Community Connections

The purpose of Community Connections is to motivate young adults to engage their communities with the love of Christ by providing them tangible expressions of kingdom living through service.

Young Adults are encouraged to engage in one of two types of service: church-based or community-based. A minimum of eight hours of service per month is expected.

Each form of community service is shaped by the need and the young adult. For those wanting some ideas for service, consider the following options:

• New Life After School Program (Volunteer one day a week)
• Whosoever Gospel Mission (Volunteer in Sorting Room)
• Young Lives (Babysitting once a month/ being a mentor)
• Homeless Ministry (Feed the poor once a month at Logan Square)
• Clean the Street (Sweep the streets of D and Westford once a month)
• Prayer Walks (walk a mall/block and ask people how you can pray for them)
• Lead Worship (on Monday nights and at neighborhood churches)
• Nursing Home (lead worship or share a devotional)
• Café Imago Dei and other YA events (help set up, clean up, and book artists/musicians)
• Jr. High Youth Leader
• Sr. High Youth Leader
• Habitat for Humanity Volunteer
• Make or tend to a community garden
• Cook for shut-ins, new mothers, sick.
• Work on Alpha Pregnancy’s Hotline.
• Help someone move or remake a part of their house.
• Lead a Bible study or prayer group on your campus
• ______________? (whatever you want)

Each commitment is for a five month semester (September-January; February-June).

You can do this either in groups or on your own. The service is entirely up to you. Make it fun, make it worth your investment. Make it something you’ll look forward doing.

Once in a while, share a story with the rest of the group during our community dinner. Let all of us celebrate what God is doing through you and to you as you serve his image-bearers!

If you are already involved in some form of service, don’t feel that you need to add more to your plate. Simply keep on doing what you’re doing. Depending on where you are, try working outside with those who don’t follow Christ in community service.

Please be prepared to share your hopes and plans in our September meeting.

Kingdom View Discussion Group

Kingdom View is our large group forum for fellowship, prayer, Bible Study, and discussion. We meet three Mondays a month.

• The first Monday consists in sharing a meal, praying, and sharing stories. The location of this varies month to month.

• The second Monday consists of an inductive Bible Study. We will be starting a new series in the book of Romans. We meet at Tim Swihart’s house [6501 N. Fairhill Street]

• The third Monday is a discussion with a guest speaker about issues affecting our thinking and living as Christians in our culture.

For more information, contact Suler Acosta

Schedule for 2007-2008

September 2007

• 9/10 Dinner and Worship (7:00-9:30) at Jonathan & Micah’s house (226 Passmore Street, Phila. 19111)
• 9/17 Inductive Bible Study (7:30-9:30) (Overview of Romans)
• 9/24 Discussion: Doctrinal Roots in a Postmodern Age (7:30-9:00)

October 2007

• 10/8 Dinner and Worship (7:00-9:30)
• 10/15 IBS: Romans 1:1-17 (7:30-9:30)
• 10/22 Discussion: The Righteousness of God (7:30-9:00)

November 2007

• 11/5 Dinner and Worship (7:00-9:30)
• 11/12 IBS: Romans 1:18-32 (7:30-9:30)
• 11/19 Discussion: Defending Your Faith in a Postmodern Age (7:30-9:00)

December 2007

• 12/3 Dinner and Worship (7:00-9:30)
• 12/10 IBS: Romans 2:1-16 (7:30-9:30)
• 12/17 Discussion: What about those who never hear the gospel? (7:30-9:00)

January 2008

• 1/7 Dinner and Worship (7:00-9:30)
• 1/14 IBS: Romans 2:17-29 (7:30-9:30)
• 1/21 Discussion: The Anonymous Christian (7:30-9:00)

February 2008

• 2/4 Dinner and Worship (7:00-9:30)
• 2/11 IBS: Romans 3:1-20 (7:30-9:30)
• 2/18 Discussion: Are We Really That Bad? (7:30-9:00)

March 2008

• 3/3 Dinner and Worship (7:00-9:30)
• 3/10 IBS: Romans 3:21-31 (7:30-9:30)
• 3/17 Discussion: What Did Jesus Do on the Cross? (7:30-9:00)

April 2008

• 4/7 Dinner and Worship (7:00-9:30)
• 4/14 IBS: Romans 4:1-12 (7:30-9:30)
• 4/21 Discussion: What does it mean to have Faith? (7:30-9:00)

May 2008

• 5/5 Dinner and Worship (7:00-9:30)
• 5/12 IBS: Romans 4:13-25 (7:30-9:30)
• 5/19 Discussion: What does Paul Mean by Justification? (7:30-9:00)

June 2008

• 6/2 Dinner and Worship (7:00-9:30)
• 6/9 IBS: Romans 5:1-11 (7:30-9:30)
• 6/16 Discussion: Does God love us before we are saved? (7:30-9:00)

July 2008

• 7/7 Dinner and Worship (7:00-9:30)
• 7/14 IBS: Romans 5:12-21 (7:30-9:30)
• 7/21 Discussion: Why are we sinners? (7:30-9:00)

Game and Movie Nights

This is a time when once a month we just hang out and enjoy one another’s company. No agenda other than just being friends and having fun.

This is certainly not the only times we get together, but having some time set aside each month helps encourage us to meet together for relationship-building and keeping things light!

If you want to be a host, then all you have to do is contact Suler Acosta

Signing up to host one of these evenings means the following: you choose between a movie or games (or both!), you provide some refreshments and light snacks. That’s it, besides being there! This is a great opportunity for fellowship.

Monday, September 3: Suler and Heather Acosta (games)

Saturday, October 6: ___________________

Saturday, November 3: _________________

Saturday, December 22: ________________

Saturday, January 26: _________________

Saturday, February 23: ________________

Saturday, March 22: __________________

Saturday, April 26: ___________________

Saturday, May 31: ____________________

Saturday, June 28: ____________________

Saturday, July 19: ____________________

Special Events/Retreats this Year

Alongside our Kingdom View Discussions and Movie/Game Nights, we will be scheduling the following events and retreats for the coming year:

September 2007

• 9/8 Help Provide Childcare Service for Children’s Ministry Training Day at NLP (9:00-noon)

• 9/15 Indelible Grace Concert (New Life Dresher) 7:00 pm Cost: $10 in advance

November 2007

• 11/14-15 Veritas Forum @UPenn
• 11/16-18 Retreat at Camp at the Old Mill (Speaker: Tim Bathurst). Cost: $40 for the weekend, $30 for one night.

December 2007

• 12/1 Café Imago Dei

January 2008

• 1/4-5 Silent Retreat @ SPADE International. Cost: $15 overnight.

February 2008

• 2/15-17 Jubilee (Pittsburgh Convention Center). Guest Speaker: Don Miller (author of Blue Like Jazz)

May 2008

• 5/3 Café Imago Dei

July 2008

• 7/5 Ocean City Shore Trip

August 2008

• 8/2 Ocean City Shore Trip

Ocean City Beach Project

Want something to do with your summer in 2008? Want to serve GOd, enjoy the beach, develop skills in leadership, service, biblical knowledge? Check out the Ocean City Beach Project.