newton
Grant Poynter
Ben and Olivia Rineheart
Dave and Jody Shaw
Tom and Emily Streeter
Travis and Lisa Taflinger
Jennifer Tarner
Gilbert and Eileen Thomas
James Williams
Tina Williams


Your gifts are working to provide the following:


36,500.00 salary for the Director per year
6,000 for medical insurance for one year
2,800 Social Security tax
1,500 liability Insurance per year
46,800

After this there are other administrative and program expenses. To cover our budget completely for a year we would need about $70,000.

As a partner you would allow me to work full time in the Outreach and part-time in the church I pastor. Presently, I am receiving 75% of the salary working toward 100%. To supplement my income I substitute teach at the Kokomo Academy.

When you partner with KUO you are partnering with me personally to create a culture of hope to those who have little hope. When you partner with me, you are allowing me to have time to work with other churches that desire to move into their neighborhood. When you partner with me you are working with me to expand the outreach until someday the whole city will be covered and transformed. When you become a Charter Partner, you will be one of the first on board to partner with us. Presently, we have 22 Charter Partners who have been giving monthly many since the beginning.

I know God is raising up women and men who are willing to step out in faith and become a partner. All I am asking is that you ask God about what you might be able to provide. Please email at urban.outreach@gmail.com to get more information or call 461.9618.

Checks may be sent to:
Kokomo Urban Outreach
Box20122
Kokomo, IN 46904-0122

Thanks for your consideration and support

Churches of the Month

Financial support, food, volunteers, and Board of Director Members who are the Chair(Pastor Kevin Miller from St. Luke's) and Sec./treasurer Ron Harper. Both Churches have been invaluable to us this summer. St. Luke's initiated Vacation Bible School and made it happen. Pastor Mike suggested "back to school Backpacks" to hold hygiene items(gave away 200 plus). St. Luke's has been represented well at the Sunday Night Cookouts with Ben taking the prize of being there the most Sundays. St. Lukes is also providing a fried chicken dinner on the last night of the cookouts(Sept. 10).

Grace Church also provided crafts supplies and curriculum for VBS, as well as food on Sunday Nights. Grace church sent many, many Sunday Night volunteers. The last Sunday in July there were over 30 volunteers from Grace an older Sunday School Class and the youth group. This was our first intergenerational group. Many weeks a different group from Grace pitched in to help out. The individual who rarely missed a Sunday is Jim Williams. Jim is my "unofficial" right hand man and will be providing an orientation meeting each week we have new volunteers to prepare them for their experience.

Thank you to both churches for all your support. Your strong sense of missions is evident and your mission leaders: Patty Cohee and Susan Garner are great!!!! Thanks again for being the churches of the month.

Transforming a community through collaboration

One of my personal goals for 2006-2007 is to gather churches/organizations from particular geographic areas that have a desire to address issues within their community. Please be in prayer in ways this might be done. Below is something I put together some time ago. Please feel free to leave comments. Jeff


Ways of Engaging with the Community


Community Service
(Stream one of Kokomo Urban Outreach Vision)

Caring services or activities are provided to those who want them; receivers use what is offered, without having been directly involved in shaping or delivering those services.

Positives
  • Provides services for those in need
  • helps people to cope with their present circumstances
  • good in crisis situation
  • possibly of working with other organizations where there are common goals
  • more opportunity to share Christian faith
  • clear identification of who is providing the services

Negatives
  • tends to focus on effects rather than root causes of problems
  • can create over- dependence on the helper
  • can leave the cause of problems unaffected

Community Action (Stream two of Kokomo Urban Outreach Vision)

Collaborates more directly with local individuals, churches and other organizations to plan and deliver a focused caring in some way or to tackle more immediate needs through cooperation.

Positives
  • addresses issues that directly effect an identified segment of the population
  • organizes many groups to work on issues or provide services
  • more responsive to "real" local needs
  • helps people work together for lasting improvement of quality of life in the community
Negatives
  • Sometimes more focused on tasks to be done
  • Can be short term that does bring change but often is not followed up adequately
  • More difficult to share Christian Faith
Community Transformation (Stream Four of Kokomo Urban Outreach Vision)

Works to organize local people to take responsibly for and act in response to perceived local social needs or issues.

Positives

  • Draws agenda from people's immediate experiences and needs, not from the perceptions of need by others
  • Helps people discover their own and the community's resources, using discovered resources to address issues at hand
  • Enables people to take control over their own lives and to participate in the making of decisions which affect them
  • Provides possibility of long term change within the community
  • New community leaders can incorporate community service and community action within their new group--serving others in the community
  • Helps by focusing on community relationships

Negatives
  • Issues can arise around how much of the Christian faith can be shared

Secondary Vision

I envision churches and organizations to cooperate and collaborate with one another to address community issues.

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body..."
1 Corinthians 1:12-13

Positive Ideas for Cooperation and Collaboration


Local Churches/organizations
  • looks beyond the activity of any one congregation
  • consider the church as the whole body of Christ across a city or neighborhood.
  • move from information sharing to collaboration and problem solving

Potential
  • the church is the largest voluntary organization in Kokomo
  • the church is full of people who are willing to give up their free time to serve their community
  • church members are already involved in a large number of community projects
  • there is a great deal of resources available for community outreach, not only people, but finances too
When there is unity among churches
There is improved and renewed relationships with:
  • God
  • the wider community
  • other Christians


Let me know what you think....

Neighborhood Church

help participants understand Biblically and theologically what it means to be a sent church. Participants will learn how to become a mission base within their neighborhood. Practical ideas and steps will be generated to discern how, to move beyond the walls of the church into the community. To schedule a date or to get more information please call Jeff Newton at 765.461.9618


A Missional or Neighborhood Church is a community of believers who understand that they are called to be God’s hands and feet in their community. A missional church has an on-going passion and longing to see every person transformed by the wonder of God’s grace and become part of the Kingdom of God.

Volunteer Opportunities

We have the following volunteer openings scroll down for more information about each:

Volunteer Administrative Assistant
Table Mentors
Sidewalk Sunday School Worker
Behind the Scene Workers
Newsletter Editor
E-Bay Consultant

Descriptions of Open Positions


Volunteer Administrative Assistant

Purpose
The administrative assistant provides a variety of clerical support services for Kokomo Urban Outreach.

Responsible to
The Director of Kokomo Urban Outreach

Description of duties
  • Organize and manage the day-to-day activities of the office and ensure the efficiency of the office operations.
  • Establish and maintain files and records for organization.
  • Provide clerical and secretarial support for the director
  • Compile and interpret information from various sources and prepare reports when requested.
  • Prepare Thank you notes
  • Answer questions and provide information concerning organizations functions and activities.
  • Take messages
  • Maintain general calendar.
  • Prepare and send out notices for meetings, and prepare agenda items and materials.
  • Keep database of volunteers
  • Operate a personal computer and related equipment (such as printer and scanner).
  • Utilize software for word processing, database management, spreadsheets, and presentations.
  • Use word processing program to create a variety of printed materials, such as reports, correspondence, newsletters, and other forms with accuracy and attention to detail.
  • Operate other office equipment, including photocopier, fax machine, and calculator.
Qualifications, skills, and gifts
  • Considers this position a ministry
  • Has basic understanding of office organization and operations.
  • Has good awareness of office equipment and methods.
  • Knows principles of preparing correspondence, forms, reports, etc.
  • Possesses good communication and organizational skills.
  • Understands principles and procedures of record-keeping.
  • Has good command of the English languge
  • Is able to perform services independently and without direct supervision.
  • Has the ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
  • Has the skills to create and maintain record-keeping and filing systems.
  • Time requirements
  • Fifteen -Twenty hours per week days and times can be negotiated.


Table Mentors

Purpose:
To be a support/example to children as they eat dinner on Sunday Night.

Description of Duties

  • To sit with children at meal time
  • To have a conversation with the children
  • To help the children learn table manners
  • To help the younger children, cut up food etc.
  • Skills Needed
  • Love of children
  • Listening ear
  • Positive attitude
  • Patience

Time Commitment
Sunday Nights from 4:45-5:30. Can volunteer each week or monthly and everything in between.

Sidewalk Sunday School Workers (Pine Valley)

Purpose:
To serve children through Sidewalk Sunday School at Pine Valley.

We are looking for people who can fill the following roles:
  • Storytellers: retelling a Bible Story
  • Song leader: lead singing using at least a CD, it would be great to have a guitar etc.
  • Chaperones: to encourage the children to participate through positive reinforcement.
Persons need to:
  • have a servants heart
  • have a love for children and relate well to them
  • be kind, yet be able to help children learn to follow simple rules
Time Commitment
Saturday's from about 1:30PM -3:15 PM actual program runs from 2-3PM.
Sidewalk Sunday School helpers can come every week or once a month or any time in between.

Visitation/Getters Team
(Pine Valley and Garden Square)

Description:
To visit each child that attends Sidewalk Sunday School at Pine Valley and Garden Square each week. And to pick-up children at Garden Square that need to be walked across the street to Trinity Church. We would like to see 8 teams of 2 join the team.

At Garden Square there will be two people per row of apartments. The Getters would pick up children and bring them across the street and at the end of the night return them to their home. Getters could also be table mentors or help in the Sunday School after the meal.

Time commitment for this ministry: 4:30PM-6:30PM on Sunday Nights. In the best case scenario Getters would be able to Get most weeks as to build up a relationship with children and families.

We need two teams of two to go into Pine Valley once a week and deliver a flier to children in the complex to invite them to the next Saturday's Event. Over time relationships would be built with the families of the children. The time commitment is unclear right now but would only take one late afternoon or early evening per week. If two teams are recruited, each team should have to visit 7-10 apartments.


Behind the Scene Workers

There are several "Behind the Scene Worker" opportunities:

  • Stocking and organizing shelves
  • Designer/Artist/construction worker to build set for children's room (see related article
  • Cleaning the areas of the church that are used for the outreach (handful of rooms)
  • A receptionist that will volunteer for a morning or afternoon that can greet people that delivering items the church and logging in items received.
  • Need occasional trucks and drivers to pick up larger items (sort of on call and arranged at your convenience)

Newsletter Editor

Description:
Produce a high quality monthly Newsletter. The newsletter is produced on-line with Constant Contact program (very easy to learn). The Newsletter can be done from your home, with articles and pictures sent to you by email. The newsletter takes me about 15-20 hours (a month) to produce, someone with good typing and computer skills may be able to do it much quicker.

Skills needed:

  • Have a command of the English language grammar, spelling etc
  • Comfortable with a computer
  • Have access to computer, internet and an email address
  • Attention to detail

Ebay Consultant

We have an idea to use Ebay as a fundraising tool. We are looking for someone to bounce the idea off of, that has an understanding of how exactly Ebay works and can give advice on how to get started.

Prayer Needs

Please pray for:

Sidewalk Sunday School

Families in the Community

Mary Ingle as she leads as new Children's Outreach Director

An expanded financial base for KUO

I would be glad to pray for you. Just leave your concern by clicking the comment button and leaving it for everyone to pray for or click the envelope and send me an email so I may lift up your prayer concerns. Jeff

Artists and carpenters needed to design and paint the town

We are looking for an artist to design and paint a cartoonish town in our new children's room. Some of the set can be three D and built out of wood. The stage area is about 20 ft wide and 8 foot high with an actual stage to be built off the floor about six inches. The stage will look something like a sidewalk, the children will sit on tarps in front of it thus making an indoor Sidewalk Sunday School. We will need a screen built in somewhere for words of songs to be projected and one of the buildings be built in such a way that it will accommodate some puppets. We have little money to do this, we could purchase paint, brushes and lumber. I know God has gifted folks in this area and that there are people that are willing to share their gifts as we reach out to the unchurched in the neighborhood.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Sidewalk Sunday School

Feeling called to be a Missionary?

Imagine this... A group of children on a Saturday afternoon under a large tree singing about Jesus, listening to stories, laughing as they play fun games, and requesting prayer from their leaders. About an hour later the children are skipping home with treats in their hands and smiles and their faces. A few days later, group leaders appear at each of the children's doors reminding them to return for more fun this coming Saturday. Over time, a deep relationship is built not just with each child but with each child's family. Soon parents are requesting prayer and doors are opened for a relationship with Jesus...

There is no need to imagine a scenario such as this. You can be a part of a dynamic new outreach that will begin this fall based on the principles taught by Bill Wilson who developed Sidewalk Sunday School in Brooklyn. Each week such ministries reach 1000's of children in the Brooklyn area. Mary Ingle, our new Director of Children's Outreach, spent a week in Brooklyn participating and learning first hand about the effectiveness of Sidewalk Sunday School.

Our vision is to see Sidewalk Sunday School all over town in apartment complexes, mobile home parks, subdivisions and the inner parts of town. This fall we will start this new outreach in two neighborhoods. Because of the relationships we have all ready established, we will be targeting Garden Square and Pine Valley Apartment Communities. The Garden Square outreach will be similar to the already established outreach on Sunday Nights from 5:00-6:15. The only thing that will change is the format. Pine Valley, who has no outreach program currently in place, will be meeting on Saturday afternoons from 2:00-3:00. Our focus at this time is on the Pine Valley Outreach. We anticipate 30-50 children from about 20 families to attend weekly. We need 4-5 people that can commit to be involved on most Saturdays and spend some time during the week calling on families. A home visit usually lasts about 3-5 minutes, especially at the beginning. This means volunteers to this community would call on 5 families a week.

We also need people to serve on a rotating basis to come on Saturday afternoons. You could choose one Saturday a month to serve. We need the following:

If you want to be a part of new exciting outreach ministry and sense God calling you to move out of your comfort zone, then we would encourage you to attend an informational meeting on August 20 from 3-4PM with a follow up training meeting on the August 27 from 3-4 PM. Please call 461.9618 to reserve a spot. If you want to help but can not attend the August 20th meeting, please call and we will make other arrangements.

Please pray for us as we move into new neighborhoods with the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

Jeff

PS: Our number one question: What happens if the weather is bad? Answer: We move into the community room at the complex.