Church
September.2014 Read more about the upcoming Patio Church within the pages of this newsletter.
Inside this issue: Connecting to a Local Community
GIRL2GIRL
Upcoming Events
FROM GLOBAL TO LOCAL This month we’re focusing on the local community with stories about and opportunites to give back in the Convergence neighborhood.
to the 2nd edition to the new Convergence newsletter. In August, our focus was global… as told through people, our Convergence family touching the world. In this edition, our focus is local. You’ll read about connections to our local community, stories of changed lives, our lives, our people connecting to God, each other and the need in our own backyard. Read and enjoy… but do more than read. Be inspired, get involved… connect with what God is doing here, in Orange County, the opportunities to be His hands and feet are plentiful.
Welcome
-Norb
September.2014 p
COVER STORY Owl Serve & Convergence: One Child at a Time
DID YOU KNOW ... that if ONE family in each church in the United States took in ONE child, the need for Foster Care would NO LONGER EXIST?!? Until that happens there is SO much we can do. That is where Faith in Motion (Children & Family Services of Orange County) Owl Serve and Convergence come together...
Diapers & Suitcases ... Why they matter... “My (foster) mom saved me and my brother. She is beautiful. I don’t know where I would be without her...” conversation with former foster child while picking up suitcases at garage sale... “Thank you for not forgetting about foster kids.” When Convergence was first planted in our hearts six years ago, we knew we would never do church the same way again. And when an opportunity to love someone is in front of us ... we just have to respond. That is where Owl Serve starts. An eight-year-old little girl, and her mom seeing our Facebook posts that we, Convergence, were sharing. These lists of needs are discovered through Faith in Motion and the social workers who work with families in extreme need here in our cities. In response to those needs, Andie &
Kristen created Owl Serve, the little engine that drives all this donating to and reusing of and loving for families who just need a break. (see Owl Serve on next page) This is so easy to do. Then we can go on to the next thing, and then the next. If every week, someone donates a suitcase (they have to be nice enough for you to use because little ones don’t deserve garbage, or garbage bags). If every week a few of us bought diapers and wipes. Do you see how this works?
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE...
OWL SERVE CREATOR: ANDIE ANDERSON
CONTINUED...
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wl Serve is the creation of our friend Andie Anderson, a little girl with a big heart. Owl Serve’s goal is to respond if we can to whatever need is in front of us. Owl Serve is about collecting, buying, donating, doing for someone who has less. If you’re on Facebook, you’ll likely see a post from one of Owl Serves friends about a need. Go to the Owl Serve page, hit Like and respond to regular posts of opportunities to give a hand up to a child or a family. YOU can help change the world… one kid, one family, one community at a time. Check out Owl Serve on Facebook: www.facebook.com/owlserve
GIRL2GIRL STARTED TUESDAY, AUG 26 @ 7PM, IN KATHY’S KITCHEN *NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN US*
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2G is about showing up… girl to girl, coffee, food, good conversation, but more than that, it’s the learning. Here’s the challenge to you. Are you working at growing your faith? That means being taught and challenged about who God is in your life. Never settle where you are. That is a dangerous place to be cause just like our aging bodies, that settling turns out ugly. Don’t let your heart grow saggy and ugly … find a place to be taught. Over the next 6 weeks, we’ll study the book of Ruth. It’s about unbearable loss, redeeming love, and divine legacy. The study dives deep into the virtuous character of Ruth, her unique relationship with her
mother-in-law Naomi, and her blossoming love with Boaz. If you’ve ever felt devastated, struggled as a stranger, longed to be loved, or wept along the way, you’ll find a loyal sister in Ruth.
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ake sure your eating up God’s Word, even if you start small. And if you don’t ABOVE LEFT: SOME know how to do that then … start in OF THE LADIES OF Kathy’s Kitchen. G2G, ABOVE: RUTH, THE FOCUS OF THE CURRENT G2G STUDY
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Focusing on the local community...
A PERSONAL ACCOUNT... Convergence Community Member: Kristina Prange Pictured above with her family
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or as long as I can remember I have always believed in God and went to a Christian church, starting at a very young age. However, the way of life I was living was not one I was proud of, so I steered clear of church for a long long time. My husband Aaron and I, actually met in recovery, having both come from troubled pasts. Before we met we were both living the wrong way of life, usingdrugs, drinking alcohol all the time. We had been in and out of abusive and unhealthy relationships. Before I became pregnant with our second child, our daughter Mavis, my husband and I were having troubles in our relationship. We were just beginning to reconcile when I was about 6-7 months pregnant. We started working on rebuilding our family and began a great journey together. I focused all my time and effort into our family and working on getting us back together. Mavis was born during this time, and yet we were still living in separate households due to our financial situation. I had been wanting to start attending church again, but I was not sure of which one.
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ne evening, while at a Cooper AA meeting, our friend Pat told us about his church, Convergence, and how great it was. He invited us to join him for a trip to a ranch that they were going on. It sounded great and we counted down the days to the exciting weekend at the ranch. When we got there,
we were warmly greeted and given name tags. Then came the time when I knew that Convergence was our church. Before the day began, we met together at the bleachers where Pastor Norb and a few others gave some instructions. There was an announcement made about pictures and privacy/ respect of others. Pastor Norb said �only selfies,� and then started taking selfies with his camera. That broke the ice for us, we all laughed. Getting to know Pastor Norb on this trip, his sense of humor and acceptance, is what won us over. We told him we would see him at church the next day, and that’s what we did.
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e continue to attend Convergence, and have offered to help others get to and from church as well. Our bond has grown with the church, both Mavis and Wesley love our church. Now we make it part of our Sunday routine, and whenever we can we go to other events, which cansometimes be hard with such a busy schedule. We have learned to love the people within our fellowship, who have been there by our side in the good times and bad throughout this last year. Pastor Norb and Kathy have been a big part of our lives and have truly been a blessing. I am happy to say that we are members of Convergence and could not imagine it any other way.
EVENTS GIRL 2GIRL CLOTHING SWAP SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19 @ 4PM at Tyler’s Casita G2G 3rd Annual Clothing Swap, to rsvp send an email to info@convergenceoc.com
Stay tuned for more details!
SUNDAY SERVICE: 10 AM @ The District in Tustin
Get Mobile Alerts Text “convergence” to 62953 to get keep updated!
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