Reaching Out to the Community with the Stand at the Crossroad Ministry

As a young woman, she felt sorry for the factory girls in her town and, with several friends’ support, started a church for them. This work progressed as almost four hundred women and girls attended her daily meetings, but she knew her calling was even bigger than this.

“I have learned that something happens when one makes herself available to God: He starts moving in ways no one could imagine” (Davis 43). Such was the case for Katie Davis in her heart-warming novel, Kisses From Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption, co-written by Beth Clark. Katie’s nonfiction memoir speaks passionately about her move to Uganda: here she strengthened her relationship with Jesus, adopted thirteen little Ugandan girls, started a nonprofit ministry, and so much more. Katie’s unique journey teaches about sacrifice for the Lord our God and about following Him wholeheartedly with reckless abandonment. Consequently, Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis is a hopeful story that teaches readers about God’s love for us, and

I chose to attend the Alcoholic Anonymous meeting at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church on the north side of Chicago. I chose to visit a church because I wanted to see if there was a religious aspect thrown into the session. The name of the session was called Big Book Stop Study. This session occurs every Monday at 7:00pm, as an open meeting. The meeting lasted for an hour. The session was led by three members, Kyle, Tamara, and Melissa. There was fourteen participants within the group. I was very apprehensive about attending a meeting because I didn’t want to be seen as an alcoholic. For that very reason, I understand how hard it may be for some to admit to their alcoholism, due to the negative connotation that comes with the name. To some, that may seem like a short span of time. However, upon visiting this particular session I saw progression in each participant. I was very pleased with what I witnessed as a visitor.

I had the pleasure of interviewing one of our church parisinors, Ms. Maria. Ms. Maria is 75 years old Hispanic woman who has been a widow for the past three years. Ms. Maria was basically a stay at home Mom when her children were young and when she did work she worked as an assembly line worker. Her wages were low and her pension that she currently receives is not enough to meet her monthly needs. Her husband was the main bread winner prior to him dieing of a massive heart attack at the age of 78 while he was at work. Her husband was a cook in a resturanrt and had decied to continue to work until some of their loans were paid off. Since his death, Ms. Maria has been depressed, anxious and struggling to make ends meet and has recently been diagnosed with hypertension. Her three children live out of state a don’t get to visit often.

For 17 years God has blessed me to serve alongside my husband as directors of Chi Alpha at the University of Texas at Arlington. During my time here, I have served and mentored hundreds of young women and internationals who now fulfill the mission of Chi Alpha in the marketplace and the world as pastors, missionaries, police officers, nurses, teachers, and social workers. I am especially thankful to walk with those students who came to faith, experienced discipleship, and the Holy Spirit empowered their lives through the ministry.

As Christians, we are to live in such a way that would lead others to Christ. Mother Goodman’s life has been most inspiring, especially to one of her long-time friends. He was willing to forsake a worldly lifestyle and accept Jesus as Savior because of her godly influence and high standards. He later became a member of New Hope and enjoyed reading his

African American women represent a significant proportion of congregation in most African American churches. “African American women make up about 66-88 percent majority in African American churches though they are not well represented in the church leadership.” The greatest variation that can be observed in women’s leadership is in the pastoral category. The situation is worse for unmarried women who want to be church ministers, pastor or preacher but it becomes complicated for women who are in relationships but not yet married. Nonetheless, unmarried women are still being ordained and appointed as pastors and bishops at a growing rate. One of the remarkable appointment which also marked a milestone

The Council on Recovery is a Non-Profit Organization which serves the population of people whose lives are affected by addiction, whether it is their addiction or someone else’s. Their mission is “To keep our community healthy, productive and safe by providing services and information to all who may be adversely affected by alcohol, drugs and related issues” (Council on Recovery). To work towards this mission, they offer a wide range of services such as individual and family counseling, case management services, educational and prevention services, community outreach, supportive services as well as screenings for state funded inpatient drug and alcohol treatment facilities. Many of the Council’s employees are based in their main office, but there are also more than 50 clinicians who are based in MHMRA facilities across the city.

“I have carefully and thoroughly read the entire book as assigned.” Throughout David Platt’s book, “Radical : Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream”, he encourages the reader to take a look at their life and see whether or not Christ is all they need to impact their life for Jesus in a radical way. He asks the reader to carefully examine their life, and see if there are areas that perhaps the Lord would desire for change to take place. Platt challenges the Church to step up and see the urgency in missions realizing that this is the way God designed the lost and dying world to hear the Good News of the Risen and Glorified Savior Jesus Christ.

She has been blessed to teach and mentor 7th grade girls, write various Bible Studies for the middle school student ministry at her home church, speak to women’s groups of various ages, plan and help lead women’s retreats, and write women’s Bible Studies. Over the past several years Jenifer has been heavily involved in women’s ministry.

Therefore, we understand that among those who believe that women should be pastors there are several reasons for them believing so. It seems apparent that in most cases experiential and social agendas seem to fuel the case for women pastors. Though there was once a strong group that sought

(Contextualize the truth of the gospel to a woman who is religiously lost and believes she has more freedom in her own choices and does not desire to follow Christ daily, attends church periodically for the social aspects, and is struggling.)

On 06/15/15, God gave me the opportunity to witness to a 57 year old African America about the Lord. The conversation was very unique because Peggy Myers began to convey to me the problems she was having in her immediate family. She stated that she was no longer in love with her husband because she later found out in their marriage that he had father several children in his first marriage that he never told her about. She also stated that he was married when they first met 27 years ago, but he never told her. I asked Peggy did she love him, she replied, “no.” She said that the feelings that she had for him no longer exist because he was living a double life and that he never told her. I asked her was he still married to the other women she replied, “He was not honest with her.”

Women have been involved in Christian ministry since the very beginning of Christianity. It has declined and risen according to the acceptance of the environment. The two papers addressed in this essay document the rise of women ministers in the Holiness movement as well as the decline of women in the modern Pentecostal movement. In response to this decline in women in ministry, Courtney Stewart gave points which the UPCI should tackle to rectify the situation.

In this paper, the student-writer will discuss the methods that are taught in In Effective biblical counseling: A model for helping caring Christians become capable counselors by Crabb (1977). The student-writer will also use what is taught in this book with the skills that are expressed in Creating a Healthier Church; Family Systems Theory, Leadership, and congregational life by Richardson (1996) and Blessed Connections: Relationships that sustain vital ministry, by Schwanz (2008). The student-writer will compare and contrast the skills that are mentioned in these books to establish a well maintained way in which to ministry to clients, and meet their needs as a counselor.