Starting THIS Sunday, we are going to start collecting Good Clothes and Music CDs that can be resold to raise funds for Invisible Children.  Your good clothes will be taken to a consignment store to be resold and your CDs will be taken to a used record store and resold.  If you don't have money to give to help Invisibile Children, this is a good way to lighten your load of all the STUFF you might have that you don't NEED by helping others who are in NEED.

This week's Audio Update gives you insight into Kyle's Headache and his A.C.T. experience, Week of Need updates, Philadelphia Dan and Mollie Updates, not to mention all sorts of important news.

If you want to stream the show CLICK HERE. Get it by clicking on the Attachment link below:

WEEK OF NEED STORIES

It is amazing to hear what God is doing through our Week of Need.  I know that we are going to learn some valuable lessons.  I have heard that some families have gone without hot showers, others have not used their dishwasher this week, many families haven't been using the television and radio.

One father told me that it was wonderful to not have all sorts of noise going on at home and to be able to sit down on his daughters bed and talk with her without having to compete with loud music.  I saw one father on a bike this morning. 

Here are some excerpts from some e-mails I received today:

"The biggest challenge I've found this week is not allowing myself to shop or spend money on anything I don't TRULY need. I have noticed how much I say "need" when it's really a want. It's amazing how many things I had to put back, even in the grocery store! There are so many times I've thought "I need a new pair of shoes" or "I need this snack" or "I need new clothes." It's made me realize how little I actually NEED anything! But I have to admit I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I can eat the fudge that's been sitting in my fridge!"

"I have only done the dollar a day 2 twice and let me tell you I do have a wonderful respect for food.  The food that they eat and I have been eating is good, but I like our food a lot more."

Haven't started your Week of Need yet?  It's never too late.  Start today.  CLICK HERE to Download your own Week of Need Quiet Time Book and see what God has in store for you.

Join us for the first Prayer Breakfast of the Year TOMORROW, Tuesday, September 27 from 6:15-7:15 AM.  This is a great way to start your day with a hot breakfast, a great devotional time and a tremendous time hanging out with one another.  You will be guaranteed to start the day with a spring in your step. 

Start off your Week of Need on the  right foot.  Take a few minutes every day and be with God.  We have written a series of Quiet Times to help guide you through the Week of Need that will help you to understand what this is all about. 

CLICK HERE to Download your own Week of Need Quiet Time Book.

COME TO SANCTUARY TONIGHT @7:00PM.  BRING YOUR BIBLE AND START OFF  WEEK OF NEED TOGETHER!!!

 
Need is a really tricky word.  What is it that you really need?  That is what this week is all about, trying to figure out what you really need and trying to live on that.

You know that most of the world lives on less that $1 a day?  Can you imagine what that might be like?  I figure that those people don’t complain about a lot because they are really thankful to receive what they do.  You see for us, it is the opposite, we easily get all we need and much, much, much, much, much, much more than that.  And then we begin to get stuff we want.  And we begin to want more and more and more and more.  And before we know it we have complicated our lives with so much more that we really need.  And our brains are distracted, and are hearts are confused, and our souls aren’t listening to God.

That is what this week is all about.  Living on what we need so that God can speak to our hearts, souls and minds.  Getting rid of the things we don’t NEED for seven days so that we can listen to God for that time.  

This is called the spiritual discipline of SIMPLICITY. The purpose of such a discipline is to strip away many of the non-necessities of life and focus one’s attention on God.  It is when we simplify our lives that God can do some of his best work on us.  While it is unsettling at first, the silence that a simple life offers allows one to become tremendously introspective.  That is why we are going to do this week of need.

For the next seven days challenge yourself to answer these questions and live by them:
•    Do I need television? Cell Phones? iPods? Radio? Or many other things that I plug in?
•    Do I need the computer (outside of required school projects)?
•    Do I need sodas, coffee, candy, chocolate, Starbucks, Jamba Juice, donuts, fast food, etc. ?
•    Do I need three meals a day?
•    Do I need God’s Word?  My church family? Prayer?
•    What might be getting in the way of my relationship with God?
•    What are the things in my life that distract me? What are the things that cloud my brain, soul and heart for hearing and being with God?


I know this is going to be a GREAT week for you if you let God work through you and you stop long enough to LISTEN to Him.  Don't get caught up in the legalism of the week, but embrace the simplicity of it as well.

ONE STORIES-These stories will tell you a little about the people that you are helping when you wear one of the white a"ONE" bands.  www.One.org is all about helping to fight AIDS and poverty globally through relief, support and legislation.  This is just one of the way that you are helping show God's love to the world when you buy and wear a band, check out the website and sign the declaration.:
ONE STORY

My name is Lawrence Ndou, I am 31 years old and I live in South Africa in a small house with my family of 8.  I am the main breadwinner for my parents, brothers and my sister and her children.  I am HIV positive and lost my only child to HIV/AIDS.  Though I was devastated when I found out my status, and I was afraid of what my friends and family and neighbors would say, I have publicly admitted that I am HIV positive and now I work as an AIDS counselor for men like me.  I try to help the men stay healthy and active since so many of them are unemployed and I encourage them to tell their friends and family about their status even though the stigma of HIV is very bad here.  Now my friends and family are supportive of my status and they respect the work I do and are proud of me for coming forward and helping others to live better lives because we will only be able to beat this disease if we work together.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?
Pray for Lawrence and his work to teach others about AIDS.  Pray also for South Africa's efforts to educate people about the spread of HIV and AIDS so that they can work to stop this pandemic.

This week's Audio Update gives you yet another e-mail from Mollie, A NEW Listner in Penhsylvania, an answer ot the Moral Dilemma, a discussion of Ebay and Craigslit and MORE!!!

If you want to stream the show CLICK HERE. Get it by clicking on the Attachment link below:

ONE STORIES-These stories will tell you a little about the people that you are helping when you wear one of the white "ONE" bands.  www.One.org is all about helping to fight AIDS and poverty globally through relief, support and legislation.  This is just one of the way that you are helping show God's love to the world when you buy and wear a band, check out the website and sign the declaration.:
ONE STORY

My name is Nomjbule Gumede.  In Zulu my first name means happiness.  I am HIV positive and I live in South Africa with my family.  Our community is not always ready to speak openly about AIDS but my friends and I have formed a support group to help each other and gain courage.  We look after local AIDS orphans and we are going to start a community garden so that we can get proper nutrition to stay strong.  It’s hard to take AIDS medicine when you haven’t had enough food to eat first.  I have two children, a daughter who is 11 and a son who is 13, thankfully they are both HIV negative, but I am worried about what will happen to them when I am gone.  I hope that someone in my community will take care of them the way that my friends and I are taking care of other people’s children.  I am glad that I have been honest with them about my HIV status even though is hard, I want them to know that their mother was strong and showed courage.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?
Pray for Nomjbule and her family as they learn to deal with her situation.  Pray also for South Africa's efforts to educate people about the spread of HIV and AIDS so that they can work to stop this pandemic.

WEEK OF PRAYER
September 11-17, 2005 • 7:00-8:00pm
Students Grades 6-12 & People Who Love Student Ministry
Cost=Free Bring your Bible
Meet in Birch Room each night
Except Wed Meet @ Walter & Amy’s

Help Student Ministry start the year off right with a week of prayer.  This is a student planned and student led event that will focus on prayer and worship for the ministry year.  Each night will have a different theme and focus, so come as many nights as possible since they will all be different.  This is probably one of the most important things we can do as a ministry so please be a part of it!

NIGHTLY THEMES:
Sunday-The Importance of Prayer
Monday-Concerns about Youth Group
Tuesday-Our Desires and Dreams for Student Ministry
Wednesday-Our Missions and Deeds
Thursday-Prayer for the Entire Body
Friday-Praise
Saturday-Reflections on the Week