Needs for Corpany family

Date: 30 May, 2010  |  Posted By: Jonathan Blundell  |  Category: encounter, Take Action  

Dear Encounter Loved Ones,

On Friday, we were informed of the tragic death of John Corpany. John was a proud father of two young boys, a give year old and a 15 month old and the loving husband to Jaimie who is also 6 months pregnant with a girl. She is due to enter this world in late August/early September.

Upon visiting with Jamie today, we learned of some of the greater needs she has now. John did not have life insurance and he was the sole provider in their home. Please review the list below, any help you could provide would be extremely appreciated.

1. Baby/Toddler needs:
a. Diapers – Gabriel currently wears a size 4 diaper
b. Wipes, etc
2. General Household items:
a. Toilet Paper
b. Paper Towels
c. Laundry Detergent (Dreft only please)
3. Rent – June rent has not been paid yet. She will pick up John’s final check next week. After that check, there isn’t any other income. She will apply for SSA Benefits for the children, but as we ALL know, it takes quite a long time to go through the application process to receive benefits.
4. Utilities – Again, John was the sole provider for all of their expenses.
5. Vehicle – John was driving the only vehicle they owned. The vehicle was financed, therefore the insurance will cover the payoff, but won’t provide another vehicle. She needs to be able to get back and forth to the doctor, take Ian to school, etc. If anyone has a vehicle they want to sell or donate, please contact us as soon as possible.
6. Funds for burial service needs

Are you ready to extend your hand with grace, love and mercy? We have an Encounter family who has experienced a great loss and is in need of our help. What better way to show God’s undying grace, love and mercy than to embrace those who are hurting, help them through the storm and lift them up with unceasing prayer?

Please contact Brian Treadaway or Lisa Mederos if you will help love on Jaimie and her children. As always, please lift up Jaimie, Ian and Gabriel in your prayers. Please pray for Jaimie’s family as they will be traveling from out of town to be at her side during this time.

DONATE to the JAMIE CORPANY FAMILY FUND:


You can also donate to a special fund set up at SAGU as well.

Send your donation to:
SAGU Cashier
1200 Sycamore
Waxahachie, TX 75165

Note on payment “For Corpany Family Benevolence Fund”

If donors wish to pay via debit or credit card, please call Nancy at SAGU (972)825-4561.

Or you can make a payment in person by visiting the cashier in SAGU’s Davis Building.

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The Big Red Tractor

Date: 17 February, 2010  |  Posted By: Jonathan Blundell  |  Category: Ministry, Take Action  

From Francis Chan:

Excellent!

How does your community of faith compare? Are you trying to push the Big Red Tractor with your own strength, or putting its true power source to full use?

Read more from Holiday at the Sea

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Ways to give aid for Haitian Relief

Date: 13 January, 2010  |  Posted By: Jonathan Blundell  |  Category: Take Action  

The following groups are on the ground and offering relief after the earthquake in Haiti yesterday.

One Day’s Wages: onedayswages.org

Salvation Army (US): salvationarmy.org

Haiti Reborn: quixote.org/haiti

Church World Services: www.churchworldservice.org

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: www.pcusa.org

Direct Relief International

World Vision: donate.worldvision.org

Bright Hope: www.brighthope.org

UMC Disaster Response: secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations

UNICEF: www.unicefusa.org

Christian Aid: www.christianaid.org.uk

Americares: www.americares.org

Mercy Corps: donate.mercycorps.org

American Red Cross: newsroom.redcross.org

United Church of Christ: www.ucc.org

Doctors Without Borders: doctorswithoutborders.org

Disciple’s Week of Compassion: secure.groundspring.org

Episcopal Relief: www.er-d.org

Reformed Church in America: www.rca.org

Oxfam: www.oxfam.org

Habitat For Humanity: www.habitat.org

Haiti Emergency Relief Fund: www.haitiaction.net

My good buddy Chris Allman is currently next door to Haiti in the Dominican Republic. You can read some of his thoughts on his blog: chrisballman.blogspot.com

HT to @brianmerritt for assembling the list

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Help end modern day slavery

Date: 11 January, 2010  |  Posted By: Jonathan Blundell  |  Category: Take Action  

Today is Human Trafficking Awareness Day…

It’s also the 146th anniversary of the day our 13th Amendment was introduced to Congress — which set out to abolish slavery in the United States.

Yet today — slavery still exists — in so many forms.

Sex trade, immigrant farmers working in Florida, children mining for coltan, chocolate and coffee farmers around the world — and so much more.

I encourage you to do a 5 things today…

1. Change your Twitter/Facebook/MySpace avatar to support One Voice to End Slavery:

2. Join One Voice to End Slavery

3. Visit the Human Trafficking section on Change.org and read at least 5 articles

4. Share the link to at least one story from Change.org on Facebook or Twitter

5. Watch David Bastone talk about human trafficking at Google:
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Then let us know what you learn.

What impacted you the most? What did you learn when doing one (or all) of the steps above?

What other steps have you taken to end modern day slavery?

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Washing their feet

Date: 02 September, 2009  |  Posted By: Jonathan Blundell  |  Category: Faith, Take Action  

The story of Jesus washing the disciples feet doesn’t seem to fit into our modern western civilization.

We wear shoes or flip flops everywhere we go. And if our feet get dirty, there’s always a faucet nearby where we can wash them off and keep going.

But for some, that’s not always possible.

A mission team to Kenya found this out all to personally.

**WARNING** This video contains graphic content.

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The NewSpring Church medical missions team discovered what a lack of foot-washing and jiggers can do to children in in Depatus, Kenya.

The take home quote ::

“I think the reason we’re here doing this is its because its what Christ would have done.”

May our community of faith be moved to wash the feet of our neighbors, spiritually and literally.

If you’re interested, there are a number of organizations working to lesson this problem.

The first is charity:water, which has a goal to provide clean drinking water (fresh water wells) to every person on the planet.

The second is Tom’s Shoes, which has a goal of providing new shoes to children around the world.

When you see this story, what vision or plan do you see for our community? How will you make a difference in Waxahachie, Ellis County, Texas and the world?

(ht to the abba fund)

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