Opportunity Camp Report!

Last week several of our youngest kids were taken to a special Gulf Coast Christian Camp in Columbus, Texas. Two churchs, one from Conroe and one from Canyon, Texas come out and put on a camp called Opportunity Camp! It is so named because of the opportunity that every camper has to receive tons of attention and guidance from their counselors and the staff.  “It is SO cool!” explains Suzy Gabriel who couldn’t stay away for a week.  “There are two teen buddies for every camper and you stay with your buddy 24/7! The kids are eating up all that individual attention! They don't want to go home!!”  This sentiment was reflected in the faces and body language of the children as they arrived back at the impact campus.  Suzy continues, “Lluvia told me the a lot of the kids were crying [that] morning, they didn't want it to be over. She said [a couple of campers] were bawling! I hate they were sad but, you know… that’s the little boy in them and they felt loved all week long! No garbage, no alcohol, no drugs, no yelling… just love! A little piece of heaven for them!!”  Thanks to the two churches who provided a wonderful week for these little ones from Impact.  They worked hard, played hard, but gently guided these little ones through an amazing adventure.  It was more than a camp.  It truly was “a little piece of heaven for them!!”

Here is the JUNE edition of Impact News:

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Summer is HERE!  Interns are here!  Students are out of school and here on campus!  Lots of things are happening!  Stay tuned for reports, but if you want more photos, updates, and ideas of activities, our Facebook page is one of the most active sites at the moment.  People are always posting photos and comments.  Check it out!  Most of all, keep praying for the work God is doing in downtown Houston through Impact.

Impact Loses a Beloved Family Member:  

Winston Bridges (1939-2010)

The following letter expresses the sentiments of so many here at Impact.  

"My Friend Winston"  -by Jenny Winter

There are people in our lives who make a difference and then there are people who change us forever.  Winston changed me forever.  Not in a grand and adventurous way but  in the simple ways that I watched Jesus working in Winston’s life.

When I first saw Winston he was eating with the outdoorsmen and listening to one of Les’s sermons.  He looked about the age of my Grandfather and I supposed he was one of the ministers at Impact  just helping out.  I was shocked to discover that Winston was an outdoorsman himself.  I couldn’t believe at his age he could survive without a roof over his head at night.  I was even more shocked to find out that he was without family.  He looked for them, but never found them.  No family…no home…How has he survived?  When I introduced myself to Winston he pulled on the corner of his baseball cap and shuffled his feet and told me how he was feeling and what was going on in the kitchen at Impact.  And so it was for ten years.  Almost every day I worked at Impact he would find me and say hi and pull on the corner of his baseball hat and shuffle his feet and tell me how he was feeling and what was going on in the kitchen at Impact.  Every once in a while I could get some stories out of him about his days working with horses in the circus and pranks he played as a child, but mostly our relationship consisted of our simple hellos and me watching and learning.

I watched him when we started working with Doug Williams in the kitchen at Impact.  He took ownership of his job and worked hard.  He was proud of himself and the people he worked with.  I went to visit him when he and Felton moved into their new home close to the church.  He was comfortable there.  He seemed content to share his new home with friends.  I listened to his stories of the holidays he spent at the Williams house or at Impact.  Of what Bethul cooked for him and what he did and what his roommates did.  He was happy over the holidays.  I watched him pass out Christmas, birthday, and thank-you cards to many people at Impact over the years.  They all contained just his simple signature and for all of us that was enough.  When babies were born he would buy them gifts.  He always gave the gifts secretively, but we knew who gave them to us.  For years I watched Winston be generous with his time, his money, and his love.  He had this unique ability to make everyone feel loved and important even when he was tired and sick.

When Winston started getting sick fairly regularly I would visit him in the hospital.  Sometimes I would ride with him in the ambulance and always the first question the staff would ask is, “Does this man have family?”  My answer was always, “No, he does not have any family that we know of.”  But something always bothered me about this answer.  Over the years I had watched Winston go from no family to a whole church that considers him his own, from no job to working regularly, from homeless to a house of his own.  So when Winston got really sick and went to the hospital for the last time the nurse looked at me and asked the same question, “Does this man have a family?”  And for the first time I answered that question truthfully, “Yes Ma’am.  This man has more family than most of us ever will.”  Impact is Winston’s family.  Winston is our family.  Winston is my family.

Winston taught me a lot of things in this life, but the most valuable lesson I learned from him is that when you fill your life with Jesus Christ it does not matter how much you have or don’t have.  God will give abundantly from His riches to provide for all of your needs.  Winston found family and home at Impact and the love Jesus put in his heart was shared with all of us.  I already can’t wait for the  day when Winston will pull on the corner of his baseball cap and shuffle his feet and tell me hi and how he is feeling and what is going on in the kitchen in Heaven.  I miss you already my friend…my family.”

 

The variety of people who came to Winston Bridges’ funeral is a testimony to how one humble life can have an impact on so many people.  Young, old, rich, poor, black, white, or brown; all were precious to him.

 

  

What a Symphony!

 A conductor guides musicians in the orchestra to follow his lead.  Some strings are setting a harmonic mood, the percussion is providing beats and a rhythm, the brass provide the accents, and the woodwinds herald a  melodic tune.  They each have a part made for them, and individually they are practiced and played, but only as they follow the maestro’s cues and listen to each other do they transform the pages of notes to a living, breathing, unified creation.  The music produced is very similar to how God guides His church.  Each member has its unique purpose.  Some are louder, some blend in more, and some stand out as totally unique.  Others are almost overlooked completely though, without them, the work of the body is incomplete.  When God guides them all, the outcome is a work of art that amazes the senses and the soul.

What happens at Impact never ceases to surprise and amaze.  The month of March has its own kind of “March Madness” with the Annual Garage Sale and our two weeks of Spring Break activity that follows, yet God allows everything to flow smoothly making the experiences incredible for everyone.  We cannot thank West Houston enough for the time, energy, and resources they pour into the annual Impact Garage Sale at Trader’s Village.  The ladies who coordinate the pricing and placement of all the products basically camp out at the trading pavilion all week as truck loads of items continue to be brought in.   Impact’s Felton Benton takes the brunt of responsibility as he coordinates truck drivers to empty the warehouses and to pick up donations from individuals.    

Our Hispanic ministers carved huge chunks of time out of their week to shuttle groups of workers from the Impact building out to the sale and back to help set up merchandise.  Many volunteers and ministers from West Houston, Impact, and other congregations worked literally countless hours setting things up and selling at the event.  The other vendors around our sale are astounded at the amount of goods and workers.  It really is mind-boggling how so many workers are coordinated to handle such a crazy task of sorting through boxes of trinkets to get them ready to sale, selling furniture at a marked price and knowing when to stay firm or make a deal, AND present Christ to business owners and customers alike as they talk about what the Lord is doing in downtown Houston through Impact.  Many worked hard to make a successful sale, but still others added support through their donations of pieces to sell, through their prayer, and through their extra efforts to make things happen that no one could see or know about.

This Spring Break, groups gave up their vacation time to visit and work at Impact (with an emphasis on “WORK.”)  During the first week, while a handful was painting a neighbor’s house, others were painting walls and replacing a floor in the Teen House.  A majority spent the week putting on a Spring Break VBS for the kids out of school.  Whether performing skits, leading classes, manning activity stations, or being on-call for special attention, ALL gave 100% love and energy.  A revival of the Urban Plunge took a group of university students on a tour of Downtown Houston as a homeless person might experience it, going from the library to a soup kitchen to a hospital, and walking it in flip flops with a pack on their backs.  While faces were being painted on one side of the campus, walls were being painted on the other; while Bible stories were being presented in one area, lessons were being learned in others;  while hearts were being touched by service, eyes were being opened by experience!  The balance of buzz and activity came together in a perfect chorus of blessing and community that only our Celestial Maestro could orchestrate.  Thank God and all who came for a wonderful Spring Break 2010!   -Steven Wells

  

  

Go to our Facebook page!  Become Impact Houston's Friend and see TONS more pictures, especially by the awesome Spring Break groups that came to serve.

What is Urban Plunge?

Imagine spending a day walking the streets of Houston in flip-flops, a day pack, receiving strange looks from passersby, learning the rules of loitering, and looking for where to get a meal, help, and a place to rest.  That is just a taste of what Urban Plunge is for Impact visitors who want to experience life as a homeless  person.  What they see is only a glimpse of what the homeless live with, but it is enough to open their eyes and their hearts forever.

    

Impact Report                           April 2010

1.       We finished our short series on Christ’s words from the Cross having presented our final lesson on Easter Sunday.  This has allowed the body opportunities to digest the significance of each of Christ’s saying during Impact groups and bible studies, and keep a great focus on Christ’s sacrifice and completed work on the cross for an extended amount of time.  Next series will focus on the Monsters in our lives:  things that scare and seem to overpower us.  We want to reveal what these monsters truly are and affirm how they are powerless in the light of God’s truth and love.

2.       The Garage Sale, though it brought in less than last year, still was a great success.  Needed funding was provided for the many ministries and activities at Impact.  Producing the Garage Sale, to me, is the most striking aspect of our annual Garage Sale.  SO many people put in SO many hours using SO many resources and working SO hard.

3.       Though our small groups share the same purposes and values, their makeup are very different.  Our college-age group is one of the fastest-growing, and has great potential for setting the bar higher for our other groups.  In order to prepare enough leaders, several extra prep meetings are arranged, but they are worth the extra effort.  Put simply, it is active leader training, and it works.

4.       Spring Break was crazy incredible!  The first week, we hosted a Spring Break version of an Impact VBS.  The groups from Oklahoma and ACU taught classes and loved on kids, fixed houses, helped oraganize the warehouse and Distribution Center, and helped get our newsletters ready to be mailed.

5.       This year, we reinstituted the Urban Plunge!  This downtown tour of life on Houston streets was a shocking education for the brave souls who volunteered to submit to the homeless experience.  They only spend a few hours out (6 hrs., actually), but that is a mere drop in the bucket compared to what our outdoorsmen truly experience even in just one day.  Our guides were ex-homeless men who had a wealth of information for our college students.  This is a tradition that must continue because the education is invaluable.

6.       Be getting ready now for our Annual Night of Celebration at Impact.  This has come to replace the fundraising dinner.  It is set to be May 6^th, 7:00pm at the Impact main building.

7.       The Distribution Center is beginning to open their doors extra hours to serve working single mothers.  Thursday evenings will be dedicated to this service which may be a good filter to more Bible studies and exposure to the church.  The expected demographic is 80% Hispanic.

8.       The Bridge Program, an “alternative-school” alternative which houses its students in the Impact Teen House during school hours continues to do well.  After a year and a half of hosting students and permitting them to involve themselves in service in on-campus ministries, The Bridge Program has caught positive attention from the HISD Superintendant.  Seems they are making an impact on the lives of these students, and may be seen as a way to do so more and more.

9.       April is starting off active, with Passover Meals, Easter activities, Quincenera preparations, unexpected changes , and life in general, but we have great hopes of having a less active month.  Our  youth plans to have various retreats (editor's note:   Fire at Camp of the Hills changed many plans.), and youth ministers are making final preparations for the summer, which basically “kicks off” mid-May when our interns arrive, but overall Impact is expecting a more even-keel month.  Sometimes normal means being able to catch our breath.  Sometimes not.

Seasons of Life  

by Laurie Templeton

As all communities of faith do, we have many seasons of life here at Impact.  We have the hot, rainy, event-driven summer, the empty nest of August and September when all of the children and college interns have returned to school, the holiday season full of parties, Christmas gifts, and New Year dreams. Then, Spring is right around the corner packed with Garage Sale, ideological college students on break, and cook-outs in the projects; and once again we begin another hot, crazy summer with 400 children, college interns, and so on.  We spend a lot of energy and time raising money for the summer, recruiting interns, and making sure we have enough safe vehicles to pick up the children once June begins, but Impact is not just about the summer.  A former college intern who now lives in Houston told me recently that he enjoys this regular season of Impact so much more than the summer season.  There is time to get to know one another, dream together, and learn together.  I love the summer, but what motivates me toward summer and all of its events, people, and fatigue are the seasons before it begins, when I am able to sit at the feet of people that love the Lord and teach me how to love others.  One particular person that has consistently affected myself and many others in this way is Suzannah Gabriel.   

Suzannah, or Miss Suzy as our children at Impact know her, is not a seasonal worker at Impact.  She is here during the summer teaching children how to read, she is busy buying presents at Christmas for Impact families, and she tutors one family of children year round.  She has become a mentor to myself and others, and she is not afraid to hold us accountable.  Suzannah has walked into the fire many times during her involvement with Impact and her example of walking with children through reading disabilities, abuse, and neglect impresses upon me the importance of seasons of life.  Miss Suzy recently moved to San Antonio, but she continues to drive back to Houston every weekend to tutor her Impact children and she will be here for another Impact summer, but I know that this season will probably end at some point.

During this season of refreshment and sacrifice, may we all live out the gospel fully and sit at the feet of people to listen and learn.  I pray that your community of faith has many Miss Suzy’s that are living their lives to worship the Lord through serving children.  As we all gear up for the summer in our different parts of the world, may the Lord bless this season of reflection and restoration so that we become year round laborers in His kingdom throughout our seasons of life.

Impact Images

  

Images of Impact

    

Couple enjoyed a Movie Tavern experience around Valentine's Day.  Ulises and Maime Batres, Guillermo and Isis Camacho, and Dimas and Antonia Velasquez were a few of the 23 couples who were there to enjoy dinner and a movie meant for strengthening marriages.

How many of us say, “I love you!” too much to our wives?  How many spend way too much time with their children?  Even if you show a decent amount of affection, they and probably you only wish for more.  Now, imagine a life where love is rarely expressed.  That occurs all around us much more than we realize.  We need to open our eyes to those who need expressions of love.  Josef Bilnosky wanted to make sure his Middle School girls knew they were special daughters of God, and special to him.  So, this former mechanic threw a tea party for them!   Now, we could never match God in demonstrating love, but as we follow His Son we might be able to be more like Josef and reflect a bit of God’s love to others who are special to Him & us.

Since opening our doors in January to those on the streets due to cold weather, a renewed Spirit of gratitude and ownership has been transforming our Outdoorsmen ministry.  Most of our February newsletters were hand-addressed by faithful Impact members (above)wanting to make a positive impact in their own lives, and in the lives of others as well.

A few things to Note...  (from Steven Wells's perspective) March 2010

1.       We are finishing our short series on Fire-proofing our marriages on the Hispanic side, but beginning a series church-wide on Christ’s words from the Cross. 

a.       The series followed our Valentines Party which was a great success.  23 couples enjoyed a dinner and a movie, Movie Tavern style.  Kids were treated to a fun evening in a building far away to give the adults a care-free atmosphere.  Popcorn, drinks and snacks were replenished by our wait-staff throughout the movie.  The movie touched everyone’s hearts, and many couples have been asking for the movie and “Love Dare” books.  This had led to some much needed counseling sessions as well.

b.      Our series on the sayings from the cross starts this Sunday in a bilingual service.  It will continue through Easter Sunday.  We look forward to seeing what we can do creatively to help people understand Christ’s words and circumstances through dramatic readings, video clips, and images.  This looks to be a powerful way of presenting the gospel

2.       A lot has been going on in our Outdoorsman Ministry this month.

a.       A few members attended the Celebrate Recovery Seminar in Kingwood’s Second Baptist.  The desire is to begin more groups and encourage a wider support for this ministry.

b.      David Beegle and Steven Wells attended the Coalition for the Homeless Conference last week, making lots of great contacts.  (***On any given night, 8,000-10,000 homeless individuals are on the streets of Houston.***)

c.       Impact has begun its Recovery House program.  7 men are living in a house remodeled as a halfway house.  The men are attending specialized groups, meetings, and resident-led devotionals.  They are working all over campus as part of their program, but also in appreciation for the help they are getting.

3.       Small groups continue well, but we need more leaders.  Working on making the role of the facilitator easier to duplicate by giving over more responsibility to members.

4.       The surge in attendance since before the holidays has not really died down on the Hispanic side.  We had a smaller group at the beginning of January, but our auditorium remains full, and worship dynamic.  

a.       Three new members were added this month:  Efrain Torres, Jose Martinez and his daughter, Jocelyn.  Three more of our teens are planning on being baptized this coming Sunday.

5.       A busy month is ahead of us with Spring Break and the Impact Garage Sale.

a.       Next Sunday, the 7^th Kingwood members are expected to bring items they want to donate in the afternoon between 3:00-5:00pm. 

b.      The Garage Sale is March 12-14.

c.       Spring Break groups will help with the Spring VBS and neighborhood mission projects (along with various Impact experiences). 

6.       Be getting ready now for our Annual Night of Celebration at Impact.  This has come to replace the fundraising dinner.  It is set to be May 6^th, 7:00pm at the Impact main building.

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Impact Garage Sale, March 12-14

Taking your donations, NOW! Call 713-864-5667

Its that time of year again! We are gearing up for the annual Impact Houston Garage Sale at Trader’s Village. This, along with our Celebration Dinner (see notice below) is one of our biggest fundraisers for the ministries at Impact. We collect and store donations all year long to be able to present a huge selection of ítems of all sizes and value. From sofas to sneakers, from washing machines to water hoses, from books to bureaus, and from toys to table settings, the items are varied are organized for your perusal. All are welcome to come shop for bargains, but the real fun is in volunteering as a vendor, or coming out to help in some other way. Mission groups who come down to paint houses and otherwise reach people for Christ also lend their backs and energies to the craziness of hauling cargo to and from the warehouses and pavilion. The gang from West Houston has honed their skills to produce a well organized events, providing an enjoyable experience for everyone. Not only are there tons of mind-boggling bargains and big-hearted people serving together, but every year new people discover the ministry of Impact. Our hope is that they also see a glimpse of what our Lord has to offer as well.

Impact Night of Celebration 2010!

Our annual Impact Celebration Dinner will once again be hosted on the campus of Impact Houston Church of Christ, and YOU are invited!

Tickets are $25 per person and there are special prices for reserving a table for you and your guests.

This night is “All About Impact,” so bring someone you want to introduce to us. We will let them know what God has been and is doing in downtown Houston.

For ticket purchasing, please call the office at 713-864-5667 or visit us online.

Representing Impact’s Distribution Center at a news conference for the Houston Food Bank and its partners, David Beegle and Patricia Skinner (circled in top row) hold up Impact signs for reporters.

Have a Heart for the Hungry in Houston!

Some interesting data:

· 81% of the clients we feed are food insecure, meaning they live with the day-to-day
risk of running out of food. -Houston Food Bank

· Even though 2008 was a record-breaking year, the number of people we are serving was up 70% in 2009. –Impact Houston

· 60% of our clients are forced to choose between paying utility bills and putting food on the table, up 13% from the last hunger study. -Houston Food Bank

For more data, search the web: http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/hungerstudy10.aspx

Celebrating the 43rd birthday of Manuelito Flores is not only a special moment for a special Impact family member, but the church uses this as a great opportunity to praise God for Manuelito’s miraculous life. On top of that, the Flores uses the celebration to bring people together. Fiestas are so important in developing community.

Impact Testimonial: Daniel Zuniga

Impact is blessed to know many amazing young people. I’d like to introduce you to one of them: Daniel Zuniga moved to Houston after fleeing Hurricane Katrina with his family in 2005. He has been attending here 4 ½ years, and has become an integral part of our youth group. He’ll graduate in 2011, and has plans to attend college. He is, more than anything, a servant, and exemplifies what Impact is all about. He wrote these words after interning with our elementary school children this last summer:

“When I first came here to Houston, it was not very easy adapting to the changes that I was forced to encounter. The culture was different, the people were different, even the weather was different despite the fact that Texas and Louisiana are right next to each other. I first had no idea how to go about my life being in this brand new city. Then, all of a sudden and out of the blue, Impact Houston Church of Christ came along.

“We had been attending a Church of Christ in New Orleans, LA, and that’s how we got in touch with Impact. Impact gave me a place to call home in a brand new, unknown city. They gave me shelter – not only physically but spiritually as well, and a spiritual base to start on. Since Impact has done great things for me, I, in return, want to do great things to help out Impact, its members, and to praise God. What better way to start off than to start off giving my free time to VBS and the children over the summer!”

The world would be a great place if all its young men and women followed in the footsteps of Daniel. -Dennis Jaeger