What's been blooming around the Center?

Since the Christmas season the after school program has been in full motion with the exception for Mardi Gras. The children are preparing for their end of year tests as well as graduation exams for most High School students. It has been a blessing to have the staff we have to help out for the remainder of the year. We do have a new intern with us, Matthew Seagraves, who has joined us for the remainder of the year as well as throughout the summer for our S.O.U.L. summer camp program. The week after he arrived we had a young adult group from the Friends Campus Ministries (FCM) of NC State and UNCG came down to spend their spring break serving our God. They served in the community by rebuilding the stairs to a man's porch, cleaning and weeding McIntosh Elementary School's garden so that they can replant for the spring. The group also assisted at the center by repainting the upstairs housing for groups as well as helping out in the after school program. After their farewells, a group from North Carolina also came down to train. This particular group is a varying staff from year-to-year for the Summer Camps held at the center. They were able to take part in the Community Dinner held that Saturday where we had numerous folks, young and old, sharing in a meal and time of fellowship. This weekend we are holding our Disciple Now Event detailed in the previous post and we ask for prayer in God's continual will throughout the weekend. We also ask for prayer for our weekly and daily services: ASP, Youth Group, Food Bank, Rummage Re-Sale, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Community Transportation to and from Doctor's, Store's, Courthouse, etc. We also ask for prayer for the communities growth in their walk with Christ, their health, and their opportunity to share their stories with others. We also want to praise God and thank those who donated for the Disciple Now and greatly appreciate the help. With your help, you helped students who wouldn't have otherwise came, register and prepare for this weekend.

- Hunter

Disciple Now 2012

We are currently starting a new Mid-year Ministry and can not wait to see what God as in store for us during these next few weeks as we get closer to the event! The event is a 2 day weekend retreat where students will learn about God through worship, sessions and other various activities led by students from The University of Southern Alabama's Baptist Campus Ministries. The cost of the event is $25 dollars a student which covers their T-shirt, student resources, food, and housing for the weekend. We would love to have you and your youth join  us ! Registration is due by March 12th and the fee's are due the 17th. If you would like more information, check out our link on the facebook page or click below to register and view the Disciple Now 2012 Page.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/173974132703566/

Thankful Praise to God and His Servants!

Happy New Year to all, 

 Thanks so much for the wonderful toys and food items you either 
sent or brought to the MOWA Choctaw Friends Center.  We were so blessed 
this year and were able to meet the needs of nearly all who came our 
way.  The families were selected from a mobile pantry sponsored by the 
MCFC and Mobile County Food bank.  We were able to serve 125 families an 
average of over 50 lbs of food per family.  As you know these were 
targeted at risk families. You helped make a difference this Christmas 
in the lives of these families.

57 families received Christmas boxes and a 97 children were able to have 
a gift this year.    In most cases we were able to put 2 toys in each 
box for each child.  The adult count is a little less clear, we placed 
items for families in each box like shampoo and body wash and other 
essential items.  Last year we were able to pass out to 30 families and 
this year was nearly double.  Thank you for sharing and caring.   Gods 
love in action speaks louder than all the preaching in the world.

                                                   (Auburn's Christian Veterinary Fellowship)

(Boxes full of toys ready for families to pickup)

                                             (MCFC Staff, Youth, and Community Volunteers)

After finishing such a blessed and busy Christmas season, the time has come to catch you all up on events happening around here and what we look forward to in the new year! On December 10th, the youth were able to serve God by visiting the local Nursing Home as mentioned on the previous post!

                                       

                                            

Weeks followed with our Community Christmas Dinner, ASP Christmas Party, Youth Christmas Party, Our food and toy drive and the ASP's Christmas Program. Friends and family of the children came to watch their loved ones perform the story of Jesus in a matter of music, comedy and tradition with "Drummer Boys", a dance done by the young ladies, an Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas with the K-2 class dressed in the manger scene! Check out the Picasa page ----------------------------------------------->  to see photos from this Christmas season!

Christmas time is here; Happiness and cheer

Matthew 25:40  And the King will say 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"

With the Christmas spirit still mingling here, we figured that as a youth group we would share it with those at the nursing home in Citronelle, Al.  To prep for this we made a mess while making cookies for the folks there and also prayed and shared about what we were going to do at the nursing home!  It was a great time of fellowship and fun while we pounded out some cookie dough and some cookie cutters (shared by Mrs. Ann, thank you!) while we listened to some Charlie Brown.

This afternoon we took some of the Sanktown youth and lived out the service of those in need as spoken about in verses 35-46 of chapter 25 in the book of Matthew.  The youth were nervous at first but once we got on the way and we all began sharing stories of our lives with each other it was a great time of community.  Connections were made with the residents as well as the youth and it was apparent after speaking with them on our way to McDonald's! We offered a time of crafts and our home-made cookies and our brothers and sisters were very happy and joyful with the youth coming in to spend some time with them!  This was a huge step for the youth and am so proud of them!  They asked to do more stuff like this and am so excited to be able to pray for more opportunities to give them! 

Check out the pics on our Picasa web album of our trip!

Acts 20:35

A Time to Give and a Time to Thank

Thanksgiving Box Delivery and Bonfire!

On the 17th of November, we were blessed to have the means to help out the Sanktown community with some of Sanktown's finest .... the Youth!  This opportunity was shared together as we packed boxes for families in need in the immediate area.  The children that came out and volunteered their time had a blast stacking boxes and pairing up to fill each of the 70 boxes.  It soon became a competition between each pair of children.  After helping serve their own community, everyone was rewarded with a BBQ dinner in front of a fire.  We sat an ate while we joined in fellowship with one another.  Towards the end of our night we had a game of "Sardines" before everyone went home.
     The next day we opened our doors for families to pick up their boxes.  This was a great opportunity for our interns Hunter and Stefanie to introduce themselves to local's who may not be involved otherwise with programs here at the center.  It was a great time to give to those in need and to see the joy in their faces.  We here at the center would like to thank those who donated their time and money to assist in the purchase of food for those here in Alabama. We praise God for every opportunity he has given us at the center to serve Him and his people and thank Him for the help from everywhere this year!

*Pictures in Picasa Album! Check them Out

Young Mom's Gathering

November 19th we had been planning a Young Adult gathering for those in the McIntosh community. We had a Chili Cook-Off while we were going to watch a football game and talk about new things that these young people would like to do in the future.  While it did not turn out exactly how we had hoped, it turned out how God needed it to and it was apparent.  We had 6 people show up and 2 of which had newborns.  This was great because we had babysitting offered by some of our Senior Youth group which gave them a chance to practice responsibility and leadership.  We were able to talk about not a young adult group, like FCM's in NC, but a young mom's group as many of the newborn's mothers are still in school and work and are not able to get the proper education they need for raising their children.  So beginning in the new year we are starting a Young Mom's group with hope to have a small group join together in fellowship that will help instruct young mothers on parenthood based on experiences from each other, God's instruction and also different readings.

AA Meetings

In early November our Intern Stefanie headed up on the creation of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. God definitely had his hand in the middle of it all and when we began our first week had a great turn out! It will continue every Tuesday evening at 7:30 pm in the back classroom of the Turner Hall School Building. Pray for the individuals involved and for God;s hand to be in the midst of it all.

Yaaayyy! For Christmas! 


Christmas began early this year as we began listening to Christmas music around the center a week before Thanksgiving! This was great because when we returned from our Thanksgiving break we would all put up our Christmas trees and also those in the classrooms of Turner Hall and in the dining room of our Quaker Lodge.  We hope to share our Christmas spirits with visitors, our community and those we serve.  December 3rd we are having Auburn University's Christian Veterinary Missionary Team drop off their donated items for our Christmas Deliveries!  We are so thankful for those who donated and are also volunteering their time to drive a few hours south to help unload their shipment! December 10th is FCM's Jingle All the Way 5K and pray and hope it goes well!  That same weekend the youth have planned a service trip to the Nursing Home in Citronelle.  We hope and pray that God will lead the youth's hearts and minds into servant like bodies of Christ.  This event is to share our time with those who may not have friends and family visit them during this time but also just to fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ by doing crafts with the folks at the center, giving out home-made cookies, and possibly sing some carols (This will be interesting to see who will actually sing!) But we know it will be a fun and glorious time.

Upcoming Events

If you are a church leader, you know how busy schedules become this time of year! We ask for prayer for all these upcoming events. Prayer for our Jesus to be seen in our actions and that others will be able to see Him in a way that will change their lives.  We ask for God's guidance in events and changes throughout the new year. We thank you all for your support, prayers and encouragement this year and for the year to come!

December 10th : Youth Nursing Home Trip 2pm
December 17th : Community Christmas Dinner 6 pm
December 21st : After School Christmas Program 7pm (at Oak Hill)

...Half Cherokee and Choctaw...

As we rolled into October, the weather has made a great change to being warm in the afternoons and cool in the evenings.  This had made it to be perfect weather for our Sunday Night Games and our trips as staff or as a youth group.  We had the opportunity to travel to Lucedale, Mississippi to attend an annual event named "Praise in the Park" where local and mainstream Christian artists perform.  Such artists included Jeremy Camp, Leeland, and Building 429.  Hundreds of youth groups were there and joined together in an amazing time of worship and praise to our God. Our kids had a blast as they ran about with each other and sung with the "congregation" of tons of youth and young adults.  As the night ended the group began to pass out of exhaustion one by one on our way home. Who knew 7 hours of praising God could be so tiring?

A week earlier the staff had the chance to go to the local Pow-Wow where a majority of the community came together to watch loved ones compete in traditional dances of the tribes. Tribes included a Mississippi Cherokee group,  an Alabama Choctaw, and a from the Northwest (I apologize of the inability to remember this particular groups name).  Many of the MOWA Choctaw individuals were there participating and enjoying a time of festivities. It was interesting to learn the techniques, traditions, history and culture of the groups.  As well as a opportunity to learn about the Native's, we had the chance to speak to individuals about our ministry here at the Center.

As November is about to begin we will be starting an AA Meeting for the community by the second week.  As travel is preventing from many in the community that need it to travel to meetings, we hope to provide an opportunity for those to complete the program and create relationships that may not have been prior to; relationships with each other as a community, with us at the center, and most importantly Jesus Christ.  Furthermore we are also anticipating a development of a Young Mom's Group and a Young Adult Group to assist in this boosting of a single community in Christ.  Development of a Young Adult Group has begun and a time of fellowship will be held on the 19th to introduce this group.  We will be having a chili cook-off while watching a football game.  We hope that this brings in the 18-30 year old that we need in the growth of this neighborhood.  This will be a prime time to share ideas to get this age group involved.  We anticipate on starting a bible study and being able to reach out to this group of adults.  We ask for prayer in all these new ministries and possible ministries in the future and ask for continuous blessing in our current ministries of Youth, Community Outreach, and our After School Program.  Thank you all who are already supporting us in every way you do! We are grateful and praise God for your blessings in Him.

Upcoming Events:

November 4 - Multi-Cultural Fair held at the Elementary School
November 19 - Young Adult Chili Cook-Off

Community Community Community!

After such a busy summer, filled with camps for the community to mission work from other Friends Meetings, school began and so did our after school program.  We opened our after school services and have been very successful in assisting the children with homework, projects and extracurricular activities during the afternoon such as music theory, art and organized activities from touch-football to some free time on the play set.

 

This program gives an opportunity for those to get the help they need with work from school that they may not receive at home or school but also in a christian environment where we begin each day with a devotion, worship and prayer.

 

 

 

We have begun an intern program with junior high students that will hopefully turn into an opportunity for youth to gain leadership, understand the value of volunteerism, and give them opportunities to work with other children and in turn, help with their own education.

We had the opportunity to invite the parents of the students in the program to a parent night where we held snacks and a time of fellowship with one another. During this time the children played sports outside while the parents spoke with tutors and the directors of the program about their child's efforts, success, improvements and opportunities while in the program. It was a great time of fellowship with fun, food, and friendship.

In mid-September we had a community dinner where we had deliscious brisket, hashbrown casserole, green beans, and dessert that the community had brought ranging from banana pudding to honey-bun cake to brownies. It gave us the opportunity to use our new porch that groups had built over the summer and introduce the great weather this fall has already brought in. It was an amazing time of fellowship and those arrived appeared to have a great time.

 Last night we had a community cookout which was composed mainly of our junior and senior youth with younger siblings as well. We began early with a game of football and when others arrived began a game of softball, We had 21 in total and had a very competitive game that was lots of fun. As the Kendall's opened up there back yard for a hot dog roast with their new fire pit, we had the time to have fun and get away from school and busy schedules. As the night air came in, we began to make smores and listen to music.

 Beginning after Labor Day, MOWA restarted youth programming for those in 4th grade through 12th. We have had a great turn out and a wonderful time of bible study and topical studies with the youth of the community. With snacks and games we introduce and welcome youth as they arrive and follow it with a time of personal insight of how we should live as Christians and allow our lives to portray so. The children have great responses and questions and we can not wait to see what God will pull through this year!