Elevation Outreach

Proverbs 11: 24
“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”

What is it that causes life to be so exhausting? After school practice, commuting, homework, deadlines, grocery shopping, laundry, family drama, technology, meetings, dirty dishes, late nights at the office, traffic, bills, long distance friendships…this list could go on forever and never ceases to be overwhelming.

It doesn’t ever seem like we have enough time to get it all done. So we are left exhausted and paralyzed beneath the weight of what consumes our every day life. We become selfish with our time. We become blind to the needs of others.

Proverbs says, “He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” Sometimes, we just need a perspective check.

You should know that it is a blessing to be a part of a sports team to practice with, to have a job that pays your living expenses, to own a car to drive anywhere you need to go, to have family to grow with, to be in school learning, to have friends that want to stay in touch from across the country and to have clothes that need to be washed.

How much more exhausting would life be if you had none of those things that you think cause you so much stress? There are people in our own city that live day to day not knowing where their next meal will come from. There are kids that drop out of high school because of their family’s homelessness. There are people struggling to overcome addictions or be free of domestic abuse. Hope barely seems to even be on the horizon in these situations.

Think about what it means to be refreshed and pray about what it would look like to refresh the lives of those that live in your community.

During LOVE Week 2012, you will have the incredible opportunity to BE the “generous man” that “refreshes others.” We will be working with some of our partners like A Child’s Place, which works to make sure that homeless kids in our city are a supported in school. Urban Ministry Center has lunch for the homeless and gives those people an opportunity to develop skills.

Help us REFRESH our city.

by Elizabeth Danko

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Pastor Steven Furtick preached from Hebrews 12 Sunday to encourage us to “fix our eyes on Jesus” and ask him to become not just the author of our individual stories, but also the leading character in them.  (See that sermon here)

You can write your own “better story” at #MyBetterStory and be encouraged by others who are allowing Jesus to become the center of their lives.

As we wrapped up Code Orange Revival and you began to wonder “What does God want me to do differently in 2012?”  many of you told us you wanted to focus more on “giving your life away” for HIS glory.  As we count down the days before LOVE Week 2012 we’re sharing stories of people who have done that very thing.  This one comes from our strategic outreach partner, Bless Back Worldwide.

Trip leader Gary Welch was concerned.  It was just days before Bless Back Worldwide’s Thanksgiving week MEDICAL mission trip to Haiti.  And he didn’t have any doctors signed up.  None.  So this faithful leader called on his team to pray.

At the very same time, Chris Neuman was searching.  Growing up Jewish, his wife and two boys had encouraged him to begin attending Elevation Church six months prior.  And he was led by a friend to talk with Sam Nadler of Hope of Israel Congregation about how to reconcile his Jewish faith with what the bible says about Jesus, and what he was feeling in his heart.

Two weeks before the Bless Back Thanksgiving trip – Chris committed his life to Jesus.  An emergency room doctor, he also decided to serve in Haiti over Thanksgiving.  That same day, five more medical professionals signed on (including Kristin Neuman, Chris’s wife, who had been attending bible studies and praying for years about her husband’s salvation).

Pastor John Bishop Baptizes Chris Neuman during Code Orange Revival Photos by Autumn Scisciani

God answered the prayers of dozens of people that one day.  Bringing Chris to Christ, moving in him to serve on his first-ever mission trip, bringing other medical professionals to the team.  But notice that God doesn’t force anybody to act.  It takes obedience, an act of will to say “yes” to the work God wants to do in your life.

Go back to the first verse in Hebrews 12 and you see, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..”

How will you say “yes” today to the work God wants to do in your life?  What good thing will you give up for the BEST thing – Jesus at the center of your life?

We are 12 days to the start of LOVE Week 2012.  Join us as we go LIVE ONLINE Saturday February 4, with all new opportunities to sign up and serve during LOVE Week – February 11-19.

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Be encouraged!

Romans 15:13 says:  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

We’re excited to hear from so many of you who want to make plans for LOVE Week 2012.

We are 15 days away and have been receiving the best encouragement and kind words and energy from you as you prepare your eGroups and eTeams to serve alongside dozens of other churches and organizations all over the Charlotte area.

We will be honoring, cleaning, feeding, building, painting, mulching, paving, dancing, singing, and every manner of serving we can think of to COVER the Charlotte area with the love of Christ.

Please be in prayer for our team of staff and volunteers as we iron out all the details of more than 350 LOVE Week 2012 events.  May YOU be filled with God’s joy and peace today as you trust in him in your life.

This site will go LIVE with all the opportunities to serve on February 4.  In the meantime – if you’re part of an eGroup or eTeam and want to get in on the action early, leave us a comment below and we’ll get you connected to a volunteer opportunity NOW.

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The countdown to LOVE Week 2012 is ON.  We’re now just 16 days away from the biggest, boldest expression of LOVE our city has ever seen.

Proverbs 16 says we should, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

Our heart is that through our service every day, but especially during LOVE Week, February 11-19, that our efforts would bring glory to Jesus, and draw those who don’t know him closer to him.

Please join us in prayer in these days before this outreach initiative that as we plan, that each step is guided by our savior.  That we would not stray one fraction of an inch from his plan for this initiative, and that we would move boldly in the confidence that this is HIS idea.  We would never attempt something of this magnitude on our own… 50,000 hours of service in EIGHT days.   The whole idea seems like insanity.  Without, you God – this thing will fall flat on its face.  We need you.  We commit ALL our efforts to you.

We are overwhelmed with gratitude, Elevation – when you show up to serve.  As we pray and plan and celebrate all God did during Code Orange Revival – we look forward to HIS highlight reel for LOVE Week 2012.  And we give thanks for your service during “Home for the Holidays.”

Take a look back at that moment in 2011 – and prepare your hearts and hammers – in a few short days, we’ll be releasing the service dates for our next Habitat for Humanity build – this time, we’ll do it in just NINE days.  Are you ready?

Home for the Holidays from Elevation Media on Vimeo.

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We are just days away from the launch of LOVE Week 2012 and we are SO excited about the HUNDREDS of events in the works to serve the city of Charlotte and beyond.  Last year, with the help of 25 other churches, together we served more than 34,000 hours.

In 2012, we are believing in the UNIFYING POWER and LOVE of Jesus to UNITE more than TWICE as many churches to serve more than 50,000 hours in our city.

We’ll go LIVE Saturday February 4, with all new opportunities to sign up and serve ONLINE during LOVE Week – February 11-19.

Working together with organizations such as Charlotte Family Housing, A Child’s Place, Charlotte Rescue Mission, Urban Ministry Center, One7, and many more – we believe in making the name of Jesus famous through our service, and we are honored by your willingness to join us.

For more information about this movement to unite and serve our city, contact our Outreach Team.

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