All Nations International Helps
We worked with our friends in All Nations/Sommer Haven Ranch for 30 years. This Southern California-based ministry has worked with disadvantaged people since its inception. We had the privilege to watch this ministry develop into many areas. It is a hard-working group that does a good work but almost always could use extra help. Part of the ministry is a large food distribution to the poor (Sommer Haven Ranch). All Nations International trains churches, ministries, and individuals to minister to others. This multi-faceted ministry encourages and assists many needy ministries, which include several ministries in impoverished areas overseas. On occasion they have made trips to help us when we were short of people to accomplish a given task. Part of our Katrina Project and Uganda Project was with their team.
Astronomical Observing from a Biblical View (AOBV)
This is the one of the newer projects for CHRISTWORKS MINISTRIES and one that was a surprise. It has promise to be useful for many groups and is likely to grow over time. As founders, we (Roland and Linda Beard) have always enjoyed God's creation. We have hiked, biked, canoed, and walked many beautiful places over the years. About 11 years ago we began observing the heavens as a hobby. Having observed many sky objects for a few years, we began sketching those objects and using both observing and sketching as an outreach tool. We naturally began teaching astronomical observing while showing how the heavens show God's glory and point to Jesus Christ.
We needed a curriculum that centered on practical observing from a Biblical view, which includes Biblical creation. While we found many courses on astronomy, very few were from a Biblical view: the premise that God created all things - including the heavens - from nothing and quickly, as Genesis indicates. Among the Christian-oriented courses, we could not find one that was observation-oriented or practical. As a result, we began developing a practical observing-based course that incorporated sketching the observed objects and used the Bible as the premise to understand and appreciate observations. Development of the outline for the course began in 2007. The equipment kits and curriculum draft were complete in late 2008. The first parts of the curriculum began to be placed online in 2010.
The curriculum is designed to use simple observing tools that do not require electrical power, computer-based skills, or expensive observing equipment. A chief aim was to ensure it would be useable for impoverished areas where children and schools have little equipment, no power, and few resources. We are excited to see where the project will go, but we anticipate that it will go to many ministries with educational needs. The Files Gallery contains detailed information and links. The AOBV course is free for downloading for ministries and people who fill in the application form receive a download password.
Like most of our projects, AOBV is developed at home. The 4th Day Observing Site is the name of our personal observing site in our backyard, which we use to conduct outreach session on the heavens but also to conduct training for small groups. The ministry uses the facilities and equipment that we privately own but CWM also has kits of training material that we take where it is needed. We have a mobile observatory that is RV-based, so we are able to take training and orientation sessions to Christian ministries or churches in the United States or Canada.
Many of the inspirational stories and lessons on the site are derived from our observing sessions (see the "For Inspiration: Stories and Sketches" hot button that is on most pages of the site). Two of the galleries (green folder hot buttons on the home page) are designed to have sketches of objects from students and teachers as they begin to observe. We usually sponsor an observing contest with groups that we help so children have an incentive to improve their observing skills.
Depending on the doors that open and the support for this project, we intend to take equipment kits and curriculum to ministry schools in more developing regions, and our online curriculum is designed so that lower speed internet connections are sufficient to download the material. We eventually expect to have video versions for many of the AOBV lessons online by 2012.
You can see the pictures of activities at the 4th Day Observing Site in the Home Galleries or go to the Inspiration page to see how we use observing and to inspire others.
Chinese Church
We assisted a Chinese-American parent with a child's education several years ago. Periodically we held meetings in the parent's home. A close friendship developed but we had no idea it would lead to a pastor visiting us one evening. His request was simple: please come help us teach English using the Bible and help us with children. This began our history with the Chinese Christian Church of Charlottesville. For several years we did children's programs and conducted Bible studies. In simple terms, the project encourages believers, introduces the gospel to unbelievers (typically Chinese scholars at the University of Virginia), and occasionally works with children. As long as we are present in the Virginia area and are available, we continue this project. In short, we encourage our Chinese friends to learn to walk in faith, increasingly know their God, and establish a pattern of good works that are motivated by faith. We teach the gospels and similar books to believers and unbelievers like a person would study and watch a scene of a play. The method is especially helpful when English is a second language and when unbelievers have had little exposure to Christianity.
Disaster Emergency Project
The devastation along the Gulf of Mexico from Hurricane Katrina led to the mobilization of thousands of churches and ministries to assist in the areas that were heavily damaged. Our experience in overseas regions and the trips to Katrina persuaded us that we should be prepared to address disaster emergencies on a small scale. We began receiving training and getting equipment that could be used in small local emergencies. Likewise, we could use the same kits to assist larger ministries or churches if the need arose. The same kits contain equipment that are useful in impoverished regions overseas, where living conditions are similar to disaster conditions in the United States. We maintain the equipment kits and use the kits when the need arises. This project also provided the basis for Disaster Preparedness of a Biblical View--a curriculum to encourage families to be available in practical ways to love their neighbors in times of need.
Food Distribution
One of our first emphases and functions was distributing food to the poor. We learned how to set up a food run and how to assist and minister to those that were hungry. At one time we regularly had local people who needed food come to our home, where we would share the gospel with them and give them food. Eventually we were receiving trucks of food and distributing to almost 30 churches or groups using temporary facilities at a school. As needs changed and our direction changed and the food distribution function decreased. We currently provide food on an emergency basis to families but the function in our area is being executed efficiently by larger ministries with facilities. It became more important to us to address the extreme conditions for education, encouragement, and growing food in overseas regions where some of our extended friends were living. We encourage people who have a desire to be involved in food distribution to the poor. It is a wonderful way to serve the needy in a practical way and demonstrate the love of God.
Haiti Project
In the midst of preparations to send a container to Uganda we became acquainted with the founder of Cry of Compassion, an Ohio-based ministry that primarily assists impoverished areas of Haiti with practical medical helps. The same person also conducts medical missions to Uganda. In 2007 we went with Cry of Compassion to Haiti to help with the medical work but also to hold a seminar on observing the heavens from a Biblical view. As a result, we are always looking for materials and resources that might help Cry of Compassion. Cry of Compassion, which currently is a home-based ministry like CHRISTWORKS.
Home School Support Group
Education helps have been one of the CHRISTWORKS' primary functions. Early in our history we found that working with needy people invariably puts you in contact with needy children who need assistance with education issues. We maintained a Home School Support Group for years because of continuous education-related needs by parents or children. While we no longer have regular students on a daily basis, we still provide educational helps in our projects. Many of the materials or practices we employed at home we now use in other countries. We are currently in the process of organizing many of the educational materials we used locally so they may be sent to other ministries who need them.
Katrina Assistance Project
Like many churches and ministries in the US, we found ways to assist people in the devastated region. There were two open doors for us to use: one opened to a church in SW Alabama and a second to a medical emergency team. We also partnered with Advancing Native Missions by taking contributions and medicines to both locations. While the project is completed, many ministries still visit and work in the hard hit areas because the rebuilding will take years. It was our privilege to participate in this effort.
Uganda Project with N.E.E.P.U.
N.E.E.P.U. is the acronym for National's Effort to Eradicate Poverty in Uganda, which was founded and remains directed by our friend, Gertrude Kabatalemwa. We have known her for about 25 years but did not begin helping this work until the turn of the century. The ministry, which is located in a poor village area (Nyamabuga) in Western Uganda, consists of a school (about 500 students) and church. The work is multi-faceted as sought to provide education for children (about 20% are orphans), make disciples in the church by raising up young people, and present the gospel in various ways to the school children. Aids and malnourishment issues are significant in the region, so our helps have included assistance to help establish a farm, education materials for the school, teaching for the teachers and church leaders, and simple encouragement. Gertrude reaches to other villages and churches through local conferences and crusades. We have visited the ministry several times. Further information is available in a presentation located here. This ministry can always use some help, so we continue to encourage people to help them.
Pine Ridge
The project name is actually the intended recipient of the helps: the Lakota Sioux on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The 555 ministry in White Clay, directed by Bruce BonFleur, has a variety of projects (practical and spiritual) to assist those in need.They also have some interworking with another ministry called Helping Hands. There is plenty of work to do and the needs are extreme by US standards. Life expectancy on the reservation is in the high 40s; substance abuse is rampant; unemployment is high. Christ is the answer, of course, but must involve practical helps along with the love of God. We entered into their work in 2009 by providing some quilting machines for the Lakota women to use in a developing cooperative and are remaining in contact with ministry workers to monitor how the equipment begins to be used and people are trained. The project is currently inactive.
Philippines
We knew Pat Capwell, director of Institute for Foundational Learning (IFL), more than 30 years ago. After maintaining contact over the years, we recently found that she wanted to have AOBV presented to some of her teachers and schools so that children could learn to observe the heavens. The course is deliberately multi-faceted, providing the learning of observing disciplines for the heavens but also pointing students to God, who created the universe. Reports are in the reports section. The Philippine project is our dominant overseas project and has now expanded to teach and encourage teachers to be creative with their students to enhance their learning, so Linda is training teachers to "teach out of the box".
Disaster Preparedness from a Biblical View
This project is a good example of what can happen when a believer makes their training and experience available for God's use. The experience of Katrina (working with disaster relief), local work with disaster organizations, helps to overseas groups, and the experience with AOBV led us to consider the power of a believing family or home to help their neighbor in times of extreme need. This project will, like AOBV, provide education and orientation for families interested in practical things they can do to express the love of God to their neighbor in times of extreme need. We have found many families have not thought about many of the scriptures that speak to practically assisting their neighbors as a function of their faith, so we seek to provide some orientation and training based on personal experience and the Bible. The course will be developed during 2012.
