Missions
The Missions Department at Valparaiso Nazarene Church is a part of Nazarene Missions International (NMI). The Mission of NMI is to mobilize the church in mission through prayer, education, giving, and interactive experiences. If you are looking for ways to impact the world through Nazarene Missions then you'll want to explore NMI's website at nazarenemissions.org.
Extreme Peru Mission Trip
June 17-29, 2010
In June 2010, VNC is planning on sending a team to join people from all over the world in Peru for Extreme Peru. Extreme Nazarene Ministries has embarked on a two year project with a goal of planting 120 local churches all over Peru. Through the planting of these churches, we pray that hundreds of Peruvians will come to know Christ.
VNC is one of the sponsoring churches and have been assigned to an area in Pucallpa. Pucallpa is a jungle city of about 200,000 people. We do not have any detail yet but our primary objective will be sharing the word of God through evangelism events, sports ministry, medical ministry, and generally showing God's grace and loving on people.
We would love to have you join us on this trip. If you have never been on a mission's trip you will find it to be a life changing experience. Not only will you be an inspiration to those you come in contact with, but God will change your heart in ways you can't imagine.
If interested, or you need some additional information, contact Britt Shipley at britts@valponaz.org. 219-477-5244. You can also go to the website below.
Sharefest
Sharefest is a community involvement event hosted by the Valparaiso Ministerial Association on Saturday, October 10th. It brings many of the areas churches together for a day to love people and help with service projects in our community. It is a wonderful opportunity for Christians to share Gods love through our words and actions. What started six years ago as a Valpo event, has now grown into a Porter County event!
This year, VNC will be working on numerous projects for Opportunity Enterprises and need all the volunteers we can get. The first project will be at their main facility in Valpo where we will be painting some benches. The other projects will be at the new Day Service Facility on Division Road. They need us to finish staining the deck we worked on last year and this summer. We will also be building a planter box around their new sign and possible paining a shed if the weather is cooperative.
If you can swing a hammer, operate a paint brush, push a broom, clean a window, or any other skilled or non-skilled job, you're qualified to help!
Watch the bulletin for Sharefest information or sign up on the at the information table on the foyer. For additional information on helping, please contact Britt Shipley 477-5244 or britts@valponaz.org.
Our Family Center
Our Family Center is a compassionate ministries center located in Hammond, Indiana. The center was founded in 2004 and is located in what at one time was the Hammond Nazarene Church and is supported by the Northwest Indiana District. VNC members Morris Mohler and Britt Shipley are both long time active board members of OFC. Their mission is simple, "Strengthening families in the Hammond area through education, guidance, and compassion."
OFC has many programs that help families and children in the Hammond area. One of the largest programs offered is the Say Yes program which currently helps 50 children after school with homework, study skills, as well as social skills. These kids consistently see improved grades and ISTEP scores, and in many cases, this is the only stability these kids know! They also show great improvement in social skills and behavior. What a success story.
As with all non profit, (501 (c) 3) organizations, they need our help financially. One of the ways you can help is through your donations to United Way. Since many of us donate to United Way each year as a one time donation, or through payroll deduction, you can direct the United Way to send your donations to OFC. When you fill out a United Way pledge card, simply designate that you want your donations to: "Our Family Center, Hammond, Indiana"
If you would like to learn more about Our Family Center, click on the following link to be directed to their website. You can also contact Britt if you would like further information at 477-5244.
Extreme '08 Mission Trip
Where: Pilar, Argentina
"Extreme 08" Mission Trip - On behalf of the VNC team that traveled to Argentina in January for this Work & Witness trip, thank you for your prayers and support! This is the largest single work & witness event VNC has ever been involved in. The VNC team was made up of Britt Shipley, Shawna & Kevin Garner, Duane Bosman, Sandy Harper, and Wendy Swisher. The team joined 435 people from 15 different countries for 2 1/2 weeks in Pilar Argentina. As many of you know, the main construction objective was to complete the Bruno Radi Convention Center on the grounds of the Nazarene Seminary. This is a 2500 seat convention center that also includes dorms and classrooms. We are pleased to report that with God's direction, and grace, the building was finished and the dedication ceremony was conducted before the team left Argentina.
While the construction project was a huge success, the primary goal was reaching out to the lost. During the course of the trip, over 700 Argentines accepted Christ. Praise God! The VNC team spent many hours with the Villa Devoto Church. Villa Devoto is a small church plant in one of the Buenes Aries neighborhoods. The church meets at the home of Pastor Carlos and his family. Currently the congregation is less than 20 people. Many of the adults and children that accepted Christ are from the Villa Devoto area so Pastor Carlos is busy calling on these folks hoping many will start coming to his church. We ask that you include the church and Pastor Carlos as well as each of these new Christians in your prayers.
This was a truely amazing experience for all of us. We saw God do so many things that would not have been possible without his grace. We all made many new friends and came home stronger in our faith than when we left! Don't hesitate to talk to any of the team members as they are more than happy to share their stories!
Crisis Care Kits
NMI Compassionate Ministries will be preparing Crisis Care Kits for emergency situations. Each Crisis Care Kit should contain only the items and quantities requested.
Each kit should be placed in a 2-gallon zip-lock bag and contain:
1 medium size bottle of shampoo
2 bars of soap
1 medium toothpaste
3 toothbrushes
1 box of band-aids
1 fingernail clipper
1 sturdy hair comb
2 hand towels
4 pocket-sized pkgs of facial tissues
1 Beanie Baby-sized stuffed toyFor shipping purposes the items in each Crisis Care Kit must exactly match the inventory report.
Please bring all Crisis Care Kits to the church office.