Doug Stringer Invited to Disaster Relief Panel in D.C.
The Heritage Foundation has invited Doug Stringer to represent faith-based organizations at an event they are calling, “Grassroots Response: Citizens Taking Care of Citizens During Disasters,” scheduled for August 24 in Washington D.C. Doug will be part of a panel that will also include a representative from a large corporation that contributed to Katrina and Rita relief efforts, a representative from the Texas State Defense Forces, and a local Mississippi government official. Former Virginia Governor, James Gilmore will provide concluding remarks. The event is being held in conjunction with the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which is August 29.
Somebody Cares New Orleans Update
Please continue to pray for City Cathedral, our Somebody Cares affiliate in New Orleans East, as they have decided to shut down their relief distribution tent. “We will, of course, continue to minister to individuals who come in for assistance, but we have decided, after one year now, to close down the drive-through distribution,” says Andrew Benson, one of the elders at the church. God used the drive-through operation as an incredible vehicle for ministry. “We sometimes had 200-250 cars a day,” he says, “and we prayed with every individual or family who came through. So many people would come back to tell us how the prayers we prayed were miraculously answered! Many of those people are now members of our church.” Please continue to pray for City Cathedral and all of the churches that continue in the tremendous task of rebuilding and restoration.
Indonesia Relief Continues
Please continue to pray for our Somebody Cares America/International ministry partners such as Indonesian Relief Fund, Operation Blessing and others as they continue relief efforts from the recent earthquake and tsunami.
Digital Bible Society Needs Blank CDs!
The Digital Bible Society in the Woodlands TX—part of the Somebody Cares Houston Compassion Coalition—has been creating biblical libraries on CD for the persecuted church in China for several years. These CDs contain 3 translations of the Bible in Chinese and a wealth of resource materials, including audio scriptures, Bible studies, commentaries, worship music and more. They’re lightweight, easily transported, and can be copied in minutes! DBS’s goal is to send 50,000 of these into China this year, to be distributed for free across that nation. Please consider purchasing spindles of blank burnable CDs, praying over them, and donating them to DBS. We’re calling this the Spindle Project.
“We see this as an opportunity to encourage that fervency and unity in prayer by giving groups a tangible project to pray over,” says Ken Bitgood, executive director of DBS. “Sending Bible CDs into China supplies the believers there with weapons for spiritual warfare in the face of persecution.”
Soul-Fest Weekend in New England
Somebody Cares New England was given a vendor table at Inside Out Soul Fest, New England’s premier Christian music and teaching festival, being held this weekend at Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, New Hampshire. In addition, SCNE Director Marlene Yeo was invited to speak at one of the workshops about Somebody Cares New England and to teach on being a “Compassion Missionary” to your local city. “Any one can feel like a hero in another country, going on a mission trip for two weeks,” says Marlene in her workshop description. “But what are we going to do in the midst of the poverty, violence, addictions and abuse in our own cities?” Marlene asks for prayer for the event throughout the weekend. Over 12,000 people are expected to attend.
Somebody Cares Humble Announces 2006 Scholarship Recipients
Buddy Hicks Ministries, our ministry partner facilitating Somebody Cares Humble, has awarded its Jay and Sally Mincks Scholarships for 2006. This year’s recipients are: Mariah Kizerol, who is planning to attend University of Texas at Austin; Sarah Power, planning to attend Stephen F. Austin; and Caitlin Strong, also planning to attend Stephen F. Austin. The scholarship program is open to all students living the greater Humble area. They are required to perform 250 hours of community service annually, maintain good grades, have a drug-free lifestyle, foster good relationships with parents and school officials, and exemplify an attitude of serving others throughout the duration of the program. Participants are also required to attend weekly mentoring classes. Buddy Hicks Ministries/Somebody Cares Humble also operate Fuel Cyber Café and Humble Skate Park, venues that serve as the base of operations for the mentoring/scholarship program, which currently includes approximately 40 students.
Somebody Cares Houston Partners With Operation Blessing for City Reach Initiative
Somebody Cares and OBI are partnering in Houston for a new City Reach Initiative. The goal of the project is to begin with 25 families to make a long-term investment resulting in lasting transformation that will be handed down through the generations. The City Reach Initiative is a holistic approach and includes nine areas of focus: Family Life Development, Housing, Livelihood, Bless-A-Child, Hunger Relief, Elderly Care, Emergency/Disaster Relief, Medical/Dental, and Spiritual Life. Please pray for the local ministries who will be partnering with us and for the families we will be investing in.
“Carefest” and “Raise the Roof” Coming Up in Tampa Bay
Carefest 2006 will soon kick off with a special concert featuring Christian artist Geoff Moore on Sunday, August 20, at North Bay Community Church in Clearwater. Carefest 2005 was a huge success, with 11 cities involved and 2,412 volunteers lending a hand during this week of community service projects. On Saturday, October 18, SCTB will be hosting the annual “Raise the Roof” event, this year featuring artists Casting Crowns and Skillet, along with evangelist Luis Palau.
City Fest Coming to Houston in October
The Luis Palau Evangelistic Association will be bringing a City Fest celebration to downtown Houston October 7-8. Local chairman Brian Gowan recently spoke at one of Somebody Cares Houston leaders meetings and said, “When the Luis Palau organization first began communicating with us, they said they had not seen any city with the unity of Houston. Much of this can be attributed to the foundations of unity and bringing the churches together that began years ago through the work of Doug Stringer and the Somebody Cares Network.” Please keep the upcoming City Fest event in your prayers.