For more than coffee…
For the past couple of years, Apex has had the Missions Cafe set up in the fellowship hall during the weekend gatherings to provide a place for people to get a cup of coffee and maybe a bagel or two. The donations received there have gone to promote ministries in Mexico, Haiti, and several other locations, including a few that are close to home here in Dayton. It has been encouraging to see the generosity of the body of Christ in action.
This summer we will be making additions to the Missions Cafe in order to expand the efforts of the ministry. The cafe will now be a place where you can learn about the different ministries that Apex is involved with domestically and internationally, get updates on those who are a part of the Apex body that are serving in other countries, and how we can be in prayer for them. The most recent addition has been the Missions Information Center in the hallway just across from the Missions Cafe. We’d love for you to come by, check it out, see what is going on and how you can get involved.
Missions Equipping: A Lifestyle of Going
Region 3: Haiti Tent Drive Update
A little over a month ago, we asked you to respond to the need of the Haitian people left homeless in the aftermath of the earthquake by purchasing or donating tents. Their need was dire and immediate as the hurricane season begins in May.
We are excited to be able to say that to date, the entire Apex network has raised and spent approximately $8703 on tents. The Elders of Region 3 have matched a total of Read More
Missions Update: Zambia Trip 2010 – part 1
Mid-April Mulling
I’ve found myself thinking over, on more than one occasion, some of the things that have happened here at 5200 Far Hills Avenue over the past month. Two weeks ago we came together to celebrate what Christ accomplished on the cross, that He alone did what we could never do. He conquered death and sin and did it for the joy set before Him, that His Father might be glorified. Because of His sacrifice, a sinful and undeserving people were given hope. The punishment and torture that we deserved were exacted upon Jesus. His blood was spilled so that we could be imputed with his righteousness, presented to God as holy and blameless and spend an eternity praising Him and enjoying His presence.
Two weeks prior to that, we gathered for a night of worship, an evening dedicated to singing and shouting the praises of our glorious God, who alone is worthy of them. None can compare to our mighty Savior who can make beautiful things out of dead ones, who can transform cold hearts and apathetic lives into ones that burn with passion for Him, who needs nothing from us to accomplish His great purposes yet chooses to use us to display His glory.
But what have we done since then? What have we done with our worship? Was it left in the hallways, contained by the bricks and mortar, and never quite taken beyond the doors that help us compartmentalize our everyday lives from our religious ones? And in asking myself that, I thought of something I read once Read More
Region 2 Bagging Day
On April 24th & 25th we will be getting together for our 2nd annual bagging day to package meals for Haitian children. We will have the pleasure of actually making and packing over 145,000 meals that will be sent to Lifeline Ministries to be distributed among the people living in the tent cities and the school children. You can get involved by contributing some of the funds needed to ship the meals or by signing up to help package the food.
If you would like to make a contribution, please include “Region 2 Haiti” in the memo line of your check made out to Apex. If you would like to commit to work at our packaging event Read More
Region 2 Trip to Haiti
In late March, a house church from Region 2 took time to travel to Grand Goave, Haiti to work with Lifeline ministries. Below is just a little glimpse into the time they were able to spend serving the Haitian people.
Even 8 weeks after the earthquake the country remained in a state of devastation. We saw that the village we were working in was less than 10 miles from the epicenter of the quake. We drove right through Leogane which was the closest city to the epicenter and was quite obvious in that over half of the buildings had been flattened and all buildings that had more than one story had been reduced to one. We drove past the high school in Leogane where over 5000 students were crushed to death and their bodies burried in a mass grave that was completely unmarked and you would never have known what lay under the soil there. All of the Haitians had moved out of their homes and were living in tents. Even those who still had sturdy homes that were not damaged lived in constant fear and refused to sleep in their homes. Cities of tents had been erected in every flat open space across the country. On the flight in we could see the seas of blue tarps that had become the new homes for millions of terrified Haitians.
In our work there we had a medical team staffing a clinic which saw hundreds of patients each day, a construction team which was helping rebuild Lifeline’s school and church in Leogane which was flattened except for a single wall which miraculously the team that we sent last year actually built (praise God!), and a team of women that helped to distribute food, clothing, and shoes to the people. We were constantly working, but were thrilled to see that Christ was proclaimed with each activity that we did. We saw that hundreds if not thousands had turned to Christ in recent weeks following the quake. We also had the great joy of visiting Rivaldo, a Haitian child we have sponsored to feed and go to school through Lifeline over the last year. Our team last year was heartbroken at the hut that Rivaldo was living in and hoped to build him a house some day. We went to visit him and were left in shock that the home was completely destroyed. That was when it really hit home on a personal level the effect that the earthquake has had on people. Rivaldo and his family had little to nothing before, but now even the home they lived in has been reduced to a pile of rocks. He along with his brother and mother were now living in a 8′x8′ tent constructed from two tarps from Samaritan’s Purse. The only joy we found in the moment was that Rivaldo Read More
Joy to the World
This past December, a group from Apex had the opportunity to go Christmas caroling in Dearborn, Michigan with Anchor Ministries. Anchor Ministries is well established in Dearborn and has made great strides in building warm relationships with a number of families who have relocated there from the Middle East.
The carolers were able to visit the homes of families with whom relationships had already been established and were able to encourage and love on them while they were there. The families thoroughly enjoyed the music and would often sing along with the carolers!
The people in Dearborn have a culture that values hospitality highly, so the carolers often found themselves invited into the homes of the people they were caroling for to enjoy tea, coffee, and sweets. How humbling it is to be shown such hospitality by strangers. Our lives should not be lived secluded from those who are different than us. Stretch beyond the comfortable and familiar. Dare to love radically and lose yourself in the process.
Where in the World: Zambia
A team from Apex spent two amazing weeks working alongside our Brothers & Sisters in Kitwe, Zambia in late February. Please come to hear about what God is doing in Zambia, and how we can come alongside them in bringing God glory! We will have some food that is native to Zambia, tons of photos, and wonderful stories. Please join us on April 16th at 7pm in the fellowship hall!
For more information fell free to contact Laura at luckycharmlb7@gmail.com.
Verge Conference 2010-Recap
Main Room
Verge Conference 2010: Discipleship and Missions