Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV) likes to run short, 250-word stories in each weekend's bulletin to tie in with the sermon or events happening within the church. The approximate bulletin count is 7,200 every weekend.
Neighborhood Group Caught in the Act
Joe Clayton, Westwing’s send leader for the neighborhood group ministry, has always been there to serve others. In fact, he’s dedicated the last seven years of his life to serving CCV and the local community. Joe is acutely familiar with giving to the needs of others before helping himself.
Recently, Joe was rushed to the hospital for a life-threatening illness that could have taken his life. Fortunately for Joe and his family, his infection was caught early and he has since fully recovered. Joe’s recovery is nothing short of a miracle, and the outpouring of support he and his family received from others in his neighborhood groups is also considered a lifelong blessing.
“Shortly after arriving in the hospital, I had fellow CCV members in my ICU room praying for me. This was the first of many gifts and experiences I had during this process. I can not express the heartfelt gratitude I had for a church making me feel so cared for,” Joe explains.
While Joe was in the hospital, his wife also received support through phone calls and prayers. After Joe’s short stay in the hospital, other small group members arranged to have meals delivered to their house for a week. “I can not tell you the feeling I had knowing that we have such a great church and community that takes care of the people in need. This also speaks to the importance of belonging to a neighborhood group. This experience has changed my life,” Joe said.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Press Release: Death-Defying Stunts Allure Local Teens At CRASH
DEATH-DEFYING STUNTS ALLURE LOCAL TEENS AT CRASH, AN EVENT CREATED FOR JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS
Peoria, AZ – Next weekend, hundreds of junior high students will gather for a brand new event sure to capture their attention at Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV). The event known as CRASH will wildly amaze and entertain the teens all within a safe, friendly environment.
“This new event is one that we are really excited about! We have lots in store for the night including smashing fruit, watching a stunt guy attempt death-defying tricks, and amazing prizes. This will be a great night for junior high students where they will never forget what they saw,“ explains Dustin Tappan, Junior High Pastor.
CCV will host CRASH on Saturday, February 28, from 6:15-9:00 pm. The evening starts with live music at The Garage, followed by an engaging, relevant talk about living a life of adventure and purpose.
“We want students to connect with each other and with God in a personal way, so we try to create dynamic environments that make them comfortable. This experience is memorable because it is so unique,” Tappan remarks.
This event takes place at 7007 W. Happy Valley Road in building 4000 in the middle of the campus. More information is available at ccvgarage.com. Members of the media wishing to cover the CRASH party must contact CCV, Jon Edmiston, at 623.298.2911.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Short Story: Reaching Out in Rocky Point
Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV) likes to run short, 250-word stories in each weekend's bulletin to tie in with the sermon or events happening within the church. The approximate bulletin count is 7,200 every weekend.
REACHING OUT IN ROCKY POINT
It’s estimated that half the population in Mexico is living in poverty, with one-fifth living in extreme poverty. Some families live on less than one dollar a day, a level comparable to the world's poorest countries. Yet it’s often the poorest people who find the greatest joy out of simple acts of kindness.
ONE Mission, a CCV-supported mission outreach organization, recently spent the day reaching out to the most poverty stricken neighborhoods in Rocky Point, Mexico. During this outreach event, ONE Mission along with a coalition of local Rocky Point churches, handed out over eight thousand hotdogs and five thousand pairs of adult and children’s shoes within a few hours. The shoes given out are the very shoes that most of you donated on one single weekend to show a tangible act of service.
“Hundreds of children put shoes on for the very first time in their lives. Families were lined up over two city blocks in order to receive their blessing,” said Jason Law, CCV member and ONE Mission’s founder. “The amazing part of this whole event was that many of the local residents saw what we were doing and wanted to help out. They wanted to help give back to their community. ONE Mission simply equipped the local residents to make an impact themselves. This is the heart and passion of ONE Mission—to enable rather than to do for,” Jason stated.
The most important part of the day wasn’t necessarily filling hungry bellies or handing out shoes to the needy; it was that 5,000 people where able to see the church in action—serving, loving, and showing Christ in a real way.
REACHING OUT IN ROCKY POINT
It’s estimated that half the population in Mexico is living in poverty, with one-fifth living in extreme poverty. Some families live on less than one dollar a day, a level comparable to the world's poorest countries. Yet it’s often the poorest people who find the greatest joy out of simple acts of kindness.
ONE Mission, a CCV-supported mission outreach organization, recently spent the day reaching out to the most poverty stricken neighborhoods in Rocky Point, Mexico. During this outreach event, ONE Mission along with a coalition of local Rocky Point churches, handed out over eight thousand hotdogs and five thousand pairs of adult and children’s shoes within a few hours. The shoes given out are the very shoes that most of you donated on one single weekend to show a tangible act of service.
“Hundreds of children put shoes on for the very first time in their lives. Families were lined up over two city blocks in order to receive their blessing,” said Jason Law, CCV member and ONE Mission’s founder. “The amazing part of this whole event was that many of the local residents saw what we were doing and wanted to help out. They wanted to help give back to their community. ONE Mission simply equipped the local residents to make an impact themselves. This is the heart and passion of ONE Mission—to enable rather than to do for,” Jason stated.
The most important part of the day wasn’t necessarily filling hungry bellies or handing out shoes to the needy; it was that 5,000 people where able to see the church in action—serving, loving, and showing Christ in a real way.
Short Story: More Than A Game
Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV) likes to run short, 250-word stories in each weekend's bulletin to tie in with the sermon or events happening within the church. The approximate bulletin count is 7,200 every weekend.
MORE THAN A GAME
The CCV soccer fields provide more than an instructional setting for young children learning the game of soccer. They provide a training ground where moral character is developed and Christ-like values are encouraged.
Just a couple of weeks ago, CCV hosted one of the largest competitive soccer tournaments in the Valley. Over 2,100 kids, boys and girls between the ages of 7 to 14, travelled from all over Arizona and Nevada to participate in the tournament. Roughly only 300 of those players were from CCV, the rest were visitors.
Harry Demos, CCV director of youth sports, estimated that over 2,500 people stepped onto the CCV campus for the first time. It’s Harry’s desire, along with all of the volunteer coaches, to make visitors feel welcome and comfortable. “Ultimately we want to invite people from the community to participate in youth sports, come to the campus, and feel the love of Christ the minute they step on our fields,” explains Harry.
Harry also encourages all of his soccer coaches and players to live a Christ-like life by showing great sportsmanship during competitions and utilizes playing cards that teach Godly principles to the young players throughout the soccer season.
The mission of CCV’s youth sports league is to continually build relationships with new people and introduce them to Jesus Christ. CCV is transforming youth sports in the Valley by encouraging kids, teaching basic sports skills, and encouraging life skills necessary to be successful on and off the field.
MORE THAN A GAME
The CCV soccer fields provide more than an instructional setting for young children learning the game of soccer. They provide a training ground where moral character is developed and Christ-like values are encouraged.
Just a couple of weeks ago, CCV hosted one of the largest competitive soccer tournaments in the Valley. Over 2,100 kids, boys and girls between the ages of 7 to 14, travelled from all over Arizona and Nevada to participate in the tournament. Roughly only 300 of those players were from CCV, the rest were visitors.
Harry Demos, CCV director of youth sports, estimated that over 2,500 people stepped onto the CCV campus for the first time. It’s Harry’s desire, along with all of the volunteer coaches, to make visitors feel welcome and comfortable. “Ultimately we want to invite people from the community to participate in youth sports, come to the campus, and feel the love of Christ the minute they step on our fields,” explains Harry.
Harry also encourages all of his soccer coaches and players to live a Christ-like life by showing great sportsmanship during competitions and utilizes playing cards that teach Godly principles to the young players throughout the soccer season.
The mission of CCV’s youth sports league is to continually build relationships with new people and introduce them to Jesus Christ. CCV is transforming youth sports in the Valley by encouraging kids, teaching basic sports skills, and encouraging life skills necessary to be successful on and off the field.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Short Story: Answering a Call for Help
Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV) likes to run short, 250-word stories in each weekend's bulletin to tie in with the sermon or events happening within the church. Here is the short story I wrote about the effectiveness of the Neighborhood Ministry and how neighbors reached out to care for each other in times of need. The approximate bulletin count is 6,000 every weekend.
Answering a Call for Help
Matt Cortes was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease at age 17 and was given only 3 years to live. Surprisingly, he lived a much longer life and died at age 44. The extra years he had with his family and friends were a blessing. But at the time of his recent death, Matt left behind a hurting family that would now have to pick up the pieces and move on.
Nancy Cortes, Matt’s mother, is a CCV member and knew the church would be there to help her and her family walk the road of recovery. But they were blown away by the outpouring of support from the Paseo Highlands neighborhood groups. Neighborhood leader Joe Cavaretta quickly mobilized fellow neighbors connected through the CCV neighborhood groups to take action.
Not only did the neighborhood groups send flowers and cards, they fulfilled tangible acts of kindness by providing daily meals to the family and took care of all the details regarding the memorial service, including greeting and ushering, as well as taking care of the memorial reception.
Nancy and her family don’t know what they would have done without the help from the neighborhood groups who collectively provided for their every need. “We knew Matt’s death was imminent and our son would be leaving us.... The day Matt died we lost our son, but we also gained a new extended family.”
Press Release: Stop Child Rape For Profit
PLANS TO MOBILIZE LOCAL CHURCHES SETS FORTH INITIATIVE TO END THE RAPING OF CHILDREN FOR PROFIT IN PHOENIX
Peoria, AZ – Stop Child Rape for Profit, Inc., today announced the formation of a non-profit corporation, the “StreetLight” project, to stop the prostitution of children in the Phoenix valley This new organization was formed with strong support from Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV).
On January 27, 2009 the group will launch StreetLight, a program to rescue children who have been forced into prostitution. The group will acquire 40 acres in Maricopa County to build transition housing for children being rescued from exploitation. The homes will provide a secure environment for the children to heal.
By working as partners with national and local authorities, the group plans to disrupt the cycle of victimization of children involved in prostitution. When removed from the streets, these kids will have a chance to rebuild their future through physical, social, emotional, and spiritual healing.
Teenagers and children are being recruited from shopping malls, the Internet, and other social and public gatherings. The Phoenix valley is a hotbed for child prostitution while the demand for underage sex for hire is growing. A common trend in the prostitution of children involves taking the child far from home to avoid immediate detection and decreases the chance of the child returning home.
Child prostitution is the most overlooked form of child exploitation in the United States. Warm-weather states like Arizona are experiencing an alarming rate of child prostitutes. Arizona’s mild climate attracts pimps, madams, and others seeking to exploit children for their own gain. The average age of entry into child prostitution is 14 years old while some victims are as young as 9 years old.
Larrie Fraley, associate pastor at CCV and supporter of Stop Child Rape for Profit, said, “Acting together, churches have the resources to end one of the darkest social and moral issues in our society. It is time for our churches to lead the fight against this plague!”
“We are confident that many churches, temples and synagogues will join the fight to end sex trafficking of children –one of the most violent and unconscionable crimes committed in this country,” Fraley said.
Child Rape For Profit Inc. is headquartered at 7007 W. Happy Valley Road in Peoria, AZ. Contact us if you have any questions at 623.298.2894 or visit us online at www.JoinStreetLight.com.
Peoria, AZ – Stop Child Rape for Profit, Inc., today announced the formation of a non-profit corporation, the “StreetLight” project, to stop the prostitution of children in the Phoenix valley This new organization was formed with strong support from Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV).
On January 27, 2009 the group will launch StreetLight, a program to rescue children who have been forced into prostitution. The group will acquire 40 acres in Maricopa County to build transition housing for children being rescued from exploitation. The homes will provide a secure environment for the children to heal.
By working as partners with national and local authorities, the group plans to disrupt the cycle of victimization of children involved in prostitution. When removed from the streets, these kids will have a chance to rebuild their future through physical, social, emotional, and spiritual healing.
Teenagers and children are being recruited from shopping malls, the Internet, and other social and public gatherings. The Phoenix valley is a hotbed for child prostitution while the demand for underage sex for hire is growing. A common trend in the prostitution of children involves taking the child far from home to avoid immediate detection and decreases the chance of the child returning home.
Child prostitution is the most overlooked form of child exploitation in the United States. Warm-weather states like Arizona are experiencing an alarming rate of child prostitutes. Arizona’s mild climate attracts pimps, madams, and others seeking to exploit children for their own gain. The average age of entry into child prostitution is 14 years old while some victims are as young as 9 years old.
Larrie Fraley, associate pastor at CCV and supporter of Stop Child Rape for Profit, said, “Acting together, churches have the resources to end one of the darkest social and moral issues in our society. It is time for our churches to lead the fight against this plague!”
“We are confident that many churches, temples and synagogues will join the fight to end sex trafficking of children –one of the most violent and unconscionable crimes committed in this country,” Fraley said.
Child Rape For Profit Inc. is headquartered at 7007 W. Happy Valley Road in Peoria, AZ. Contact us if you have any questions at 623.298.2894 or visit us online at www.JoinStreetLight.com.
Short Story: Playing to Win
Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV) likes to run short, 250-word stories in each weekend's bulletin to tie in with the sermon or events happening within the church. Here is the short story I wrote about the effectiveness of utilizing the Sports Ministry to attract men to church. The approximate bulletin count is 6,000 every weekend.
Playing to Win
What’s better than beating the opposing team in a good old-fashion game of flag football? Getting the player off the field and into church where the real game of life takes place. The CCV Sports Ministry is all about reaching out to men, women and children. But more importantly, it’s all about winning souls.
CCV member Kirk Borg, a volunteer flag football coordinator, continually sees the fruit of un-churched men playing their hearts out on the field and realizing there is more to life than the beloved game. Kirk said that almost 75% of the men on the flag football teams are players who feel comfortable on the field, but not necessarily on the pews. On Kirk’s last team, 6 of the men were Christians, and 6 were not.
One player in particular tugged at Kirk’s heart. The player was Ryan, a man who was in the middle of a messy divorce and hitting rock bottom. Ryan had come to church several times when he was in high school since Kevin, Kirk’s little brother, and Ryan were best friends. Yet through the years, Ryan had fallen away from the church.
“The seed Kevin planted years ago started to grow, and I was there to water it. The football ministry definitely helped groom his life,” Kirk said. Now Ryan brings his young children with him to church almost every weekend. The ripple effect that started years ago is a great reminder that we all have a significant part to play in the game of life.
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