schedule

okay so...last week, we talked about rather than meeting every week, it might work better to meet every other saturday...

however, i still think that it would be a good idea to meet this saturday- because of easter next weekend.

also...

i can't make the saturday outreach...so i'm gonna go to the one on friday...and you guys can pick to go on either (or both).

here's the info for the one on friday:


Hey Everybody!

Just wanted you to know that we are doing an outreach on Friday 3-5pm at Turner Plaza!

We will meet at the Baton Rouge Dream Center at 2:30pm.

We will be going door to door to visit the elderly and handicapped who lost everything in a fire. We will be bringing groceries, comforters, sheets, and pillows.

We would love to have you join us!
See you there!!
God Bless
Alliece Cole
Baton Rouge Dream Center
Healing Place Church
225-408-3380 ext 337

Directions to Baton Rouge Dream Center----
Address--- 450 Roselawn
Directions: take 1-10 to Acadian—exit to the right—go to Florida St—take a right—get in left hand lane---pass yellow Auto King—
take a left on Roselawn === [at the yellow child care building on the corner]—we are on the right in the middle of the block!!!

(if you aren't out of school by 2:30 but still want to be a part of this outreach just call me to see if you can meet up with us after school lets out.)

if you want to try to be a part of the outreach on saturday everyone will meet at the highland campus at 10 am.

if you guys have any questions let me know.

luv y'all!!!

-tori

Justice Meeting #1/ Justice Project #1

wow!
God really had a plan for our first justice life group!

we had about eight people come. (which is incredible- especially for the first meeting!) and we ate glazed, blueberry cake, chocolate and peanut covered, lemon filled, and hole-less donuts!!

then i spoke a little bit...and just introduced what this life group is all about:

the goal is to prepare us for justice projects (like we did at amplified)
then i described how justice and charity differ and how both are very important in reaching poeple.

charity is going above and beyond that which is required. it's like doing something for someone who doesn't necessarily need it, but you do it anyway just to show God's love to them.

justice is something that is required. it's seeing something that is wrong...or not as it should be...and making it right.

so while our main focus at this life group is doing justice, we will still do charity work as well.


and hopefully everyone will be able to be involved with the serve team outreaches to the baton rouge dream center (along with other places).

it is so important that we let the Holy Ghost open our eyes to all that is wrong in this world and do all that we can to change it. and a great way to begin to recognize that is by stepping out of your own affairs and caring for someone elses...

in 2 tim. 2:4, it says that as Christ's soldiers we cannot become tied up in the affairs of this life, or we will not be able to satisfy the One who has enlisted us into His army.

so we are called to be Christ's soldiers...
soldiers bring justice to the hurting and opressed. that is our job...and we can not do that unless we step beyond what is going on only in our own world.

we also must ask God to give us a passion for people!!

isaiah 61 is an awesome chapter that talks about a lot of things that justice is about.

verse 6 is one that i pen pointed this week:


You will be called priests of the Lord,
ministers of our God.
You will feed on the treasures of the nations
and boast in their riches.

the treasures of the nations are the people! and we will boast in all that God does in them...their riches!!!

i thought that was so powerful when i read it. PEOPLE!

they are the only reason that this earth is still spinning!


so...
after our meeting...God gave us a chance to bring justice to one of His treasures!...

we got an email from a single mom who is going through an extremely hard time in her life...with finances and relationships... so God gave us the opportunity to help her and her daughters move from their house into a condo.

so we all piled up and headed to this woman's house. everyone truly had a servant's heart...and we got the job done.
after the moving was finished, we had a chance to pray with this family. after our prayer, the woman hugged each of us with tears in her eyes and thanked us...

God really used us to make an impact in this family's life.

our first JUSTICE PROJECT! God made it happen. He provided the right people at the right time...
we may not have changed THE world, but we helped change A world.

thanks to everyone who came saturday! you guys truly are WORLD CHANGERS!!

all the glory goes to God!!!!!

8:30!!!

ok...i've been getting a lot of weird looks about this life group being at 8:30 am on saturdays. but there is a logical reason. after life group we want to be able to participate in outreaches with the hpc serve team. generally the serve team meets at 10 at the highland campus and goes downtown to the baton rouge dream center. it is so amazing! and this life group is meant to stretch you...so push yourself...get up early, come to life group, and participate in outreach!


-tori

JUSTICE

Justice is a new life group at Refuge - the high school student ministry of Healing Place Church. We’ll meet on Saturdays at 8.30 a.m. beginning on 3.24.07.

Justice Projects. If you haven’t heard about them yet, you will. Justice Projects take charity to a new level. The Justice life group’s goal is to help prepare ourselves for being a part of Justice Projects - to think beyond ourselves to reaching the world. Our purpose cannot be met if we as students get caught up in our own affairs… our own social life… our own problems…. We must change our focus from our own little world and begin to see the big picture. We have to keep our eyes fixed on eternity. One of the best ways to change a self-absorbed mindset is to be involved in seeing outside to the world around us- the hurting, the hopeless, the forgotten. If we want to change this world we must get over the habits of being consumed with ourselves and we must focus on THEM! Our passion for God will drive us… and He will put a deep love inside of us for the people of the world. The whole point of living is to share God with others. What else would make life worth living?

~~~~~



“I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.” - God (in Amos 5:21-24 tmb)

dictionary.com says, “Justice can be thought of as distinct from, and more important than, benevolence, charity, mercy, generosity or compassion. All of these things may be valuable, but they are supererogatory rather than required.”