Think About This
This Sunday, May 31st our COGs will meet. These Community Outreach Groups are designed to help us become more involved in reaching out with the Good News of Christ. Many of you might be unaware of the scope of our outreaches through the COGs, so several weeks ago we had a meeting with representatives of each COG and we wanted to let you know what’s going on.
The “Needy” COG will organize and serve the meal at the Monroe Homeless Shelter on June 2. They also helped organize items at the HELP Crisis Pregnancy Center yard sale on May 12.
The “Children and Youth” COG has planned a “Mega Sports Camp” for June 15-19 (from 5-8 p.m.). This camp is open to elementary children “entering first grade thru' leaving 5thgrade.” A family meal will be served each night and daily registration will occur from 5-6 pm each evening followed at 6-8pm with a program of teaching, music, and basketball and soccer.
The “Seniors Ministry” COG continues to sponsor a monthly sing time at Monroe Square. They are initiating a ministry to supply “goodies” to the facility staff. They are also collecting small items that will be distributed as prizes for the resident’s BINGO games. They are looking forward to expanding by providing a time of devotions for residents at the new home in Wingate where Karen Hinson's mother is a resident.
The “Rock Rest” COG continues to provide goodie bags to the teachers and staff at Rock Rest Elementary. In conjunction with the Children & Youth COG they will help start an “Open Gym Night” during the summer. They are also discussing continuing the “Rock Rest Fest” with the target dates of August 22 and 23.
The “Builders” COG are already planning to create soccer goals for the Mega Sports Camp. They are looking for ways to support Dennis Brawand's Doulos Ministry in Anson County as well as helping with refurbishing projects at the H.E.L.P. Crisis Pregnancy Center and at the YWAM center here in Monroe. They are also discussing several jobs to help members of the church.
The “Media Group” COG is encouraging everyone to take pictures of church outreaches and activities for the website. (Please forward them to Lois Ruedinger.) They want to initiate and film another Ministry Review worship service to add to the existing web site. They are organizing a team to change the CEFC sign that faces Highway 74 on a weekly basis. They are purchasing yard signs directing people to the church and will place them up and down Highway 74 each weekend. They are also exploring adopting Old Highway 74 through the “ADOPT A HIGHWAY” program. They are working on reinstalling internet capacity to the auditorium computer which will enable sermons to be posted to the website more quickly.
The “E.S.L.” COG has had one student for about 6 months. He is doing exceptionally well. For the past couple weeks they have had a second student who is most welcome A new promotional flier has been developed and is being updated for distribution within the Union County Hispanic community.
I hope that you’re as encouraged about the impact our church is having as I am. This Sunday as you go to your COG meeting and plan what you’re going to do next offer up a prayer for the other COGs too. After all, we’re all working towards the same goal.
"Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and that you are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news" (Philippians 1:27, CEV).
Think about that!
RB