CROSSROADS COMFORT QUILTERS: Do you know someone who has cancer? CrossRoads Comfort Quilters would like to give people who are fighting cancer a Hope Quilt, but we need your help! Most importantly, we need names of those who need the quilts. We also accept donations of 100% cotton material, or gift cards for fabric stores. Please join us Tuesdays at 12:00 pm in the Ministry Center to help us assemble the quilts. You do not need to be a quilter or even know how to sew! We need people to press fabric, cut material, write the Bible verses on blocks, and some to sew the blocks together. If you have a quilting machine, bring it with you! Contact Gayle Brosnan-Watters, 480-290-8835, or glbrosnan@aol.com for further information or to give us names.
THE MERCY PROJECT
The Lord has called the Church to take care of the poor and needy and to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We believe that Gad has called us to holiness but also recognize that there is no holiness except social holiness. CrossRoads seeks to walk out the mercy value through three distinct avenues of implementation. Those avenues are Partnerships, Engagements and Understanding.
It is our prayer that THE MERCY PROJECT would continue to evolve. As God expands the horizons for CrossRoads, the potential to reach other areas of need will continue to grow. We envision a time where CrossRoads would be addressing the needs of battered and abused women, partnering with free community health clinics, addressing child-slave labor in Phoenix, orchestrating small business loans in foreign countries, and addressing special needs and mental illnesses.
If you would like to organize and facilitate a new ministry area, or God has given you the desire to address a specific need, please let us know so that we may help you reach the needs of our community.
PARTNERSHIPS
CrossRoads has intentionally linked arms with multiple local and international endeavors. The goal of Partnerships is to provide a consistent presence so that CrossRoads is intimately connected to the needs of the community, both locally and internationally. Not only do we desire to know the needs of people but we strongly desire to work to fulfill those needs. Partnerships may take many different forms ranging from loaning the use of our facility to overseeing entire ministries.
ENGAGEMENTS
In addition to Partnerships, we believe there are many more opportunities all around our city where we can be the hands and feet of Jesus. We are calling these opportunities, Engagements. Engagements include social services and compassionate ministries that CrossRoads has not chosen to be in Partnership with, but highly recommends. We will provide contact information that allows you to directly contact that organization for immediate hands-on service, not only helping the community but growing in your journey with Christ. There are great opportunities for you to Engage with your small group, with your family, or individually.
UNDERSTANDING
Through this third avenue CrossRoads will work to increase awareness and Understanding through teaching, training, and funneling information, empowering you to operate in the community in unique ways. Some possible Understanding venues could show you how to become a coach for your child’s sports team, or how to set up a prayer support team during a move or job transition, or learn the necessary skills to engage this culture. Our Understanding of the needs of the community and potential to learn skills to meet those needs are a vital part of our mercy value.
Armenia
Mercy Target Group: The people of Armenia
Involvement: Medical Missions Trips, Custom involvement
One of our international partnerships, since 2004, has been with the country of Armenia. This partnership has allowed CrossRoads to come alongside the Armenian church leadership in various ways, enabling the Armenian church to move from a place of receiving, to a point where they themselves are now able to partner with other churches and go into other countries. Our Armenian partnership has included everything from providing assistance with pastor's salaries, buying vehicles, and purchasing property, to sending medical teams, youth teams and work and witness teams. Our desire is to expand the partnership this year by adding a leadership conference led by Pastor Dave and Pastor Curt, as well as a women's retreat team.
branded and StreetLight
Mercy Group: Child Prostitution and Slavery in Phoenix, AZ
Involvement: Awareness, Legislation, After-Care
More info: www.brandedphx.com or www.streetlightphx.com
Churches, government, market-place leaders, and non-profits have been collaborating to raise advocacy, develop preventative programs, and build a holistic secure community for rehabilitation of those coming out of child prostitution.
It has been the collective belief that the city of Phoenix could be an example to cities in our nation and around the world of the enormous potential when different sectors of society come together to meet physical, spiritual and social needs.
Get Involved:
For Small Groups, Families, Individuals
Raise awareness through visiting the website and watching the video and sharing with others.
Take action to help stop child rape for profit now!
Pray for:
Abundant Protection and Courage for those on the front lines, fighting to combat this injustice.
Against the darkness that blinds those that enable and perpetuate this destructive cycle.
Every young person enslaved tonight, and tomorrow, and...
The development of programs poised to rescue and restore innocent victims released from the world of slavery.
We believe that when churches come together people will come together and share resources that serve the greater good of the community. It is then that it is possible to change the world in sustainable ways. After meeting with city officials in Phoenix and other cities around the U.S. a strategy was developed. Along with Food for the Hungry and the Phoenix Vice Squad a three point strategy was developed.
Child Sponsorship
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries
Mercy Group: Hungry, Poor Children of the World
Involvement: Monthly Financial Commitment
More Info: http://ncm.org/cs/
Nazarene Child Sponsorship is a ministry that engages the sponsors and the local church to act on behalf of children living in poverty by providing a tangible expression of the love of Jesus Christ and developing a personal relationship between the sponsors and the sponsored child. Through your monthly participation, children have the opportunity to receive food, education, job training, life skills, and spiritual guidance.
Be faithful to your monthly financial commitment to your sponsored child.
CrossRoads Nazarene Church currently sponsors 90 different children around the world. It is our sincere belief that we can triple our overall sponsorship.
Crisis Care Kits
Mercy Group: People in disaster situation around the world
Involvement: Purchasing items and packaging in Ziploc bag
More info: Click here
Crisis Care Kits (CCKs) continue to meet the needs around the world. The kits have gone to places like Belize, California, Dominican Republic, Greensburg, Kansas, Haiti, Jamaica, Jordan, Louisiana, Philippines, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, and Zambia. Your generosity makes an incredible difference!
Each local church is challenged to donate enough kits to fill at least one banana box (six CCKs per banana box). The CCK emphasis will be in December; however, kits may be donated year-round. People are encouraged to provide kits when disasters occur around the world so sufficient quantities are available. December 1, 2009 is the deadline for mailing Crisis Care Kits. This date marks the end of the CCK year. Any CCKs received after December 1, 2009, will be credited to 2010.
Family Promise
Mercy Group: Families temporarily without a home
Involvement: Customize through the week of
More info: http://familypromiseaz.org/
CrossRoads Nazarene Church, along with 16 other churches in the Valley, partners with Family Promise to help temporarily homeless children and their families. The families are hosted in the Youth Building for one week. The families spend their days at the Day Center in Phoenix during the week, and return to the church in the evenings and holidays. We like to make the stay at CrossRoads memorable and fun for these families, as well as providing a safe place to stay and well-balanced meals.
Hosting Dates for 2010:
January 17-24, 2010
July 11-18, 2010
August 15-22, 2010
December 5-12, 2010
Get Involved:
For Small Groups, Families, Individuals
Basic Needs
Items, supplies, and other necessities requested at the kiosk in the church ramada
Foster and Adoptive Children
Mercy Group: Foster and adoptive children
CrossRoads supports The Arizona Association for Foster and Adoptive Parents, Aid to Adoption of Special Kids, America World Adoption as well as other non-profit organizations working to meet the unique needs of foster and adoptive children and their parents. CrossRoads is the location for weekly, monthly, and yearly meetings to raise awareness, build advocacy, and empower those interested in adoption and foster care. CrossRoads also hosts a week-long summer camp, through Royal Family Kids’ Camp, specifically tailored to foster kids. Pregnancy Care Center of Chandler offers adoption services at the center, through the Christian Family Care Agency, to asses and place children with families. There are opportunities to support these organizations through prayer and volunteer support.
For Our City, Chandler
Mercy Target Group: The people of Chandler
Involvement: Customized through partnership with faith communities
Under Mayor Dunn, a coalition of faith based organization have come together to work in unity to make an impact in the city of Chandler. A conversation has been initiated to give the opportunity for the faith community to have open, safe, and effective dialogue to provide an environment that enhances relationship with the faith and civic leadership through serving together as an expression of faith in the city of Chandler. CrossRoads has been active in the city of Chandler for many years and has joined with other faith based communities through For Our City, Chandler by combining resources and volunteer hours to produce the maximum amount of good in our city. For Our City, Chandler will continue to form and establish a network of faith based organizations working together to enhance the Kingdom of God.
Friendly Chapel Church of the Nazarene was started in 1972 and is located in a high-crime area near the Arkansas River in N. Little Rock. Bro. Paul Holderfield and Friendly Chapel are widely known for their compassionate ministries to the down and out and homeless, along with confronting and overcoming prejudice. Through the ministry of the “Soup Kitchen” hundreds are fed daily with sack lunches or soup. Visitors to the soup kitchen know they will receive more than a meal, they will see the love of Christ in the flesh. CrossRoads has taken multiple trips, adult and youth, to Friendly Chapel. We’ve had the opportunity to run VBS, basketball camps, work in the soup kitchen, work at the food bank, remodel homes, participate in Random Acts of Kindness, and served alongside the community in making a difference.
Galveston Community Partnership
Mercy Group: Families of the Galveston Community
Involvement: Customized
Over the 2 years, CrossRoads has developed a relationship with families in the Galveston Community area. Over the past years, CrossRoads was privileged to be involved in several different ways. CrossRoads has purchased and deliver Christmas gifts to these families; academic support through Book Buddies, Masterpiece Art Program; Childcare; English as a Second Language classes; teacher and staff support.
CrossRoads will continue to help the families in our community through a variety of different means. If you would like to get involved there will be a place for you.
The LINKS program of the Church of the Nazarene is a network of personal connections between missionaries and Nazarenes around the world. Missionaries are assigned to districts and then connected to local churches. This provides the opportunity to become personally acquainted with a missionary family and their field of service. Typically, churches send packages, cash gifts, cards, and other remembrances to their LINKS missionaries.
The LINKS missionaries assigned to CrossRoads are Michael and Julie Shalley who are presently in Namibia, Africa. To view their online bio, click here.
The retired LINKS missionary assigned to to the Arizona District are Wallace and Mona White. Wallace went to be with the Lord on Saturday, May 3, 2008. She is asking for prayer to find strength and courage to have quality of life without Wallace, to find meaningful relationships at the Assisted Living Center, and to be open to ministry to others. Please email The Mercy Project for her contact information.
Get Involved:
For Small Groups, Families, and Individuals
Write your LINKS missionaries and assure them of your prayers, asking for personal requests.
Send remembrances for special days like birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Remember, surface mail takes quite a while to arrive in some locations, so plan accordingly.
Children and youth find it especially meaningful to become personally acquainted with a missionary or a missionary's child. Encourage young people to send cards, small gifts, pictures, videos, and audiocassettes to your church's LINKS missionaries.
Check the Unofficial LINKS Lists by clicking here. Have your LINKS missionaries posted specific needs for their field with which you can help?
To ensure the safety of missionaries, World Mission does not include missionary contact information. If you need contact information for a missionary, please contact our district LINKS coordinator by emailing The Mercy Project.
International Student, Inc.
Mercy Group: International Students
Involvement: Year Commitment/Thanksgiving Host
More Info: www.isionline.org/
CrossRoads partners with the ISI Friendship Partner program enabling you to become a friend to an international student. Expense and time can be minimal: have them over for dinner once a month, give them a call once in a while, or invite them to join your family for holiday activities. These relationships are meaningful and make an everlasting impact.
Get Involved:
For Small Groups, Families, Individuals
Participate in being a friend to international students attending ASU.
Open your daily lives to them, invite them to dinner, holidays, ball games, etc.
Fill out appropriate paperwork with ISI to become involved
Thanksgiving
Invite one or more students to Thanksgiving
This allows an opportunity to share God's love with international students
Provides an opportunity to see if God is calling you to become a Friendship Partner during the school year
Medical Missions
Mercy Target Group: People in need of medical care around the world
Involvement: Armenia trip, other customized
The vision of Medical Missions is to go into the world and help local pastors and missionaries form relationships and bridges to their community. Medicine is used as the key to pave the way. CrossRoads has served in areas such as Armenia, Ukraine, and Guatemala. Medical Missions would like some new healthcare providers to join the teams, including MD, DO, NP, PA, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists. However, any one interested in participating is welcome to join and spread the Gospel through medicine.
Mission Corps
Mercy Target Group: Those interested in short term mission trips
Involvement: Short term mission trips (1-3 months or 6-12 months)
We live in a day of great opportunity! As the Church of the Nazarene reaches out around the world, our missionaries are being challenged to be able to meet the many needs around them. Volunteers are responding from every age group and career background with a variety of skills, gifts, and talents to help meet those needs. The Church of the Nazarene sent out 508 Mission Corps volunteers in 2008! Mission Corps provides training in cross-culture orientation, connects skills and availability to serve in the right place around the globe, and walks alongside you to make sure the proper preparations are made before you go. If you would like to be involved in a volunteer missionary ministry, Mission Corps empowers individuals to serve where God is calling.
Meals on Wheels
Mercy Group: Local Men and Women needing food
Involvement: Custom
More info: http://www.mowaa.org/
Our vision is for community outreach, ministry to people with dietary needs, and to fulfill the Great Commission in concrete ways. The biggest obstacle is lack of volunteers to deliver the meals.
Get Involved:
Contact Shawna Fellenz with Community Services of Arizona to volunteer.
Pregnancy Care Center
Mercy Group: Women with unplanned pregnancies and their families
Involvement: Counseling - one year; Occasional special events
More info: http://www.pccchandler.com/
Pregnancy Care Center of Chandler (PCC) is committed to assisting women who are facing unexpected pregnancies. All of the services are free and confidential. Since July 2007, PCC has provided over 600 services to women. Of those 600 services, only 4 are known to have chosen a path other than adoption or parenting.
Get Involved:
For Small Groups
Donations of coffee, bottled water, toilet paper, file folders, copy paper, postage stamps, 13 gallon trash bags, paper cutter will help make operating costs manageable.
Provide baby store supplies
Provide awareness
Prayer support
For Individual Ladies
Volunteer counseling (4 hour a week commitment for one year)
Project C.U.R.E.
Mercy Group: Global Healthcare
Involvement: Customized
More info: http://www.projectcure.org/
Project C.U.R.E. exists to identify, solicit, collect, sort and distribute medical supplies and services according to the imperative needs of the world. Project C.U.R.E. is the world’s largest supplier of donated medical supplies and equipment.
Before delivering medical relief, Project C.U.R.E. requires an in-depth, on-sight Needs Assessment study of the recipient organization, hospital or clinic by a representative of Project C.U.R.E. Following the Needs Assessment study, Project C.U.R.E. compiles an inventory list of available medical supplies and equipment from our extensive inventory in the collection centers in the U.S. and the U.K. Generally, Project C.U.R.E. delivers medical relief in 40-foot ocean-going cargo containers. When necessary approvals of the inventory are received by Project C.U.R.E., the cargo container is loaded and transported to a port city and stacked aboard an ocean-going ship.
Get Involved:
For Small Groups, Families, and Individuals
Sort and Package Supplies
Clean and organize equipment
Pick-up supplies (personal vehicle or large truck) from local donors
Prison Ministry
Mercy Group: Inmates and their Families
Involvement: Customized
We can be overwhelmed by statistics on crime, but we believe that hope comes from lives changed through the love of Jesus Christ. The primary objective of Prison Ministry is to be ambassadors for Christ by proclamation and demonstration. Through diversity and unity of lay leadership from local churches we can provide ministry teams to proclaim the gospel and coordinate local ministry programs for those impacted by crime.
Get Involved:
For individuals
Saturday Bible studies, random visitation
Lead Bible Studies, seminars, discipleship, visitation, counseling, transition counseling and guidance, ministering to families and victims, pen-pal.
Angel Tree
Mercy Group: Children of men and women in prison
Involvement: Customized (late October-early December)
More Info: www.angeltree.org
Angel Tree Christmas gives churches an opportunity to share Christ's love by helping to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the families of prisoners. Participating in Angel Tree is a powerful way for you to lovingly answer the biblical call to minister to the least of these. CrossRoads makes an annual commitment to this highly rewarding program, and recognizes it as a way to care for some of the most overlooked members of our culture. Angel Tree Christmas works by connecting parents in prison with their children through the delivery of Christmas gifts.
Royal Family Kids' Camp (June 21 - 25, 2010)
Mercy Target Group: Foster Kids
Involvement: Customized
More info: www.rfkc.org
Royal Family Kids' Camp is designed to create positive memories for children in the state foster care system, providing them with a glimpse of hope for a better future. Royal Family is the nation's leading network of camps for abused, neglected and abandoned children. Annually, 3.6 million cases of child abuse, neglect or abandonment are reported in America. One of these victims dies every six hours due to that abuse. But you can make a difference — through your support of Royal Family Kids' Camps!
Volunteers are needed to fill counseling and staff position, Birthday team party, registration team, welcome home team, welcome dinner team, camp preparation, laundry detail, and more ways to be a donor. Click here to see a detailed list of camp needs.
Sterling House Assisted Living
Mercy Target Group: Assisted Living
Involvement: Customized
The residents would benefit from any further attention, love, and encouragement from our church family. “Spiritual influence” would be welcomed as many of the residents hold dear to their Christian roots. The best opportunity available is to assist in established activities or provide new and additional activities. The residents of the Sterling House would greatly benefit from time spent.
Get Involved:
Events in place:
Friday evening Theme Party once a month
Sunday evening Bingo 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm
For Small Groups, Families
Help with daytime field trips
Pampering/Nails
Organize “good deeds” residents can do for others
Scrapbooking class
Provide entertainment such as music/choir/dance/music recital
Tempe Homeless Outreach
Mercy Group: Homeless of Tempe, AZ
Involvement: 2nd Saturday of each month.
Tempe Homeless Outreach is an opportunity to share a good meal, a warm smile, and God’s love with the needy in our community.
Serving the 100 guests at Moeur Park is the heart of the ministry. We leave the church gym parking lot at 5:30 pm on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Anyone is welcome to come and bring a dish to share, or drop off a covered dish to help. Donations are also crucial in reaching out to the homeless. Click here to view accepted donations and guidelines. If you would like to support this outreach by donating, please clearly mark them “Tempe Homeless Outreach” and leave them on the church dock.
Get Involved:
For Small Groups, Families, and Individuals
Participate in serving at Moeur Park
Prepare, purchase a main course or side dish for 15-20 people.
Bring to Church at 5:30 pm in the southeast parking lot the 2nd Saturday of each month or meet at Moeur Park
Donate (click here for accepted donations and guidelines):
United Blood Services
Mercy Target Group: Phoenix Metro Hospitals
Involvement: 1 hour blood donation
More Info: http://www.unitedbloodservices.org/
25,000 blood products were imported into Arizona last year to meet our own hospital needs. 700 blood donors are needed DAILY in our state. United Blood Services supplies all the East Valley hospitals, Mayo and the VA. UBS supplies 92% of the Phoenix metropolitan blood supply.
Please do not wait to schedule an appointment. We strongly desire to exceed the expectations and generously give to those in need. We have the potential to increase UBS resources dedicated to the drive if we can surpass our 120 person quota. We need more HEROES!
The Water Crisis
Mercy Target Group: People in the world lacking clean water and proper sanitation
Involvement: Customized
The absence of clean drinking water and poor sanitation are having a devastating effect on people across the globe. Lack of sanitation is the world's biggest cause of infection. In fact, 3.6 million people die each year from water-related disease. A child dies every 15 seconds due to a lack of clean drinking water.
CrossRoads intends to do something about this problem locally and globally. Within the next year we would like to raise enough money to build a water well in Africa, supplying at least 300 people with clean drinking water. Giving as little as $1 will give 1 African clean drinking water for a year. The water crisis is also a local problem. CrossRoads intends to provide help to those who do not have access to clean drinking water in the East Valley. by being a water collection site for distribution. As the year moves forward we hope to have more opportunities to make an impact in this area by simply providing basic life necessities.
We Are Family International
Mercy Target Group: The needs of the poor and needy.
Involvement: Customized
We Are Family is a non-discriminating humanitarian organization, based on biblical principles, that serves by meeting and improving the needs of the poor and needy. We Are Family provides assistance in bringing hope and unity by the way of equipping, supporting, and providing food, shelter, health, clothing and education. We Are Family desires to advance these outreach efforts by fostering a long-term relationship with churches and other non-profit organizations.
Crossroads has partnered with We Are Family in providing supplies for Nogales, Mexico during Christmas. We look forward to helping provide items for the thrift store, providing well-priced items to the community, as well as turning donated items into funds, and connecting with We Are Family in projects this year.
Get Involved:
We Are Family primarily supports its partnership projects through their non-profit thrift stores.
Donation of clothing, furniture, house hold items, building material, electronics, children items, sporting goods, basic materials and more.
Additional warehouse and retail space.
Volunteers to pick up, sort, repair, inventory and load supplies and equipment.
Moving trucks or trailers to pick up donated items
Work & Witness
Mercy Target Group: Countries around the world
Involvement: CrossRoads trips
The Church of the Nazarene’s Work and Witness teams go to every region of the world and partner with local churches in construction projects, technical needs, evangelism and compassionate ministries. In 2008, there were over 10,750 missionary volunteers, mobilized in 722 Work and Witness teams, who gave 812,200 labor hours and 390 years of donated labor in the Church of the Nazarene. In the last decade, CrossRoads has participated in adult and teen trips to Australia, Armenia, Tanzania and Mexico. There have also been trips here in the U.S. to Chicago, New York City, North Little Rock, and Los Angeles, including multiple projects locally and throughout the state. Our current international partnerships are with the country of Armenia and the city of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. The next Work and Witness trip to Tapachula, Mexico is scheduled for March 18-27, 2010.
The Yellow Bag Ministry is a partnership with the Chandler Christian Community Center (CCCC), in collection and distribution of food.
We are assisting the CCCC in providing the various resources they make available to families in need of basic items. Our donations assist the center in providing food and clothing to more than 82,000 people in Chandler! Our partnership also helps provide domestic violence victims with the means to start anew. Services such as food and clothing banks, English language classes, job services, narcotics anonymous, back-to-school necessities, and Operation Santa are also provided for those in need.
Get Involved:
For Small Groups, Families, and Individuals
Pick up Yellow Bag at CrossRoads.
Fill with requested items.
Return to CrossRoads with items (complete or partial fulfillment).
Armenia