Dear Brothers and Sisters,
You may never have multiplied loaves and fishes, but let me tell you how you can help multiply a cheese blessing. First, let me give you the background to this story.
I think you know Lawrence Chiles, Bishop of Koinonia Fellowship of Churches. Lawrence has started community centers, planted churches, mentored pastors and has been an urban missions consultant to Eastern Mennonite Missions and other mission organizations as well as congregations.
As you know, Lawrence changes the atmosphere wherever he goes.
An elderly Mennonite woman, wearily cleaning the tables at a
local restaurant, brightens as he tells her that he remembers her from
holding meetings in her church years ago. An exhausted pastor
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| Bishop Lawrence mentoring a new believer in leadership development. |
is energized as Lawrence gives him a new vision for a way forward in a difficult season of his life. And a young man about to give up hope because of the traumas and rejections in his life is empowered to continue to prepare for ministry through his mentoring relationship with Lawrence. Today this same man pastors a growing church of former convicts and drug addicts in the inner city. They meet in a newly renovated former crack house.
And so it goes, Lawrence plants Kingdom gardens in inhospitable places. His experience and training in urban missions are an invaluable resource to the larger Christian church.
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| Nereida listens as her husband, Lawrence, enthralls the pastors with one of his unforgettable stories. |
A group of local pastors, businessmen
and professional persons have gathered around Lawrence with the goal of developing financial resources to support Lawrence and Nereida Chiles' ministry. The Chiles Missionary Support Team (Chiles MST) is eager to see Lawrence's ministry made more available to the church at large by ensuring that Lawrence is undistracted by the need to raise finances for himself and his ministry.
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| Arlin Benner, the farmer whom God inspired to transform a loss of milk into a gain for the Kingdom of God. |
One member of the Chiles MST,
Arlin Benner, has been powerfully impacted by the spirit of the Chiles' urban ministry that transforms impossible situations for a Kingdom advantage. Arlin is a dairy farmer in the Mt. Joy, PA, area. This past December local dairy production was greater than the demand, and 30,000 gallons of milk had already been poured into the refuse pit. The Spirit of God came on Arlin, and to prevent further waste of grade A milk, he implemented a plan to convert it into cheese for inner city food banks.
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| 5 pound block of Farmers Cheese. This sells for at least four dollars a pound. |
Arlin has just received 1,600 pounds of topquality Farmer's Cheese. Within a month it will have aged to where it can be frozen without loss of flavor.
As you may know, food banks do not usually receive top quality cheese to distribute. As a result they are eagerly awaiting this gift to distribute to the multitudes in the inner city.
You are invited to the Chiles Urban Ministry Banquet!
We, of the Chiles MST, are inviting you to help multiply the impact of this cheese on the Chiles' urban ministry. Our goal is to raise funds for the Chiles' Missionary Support Team, all of which will go to the Chiles' urban ministry to train leaders and plant congregations in the urban setting as well as to allow Lawrence to freely consult with urban churches and leaders.
Dr. Lawrence Chiles, Bishop of Koinonia Fellowship of Churches will speak about God's plan for transforming our devastated inner cities. Other inner city church planters will also speak. Come this Thursday evening, April 7th, 6 PM at Shady Maple for an evening of fellowship, story telling and inspiration about the amazing things God is doing.
There is no charge for this banquet but reservations are requested. Please register by clicking "Register Now!", or by calling Joyce Martin, treasurer of Chiles MST, at 717 615-7928. To get more information please email Joyce Martin by clicking "Get more information".
We thank you in advance for helping to multiply the blessing of the cheese to this urban ministry. May the Spirit of God empower you in your life and ministry.
Grace and peace to You,
Enos Daniel Martin,
Chairman of the Chiles MST
