June 2017
& Family Ministries providing hope & care
hope & care
Quarterly Newsletter
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” - Matthew 25:40 highlights through April 2017
35
decisions for Christ
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR It is important that we know the “why” behind what we do as a ministry. Our mission is to provide hope and care to hurting children and families through Christ-centered ministries, but why is this necessary? We believe the world is broken because of sin and that Jesus is the only answer to that brokenness. We provide hope and care by meeting physical, emotional and spiritual needs as a way of communicating Christ’s love for lost and broken people.
866
counseling sessions
17,409 573
hours served by volunteers
reached over
3,000
children in the DCS system
29
children adopted
There are many organizations that provide services similar to ABCS, however we aim to remain Christ-centered and Kingdom-focused by keeping evangelism as the common thread of our seven ministries. We know that without truth significant life-change is not possible. Food boxes, clothing, pregnancy services, counseling and parenting education can help meet short-term needs, but Jesus is the only one who can meet all of our needs. Helping people can become consuming. I hope that our team never loses sight that our call is to point people to Christ. We want to be open for opportunities to answer when asked about where our hope comes from and how to have a relationship with Christ.
UPCOMING EVENTS Back to School Bash Help us provide muchneeded items for the students and families of two low-income schools in Mesa near Casa de Amor. More information on page 2. Yuma Resource Center Grand Opening on July 11. Find out how you and your church can get involved in a new way to serve the Yuma community. Contact Sheryl at (928) 726-5568 or svanhorn@abcs.org. 5K for Foster Care Join us on August 19 for the second annual 5K for Foster Care in Prescott. Learn more and register at abcs.org/5KforFC.
We are grateful for your support and partnership New Life in sharing the love of Christ with a broken Pregnancy world. Through April of this year there have Centers been 35 decisions for Christ through ABCS ministries. We pray that God will continue to bless us with more opportunities. In Him,
Steve Hanna Executive Director
Mission Encounter 360
New Life Counseling
Pursue Life Adult Ministry
& Family Ministries 7 Ministries | 1 Mission Providing hope and care to hurting children and families through Christ-centered ministries.
Foster Care & Parent Aide
New Life Transitional Program
Community Resource Centers
COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTERS Back-to-School Bash Each year Casa de Amor hosts a Back-to-School Bash to furnish much-needed items for students at local schools. This year the supplies you help us provide will benefit Lincoln and Guerrero Elementary. Of Lincoln Elementary’s 890 students, 96.1 percent are living at or below the poverty level. Guerrero has 790 students enrolled with 96.9 percent living at or below the poverty level. Many Lincoln and Guerrero families regularly visit Casa de Amor, a Community Resource Center in Mesa, for additional services. Some also attend the Bridge Church that meets on the campus of Casa de Amor. Meeting the needs of these students and families will enable them to focus on learning and experience Christ-like love and compassion (Matthew 25:40). Visit azresourcecenters.com/backtoschool or contact Paula Compton at (480) 628-6340 for more information, including a list of items being collected and a downloadable flyer. In addition to supplies, we are also collecting funds to purchase in bulk and at a discounted cost backpacks, socks, underwear, shoe certificates and books. It costs $45 to outfit one student for the school year. It is only through your provision, prayers and caring that this mission project may be accomplished.
Students and teachers of Lincoln Elementary pictured with Casa de Amor volunteers
azresourcecenters.com
ARMS OF LOVE FOSTER CARE & PARENT AIDE New Creation in Christ In 2015, Arms of Love Foster Care began providing services in Northern Arizona to Coconino and Yavapai counties. Since then 25 families have been licensed to provide foster homes to children in the state’s care, and two children from that region have been adopted. One young man in the care of a family from this region recently gave his life to Christ! Aidan* is 14 years old and has been placed with an Arms of Love family for eight months. He has experienced significant trauma, abandonment and placements in multiple foster homes, resulting in difficulty trusting others. In his current home, he has received unconditional love, reasonable expectations and guidelines for building trusting relationships and has attended church regularly with his foster family who consistently shares the gospel with him. One Sunday at church Aidan came up to the front after a sermon and gave his heart to the Lord while praying with his foster dad at the altar. As he poured out his heart to the congregation, tears were flowing and several others came forward to give their lives to Christ. Since then he has been ministering to an elderly couple near his home, doing various jobs to help them. He has been opening up to his foster family about his fears from the past and has found comfort in his new faith. He truly is a new creation in Christ, and the family is seeing the changes. Praise Jesus for rescuing lost people from darkness and leading them into His light.
abcsfostercare.com | abcs.org/pa
*Name has been changed to protect child’s safety
PURSUE LIFE ADULT MINISTRY A Family Letter: Passing on Your Legacy By David Trenbeath Assistant Director of Finance
Do you have adult children who are out of the house and raising families of their own? Are you a grandparent or great-grandparent lavishing love on little ones? Do you ever think about what you want to teach, pass on to and share with your children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren? Your life experiences and the wisdom you have acquired throughout your life are worthy treasures to gift the generations that come after you. That is where the concept of a family letter comes into play. Many times we think of legacy planning as financial, or making sure all our resources are prepared when our time on Earth is finished. However, your legacy encompasses so much more than just your finances. I like to think of legacy as the permanent mark you leave on the individuals closest to you. Writing a family letter can help you memorialize certain parts of your life and pass them onto your family. Some families write a letter and add it to their estate plan, others make a special event out of it while they are alive so they can share those memories in person. There are several things you could include in a family letter: How you became a believer Some big milestones in your faith How and when you met your spouse Life lessons that made a lasting impact Hopes and dreams for your family members for the future - think big! The best thing is you can be as creative as you want when writing your letter. I encourage you to start one today!
pursuelifeaz.com
MISSION ENCOUNTER 360 On Mission in Mexico ABCS has invested in the communities of northern Baja Mexico for the past five years. Located just across the border from Yuma in the small city of Ciudad Morelos is a church and New Life Pregnancy Center which have been the recipients of many mission trips sponsored by ABCS. From April 6-9 a mission team was the latest to minister to the people in this area. The team was comprised of ABCS staff and members of three Arizona Southern Baptist churches (College View Baptist, Twenty-Second Street Baptist and Drexel Heights Baptist). It was a blessing for churches to come together with a common purpose to follow the Great Commission and build relationships. Work projects for the team included painting and cleanup work at the pregnancy center and church, assembly and distribution of hygiene kits and food bags, VBS for the children, outreach and evangelism to the neighborhoods and visitation to a local nursing home. Five decisions for Christ were made as a result of God’s work through the team. This area of Mexico is known for its harsh conditions of weather, unemployment, youth drug use and teen pregnancies. The mission work and the New Life Pregnancy Center continue to provide hope, care and the gospel to those in need.
abcs.org/me
NEW LIFE LIFE NEW PREGNANCY CENTER COUNSELING Life After Abortion Ariana* contacted the New Life Pregnancy Center through the website. Her contact form simply stated: “Life after abortion – I need help.” With a feeling of urgency, a staff member called Ariana but only reached her voicemail. She left a message inviting Ariana to return her call whenever she was available. A few days later Ariana called and told the staff member she had an abortion one week prior and was regretting her decision. Ariana explained how her mom was being supportive and was helping her find resources like New Life Pregnancy Center. Her mom had suggested that Ariana call and talk to someone. For the next 45 minutes, while on her lunch break at work, Ariana talked with the staff member. She said after her abortion she realized what she had done was wrong but now she didn’t know what to do. She hadn’t expected to feel such deep sadness and was not sure how to handle it. Her friends who had abortions did not feel sad afterward, and her doctor did not prepare her for any emotional effects that could take place after her abortion. The staff member listened and prayed continually for wisdom to know what to say and how to say words of encouragement to Ariana. She was able to share verses from the Bible describing God’s peace, forgiveness and hope. She told Ariana that God still has a plan for her life regardless of the choices she’s made. God was not finished with her life. Additionally she was able to explain to Ariana how the sadness she felt was something many women experienced after an abortion and she wasn’t alone in her situation. She encouraged Ariana to visit the local NLPC and nearby church to receive extra support and meet women who would surround her with love and encouragement. Ariana repeatedly thanked the staff member for listening, relieved to hear that other women experience the same emotions she was feeling. She allowed the staff member to pray with her and was grateful. Women need to hear there is hope and forgiveness found in Jesus. Praise the Lord that Ariana reached out for help. Pray other women who find themselves hurting would do the same so they may discover the healing found in Jesus alone. *Client name has been changed to respect privacy
Choosing Life
A married couple visited New Life Pregnancy Center for a free pregnancy test. They had already taken a test at home with a positive result and when the test at the center was also positive, they told the staff they knew they wanted to have an abortion. Immediately the volunteer assisting them began praying for wisdom. Both the husband and the wife had told her they were Christians and so the volunteer felt led to speak Biblical truth boldly to them about life and abortion. She explained what the Bible teaches about life and the value of all human life, including the life of each unborn baby in the womb. The couple listened to her attentively and said they had never known these things before. But after listening for a while, the husband told the volunteer they needed to leave and would think about it. When they left the volunteer asked others to join her in praying for this couple to choose life for their baby. The following week the same couple returned to the center to talk to the volunteer. They said they had considered all she told them about the truth and realized they had been wrong. They decided they would choose life for their baby! It was obvious they were very excited and the volunteer rejoiced with them, praising the Lord for what He had done. newlifepregnancy.com | (800) 678-0648 |
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1779 N. Alvernon Way | Tucson, AZ 85712 | (800) 678-0648 | abcs.org |
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