Elevation Outreach

When you give to Elevation Church, 12% of everything you give goes back out to our local and global outreach partners. One of those partners is Samaritan’s Purse. Over the course of our partnership, we’ve given SP close to half a million dollars to relief projects here in the United States and around the world.

Please pray with us for the people of South Sudan and our friends at Samaritan’s Purse as they work to meet the growing need for starving, wounded, frightened refugees. Click here for the latest from the BBC to get a greater understanding of the situation in South Sudan.

Posted in Outreach News | No Comments »

“I feel like I get more out of it than they do,” says Michelle Nievar of her volunteer experiences at the Harvest Center.  Michelle started attending Elevation in October 2010 and during LOVE Week 2012 she served at the Harvest Center.

She served many other places during LOVE Week but had a special connection at the Harvest Center.  One of the staff women in the kitchen at Harvest Center told her as she left, “Now you come back and help us again.”  So she did. And every Wednesday morning she goes to help cook, serve and clean up breakfast. Sometimes she even helps prep for lunch.

“I have everything and more that I need and people there don’t have all that,” Michelle says.  She explains to me that she doesn’t have a fancy car or a big house, but she does have a car that works, a roof over her head and food in her refrigerator.  A spirit of gratefulness lingers as she continues sharing with me her experiences serving.

“If I can, I will,” Michelle says.  She has learned to tithe faithfully at Elevation Church, but views her ability to serve as her offering.  The thing she loves most about serving consistently in one place like the Harvest Center is that she gets to make friends and build relationships with the staff and the people they serve their meals to.

The Harvest Center’s mission is to create an environment where Jesus Christ transforms members of our community to their full potential by providing food, clothing, housing, education, counseling and recovery services and referrals.  The center is a new in 2012 strategic outreach partner.  Your giving to Elevation allowed us to present them a check for $7,000 in March in celebration of our Easter theme “Seven Mile Miracle.”

You can get involved by cooking and serving breakfast or lunch on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, like Michelle does. Or you can help us by working in the food pantry, teach an adult’s literacy class, lead a men or women’s Bible study, cultivate the garden or sort clothing.

If you are interested in getting involved helping us at the Harvest Center, leave us a comment.  And we’ll gladly get you connected.

Posted in Outreach News | No Comments »

We hear from so many people who want to serve with our outreach partners but have a tough time getting it on the calendar with work and family responsibilities.

If that’s you – here’s something you can do right there from your laptop/pc/or mobile device.

Urban Ministries has the opportunity to win a $50,000 grant from Maxwell House Coffee.  All you have to do is click their name and enter your email address.  You can actually enter ALL your email addresses to get them several votes each day.

Freedom School Partners is seeking a spot on Jimmy Johnson’s Blue Bonnet Helmet of Hope.  You have to fill out a little more information about them – but enough votes will get them $10,000 and a big ice cream party.

And our fashionable friends at Bella Tunno have organized a huge online shower for the “Dove’s Nest.”  This brand new Charlotte Rescue Mission facility for women will have 120 beds, and you can shop for and give things like sheets, towels, and blankets right there on the site.

So maybe today you can’t go serve at the shelter or read to a child in an inner city school.  Today you CAN vote for an outreach partner to earn cash OR buy fresh linens for them.  What are you waiting for?  Do something, today.

Posted in Outreach News | No Comments »

Lesson learned today: Always back up your blog by writing it in a Word document first.

Thanks to Liz Danko and David Hall for all your hard work, and for all the joy you brought to Elevation Outreach this past semester.

Thank you Kathleen, Brody, Christine, Gage, Jessi, Josh, Jonathan, Joe, Hayley Dustin, and Angel, too.

The best is yet to come.

We love you!

Posted in Outreach News | No Comments »

More than 1,200 volunteers clearly took Pastor Steven’s Waiting Room week three message to heart:  ”What are you waiting for?”  At all six Elevation locations, you brought SIX TONS of food to be distributed to local food banks.  In all, you filled SEVEN local pantries with food.  That’s not waiting around – that’s love in action.

And you brought cash gifts, too – at Blakeney – a family drove up with $1k in grocery store gift cards and said, “We’re so inspired by what you’re doing every week, and we’re so glad to have the opportunity to be a part of it.”

This was our grand finale to the Orange Initiative:  A promise to our city that we would serve 100,000 hours and give $750,000 to participating strategic partners.  We’re excited to release the totals of this unprecedented outreach initiative.  Be sure to join us on Mother’s Day for the big reveal.

We’re doing the natural – God’s doing the supernatural.  And we get a front-row seat as a city is changed for Jesus.  It doesn’t get any better than that.  Thank you for being the change we wish to see in the world!

Posted in Outreach News | No Comments »