Externally Focused at Watermark

Hey guys – 3 weeks ago Watermark was challenged to help meet the needs of those most at risk by 1) “giving” non-perishable food items, and 2) “going” to serve, “following the cans” and developing relationships with our ministry partners, Brother Bills Helping Hand in W. Dallas and Network of Community Ministries in Richardson, and those whom are served through these partners.

As a result of your response to Christ’s grace and awareness of this particular need, we are so excited to report that Watermark delivered over 25,000 pounds of food!  Along with this food, families will receive opportunities to be trained, connected with bible studies, and numerous other resources to assist them holistically.  Many Watermark families and community groups also participated in the delivery of this food and will continue to serve with these partners regularly!

Suzanne Griffin, the Executive Director of Brother Bills had this to say:

“Today was absolutely amazing.  I could not believe all the boxes that came through our front door…. The volunteers were great! … Thank you, thank the rest of the leadership team, and thank the members for this blessed gift.  Based on the average retail cost of food, that truck [referencing just the last delivery] equated to over $25,000 worth of food and hygiene items.  We appreciate all the ways Watermark is helping us better serve our neighbors in West Dallas.  And, we are grateful for all of the new friends we have met through these volunteer opportunities.”

Thank you again Watermark…and stay tuned for more ways to impact our city and advance the Kingdom!

 ALARM is currently looking for 3-5 people who would be willing to volunteer in the office over the summer and during the school year, if available.  Below is a job description to describe the tasks that ALARM can use help with.  We are interested in high school students, college students, or adults with daytime availability and an interest in serving the Lord with their skills. We think this could be a good learning opportunity for students with an interest in business and or missions.  Volunteers will interact with American and African staff in conducting a variety of tasks.

 If you are interested, please email Beau Fournet at bfournet@hbk.com.

Administrative Support Volunteer

Purpose:

The administrative support volunteer supports the ALARM office staff with a variety of tasks including answering the phone, greeting visitors, and organizing, updating and maintaining trip information files and general office documents.

Rewards:

• The joy of contributing to a ministry that supports leaders and communities in eight African nations
• The joy of connecting with individuals who are passionate about helping others through service with ALARM

Qualifications:

The administrative volunteer should:

• Be an active, growing Christian.
• Enjoy making phone calls and possess good phone presence.
• Enjoy working in an office environment and have basic experience using Microsoft Office to perform administrative tasks.
• Be organized, honest and able to respectfully maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information concerning ALARM team members and employees.
• Be able to volunteer in the office for a minimum of three hours per week throughout the summer with the opportunity to serve more as desired.

Responsibilities:

The administrative volunteer will do the following as needed in accord with their skills:

• Answer the phone in the ALARM office
• Greet visitors to the office
• Scan documents to maintain electronic files
• Update and maintain team member and trip information files
• Work on projects (currently long term photo project)
• Help with occasional mailings, bead sorting/packing/shipping, and data entry

Connection:

• Please call the ALARM office 972-671-8522 weekdays between 9a.m. and 4p.m.
• Ask for Elizabeth or Naomi
• Group training available June 28 or July 2 or July 6
• Please provide 2 references when you call

• In ok hi #
• Oklohama #
• How are you doing conor #
• Yes #
• My grandmall in the hospital #
• Hip surgery #
• I am in the hospital #
• Going swimming see you #
• Do you want to tweet at 6:00 #
• My 10 year old just welcomed himself into the Twitter world with his buddy! Sorry about that! #
• Mark 10:21 – Jesus told the rich man to give away everything because he LOVED him. – Platt, Radical. #

• Hanging with my friend Luis, pastor from the Dominican Republic…reminding me of God's work around the world! http://twitpic.com/1wkq0b #
• Read this new US trafficking report in one hand, bible in other – http://tinyurl.com/26kfk5w – and then be part of solution to 60% increase! #
• Hanging with Watermarkers who are "following the cans" at Brother Bill's Helping Hand for Impact Hunger month! http://twitpic.com/1x18wc #
• Bro Bills serves 1,000 households, boasts 70% employ rate, bible studies, kids' camps, vocational training, and prayer for it's neighbors! #
• Love The Michael Gungor Band – "All praises to the One from whom it all began, the One who formed the stars and who gave life to man" #

Hello friends!  Blessings to each of you from the Watermark Prison Ministry.  For anyone interested in working with youth offenders, or anyone interested in sharing Christ with young people, I’d like to make you aware of an opportunity.

 Champions for Life will be holding a Day of Champions at youth detention facilities across the Metroplex on Saturday July 10.  CFL will bring in speakers to share with the youth and have other activities designed to share with them the grace offered through Christ.  You will be assigned to a facility and have the opportunity to lead young people to Christ. 

 We have a number of Watermark members already serving at the Youth Village facility in southeast Dallas.  If you are a little bit hesitant to join them, this event on July 10th would be a great way for you to see the type of environment before making an on-going commitment.  Plus, you won’t be thrown in unprepared since there is a mandatory training session on Friday July 9.

For more info please see  http://www.billglass.org/source/Meetings/cMeetingInfo.cfm?MEETING=D1007A01A  .  The sign-up deadline is Wednesday June 16 so please act quickly!

• RT @wess_stafford: Looking forward to World Cup but furious of child prostitution rings poised to exploit!//will be Dallas too for Superbowl #
• Jobs waited to offer the new iPhone until after Stuff-the-Truck. Coincidence? I don't think so! Follow your cans…give and go this month! #
• Anticipate 10-15,000 traffickers and exploiters will be in Dallas for the Super Bowl. Anyone want to help us with our response? #
• So sorry…praying now for speedy recovery. #
• Married 15 years today – Kristie is the most sincere, passionate, discerning, understanding, joyful, soul I know James 1:17 an amazing gift! #

Hello All,

As most of you know, we did not have a traditional 2ndSaturday in May due to the Watermark Service Day – and what an incredible day it was.  With a partnership with Builders of Hope, we were able to perform exterior remodels on five different projects in West Dallas.  These projects were hand-picked from the congregation of Greater Mt. Hebron Church, led by our great friend Pastor Butler.  We had over 200 volunteers and were able to make a HUGE impact in West Dallas.  

Below is a link to some of the May photos.  This is also a link to our new facebook fan page, so while you there, simply click on the “like” icon and become a fan!!!  

May Photos – New facebook Fan Page

We are also on Twitter; follow us by clicking the link below

http://twitter.com/2ndsaturdayorg

 June Garage Sale

Again, we will be having our garage sale the 2ndSaturday in June at the West Dallas Community Church.  The proceeds from this day will go to completing more senior remodel projects in West Dallas.  As of now, we have close to 20 of these homes in our project pipeline and expect dozens more.  We still need your discards and more volunteers to actually work the garage sale.  This is an AWESOME opportunity to engage the West Dallascommunityduring the garage sale.  Please contact Jennifer Colella at Jennifer@2ndSaturday.orgto get involved or learn more.

 As we near wrapping up the first half of 2010, we ask that you pray for 2ndSaturday and the second half of 2010.  We know the Lord has tremendous things in store as we all continue to be the hands and feet of our Savior Jesus Christ.  We hope to even further expand that scope of our impact in West Dallasand ask you to pray for this journey.

-Todd Fields

• Tozer's 7 marks of a spiritual man: 1) the desire to be holy rather than happy; 2) lives for God's honor by a kind of "spiritual reflex"; #
• 3) beyond accepting adversity that comes to everyone, but the extra adversity from obedience; 4) ability to see everything from God's viewpt #
• 5) nonchalance about living but careful of the kind of life lived here; 6) desire for exalting of others; 7) eternity judgments v time jdmts #
• Great discussion with good friends on how to face doubt – Mark 9:24. How do you respond to doubt? #

Here is how you can GIVE, GO & SERVE!

FOLLOW THE CANS

It’s hard to believe that one of the biggest needs in our community is something many of us often take for granted every day: food. Consider these facts.

• Almost 120,000 students in the Dallas Independent School District relied on the free or reduced-price lunch during the last academic year. That’s 77% of the district’s total enrollment.
• US Department of Agriculture researchers, using data from 2005-2007, found that almost 15% of Texas households experienced food insecurity during that time.
• The average annual income for a family that seeks help from a Texas Food Bank is just $9,000.

 Because the need in our community is so great, Watermark is focusing on hunger outreach during the month of June. And there are many ways you can help:

GIVE

Stuff the Truck Food Drive

When: June 13, 20 & 27 – before and after all 3 services

Where: Watermark (look for the truck parked between the Worship Center and Watermark Tower)

What to Bring: Nonperishable items. See list below this article.

GO

1. Help Receive Food Donations at Watermark

When: June 13 * 20* 27  Before and after all services

Where: Watermark

What to Do: 10 people per service needed to set up, receive donations, load the truck, etc.

What Else: For more details email externalfocus@watermark.org

2. Deliver, Unload and Sort Donations

When/Where: June 15 @ Brother Bill’s

Week of June 20 @ Network of Community Ministries

June 29  @ Brother Bill’s

What to Do: drive truck, deliver food, unload, sort donations

What Else: For more details email externalfocus@watermark.org 

SERVE

Brother Bill’s Helping Hand – Grocery Store

Wednesdays/Thursdays 10:30-12:30 (family friendly)

• Unload truck Monday mornings
• Wednesdays /Thursdays visit with neighbors and help with distribution of food during Grocery Store
• Restock shelves in the afternoons
• To volunteer at BBHH, please contact Felicia Matthews at feliciamatthews@gmail.com.

Network of Community Ministries – Big Meals for Little Kids

June 14 – July 23

• Prepare and pack sack lunches for children in the RISD school district that would normally receive food at school.  25 volunteers needed.
• Deliver sack lunches to apartment complexes in the area – drivers needed!
• To volunteer at Network, please contact Christy Botens at cbotens@thenetwork.org.

The Stewpot – Summer Survival Kits

• Fill gallon zip lock bags with non-perishable items that will make this summer a little easier for the homeless.
• Write notes of encouragement, inspiration and support with scripture inside the bag.
• Deliver to The Stewpot, 1822 Young Street, Dallas 75201

 For more details email externalfocus@watermark.org

 Items to donate:

Cereal                           Pasta & Sauce                                   Dry Pinto Beans

Beans/Rice                Fruit & Pudding Cups                      Sugar/Flour

Chili                              Canned Meat/Veggies                      PB & Jelly

Canned Soup             Mac & Cheese                                       Baby Juice & Food

Hand Soap                  Toilet Tissue/Kleenex                      Diapers

Deodorant                  Shampoo/Conditioner                     Feminine Products

Toothpaste                 Disp. Razors/Shaving Cream         Laundry Products

No donation is too small!

CORNERSTONE CROSSROADS ACADEMY

On Saturday, May 29^th, eight students from the Cornerstone Crossroads Academy (www.cornerstonecrossroads.com) accomplished a feat that many thought, predicted, and believed would never be possible – THEY GRADUATED.  Quinton Gross, Kwosha Holden, Justin Price, Paul Spencer Demeteria Bronner, Jazmin Taylor,  Makayla Jobe, , and Zaccheaus Shed,  celebrated with a number of family, friends, mentors, and volunteers this special occasion.  Pictures of the momentous occasion can be viewed by logging on to http://picasaweb.google.com/mlsaxon1/CornerstoneGraduation2010?feat=directlink#.   Also, you may view the video link on the Team Cornerstone Crossroad link at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Team-Crossroads/117624971593974?ref=ts.

What a celebration it was!!!!  During the ceremony that was held at Cornerstone, many laughed, cried, and applauded their many accomplishments.  Quinton Gross opened the celebration by singing a song by Marvin Sapp, “He Saw the Best in Me”. A testimony to many who never believed that this day would become a reality.  Another group of students dreaming of their future sang a song by Mary, Mary, “I Can’t Give Up Now”.  It simply says:

There will be mountains that I will have to climb.  And there will be battles that I will have to fight.
But victory or defeat, it’s up to me to decide, but how can I expect to win if I never try.
I just can’t give up now.  I’ve come too far from where I started from.
Nobody told me the road would be easy, and I don’t believe he brought me this far to leave me.
Never said there wouldn’t be trials, never said I wouldn’t fall.  Never said that everything would go the way I want it to go.
But when my back is against the wall, and I feel all hope is gone, I’ll just lift my head up to the sky and say help me to be strong.
No you didn’t bring me out here to leave me lonely.  Even when I can’t see clearly, I know that you are with me.

There are many ways in which you might volunteer with Cornerstone Crossroads Academy.  Please visit online at www.cornerstonecrossroads.com or contact k.lichtenberg@cornerstonecrossroads.com for more information.