Watch this video about Jon from this weekend. Do you think we'll get in trouble for making this?

Thanks for coming together to pull of this support for Haiti.  Take a look at the mess you've made. Now someone is gonna have to clean this all this up and get it out of here.

There are very few things harder than parenting... at least parenting well (let's be honest, most dads have considered duct taping that pacifier to the kid's face after putting it back in three or four times). Coming up in April we're going to launch another session of Revolutionary Parenting, a class on how to raise your kids in a way that God would want you to.  Here's a few quotes from people who have already taken the class...

"This class is great! My wife and I have the house all to ourselves now!"

"It's really wonderful knowing that the kids aren't around to barge in any time they want!"

Oh, wait.  I'm sorry.  Those are the quotes from our Revolutionary Retirement class (which doesn't really exist).  Here's the real stuff from real people...

"My wife and I are parents of a six and four year old.  We attended the Revolutionary Parenting Class and learned not only about our own approach to parenting but the parenting of others as well.  In addition to the material that is covered, the discussions that we shared with other parents helped us to implement many new ideas and concepts.  Most importantly, Revolutionary Parenting showed us how to structure our parenting around the Biblical idea of what God intends for us as parents to provide our children."

"The class did a nice job helping my husband and I to think about our job as parents in a more purposeful way, specifically in a spiritually purposeful way.  When we had thought of raising JD, we had thought of the things we needed to do to prepare him with the foundation necessary to be a successful person in this world, but we had NOT always put enough planning into what we needed to do to purposefully prepare him spiritually.  The class helped us to think about what SPECIFIC values and virtues did we want to instill in JD, and THEN what did we need to do to help lay the foundation so that we did create a home and an environment that facilitated those values and virtues.  Now we have the framework that allows us to think about how we are raising him, and are our actions matching up with where we want him to be when he leaves us.  It was an excellent experience."

Southland offers lots of opportunities to sharpen yourself into the person God wants you to be.  If you think Revolutionary Parenting would be for you, keep an eye out for the class in April.  If you're interested in other classes or learning what we have going on, just contact Pauline.

We're getting close to finishing up our Decades series. If you've enjoyed church these last few weeks, Jesus is probably happy about it.  To get ready for this weekend, you should probably watch this video... then we'll see you this weekend.

If you've not stayed plugged into what's going on at the clinics, watch this. And if you'd like to know more or get plugged in yourself, contact Chad at cbowman@refugeministriesky.org or 225-4325 for more information.

The Aha Moment Class for Women...

You're not too late to start coming to the studies.  If you're interested in digging in with over 1000 men and women that have already been going just sign up here.

The Refuge Medial Clinic's purpose is to share the love of Christ by providing the highest quality medical care while administering compassionate and holistic healing to the community.

Our Fayette County clinic has been open for ten months while our Jessamine County clinic has been operating for over a year. To date, we have provided primary care for over 1,000 patients between the two clinics. Our Fayette County dental clinic is up and running and we are expecting Jessamine County to have dental services beginning in February.

We are rapidly growing and need committed volunteers now more than ever! If you are interested in volunteering with us and making a difference in downtown Lexington and Jessamine County, we currently have opportunities for both medical and non-medical volunteers. Please contact Chad Bowman at cbowman@refugeministriesky.org or 225-4325 for more information.

This past weekend you may have heard Jon talk about practical ways to love people in 2010.  One great way is to help our kids and teens!  If you are interested in being in ministry to our students at Southland let us know.  For info about serving in Children's and Nursery Ministries contact Wende at wmalone@southlandchristian.org or 224.1674.  To serve with Middle or High School Students contact Mallory at mrohach@southlandchristian.org or 977.2755.

Southland’s Danville Campus Church opened its doors on Sept. 6, 2009 and we’ve been running full speed ahead from day one. With two Sunday services (10 and 11:30 a.m.), our average attendance is around 600.  

Campus Pastor, Dave Rizer, hosts our weekend services with high quality video teaching from Jon Weece, Southland’s Senior Minister.  We have a vibrant vocal team and band that provide quality worship music every weekend under the leadership of Brian Lucas. Our age level environments on Sunday morning include top notch volunteers who guide preschool and elementary age children through in-room Life Groups, their own video teaching, and activities designed for each age group. Lindsey Stich serves as our Children’s Ministry Director and gives oversight to these leaders and to our Nursery room caregivers to ensure safe and secure environments for each child who attends.
 
We have plans to launch a Student Ministries program (for middle school and high school students) in 2010.  Service in our community is another top priority for this campus – we want to be the best church for the Danville/Boyle County area!
 
Special classes are offered periodically throughout the year.  A monthly class, Welcome To Southland, gives insight into our purpose, goals, and vision.  Beginning in February 2010, Dave Rizer will teach a six-week class titled “The Unstoppable Force.”  This overview of the book of Acts will be  purposeful teaching to correlate with our vision and strategy for Southland.
 
We’re excited about the foundation that has been laid before us and even more excited about what 2010 will bring as we continue to make a difference in the lives of people in central Kentucky.
  

We're about to launch into a few new classes to sharpen our lives. If you want to start it off with a night of worship meet us at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 6, Building E, Worship Center. It's a great way to get focused on Jesus, His love, and how He wants us to live our daily lives. If you'd rather just watch a video of a chimpanzee riding on a segway, click here.  I'd recommend both.

It’s still not too late to get a free H1N1 vaccination this season.

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department will host H1N1 vaccination clinics 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at Bryan Station High School, 201 Eastin Road, and Southland Christian Church (Building F), 5001 Harrodsburg Road in Nicholasville. The shots will be free. The Jessamine County Health Department is co-sponsoring the clinic at Southland.

Anyone with a fever Saturday or with egg allergies cannot get the shot.

The department has provided more than 12,000 H1N1 vaccinations at three clinics held Oct. 31, Nov. 7 and Nov. 21.

The health department will post the latest updated information on the clinics on its Flu Hotline, 288-7529, and online at www.LexFluCrew.com. For additional information, become a fan of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/LFCHD.

It's headlines like this that make me thankful that we live in the Bluegrass.  What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?  Be sure to verbalize it to your friends and family around you.

It was a sea of blue and white. There were crowds, screams of delight, and even a few who shouted “Go Cats!” You may have thought you’d wandered into a mass pre-game tailgating party—but this scene was what people experienced at the “Go Blue” Jesus Prom on Friday, Nov. 13.

The Prom is Southland’s annual event for adults with special needs, and as always this year’s Prom was a night to remember. The theme focused on U.K. sports, and organizers went all out from the Astroturf dance floor to the referee volunteer shirts.

More than 1000 Prom attendees and hundreds of volunteers enjoyed the evening and the amazing atmosphere of acceptance and love that have become the trademark of the Prom.

To read more about this year's prom, click here.

The Call…The Cabbage Patch and…The Kids…

Four years ago we began learning about the country in Africa known as “The Heart of Darkness.” For years this country has been ruled by ruthless dictators that have suppressed and taken from the people. Outside forces, militias from the Rwandan genocide of the 90’s, have made this country a living hell on earth. Today, as you are reading this, 243 people will die from murder, starvation and disease. Today, 53 women will be raped…some brutalized and left for dead. Today, 17 Million people in the Congo are starving.

The Call…

I think God is broken hearted seeing all of this. I think back to the shortest verse in the Bible….”Jesus wept.” I think tears are rolling from His face.

In the past 2 years we have begun development with Food for the Hungry, the Evangelical Church in Eastern DR Congo and just two weeks ago with Ed and Brenda Buell of African Christian Mission in Bukavu. Our main focus is with Food for the Hungry. The Thomas Kelley Project is what we are supporting.

The Cabbage Patch…

Along with our partner Food for the Hungry, Southland has funded the Thomas Kelley Project. The project is a “hand-up” initiative. “Give a man a fish…feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish…feed him for a life time.” For many years numerous organizations have tried to supply food to the DR Congo. Today, starvation remains one of the DR Congo’s biggest problems. Our approach is one of self-sustainability. Remember I said in the beginning of this that rulers had suppressed…the people have to learn and “do it on their own.” They have never been given the opportunity to do better. Southland and Food for the Hungry are merely in the DR Congo to come alongside and help the Congolese provide for themselves. In the picture you see 7 women and 6 men working in the cabbage patch. The cabbage was funded by Southland. The land was a marsh area that flooded constantly. The Congolese knew that this land was some of the most fertile in the area. But, due to flooding, the Congolese could not grow any food in the marsh. Food for the Hungry developed a system of diversion channels to capture the water and divert it around the bottomland. The channels also provided an irrigation system as it ran down the sides of the bottomland and at certain distances across the fields. Here is a picture of a channel.

The other amazing “win story” on this is that there are 6 men working with the women! In Africa, men place the entire burden of work on the women. In the DR Congo as you ride along the roadways you will encounter large groups of “pack-women.” These women, young and old place 100 pound plus bags of charcoal on their backs and carry them all day to the city…sometimes 20 miles or more. We arrived to see the cabbage patch being weeded. The plants are healthy and already returning life to the village. You see, not only can the people eat the cabbage but each head of cabbage is sold to trucks going to the city. The money provides a way for families to afford some other staples and...send the kids to school (in some schools $2USD per week). Now, the village can grow and become self-sustainable. A “win”…ABSOLUTELY!

Other initiatives of the Thomas Kelley Project and our partnership with Food for the Hungry are growing healthy bananas and goat houses. Bananas in the Congo have a disease. Food for the Hungry, with our support, has imported 6 wilt tolerant varieties of Honduran bananas. These are propagated and grown by the people in the village for consumption and sale. In the picture you see the kids learning to propagate and grow the bananas. Each propagator will grow 3000 to 4000 banana plants.

After the bananas reach a certain stage they are transplanted to a field or grove. In 3 villages there are now enough groves of bananas to feed the villages. This comes after just ONE year of our work with the project.

Goats! Yes, goats…In two of the villages where the Thomas Kelley Project is working goat houses are being constructed. These houses will coral the wandering village goats and provide a safe and stable environment. Goats provide milk, cheese and meat and can be sold in the villages and cities. Left outside, they become vulnerable to thieves and thus an asset is gone and so a part of sustainability.

Pretty nice goat house!

The Kids…

The two most vulnerable groups of people in the world are kids and women. Women have been abused and degraded for far too long and yet the example of which day are most telephone calls made rings out loud…do you know the answer? MOTHER’S Day! Where would we be without women? We wouldn’t…think about it. So, why are women vulnerable? What makes men abuse and treat these precious souls so badly? One of the places Southland is hoping to develop a partnership with in the DR Congo is The Hospital at Panzi. Dr. Dennis Mukwege restores the tortured and brutally raped women of the Congo physically and mentally. In 2000 Dr. Mukwege was working in a hospital south of Bukavu mending raped women. He told us that he was caring for over 100 women. One day soldiers came to the hospital and killed all of the women he was restoring. How can this happen? How can he go on? God has definitely placed a call on this man’s life. Please pray that we can develop a partnership. Please pray for the Lord’s leading in this and if we can partner in this work…His love and protection. THIS WILL BE A VERY DIFFICULT WORK! The picture below is of the women at Panzi Hospital getting their daily meal of porridge.

And…the picture below is of a mother who was raped by soldiers gave birth to the little girl standing beside her. Then 3 years passed and soldiers raped the mother again and this time…her 3 year old daughter.

Back to the kids…We would all agree that children are the future. We have to start now sharing about Jesus and the hope He gives. On Friday October 30 the team from Southland was blessed. We shared the story of Noah and how God sent the rainbow as a sign with what we were told would be 50 to 80 children but ended up being 400 to 500 children. Lord…thank you so much for each child that ran through the woods to see the Mugungas (white people). I pray that the two children that looked up at us and said “thank you for coming and we know about Noah” can be used to spread your message to all of the children in these villages.

Our prayer for next time is for enough Kool-Aid and Animal crackers for ALL of the village children. This time we had to look into the eyes of over 300 children that did not get Kool-Aid and Animal Crackers and know that some were starving. This was extremely tough! The pictures show the kids but do no justice to sharing their hearts, hunger and precious little smiles. Notice the bracelets on their arms. The bracelets are fun foam animals, 2 by 2. Thanks to Age Level and Dottie Harney for making these. We gave out over 200. The children were so excited!

Now…how does all of this fit with the Lord’s work and sharing the love of Jesus Christ with others? The relationships we are building mean everything. You have to get to know each other and understand one another and where we both live to know how to move ahead.

Several have asked how the trip to the DR Congo went. I share that we had prayed for clarity of vision and to learn about what the DR Congo was really all about. Careful what you ask for! Our awareness of what is happening in the country grows each time we go. As far as understanding…I am not sure if we will ever understand. I can explain it this way, whenever something seems wrong and perplexing…The Southland team would say to you, “WTC” or “Welcome to Congo!” What a WIN as we continue to walk in this work with the Lord’s leading.

Last and certainly not least some thank you’s. Southeast Christian in Parker, Colorado and Mrs. Kelley, Tom’s wife have, both played a huge part in supporting this initiative and I personally am so thankful. Tom has gone home to be with the Lord but he had the original vision and compassion for the people of the eastern DR Congo. Many thanks for his life and the work that he did. And, as for the Food for the Hungry and the staff in the DR Congo…you all are the best! Michael, Joel, Liz and all of you, you have done great work and truly shown your love and care for others. Thank you for what you do and for all you did for the Southland team!

Thanks to the elders and leaders of Southland for allowing Missions to be a part of this much needed ministry to the people of the DR Congo.

The Refuge Medical Clinic sponsored a Fall Festival for the Connie Griffith Tower Plaza on Friday night, October 30th.  Over 200 residents came down to enjoy the festivities including a live band,  catered dinner, a cake walk, and lots of exciting games and prizes.  The residents and volunteers had a blast and we wrapped up the night with most everyone on their feet (and walkers) dancing!
Thanks to contributions of the Southland congregation we were able to give away personal care items, food, and a lot of love!