2009

NEW

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9500 Medlock Bridge RoadJohns Creek, GA 30097

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Friends,

Compassion in Action weekend was absolutely life changing! The Volunteer Rally stirred my heart as we worshipped and prayed together for what God would do! It is a privilege to get to be in the background during CIA because I get to see the whole picture. From the 2000+ volunteers who went into the community to share God’s love, to over 400 pairs of shoes sorted and distributed, 70 care packages prepared and sent to our men and women sacrificing their lives for our freedom, a home framed in the parking lot for a family in need, to the thousands and thousands of pounds of food collected from 35 neighborhood food drives, God showed up in a BIG way.

CIA is not just about the projects though. It is the stories beneath the surface that move me to tears. My prayer is that the relationships you built, the hands you held, the smiles you shared or the tears that wet your shoulder will compel you to serve tomorrow and the next day and the next. Compassion in Action is not a check box, but rather a door. You stepped through it – God knocked and

you answered. Look with your new eyes at the community. What do you see?

So what exactly does this whole thing mean? You have to love people! Jesus was the perfect example for us. Even when Jesus was super busy, he would pause and love on people. I am sure he was extremely tired at the end of a week of travel and speaking engagements, but he still ate dinner with people who needed to be loved. Even when he was suffering, he loved people.

So now that the big weekend is over, what will you do? Will you begin serving regularly with one of our community partners? Will you start having neighbors over for dinner? Will you begin having lunch with your co-workers? Will you ask to pray for the waiter or waitress at your favorite restaurant? Will you serve your spouse? We are all ambassadors for Christ. They will know we are Christians by our love.

In His service,

Debra Potter

Non-ProfitOrganizationUS Postage

Paid

TIMELINE8:10 Picked up Cameron and tossed

him a CIA T-shirt. Discussed our stops today as we ate breakfast.

9:00 Pulled weeds, fought back kudzu and spread mulch at the Wellspring Living house. Introduced Cameron to some friends and got a hug or two.

10:00 Helped fill the basic necessity bags for the Norcross Co-op. Sorted shoes for homeless, admired the backpacks for the foster children, and loaded the truck with groceries. Cameron liked pushing the cart.

11:15 Unloaded the groceries at the Norcross Co-op. Cameron helped shelve food. Talked and then prayed with other volunteers. Lost Cameron. Found him in the basement stacking boxes.

12:20 Had subs for lunch. Talked about how good it feels to help others.

12:45 Stopped by Rainbow Village. Laughed watching a boy beg the face painter to decorate his arms too. Cameron played with a few other kids for a while.

1:35 Went to help clear the nature trail at an apartment complex, but others had already finished the job. Cameron said he was tired; took him home. Talked about girls on the way.

2:10 Back home. Walked inside dirty, but with a smile on my face.

To read more about this story, please visit our blog.

CIA STATSOver 2000 volunteers signed upOver 4000 lives touchedOver 3000 meals servedOver 7000 volunteer hours servedOver 1800 bags of groceries collectedOver 1500 notes of encouragement writtenOver 455 pair of shoes collectedOver 200 basic need bags given awayOver 200 blankets made or collectedOver 100 foster care bags madeOver 600 bless a teacher bags madeOver 100 participated in the 13.1 Marathon for Street GraceOver 100 foster care bags madeOver 70 care packages for soldiers shippedOver 50 boxes of clothing boxed up and given outOver 35 neighborhood food drivesOver 10 tons of materials movedExactly 3 families received a houseful of furnitureExactly 1 house framed and put up

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SMALL PACKAGESSometimes great things come in small packages, such as: a diamond engagement ring in a velvet box, a favorite family photograph captured in just a few bytes of digital memory, a song that describes a lifetime sung in less than three minutes, or a baby born in a manger who would become the Savior for all mankind.

Emily Stone and Caroline Mock are small packages, both not yet in their teen years, but both already doing great things.

To read more about this story, please visit our blog.

NORCROSS CO-OPInside the Norcross Cooperative Ministry, moms pick through donated clothing trying to find what could adequately clothe their children for the coming cold weather. They also search the used toys and books hoping to find a gift to take home.

One woman selects a child’s Bible and clutches it against her chest. Another fills her bag with bread, and a child points in disbelief as a volunteer pushes a cart of canned goods toward his mom. “Look, food!” he shouts.

MOVERS AND SHAKERSImagine coming home to find there is no table on which to share dinner with your family, no sofa to relax on, and no bed to sleep in.

The Movers and Shakers first stop was at a two bedroom apartment, home to a single mom and three children. They shared one queen size mattress and took turns sleeping alone on the tattered love seat in the living room.

We had come to deliver three beds for the children. It was just a few days before Christmas.

WILLIS HOUSEPulling onto the driveway of the Willis House, we saw the garden in a far corner of the backyard. The tomato bushes bore so much fruit they nearly doubled over to the ground.

We climbed out of the car at the same time two moms and six young children tumbled out of a minivan. David, a resident, hugged each of the children before he made his way over to us and offered to lead us to the garden.

“I don’t know what everything is, but it sure is growing,” he said.

To read more about this story, please visit our blog.

WHIRLWIND We pulled into an old, rundown apartment complex, one you might think you wouldn’t walk past in the dark. People looked at us from behind drawn blinds or off balconies on the second floor.

Tim got out of the car, and suddenly children came running up to him. He greeted them all by name and began asking them about their days at school.

One apartment had been converted into a classroom. A poster quoting John 3:16 hung on a wall, and a few tables were outfitted with computers for the children to use when doing their homework.

To read more about this story, please visit our blog.

WAYS TO CONTINUING SERVINGThe people in these stories are just ordinary people that were able to be a part of something extraordinary for one reason - they chose to follow. They chose to get out of their routine and get into another person’s life.

Serving other people is an active part of our calling that was modeled by Christ every day he was on Earth.

No matter what the schedule, there are ways to serve all around us. From helping at the Norcross Co-Op to serving at a local school, there are opportunities to serve all week long.

To find out about urgent needs, current opportunities or to contact a member of the Community Outreach staff, please visit www.perimeter.org/communityoutreach. There you’ll be able to find resources and information on what Perimeter’s outreach partners are doing and how you can help.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH INFODebra Potter CO Director678.405.2215 DebraP@perimeter.org

Jackie Dieter CO Coordinator of Leadership Development & Events 678.405.2122 JackieD@perimeter.org Web site perimeter.org/communityoutreach

Blogtouchedbyservice.blogspot.com

KINGDOM INVESTMENTSKingdom Investment is a ministry of Perimeter Church created to help fund the start-up, maintenance and growth of Perimeter’s outreach, mercy and justice ministries and partnerships locally and globally.

Kingdom Investments takes the gifts it receives and then seeks matching gifts from other donors and organizations in order to multiply the value and impact of each gift.

During the 2009 fiscal year, Kingdom Investments was able to more than double the overall value of the funds received and in some cases multiplied the donation several fold.

Donations to Kingdom Investments may be made in one of three ways:

1. You may specify a specific ministry or partner that you would like to support.

2. Donations may be given to Kingdom Investments to apply towards future grants that have the ability to be matched.

For more information on Kingdom Investments go to www.perimeter.org/ki