Fwd: REAL June Enews

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: R.E.A.L. Life Community Services <rod@reallcs.org>
Date: Tue, Jun 20, 2017 at 8:02 AM
Subject: REAL June Enews
To: philandkelly@gmail.com

REAL June Enews View this email in your browser REAL UPDATES STAFF UPDATES On April 20, REAL Life Community Services held its first official staff meeting.  Rod Redcay, executive director, led the meeting.  As the ministry and vision has grown, so has the need for more help.    Amy Pfautz serves as Administrative Assistant to Rod and assists with the website, social media, event planning, and oversees the newsletters.   Chris Hibbert serves as Social Worker.  Her mission is to "Connecting The Community To Hope" by meeting with community members who are in need.  Our community includes anyone who resides in the Cocalico School District!  Her job is to walk alongside individuals and families by assessing their needs, by making referrals for them, and by linking them to the resources they need.  She also helps individuals or families create an action plan to achieve the goals that they want to reach.  Her joy is to see individuals and families reach their goal and find the hope that comes from a relationship with Jesus!   Christine Stoltzfus, Director of Development, is responsible for fundraising efforts for REAL Life Community Services.  In her role currently, Christine is assisting with the capital campaign efforts to raise funds for the Denver House project.  Fundraising efforts includes meeting with potential supporters of the project as well as creating and implementing fundraising events.   (left to right:  Rod Redcay, Amy Pfautz, Chris Hibbert, Christine Stoltzfus) SPRING CLEANING AT THE LIGHTHOUSE It was a cold dreary morning, but things got off to a great start when Ms. Leaman's 3rd grade class from Hinkletown Mennonite School came to REAL Life Community Services to do some yard work! It was perfect timing.  The Lighthouse Transitional Home for moms (that we oversee) just had a mom move out and we wanted to get things ready for the new mom moving in next month.  Over a dozen students with a half dozen adults pitched in to rake leaves, clean up garbage, dig flower beds, plant two dozen flowers, and spread a ton of mulch!  They even had enough helpers to clean and mop the inside of the Lighthouse Youth Center!  The wise saying, "many hands make light work", truly was the case for this project!  Special thanks to Ms. Leaman and all the adults who oversaw the students and kept everyone on task.  It's truly a blessing to see our community come together to make a difference! FURNITURE BANK   There is a need in our communities to offer free furniture to families in need.  Ephrata Homes of Hope with the help of  the First United Methodist Church in Ephrata, we were able to procure a large storage area to store good used donated furniture.  If you know of anyone in need or have items that you may be able to donate, please contact Chris Hibbert at (717) 368-6606.  DENVER HOUSE UPDATE As we mentioned in our last newsletter, we have completed the demolition of the interior of the Denver House and we're busy developing the capital campaign committee.  It has been incredible to see everyone come together to work at removing all the garbage, blight, and debris.  There are only studs and floors left.  We know that this was a huge step in accomplishing the vision for transforming this building into the "Declaration House"!  There are a few items left, but the building is ready for the next phase!   We have hired Wohlsen Construction to be the General Contractor!  They have a heart for community projects like ours and have shown that they work well with donated materials and volunteers.  We will keep you up to date along the way, but remember that all good things take time!  We hope to start construction in the next 6 to 9 months and complete the project mid to late 2018.  WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS By:  Chris Hibbert   On Good Friday, I had the opportunity to participate in the first collaborative Good Friday walking service in Denver.  The service was focused on the last words of Jesus and at each station someone related a personal story that coincided with the segment of scripture that was assigned to that station.  The tour started at the Faith United Lutheran Church and proceeded to Fairview Cemetery, the Lighthouse, the railroad tracks, the Courtyard Café, the Borough office, and finally, the Trinity United Methodist Church.  I was asked to relate a personal story at the railroad tracks.  After I spoke, Rev. Haws from St. John's U.C.C. church prayed and mentioned being on the wrong side of the tracks.  When he mentioned the wrong side of the tracks, it made me curious about how the phrase came about and what it means to be "on the wrong side of the tracks".  After some research, I found out that there are two possible origins for the phrase.  One possibility is that when the trains would come down the tracks they would blow soot on the one side of them, making it dirty and difficult to breath on the "wrong side".  The other possibility is that it just meant the poor lived on the "wrong" side of the tracks where the tenements and factories were set up, separating them from the wealthy.   Just as railroad tracks served to separate communities, our thoughts and feelings can serve to create divisions in our hearts.  Divisions due to our ideas on race, social status, political views, and even worship styles often threaten to divide us rather than unite us.  Rather than focusing on our differences, we should focus on the fact that we were all born "on the wrong side of the tracks" due to Adam's fall!  Jesus' death and resurrection allows us all to experience forgiveness and eternal life. I believe that Jesus would want us to cross over the "railroad tracks" and love the poor/wealthy, black/white, liberal/conservative, and those with different worship styles. Galatians 3:28-29 MSG says "In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female.  Among us you are all equal.  That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ."  When we cross the railroad tracks in our community, I pray that we all see our equals, people who are deserving of our love and our respect.   ROD'S RAMBLINGS The Power & Love School recently came to town.  Schools of Power & Love was birthed out of the vision to see the Church of Jesus Christ catch hold of its inheritance to win the lost, as Paul says, "in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (I Cor 2:4 NAS).  The school is a four-day event hosted by a local church.  They share messages of how God has worked miracles through His people.  Then everyone is challenged to go out and share the Power and Love with those they meet and come back with testimonies of God's Power!   We took the challenge and started looking to see where we could share God's love.  Last week, we were contacted by a family who shared that they are trying to help a young single lady (who got kicked out of her parent's house).  She tried to go to college but her need for housing and transportation forced her to quit.  After talking with the young lady, she gave us permission to post her needs on Facebook.  It took about five hours, but we were able to find three very good options.  It just so happened that another single young adult who is our Friend on FB had an apartment to share!  Now there is hope for this young lady and we couldn't be more excited for her future!   That's the Power & Love at work in our community!  Thank you all for your generosity and love for those in need! UPCOMING EVENTS MARK YOUR CALENDAR   8/11 - 8/13        Lancaster Barnstormers                                      HOMERUNS AGAINST HUNGER                                     11th - 6:00 p.m.  |  12th - 6:00 p.m.  |  13th - 2:00 p.m. 8/26                    Barry's Paint Shop                                      CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY                             Proceeds benefit REAL 10/6                                American Music Theater                                      LIVE2LEAD 10/10                      Denver Fire Hall                                     REAL FUNDRAISING BANQUET                                     6:30 p.m.  |  Catered by Hershey Farms   Learn More About REAL Give Online Copyright © 2017 R.E.A.L. Life Community Services, All rights reserved. Thank you for your continued support of R.E.A.L. Life Community Services. Our mailing address is: R.E.A.L. Life Community Services P.O. Box 22 Denver, PA 17517 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list