Ministry Realities

Every day is different.  Every after school club is different.  Every student I interact with is different.  In all the differences, God reminds me constantly that He knows it all and each person.

I realized yesterday that ministry is a battle.  I've been told this before and have realized it on other days, but yesterday was tough.  I also realized that sometimes when I write this blog or send updates, I create a rosy picture of all the great things happening (because there are so many!) but I fail to shed light on some of the tougher realities of the ministry I do day in and day out.  So here's a few realities for you...

This particular club yesterday is large, about 50 kids.  Most of them really good kids, excited to be there.  However the past few weeks a group of 4th & 5th graders have been creating problems.  Excessive drama, talking, not listening/following directions, threatening fights with each other, name calling, etc.  Each week we try to separate certain students or have a teacher sit with them to try to help with the issues.  Yesterday, however, nothing worked.  Out of control is the only thing I could think of to describe this particular group.  So in a very loud and motherly voice I got their attention.  They were quiet for that moment.  I was upset, more than I ever have been, because my expectations were higher for these older kids.  I yelled at them and lectured them and the principal happened to be in the room and backed me up so I knew I was not overreacting to their behavior.  I explained to them why they can't act certain ways, etc. and explained the purpose of what Good News Club is and they were welcome to leave if they weren't there for the right reasons.  None of them did thankfully.  But following this time of "setting them straight", God's peace came over me.

He reassured me that I was doing what I was called to do. He reminded me that Satan wants these 4th & 5th grade souls and God is using me as a weapon to fight for them for His glory.  He reminded me that so many times He has brought out His dad voice in my own life and yelled at me and asked why I couldn't listen and just do what He asked. And how His expectations are higher for me because "I should know better." He reminded me that He loves me and each of those students.  Even though I felt frustrated, defeated and worn out I knew that this was just one battle in the spiritual war for God's kingdom.

The reality is ministry isn't easy and I never expected it to be. It's tough, it's gritty, it's frustrating.  There are so many great things that are happening and that God is doing but I felt that I needed to share my heart a bit on the messier side of this ministry.  Thanks for praying for me, my team and these students!  If you ever want to join me in the trenches, put on the armor of God -  and come battle with us. All for the glory of God!

God is on the move!

It is now November and I started this newsletter to you all in September!  So as you can imagine, things at CEF have been nothing short of busy!  But God has been moving in mighty ways and I'm excited to let you know what's been going on.

Let me start with a brief recap of what happened this summer...

5-Day Club - We had a total of 24 clubs in our area.  It was an amazing summer of ministering to 319 children with the Gospel!  We had some really great teenagers who taught these clubs as Senior Missionaries, Senior Missionary Assistants & Junior Missionaries.  They all did an awesome job with every aspect of the club!  I pray the kids that came throughout the summer will remember the truth of God's Word and know that Jesus is the "One Way" to have eternal life.

Camp Good News - We had approximately 50 kids attend at Camp Burton where our theme was "Surfin' God's Word...in search of truth."  It was encouraging to see how God pulled so many children to Himself and many were challenged to deepen their faith.  God also helped me personally to rely on Him.  The first day at camp I received a phone call that a good friend of mine had passed away. The second day of camp, one of the staff had to leave due to an ill spouse and I had to step up to fill her position.  She had pretty big shoes to fill but I'm glad I was able so she could be at home.  In addition, it was the absolute hottest week of the summer with temperatures reaching mid 90's every day.  I am so thankful that I have a God that could give me strength, peace and His loving comfort so I could witness His blessings that week.

It's hard to believe how quickly Fall arrived, but it is a beautiful season to see God's handiwork all around us.  We started this school year with 30 Good News Clubs in our chapter and have a wonderful group of teachers and volunteers.  Our first series was teaching the Wordless Book, which is the Gospel message.  The children have loved it and are sharing it with those around them!

In the midst of getting Good News Clubs off the ground, we also had our first ever Silent Auction and it was a great success!  It was held on Oct. 8th at St. Thomas Hall in Fairlawn.  We had a wonderful meal and a evening full of fun as guests bid on over 80 gift baskets and items.  We are so thankful for the donations, the volunteers, and those who attended this event.  We are looking forward to next year!

Personally, I want to thank each of you for your prayers. With a busy ministry season and a busy "mom" season, prayers were felt and appreciated!  I loved having the boys with me at clubs all summer and both are already wanting to be missionaries and help in the ministry, which of course, makes my heart happy.  But they also enjoy plenty of other things too.  We had a fun season of soccer as Luke made goalie this year and Zach decided he wants to go out for baseball in the spring.  We value our family time, whatever we are doing!

Finally, thank you for your financial support.  I feel incredibly blessed that God has provided for our needs.  If you are a new reader and would like to partner with me financially or in prayer, please e-mail me at joanne.flaker@gmail.com or by phone 330.928.1648.

Until the nets are full,
Joanne

Making Missionaries - Part 2

Thank you to all who read my previous post and have been passing on encouraging words and most of all praying!  I figured I better post an update because day 2 of school was equally as exciting!

Later the night of the first day of school as we were doing bedtime prayers and we prayed for Luke's friend that he had led to the Lord earlier that day.  Then Zach said with a big, toothless grin, "Mommy, I hope I get to share Jesus tomorrow."  Obviously, just him saying this warmed my heart.  But then...day 2 he got off the bus with that same grin and exclaimed "Mommy I had a great day!  I shared Jesus with a girl on the bus!"  What an amazing ministry our two little guys have already! Please keep praying for these new believers.  I love how much joy and excitement they have being able to share the love of Christ and I pray you are as encouraged as Andy and I are.

I've also had numerous requests for where to get the Wordless Book carabiners so here is the link.  John and Bob are both super nice guys and will help you if you'd like to order.

http://reverence.cefnewriver.org/

Missionaries in the Making!

If you follow my blog, stay tuned for the summer update.  But for today I had to share this story and pray you are as encouraged as I am!

While at the Curriculum Workshop over the past few days, I purchased a few of the Wordless Book carabiners.  They are a simplified version of the Wordless Book with each page on a separate tag.  The point of these is to have an easy and accessible way to share the Gospel wherever you are.  I specifically bought them because my boys (ages 7 & 8) have asked for something to hook on their book bags (that's a big deal these days!).  They were pretty excited and put them on right away.  

Today (9/1) was the first day of school for my boys and my oldest, Luke, got off the bus and said he couldn't wait to tell me about his day.  Then he told me how he sat on the bus with a kid from his class who asked about the carabiner.  Not only did he share the Wordless Book (the Gospel story) with him, he then asked him if he believed in Jesus and then prayed with him and led him to the Lord!!!  Not bad for the first day of school!  He was so excited and invited him to church and has a Bible he is taking him tomorrow.  Obviously, this mama's heart is overflowing and I am thrilled that my own kids get to experience not only the joy of Christ, but also the joy of leading others to Him.  It is also a challenge that if my 8 yr. old can tell someone he doesn't know about Christ, anyone can!!!

I just had to pass this along that even when we feel discouraged or attacked, God is working.  If you have an interest in getting a carabiner for your own or for your ministry, contact me and I'll give you the info for them.  I'll also ask you keep praying for Luke's new friend that he can continue to grow in Christ.  And keep my boys in your prayers that they can continue to be a witness and stand up for their beliefs. 

Jumping Into Summer!

June is almost over and July is only a few day away!  That seems impossible some days.  Time really does pass quickly!

Myself, Ruth, and 12 summer missionaries spent the week of June 12th at Cedarville University for CYIA (Christian Youth In Action) training.  During this training, the teenagers are taught how to teach and run a summer 5-Day Club.  I was blessed to take a TCE1 (Teaching Children Effectively) class during this time along with my cousin, Michelle Guilliams.  God has been instrumental in partnering Michelle and I to serve in multiple ministries together.  I was so thankful to have had a week with her to learn and grow together in Christ.  TCE is a phenomenal class!  I cannot express how much God taught me through this week.  It is a class offered as part of the Children's Ministry Institute and is essentially a 30 hr college class crammed into one week.  One of the instructors described it as "drinking from a fire hydrant."  Even though I was tired and missed my family, God challenged me and really pushed me to better my ministry for His purpose.  I love learning how to study Bible passages more thoroughly and even being able to create my own lesson plans which are packed full of the Gospel truths.  I came back on fire and ready to teach what God had put in my heart!

Getting back from a week that full you sometimes feel you need down time, but as they say "there is no rest for the weary."  I was able to serve at Project Shine, a local service project in Kenmore, for the first two days after returning and then jumped right into teaching 5-Day Clubs.  We have 24 scheduled clubs in our area this summer and our teens are excited to teach these kids and invest in their lives.  I love seeing our teen missionaries serving at these clubs!  They all have such a great attitude of service and a heart for the Lord, it is encouraging to see.  Please continue to pray for our staff and teens as we serve each week and pray that the little ones will have their hearts open to receive the Word of God.

In my personal life I do love summer and that I get extra time to spend with Luke and Zach.  They come to clubs with me and are already talking about being summer missionaries someday.  As a mom, it makes my heart smile and I just pray whatever they do, that God will keep them near to Himself and they will want to serve Him.  It has also been nice to enjoy time with Andy now that he is done with classes.  Our evenings are so special to have time to do something as simple as watch a movie all together.  Andy was also able to take Luke & Zach to Father-Son Camp at Stony Glen and make some wonderful memories together.  I have also been busy preparing for VBS at our church which is coming up in 2 weeks.  It's always a great week of fun!!

I am thankful for each of you that take time to pray and for those who give financially.  Both are so important and are making a difference in the lives of children in our community.  I thank God every day for you!  If there is something specific I can be praying for, please let me know.  I would love to hear from you!  You can email me at joanne.flaker@gmail.com.  If you would like to be added to the Akron Chapter's mailing list or to give a tax-deductible gift, you may contact our office at             330-928-1648.

Until the nets are full,
Joanne

  Beautiful sunrise at Cedarville University

The start of 5 Day Club!

Our summer missionaries playing with the kids!

The end of a season...

What a wonderfully, busy season it has been in my life.  Hence the late update to my blog :)

So let me share with you the amazing things God has been doing in my life and ministry.  The ministry of CEF has been nothing short of God's provision and work, time and time again.  We got the approval for a Good News Club to open in a new school starting after Spring break, which was an answer to prayer from the beginning of the school year. It opened with 15 kids enrolled and quickly grew to 25!  The school staff including the principal have been welcoming and encouraging and we are hoping they will have us back in the Fall.  Our other clubs have been winding down.  It is nice to know the break is coming, but my heart also pours out love and concern for these kiddos that I won't see on a regular basis anymore.  Our Annual Fundraising Banquet was also in April and God certainly showed out again!  We were blessed to have 250 people in attendance and raised over $10,000!!!  God is so good!  Within a few weeks of our banquet, our Director Ruth's husband passed away after a long season of health problems.  While this was not necessarily happy news, it has been encouraging to see Ruth trust God in this season of her life and rely fully on Him and His plan for her.  She was able to take some time off and is still joyful in the Lord.

In my life personally, it has also been busy, but full of blessings.  Andy just finished the semester and will graduate with his Associate Degree in Computer Programming.  I could go on about how proud I am of him for completing this while working full time and still helping at home. He has shown reliance on God through the trials and has been a great role model for our boys.  His younger sister, Allison, also married the love of her life, Matt at the beginning of May.  I was blessed to be the matron of honor and Luke and Zach were the cutest ring bearers ever!  It was a wonderful celebration and we continue to pray for their new life together.  The wedding was followed by our oldest son, Luke, making the decision to be baptized on Mother's Day.  A day I most certainly will never forget.  Please continue to pray for him and Zach as well as they continue to grow in their faith.  Needless to say, I have been full of emotions - stress, excitement, joy, sadness, pride, love and gratitude. Through this incredibly busy season the one thing Ruth has challenged me with is to commit everything to prayer and what a difference it makes!

Coming up I'll ask that you pray for our summer ministries.  We will have our CYIA training in June at Cedarville University for our 5-Day Club summer missionaries.  When we return we will have 6 weeks of 5-Day Clubs and end the summer with a week of Camp Good News.  Stay tuned for how you can be praying for these ministries!

Thank you as always for praying for me, my family, and our ministry!  It really is felt and appreciated!

Until the nets are full,
Joanne

Back in Action!

        I am excited to report that I am back to almost “normal” and have had much success in my knee recovery!  Thank you for praying for me and my family during the past couple months.  Prayer makes an incredible difference!

        Our Good News Clubs in Summit County are in full swing and growing all the time. We are excited that we have two new schools opening—one in the Copley-Fairlawn school district and one in Akron Public Schools.  We are excited to have some new volunteers helping in these clubs as well.  Please be in prayer for these new areas and the opportunities to spread the Gospel. 

       This month we held our Curriculum Workshop and trained on the series: “God’s Sovereignty -The Life of Joseph” as well as the Easter club. It was a snow covered day, but we are thankful for the teachers who came and were eager to learn.  We also held our Skating Party for all kids who attend Good News Club throughout our chapter.  We had around 100 in attendance including students, teachers, committee & staff.  Our devotion time was led by Kathy Horner (Assistant State Director) and was a good reminder of God’s love for each child that was there.

       As we look toward Spring, we long for the warm days and beautiful sunshine and have plenty of things we are preparing.  Our Good News Club Rally will be held March 12th at Goss Memorial Church in Akron.  Rally is a gathering of all Good News Clubs for a time of fellowship, Bible quizzing, food and plenty of fun!  We are also looking ahead to our Annual Fundraising Banquet to be held at Hartville Kitchen on April 23rd.  We welcome anyone who would like to attend and learn more about CEF.  If you would like to attend, please call our office at 330.928.1648.  Shortly after our banquet, begins the busy tasks of getting ready for our summer ministries of 5-Day Club and Camp Good News.  Please be praying for all these exciting opportunities and that we will honor God’s plans above our own.

Personally—Thanks again for praying for my ongoing recovery from surgery.  I am blessed to have so much support!  Please be in prayer for the GNC I teach at  Rimer CLC, as we have 45 kids in attendance!  It’s encouraging but definitely takes structure.  Please also be in prayer on March 6th as I share at a supporting church for their missions focus.  Pray God will give me the words He wants me to say to encourage and glorify Himself.  As a wife and a mom, I will always request prayer for my husband, our marriage, and my two precious little boys.  Pray we will continually grow closer to each other and closer to God.