When someone has a bad cough, a nasty sneeze, or a sore throat we instinctively understand that these things are symptoms of a more serious problem: a virus, a bacterial infection, or some other sickness.
But for some reason we often fail to see the more serious problem behind many of the symptoms in our surrounding society. The problem really isn’t that Mrs. Smith doesn’t have the money to purchase a new winter coat for her daughter or that the family down the street can’t afford the repairs they desperately need on their home. The problem really isn’t that Mr. Lewis no longer has the strength to remove the fallen tree limbs from his yard or that the 13 year-old doesn’t have a ride to get to church. The problem is that, increasingly, people are living in isolation with no one to show them love or offer them help.
At Milestone Church, we place a high priority on reaching out to those who live in isolation and poverty. Christ has called us to be the light of the world, to bless those around us. We take that calling seriously. Below are some of the needs we are currently pouring our prayer, resources, and time into. We invite you to join us.
In February of 2009, Milestone Church began formally working with the Family Violence Center in Springfield, Missouri to help them in their efforts to put a stop to domestic violence. Our church began the First Pantry Project, an initiative to fill the homes of newly-independent women and children with all of the kitchen utensils and food they need to start over and begin a life free from the violence that once characterized their very existence.
Moving forward we’re continuing to collaborate with the Family Violence Center to assist in innovative ways. Upcoming projects may include work days for the men to help with repairs at the FVC and leading out a “Life Skills” seminar to teach the women at the FVC some basic skills they can use to find work and provide for their children. To learn more about the Family Violence center, please visit their website.
In November of 2008 we sent only one of our covenant partners, Shawn Cassiday, to help out. However, we wanted to see this effort grow exponentially in the future. In 2009 we’re sending more people back April 25 - May 2. You can read more about that trip and see a video about Oaxaca on our website at this link. If you’re interested in helping out on other trips going forward, you can contact our pastor at josh@themilestone.org.
The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, a revolutionary love, and selflessness. So what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, shopping lists, and selfishness. But what if Christmas were to once again become a world-changing event? Welcome to Advent Conspiracy, a movement calling us to proclaim Christ in how we celebrate Christmas.
Milestone Church challenged people to purchase ONE LESS GIFT this Christmas. Just one. It sounds insignificant, but we asked them to use the money they would have spent on the gift to help the many people around the world who don’t have access to clean drinking water. Those people number a startling 1.1 billion, but the cost to provide them ALL with clean, replinishable water is just $10 billion; a fraction of what we spend on Christmas. This year, we challenged people to give less presents, and give more presence.
You can learn more about what we’re doing on our website here, or you can check out our partners at www.AdventConspiracy.org or www.Water.cc.