Kingdom Classified Volume 2, Issue 1 (Spring 2007)
MISSION:
In the best way we can:
TO LOVE God and our neighbors by engaging in intentional acts of kindness freely to demonstrate God's grace and mercy;
TO DEVELOP a mature body of believers in the area of worshipping God through continual devoted service;
TO BE simple instruments used to build a caring community.
OBJECTIVES:
The Care Company seeks to address community needs through a three pronged approach:
Intentional acts of kindness done with the motivation to demonstrate the love of God. We do not care what response we get. We want to meet practical needs in a practical way. These events can take the form of drink giveaways, windshield cleaning, toilet cleaning, light bulb distribution, door-to-door prayer teams etc. Whatever your community needs.
Sting Operations that focus on a short-term goal that fills a long-time need. These will take more planning and commitment but the foundation is the same. We want to demonstrate the love of God intentionally by giving ourselves away. This may take the form of building a home for a family or recovering an area of the neighborhood that has been left to disrepair.
Long-term outcome based events. These events are more relational and require a longer-term commitment to the people and the community. They include tutoring, mentoring, or visiting bed ridden patients.
We absolutely want our WORSHIP to move us into OUTREACH that deepens our FELLOWSHIP and DISCIPLESHIP that girds us for greater SERVICE that will lead to a freer community.
"Is this not the fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?"
Isaiah 58.6MINISTRIES:
Washington Home
Visiting, encouraging, and supporting those who are living at the Washington Home group house. This happens on one Monday of each month.
CONTACT: COSC Office, (202) 544-9599 or office@christourshepherd.orgChristian Legal Aid
Holistic Christian legal aid, with its emphasis on both legal and spiritual problems, can and is proving to be an effective means in removing causes of distress and rehabilitating the lives of individuals and families that have been devastated by poverty. All attorneys (currently practicing or not), paralegals, law students, and anyone interested in advocacy are invited to participate in Care Company Christian Legal Aid. The Core Leadership Team will be meeting to seek God’s direction for how to meet the needs that are before us.
CONTACT: Ewen McAlpine, (202) 544-8312 or care@christourshepherd.orgIn the Beginning Was the Word
In a city with 37% of residents living at functional illiteracy, 61% reading at below a 5th grade level, it is the call of the church to meet this need in our communities. “In the Beginning Was the Word” provides one on one reading and writing help. The program is learner-oriented, so the curriculum is decided by the learner’s interests. The program provides training to equip tutors for the teaching of reading and writing skills using the Bible since most of our learners want to read in order to read the Bible better. We are currently seeking to offer this program to other churches in the city so that they can incorporate it into their teaching ministry.
CONTACT: Ewen McAlpine, (202) 544-8312 or care@christourshepherd.orgMentoring - Girls:
COSC women volunteer to participate in mentoring relationships with girls living in Potomac Gardens.
CONTACT: Ewen McAlpine, (202) 544-8312 or care@christourshepherd.orgMentoring - Boys:
COSC men volunteer with Little Lights Urban Ministry to participate in mentoring relationships with Jr. high aged boys living in Potomac Gardens.
CONTACT: Ewen McAlpine, (202) 544-8312 or care@christourshepherd.orgSouth Washington Alliance
This is a broad collaborative effort that Care Company helped found and mobilize. The Alliance’s mission is to bring together current residents, businesses and community organizations for a unified and powerful voice in the dialogue on economic development plans for South Washington, and to ensure that existing community members will share in the benefits of these community revitalization goals through affordable housing, living wage jobs, small business ownership, and enhanced community resources.
CONTACT: Ewen McAlpine, (202) 544-8312 or care@christourshepherd.orgUrban Hands
The church youth have been a significant part of our outreach to the community. Every 6 weeks, as part of the youth curriculum, they spend their Sunday mornings in community service projects. They also have a summer urban ministry week that hosts youth groups from various church backgrounds for an intensive week of multi-ministry exposure and labor.
CONTACT: Emmanuel Pimentel, emmanuel@christourshepherd.orgVolunteer Income Tax Assistance
With many low income families in our community, this program will offer income tax filing to insure accuracy of reporting so that all due monies might be returned to local families. It may also help recipients discover benefit entitlements. This program will launch this winter, hosting services on selected weekends between January and April.
CONTACT: Ewen McAlpine, (202) 544-8312 or care@christourshepherd.org
OUR MISSION
COSC welcomes children of all ages and recognizes them as valued members of our congregation.
The Mission of the COSC Children's Education ministry is to help children:
KNOW God
GROW in His love
SHOW God's love to others
We believe in a partnership with parents in bringing Christian Education and home life together. It is our intent to reinforce the Biblical truths and character qualities being taught at home; and we provide home activities such as memory verses, research assignments, and lesson handouts to help you participate in the lessons being taught at Church.
We are committed to show children Jesus' love through our example. The teachers are faithful to demonstrate God's love in practical and visible ways to the children in their classes.
We endeavor to make our classrooms a disciplined learning environment where children learn respect for others, are encouraged to fully participate in all activities, and given opportunities for creative expression through skits, crafts, song, and dance.
We expect the programs of our Children's Education ministry, working with parents, to do two things. First, bring kids to a point where they accept Jesus as their personal Savior and are baptized; and second to equip them to live out and pass on their faith.The nursery is open during Sunday morning services beginning at 10:00am. Older children participate in the service until around 10:30am, when they are released to their classes.
CLASSES OFFERED ON SUNDAY MORNINGS:
Nursery: 2 year olds and under Supervised play. No lesson is provided for this class.Tots: 2-3 year olds
Topical lessons with simple Bible truths. Lessons concentrate on fun/play activities to reinforce the lessons.Kinder: 4 year olds - 5 year olds
Topical studies teaching Biblical truths. We use age-appropriate curriculum for these preschoolers but in a less formal setting.Primary: 1st grade - 2nd grade
Topical studies teaching Biblical truths. Curriculum helps kids get used to being in a regular classroom setting.Blitzers: 3rd grade - 6th grade
Inductive Bible Study. This class concentrates on teaching kids basic skills in Bible Study for a lifetime of discovering God's Word.SPECIAL CURRICULA
The normal Sunday School program is augmented with special curricula. During Christmas, a special Advent curriculum is used to nourish the children's appreciation of the true meaning of Christmas. Lessons with an emphasis on Missions are incorporated throughout the year to help the children capture a vision of God's work throughout the world. COSC members who have spent time on the Missions field lead these Missions lessons.
At Christ Our Shepherd, we are committed to maturing in Christian fellowship, just as the first Christians were. Acts 2:42 says that the disciples were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship,” so there is clearly a biblical precedent for “just hanging out” with other believers.
However, Christian fellowship, while it many times has no overt spiritual content, is in fact a spiritual pursuit. This is because Christianity inherently involves our actions toward other people, especially other Christians. In fact, Jesus teaches that the way people can identify Christians is if they love each other. (John 13:35) And it’s hard to love the people at your church if you don’t get to know them!
If you’re not around other Christians for more than a few minutes at a time, it’s also impossible to mature in many other biblical commands directed toward Christians, such as to live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16), be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), and carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).
Christ Our Shepherd offers lots of chances to put your Christianity into practice through fellowship. We’d love to see you at a weekly homegroup, a women’s dinner or a men’s retreat, a foyer dinner group, lunch after church, or at any of the other activities on the calendar.
Mission Statement: In the best way we can….
TO TEACH anything and everything that is biblically true and personally relevant about church membership and Christian maturity;
TO TRAIN everyone who participates in effective and enjoyable Christian ministry and mission.
The Learning Company will offer a variety of teaching and training to encourage and equip people to develop and enjoy their understanding and experience of Christian Spirituality. These courses will be characterized by the following:
small group format for more effective learning and deeper relationship
courses will take place in homes (as well as at church) to provide an informal and welcoming atmosphere
courses will be designed to last for no more than four sessions thus giving reasonable access and egress for most people’s schedules
The Learning Company will also sponsor single session teachings/training.
COSC has a longstanding commitment to missions at home and abroad.
As a church, we support missionaries in the following countries/areas:
*Benin
*Nepal
*Chile
*Middle East
*Russia
We have sent out youth and adults alike to most of these places on
short-term trips to further strengthen the ties we have with these areas
of the world. In addition, our children are currently engaged in a
Missions curriculum to introduce them to our missionaries and to world
outreach.
The Missions Commission meets on the third Sunday of the month at
the church to cover our missionaries in prayer, map out strategies to
encourage congregational involvement in missions, and meet needs as
they arise on behalf of our missionaries.
THE PRIORITY OF WORSHIP
At COSC, worship is one of our highest priorities. We worship through the preaching and teaching of the Word, by taking communion, by giving and by honoring and serving God in every area of our lives.
In our Sunday gatherings and mid-week Home Group meetings, music is one the means that we have for exalting, praising and expressing our love for God. In our musical expressions of worship, God is blessed and glorified, and we are refreshed, healed and renewed in our understanding of who He is and what He has done for us. We aim to draw closer to God and to experience both the awe and intimacy of being His presence.
It is always our desire to continue to expand the depth and breath of the worship team, and to identify, nurture and release, persons gifted by the Lord to participate in leading worship in a variety of different ministry settings.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?
Having a heart of worship that is expressed in all areas of your life. Bearing evidence of an ongoing, active and deepening personal relationship Jesus.
A sense of calling to minister in music. Please note that many people are gifted musically but a smaller number are called by God to minister in the church.
Musical ability. We do not conduct auditions but some skill is required. Please not that Home Group worship leaders do not have to be great singers or instrumentalists. If you can play basic chords on a guitar or piano and sing on pitch (most of the time, you qualify!
Established relationships of trust and accountability in the church, especially through one of the Home Groups.
Regular attendance at Sunday worship and at the monthly worship team meeting, in order to learn the type of musical expressions of worship found at COSC.
I'M INTERESTED, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
1. Attend the monthly worship team meetings and introduce yourself to team members and the worship leaders. Bring your instrument (voice included) and worship with the team in rehearsal. If the Lord is raising you up, you won't have to sell yourself.
2. Demonstrate long-term commitment. Volunteer to help out wherever possible. Begin to work with your Home Group leader and Home Group worship leader in a support capacity.
3. Meet with the elder overseeing the music ministry.
All 7th - 12th grade youth are welcome and encouraged to participate in COSC youth activities. We know that these are pivotal years and we want to disciple the youth and encourage them to grow in all that God has for them.
Youth activities range from lessons on Sunday mornings to weekend activities to summer events.
The youth are led by a team of COSC members who meet each month to plan the teaching schedule, activities, and events.
SUNDAY MORNING TEACHING
The youth stay in the main service the first Sunday of each month to participate in communion; the youth team and other volunteers teach the youth the second and third Sunday of each month; and on the fourth Sunday, youth review the lessons taught during weeks two and three.
Youth are dismissed from the main church service during worship (at around 10:30 am) for their teaching time. They are separated into two groups: junior high and senior high. Topics covered on Sunday mornings will address Biblical meditation, spiritual disciplines, Jesus’ life and teachings, and studies in individual books of the Bible.
ACTIVITIES
Girls’ Night
One Saturday every four to six weeks, a COSC youth girl hosts girls’ night at her home, and the COSC youth girls gather for a slumber party. Girls’ night includes a Bible study prepared by one of the girls and provides time for the girls to fellowship and get to know one another.Boys’ Sports Fellowship
The youth boys meet about every four weeks on Sunday afternoon for sports and Bible study (led by a senior high boy). They often go to a nearby park for soccer, football, ultimate frisbee, or capture the flag.URBAN HANDS
Each July COSC hosts Urban Hands, a week-long service camp where youth from several churches come together to do service projects throughout the DC area. The youth sleep at the church, wake each morning for teaching and devotions, do service projects during the day, and continue with games and teaching in the evenings. COSC has hosted Urban Hands since 1999, and each year the youth learn how to practically show God’s love through serving those in need.Missions Trip
Youth Missions trips in the past have included Chile 1998, Benin 2000, Uganda 2002 and Kentucky 2006. These trips require a great deal of planning and youth are busy with fundraising projects throughout the year.
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