Welcoming, Worshipping, and Working

(This Week at The Gathering – July 15, 2013)

 

The Gathering has officially welcomed Mike McNamara’s fund-raising team to The Gathering. We have had our initial planning meeting this week and have outlined a three-step action plan to be completed in the next 60 days. That plan includes the formation of a Gathering Advisory Committee which will participate in a feasibility study as well as beginning to contact influential people in the Middletown and surrounding areas as potential donors. In addition, we will be expanding our data base, developing a quarterly newsletter, and creating an “executive e packet” that will be used to introduce the mission and vision to potential donors. We will also be revamping our website.

The Gathering is happy to announce that Diana Coldwell, former director of The Miami Valley Women’s Center in Dayton, Ohio has agreed to be the first member of our Gathering Advisory Board. Diana brings with her a passion for the mission of The Gathering and previous experience in organizing large scale events including concerts, galas, and sporting events for fund-raising. Diana will also be assisting Pastor Carrie in grant-writing and helping The Gathering seek other sources of funding. We are blessed to welcome Diana to our Advisor Board.

This week, The Gathering hit its goal of 200 in worship. With the addition of our new Celebrate Recovery Worship service on Monday night, we welcomed 53 newcomers to our church and had our largest Sunday morning attendance ever. We have increased the number of small groups at The Gathering from 10-16 in the month of July. Four member of The Gathering who completed the “Discovering Your Shape for Ministry” class identified their call to work with children and are now providing free child care for our Celebrate Recovery worship service on Monday night. 

On Saturday, July 6^th, The Gathering welcomed over 120 people from the community to our Gathering Community Block Party. Despite the bad weather, we moved the venue indoors and were still able to offer games and crafts for children, a magic show, Christian wrestling, free food, free transportation, free 8X10 family portraits, and music from local musicians. As a result, many people from a crime-ridden neighborhood in Sherman Park were introduced to the love of Christ and to the ministries of The Gathering. 4 new families joined us in worship the following day. We thank First United Methodist Church and Pastor John Wagner for the use of their van and Christ United Methodist and Pastor Norm Coleman for the use of his photography equipment.

The Gathering goes to work! In the past 2 months, four members of The Gathering who were previously unemployed have secured jobs at United Dairy Farmers in downtown Middletown. We celebrate with them as they work toward financial stability and independence. Other members of The Gathering have secured jobs at Home Depot, independent landscaping companies, and Kohl’s warehouse. In addition, three members of The Gathering have expressed an interest in pursuing professional ministry as a calling. We continue to pray for God’s leading and discernment in their next steps.

Gratitude, Gardens, and Grace

(This Week at The Gathering - June 2013)

HOLY FAMILY PARISH PARTNERS WITH THE GATHERING TO HELP LOW INCOME FAMILIES

Father Seville of Holy Family Parish presented a check for $5,000 from his church to Mae Buchanan of The Gathering this past Sunday. Mae is a single mother with two children, one who is a three-year-old battling brain cancer. Mae has overcome homelessness, poverty, and unemployment to raise her two girls and is one semester away from obtaining a degree in criminal justice from Miami University.  Mae is a children’s leader in The Gathering Seedlings program.

GATHERING TEEN BIBLE STUDY IN FULL SWING

Miles Jena, son of Pastor Carrie Jena opened his home to 12 teenagers from various churches last Thursday for a teen Bible study. Following a cook-out, the teens got to know each other and shared a covenant agreement to participate in the study. The video based curriculum will last for 8 weeks and teaches teens how to confidently share their faith with others and how to stay faithful to their relationship with Christ in the midst of peer pressure.

GATHERING COMMUNITY GARDEN YIELDS ITS FIRST HARVEST

Jim Edwards of the Madison Lion’s club delivered 8 pounds of fresh vegetables to the Middletown Salvation Army food pantry this week from his raised bed at the Gathering Community Garden. The Lion’s Club of Madison and the Kiwanis club of Middletown are using the Gathering Community garden for a competition to see which group can donate the most pounds of vegetables to pantries in the community.  So far, the Lion’s club is off to a great start!

THE GATHERING PARTNERS WITH GRACE POINT NAZARENECHURCH OF TRENTON FOR LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND LAUNCH OF CELEBRATE RECOVERY

17 Leaders from The Gathering, Grace Point Nazarene, and Faith Church of Middletown have almost completed their six-week training program to prepare for the launch of Celebrate Recovery at The Gathering on July 8th.  The Gathering and Grace Point will join together in worship on Sunday, July 7^th to kick off the program that will be held on Monday nights at 6:30.  Celebrate Recovery deals with all hurts, habits and hang-ups including drug and alcohol addiction, gambling, pornography, anger, depression, anxiety, and many more issues.  

THE GATHERING TO PARTNER WITH MIDDLETOWN ART FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN’S “HEALING THROUGH ART” PROJECT.

Beginning in July, The children The Gathering and of the Middletown Art Foundation will work together to paint a mural on the front of the Gathering building.  The mural is designed by artist Brandon Johnston, a local artist in Madison who has studied art at the Savannah College of Art. Brandon has completed three other murals in the downtown area. This mural will represent the diversity of the people of The Gathering and celebrate God’s abundance through the vegetables and flowers of the community garden.