Mike Rusch
Follower, husband, father, orphan advocate, in need of grace, wanna be farmer, not great at small talk, trying to be a person of no reputation, and restoring with Cobblestone Project
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32 posts tagged Community
Title: “Unmasking the Facade”
Series: the Burbs
Speaker: Dave Gibbons
Date: January 9, 2011
Location: Newsong Irvine
“As Christian believers we must be about the business of building a culture of inclusion. The type of inclusion that is so radical that it actually flows easily with the stream of the gospel message.”
Scott Herron (from blog post “Kickball and Advent”)
Hebrews 13:1-2 “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
I was talking to a friend from my hometown the other day as we reminisced about earlier days of being carefree and fearless. We both went to the same…
NW Arkansas Gladney Family Association Kickoff
Last week we had the joy of being a part of the kick off event for the Gladney Family Association (@Gladney_Center) here in NW Arkansas. It was an opportunity to gather with other families in our community who have adopted or are in the processes of adopting through Gladney. It was a beautiful opportunity to sit with old friends and meet new ones.
We had the joy of having Scott Brown (@jscottbrown) travel up from Gladney’s home office in Ft. Worth to be with us for the evening. Of course Scott holds a special place in the heart of many NW Arkansas families because of his role as the head of African programs for Gladney. This is especially true for Corrie and I because Scott was with us the day that Sosi was first placed in our arms.
There truly is a special bond that develops between families who have traveled down the adoption road, and every time I have the opportunity to spend time with these other families it feels like we begin our relationship at a different place. It’s a place where the value of family and for caring for those without one is the foundation. So, needless to say, this evening was just good.
We are so appreciative of Gladney and the support they provide to those families who they lead through the journey of adoption. I think it speaks volumes that one of the attributes of the Gladney Family Association is that you actually don’t have had to have adopted through Gladney to join the association and benefit from their services. In fact we have some friends with us this evening from other agencies & you would have never known it.
If you are a family who has adopted or is even just thinking about it, take a few minutes to connect with a Gladney Family Association near you. More info on their website (Gladney.com Gladney Family Associations). Watch for upcoming Gladney Family Association events on their website or please contact Wendy Lee (wendy.lee@gladney.org) who directs the GFA for Gladney. If you are a member of the GFA, news of upcoming events will be sent directly to you.
Two final things…
On Feb 25th & 26th, there will be a national orphan care conference in NW Arkansas called The Idea Camp Orphan Care (!COrphan). Gladney will be a voice at this conference and there will be additional opportunities during the conference to reconnect. You can visit the Idea Camp website for registration info.
Also, if you haven’t visited NWAAdoptions.com (@nwaadoptions), there are some great ways to connect with other families in NW Arkansas involved in adoption, foster care, child sponsorship, grandparents of adoptive children and so much more.
Again, thanks to Gladney and we look forward to gathering again soon.
This is really great article on CNN discussing how people either feel close or distant from God.
Our Take: Your relationship style determines how you feel toward God
Though it seems that America is tired of religion, we’re finding quite the opposite about a relationship with God. A recent Newsweek poll found that 91 percent of American adults claim a belief in “God”, while Time magazine reported that 85 percent identify themselves as Christian. Gallup reports that 73 percent of Americans “are convinced that God exists.”
People want more of God, not less.
Read entire article on CNN.com at Our Take: Your relationship style determines how you feel toward God
Please join me (and others from our community) on Nov 2nd at Present in the City - The Fatherless to hear John Sowers, President of the Mentoring Project, share his story and mission to redeem a generation of children who do not know what it’s like to have a father.
Mark Horvath, my friend & Founder of InvisiblePeople.tv, launches WeAreVisible.com to Empower Homeless People via Social Media.
WeAreVisible.com’s mission is to give people dealing with poverty and homelessness the tools they need to get online and have a voice. The site teaches them how to sign up for email, open a Twitter account, join Facebook, create a blog and, in general, take advantage of the benefits of online social media. It also has the potential to become a model for virtual case management as it helps build a community among homeless people and support service providers.
More info re: how Cobblestone Project.org will be using WeAreVisible.com
“The first sin of a community is to turn its eyes from the One who called it to life, to look at itself instead”
Jean Vanier
“You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.”
Isaiah 58:7 (from The Message)
