2010 Ends With Praises for What God Has Done!

In the process of preparation for this blog post, I found and reviewed the goals set in January 2010 for Forest Park Ministry Center. The following goals were met and accomplished. To God be the glory! These include:
• Enrichment for Volunteer Missionaries:
• Sharing Christ – encountering people at various stages in their spiritual walk.
• Working with guests with mental illness – rep from NAMI to speak at an in-service. This was realized this December – a true blessing to all who attended!
• More volunteer missionaries for specific areas:
• Substitutes for when others are out
• Younger ones to step in when necessary
 Begin to mentor / coach using KALEO tool
• Readers for schools
• Southlawn Commons - cooking classes during the summer.
• Funds raised for the renovation, and then the completion of it.
• Finish work in the food pantry
• Carport enclosure
 Set up classroom setting for classes and support groups; room is complete and in use!
• Summer Stories from the Porch
• ESL Classes for Mixtecan parents (concurrently with SSFTP)
• Backyard Bible Clubs
• Both ESL and Backyard Bible Clubs were conducted with the help of supporting churches and with the assistance of team members from Reye de Reyes Baptist Church.
It is nothing short of God’s intervention and grace that, in these tough economic times, His people have seen fit to contribute toward these ministries and enable us to achieve so many of our goals. As we look forward to 2011 and establishing more Kingdom goals, please pray with us to be not only open to whatever God desires, but to be resourceful and creative with the gifts that He provides for missions and ministry. Thank you for your participation in the ministry!

Recently, “Angela” walked in with a somber expression and head hanging low. She was in need of food assistance, but something much heavier weighed on her heart. Just ten days prior, her youngest daughter, once a vibrant 28 year old, had succumbed to a severe illness that took her life, and the family had no financial means to memorialize her or bury her. Prayer, kind words, and a promise to at least ask if anyone could help, lifted her spirits somewhat, and when a few days later, friends and family and two FPMC donors contributed enough for a modest funeral, this family was able to bury their loved one. Thanks to the kindness of God’s people, one monumental burden was relieved from this family.

Time and time again, we see God’s hand move in such incredible ways. In December, the 2nd Annual Ministry Centers Toy Sale hosted nearly 200 parents who were able to select and “purchase” toys for 1,000 children who would not have had gifts from their parents otherwise. What a God-thing!

2010 Statistics That You May Want To Know:
>1,374 guest visits to Forest Park Ministry Center, representing 3,198 family members;
>9 professions of faith and one rededication of his life to Christ;
>MANY new moms reached in home visits through the layette ministry;
>Character reading to K, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd graders in two MPS schools;
>32,042 pounds of food distributed to families in need;
>75+ families helped with utility assistance;
>1200+ Goodwill gift certificates distributed so that guests may shop for needed clothing;
>70 full turkey dinners distributed to families during the holidays.