The International Women's Club (IWC) meets on Monday mornings from 10:00 - 12:00 at University Presbyterian Church on the UT campus. The IWC provides a place for International women, most of them wives of UT students, to meet other women, make friendships, practice conversational English and study the Bible, many for the first time in their lives. It is a wonderful ministry and many women have come to Christ as a result of the love shown to them in His Name. Since many of these women are mothers, childcare is essential. Without it, many of these women would not be able to attend the class.
Right now, we need a few women to meet this important childcare need. Childcare is a real ministry, not only to the mothers, but to their children as well. If you are able to commit to at least one semester, please contact Karen Evans or Sharon Hampton. You will need to have a background check and go through some training prior to our first meeting on Monday, Sept. 13. This is a paid position, but the real treasure is in Heaven because this ministry reaches women and their families who have come from "the ends of the earth"!
We are looking for a handful of volunteers to serve international students every Wednesday afternoon for a couple of hours in an English conversation club. The class will start Sept. 1, every Wed. from 2:45 - 4:15 at the Baptist Student Ministry. The volunteers are asked to help set up the room, facilitate discussion on a variety of topics including Christian holidays, beliefs, marriage and dating, education, movies and entertainment, etc., and basically and most importantly show the love of Christ to these students.This is a really "low bar" opportunity to get engaged with the nations here in Austin! If you are interested, please let us know by emailing makedisciples@austinstone.org!
What is poverty? Who comes to mind when you think about "the poor"? How we think about poverty directly effects how we will engage the poor.
Whether you are preparing to serve in a developing country or just thinking about walking with your underserved neighbors in the city, we've found this resource to be a valuable tool. When Helping Hurts, a book by Steve Corbett and Dr. Brian Fikkert, covers a spectrum of topics from a biblical theology of poverty to practical tips and tools for development.
This book is currently available at our resource table on Sundays.
You can also learn more about the book and various accompanying study guides and classes by visiting their website: www.whenhelpinghurts.org
[The following is a post from Michelle Slape, after her return from a short term trip serving the unreached in Central Asia this summer]
After just 2 days at Camp Olive Grove I found myself thinking, man, I really want to come back next year…but made myself wait to verbalize it until after I’d been there at least a week! When talking with one of my co-counselors, Jeremy, about my love for camp and how much I enjoyed every minute at Olive Grove he said something profound. “It’s because we’re living in community like the Bible talks about.” WOW. He hit the nail on the head. For 2.5 weeks I got to eat, work, play, sleep, pray, worship and study the Bible with other believers daily. Basically in our own small way, we were a living example of the Acts 2 church:
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. – Acts 2:42-47
Not only that, but we had all come to camp on “mission” for Christ. To serve the kids at [KEEP READING]
The second avenue The Austin Stone has taken with refugee ministry is the Village Community Center. The Village Apartments on Lamar have a relatively large population of refugees as it is one of several complexes where refugees are resettled by Refugee Service of Texas (RST) in Austin.
In contrast to refugee family adoption, the Community Center enables us to impact the lives of many refugee families as opposed to one.The Austin Stone, along with Westover Hills Church of Christ and Hope in the City, have rented out an apartment in the Villages, known as the Village Community Center.
The front room has been transformed into a multi-purpose room of sorts with whiteboards, sewing machines and computer access. From here, refugee children get help with their homework, ESL classes are taught, and Burmese women learn to use sewing machines.
The back room has become a children’s area, furnished with a blackboard and chalk, TV/VCR and videos, various toys and games, and lots of books. Here children can play after they are finished with homework or while their parents are learning in the front room. There are approximately 10 refugee children who regularly take advantage of this opportunity and receive help with their homework.
The Village Community Center, maybe most importantly, serves as a safe and loving place for refugees, a place where they are met with friendly faces and loving conversation.
Through partnerships with other churches, [KEEP READING]
There's a lot of good stuff over at the 100 People Network blog. The blog exists to resource and encourage Goers, Senders, and Mobilizers for the Great Commission.
Be sure to add the blog (as well as this one) to your favorite RSS reader. We recommend using Google Reader!
Here are a few recent posts:
- Carl Medearis: Loving Your Muslim Neighbors
- Advocacy Team Resource: 10 Easy Ways to Bless Goers, View Series
- 5 Great Commission Myths, View Series
- Ministry Profile: Preemptive Love Coalition
- What God is Up to in Turkey Through Our Goer
- Ministry Profile: Medical Missions Response
- Educators/Business Professionals Infosession: WellSpring School
- #4 of the 100 People: From Danbury to Taipei!
- Where Are Our Men?
- John Piper: Let the Nations Be Glad
- An Unadjusted Gospel in an Unreached World
- College Students: Listen and Heed!
- How to Know God's Will: Series Overview
Over on the 100 People Network blog, Austin Stone GOER "Andrea" explains how God led her to Turkey and some of the exciting events that are taking place there. Check it out!
Check out the 100 People Network blog where The Austin Stone's Minister of International Mission, Ryan King, interviews Carl Medearis about his books Muslims, Christians, and Jesus and Tea with Hezbollah (with Ted Dekker) on how American Christians can better love their Muslim neighbors.
Carl's advice is well worth heeding for all of us who interact with Muslims in America and abroad.
Check out this month's 100 People Network update. It is full of ways you can get involved either as a Goer, Sender, or Mobilizer for Great Commission.
Check out Dustin's story on the Texas Sports website today! Dustin is a partner at The Austin Stone serving in the area of media evangelism and church planting in rural Muslim villages in Nigeria. This short video describes some of what his life and ministry looks like in Nigeria.
Follow updates on our Austin Stone youth ministry trip to Memphis, TN at Tyson Joe's blog! Read about their unexpected travel incidents!
Over the next several months, we will be sending teams all over the world! As you look at the summary below, please pray for the teams and the people they will serve.
Join us this Tuesday, June 1 at our First Tuesday prayer service as we pray for those who will go and do this summer all over the world [details and map].
Keep checking back for stories from our teams as they serve as Christ's hands and feet this summer!
The story below one Austin Stone mom, Christie Neville, exemplifies how anybody can be involved in serving the nations right here in Austin! For more information on how to serve refugees in Austin, see our blog series and then let us know you are interested in serving!
I had to share this story with you about our missional community group and families living on mission. It is really sweet.
Today, our group hosted a mother's day celebration for the mothers/women at one of the refugee complexes here in Austin. We wanted to bless and honor them - especially given that these women are not well regarded in their own countries.
We brought over cakes and drinks and roses for each of the women and put together 26 beautiful food baskets. Our missional community group donated all the food (fresh fruits/vegetables/beans /rice) and supplies. On Saturday, we had the kids put the baskets together at the park, it was a huge family affair. On Sunday, we had the kids and families deliver the baskets as well as host the mother's day celebration. They not only served the refugees cake and drinks but really connected with them. It is Amazing how much can be communicated with few words!! (the refugees spoke little
English)
We also hosted some of the Nepalese women at our weekly prayer time and luncheon. We had 3 Hindu and 3 Christian refugees join us on Friday in Westlake! We had the privilege of praying for them (and then taking them to the mall of which they had never seen [KEEP READING]
Below is a video introduction of our Austin Stone partner, Dustin Miksch, and his colleagues who are working in Nigeria with Serving in Mission. Dustin serves in the area of media evangelism and church planting in rural Muslim villages in Nigeria.
Dustin comes on the video at minute 2:16.
"What is God's will for my life?" is one of the most often asked questions that comes up when a person considers whether to be a GOER to the nations for the sake of the Gospel. This 100 People Network blog series will help you identify how God wants you to invest in the nations - whether that be as a GOER, SENDER, or a MOBILIZER.