Newsletter, Christmas 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Church Update
After a couple years of ministry together, Montez and I have decided to move forward with each launching new church plants. Although a difficult decision, this has been nothing but an honoring, loving and Kingdom expanding move. Stef and I are developing and training a diverse leadership team and continuing with the principals of community development, diversity and empowerment. The community night I have been running is continuing as part of the new church as well. Stay tuned for updates, and if you’re interested in being part of this new work, feel free to give us a call!



Making Disciples who make disciples…
One highlight in my (Steve’s) week is mentoring men who are then mentoring younger men. Together we are working with an average of 17 younger men between the ages of 15-21. Many of these youth have been on and off probation, drugs and in and out of gangs - a similar testimony to those mentoring them. It is staggering how our history of injustice combined with personal choices have left so many African American youth and men to face their circumstances like a title wave about to crash overhead. Reverend King put it this way, “The hard truth is that neither Negro nor white has yet done enough to expect the dawn of a new day.” And yet we have faith, that by the grace of God, these young men will become Christ-centered husbands and fathers, school teachers, laborers, business owners and pastors. Please pray for these young men and the girls group as well!

Elijah House
Stef is wrapping up another semester of Elijah House prayer ministry. She has been developing a leadership team that with her lead the class. This semester brought in 21 people from 6 different churches! On the tail end of her training in September, Stef was released by Elijah House to teach some of the course live (the course is a video course). This has been a blessing to the class as she is able to teach in a more relevant way. Plus Stef’s just an amazing teacher! Graduation is on the 17th. If you’re free, shoot Stef an email for details!

Family
Hello from our kids! They also thank you for your prayers and support, which keep them warm and protected! Ian (now in 2nd grade) goes to Reeceville and played soccer this fall (yes, I’m a proud dad!). Luke’s in Kindergarten at Reeceville and loves playing war and tag in the neighborhood; and that’s our Maddie carrying shoes over to the right~ yes she has a shoe fetish at 21 moths old…no one told me it would start so young! Stef and I are doing great. Right Stef? She nodded. We’re looking forward to starting a “home group” in January with a handful of people that we have been reaching out to in our neighborhood over the past couple years.

Also, check out our most recent project “Soap for Hope” at: www.hopebeyondborders.org

This Christmas we thank God for each of you. We are richly blessed because of your partnership with us and support of the work we are called too. May the “Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”…and may you have a MERRY
CHRISTMAS!

Newsletter, Summer 2009

NEWS BRIEFS

Did you hear? We received over $20,000 in donations at the benefit concert! Good news for us and better news for the 4-5,000 Beautiful Zambians who will be able to drink clean water!

Thanks to the bands and many volunteers who made the night a great success! And thanks to all you generous and blessed donors! Keep living in love~

May Ministry and Prayer Update

Blessings from Coatesville! We hope you're all enjoying seeing the trees bud and flowers burst forth...The heavens still declare the glory of our God and the skies forever proclaim the work of His hands!

We pray that this spring the living Spirit of God is louder than all of our radios, TV's, traffic and all else that tries to drown out His voice!

Here are a couple quick ministry and family updates~

Local Update
Coatesville Community Night

Recently I (Steve) was talking with a leader from a partner organization for our Coatesville Community Night initiative. His comments pinpointed our heart for Coatesville and this endeavour:
"Steve, it's time this community takes responsibility for itself and stops the pattern of unhealthy dependency on others. We have what it takes! The people here are capable, and we need "others" to start assisting our answers, visions and goals."

That quote captivates our desire for Community Nights; to empower the community to take authority and ownership (two central components for community revitalization) over its own vision and goals, while establishing healthy partnerships that further that vision.

Check out the following testimony and pictures of what a handful of people and organizations, through the Community Night Initiative, are doing to change Coatesville from the inside out.

Testimony:
"Community Night has been an encouragement to me and my family in many ways! First, it has brought both of my ‘worlds together’. I have been actively involved in reconciliation of races, classes, and generations; community development projects; Re-Evaluation Counseling Projects worldwide and more! Now that NCCC, in cooperation with other organizations, had branched out and is doing this work, it’s been harder for me to stay away!

At Community Night we have established something for everyone to participate in. While my five year old is in class with her peers being creative, having fun, and being cared for by a DIVERSE group of loving individuals, my 20 year old brother is able to share his experiences as a young adult with the teens. With this new responsibility, it has boosted his self esteem. It has caused my brother to think more about what type of man he wants to be, because he is mentoring young people in the community. He sees these young people every day, so he’s determined to be a good example. This has been a wonderful way for him to also be creative and use his artistic skills.

For me, I’ve been able to get helped in various ways. I am able to spend time with my family and friends, make new friends – those that come in for dinner – I am able to use my skills to help with the administration; planning and participating with the teens, and utilizing my own counseling skills, along with work and life experience to help facilitate classes for leadership. I also recently started co-teaching a course on racial reconciliation.

All in all, it has become one of the best past-times for me and my family. I can’t imagine anything else we’d be doing on Wednesday night…as a matter of fact, I can’t REMEMBER what else we did! Thank you!"

Here is a snap-shot of a typical Community Night:

Starr at the front desk








Kitchen Staff volunteers

A volunteer staff of 4-6 people work from 4-6p each Wednesday preparing for the crowd!





Dinner time!
Weekly we have between 65-85 youth and adults show up for community night dinner, with most staying for the classes after.


Our focus is on creating an environment where families and individuals can come for fellowship, healing and training.


Toddlers class
What an amazing bunch. Each week these young ones have gym time, snack time, a craft and bible study.






K-5th Graders
Each Wednesday Night this group of approximately 25 kids alternates from gym time, craft time, bible story time and seasonally has focus areas (arts, finance, processing fires, etc.)





JR/SR High Class
This crew of between 25-30 students rotate through a variety of options throughout the year. This summer they will go through a small business training and become entrepreneurs in jewelry making, a water ice business, bike repairs and screen printing! Each night they also have a devotional and discussion time lead by one of the teachers.


We are also running an adult a course on Racial Reconciliation that looks at the history of race in America and helps a racially diverse group of people walk through healing and restoration.

Celebrate Victory is also offered to adults who want healing and victory over any hurts, habits or hangups.


Foreign Update
Romania

And numbers were added daily to those that were being saved.... Thank you all for your prayers for our Romania trip. It was an amazing and fruitful journey into the interior of some of Romania's most remote villages! We worked with a few Church planters and preached, prayed and ministered at 2-3 churches a day. It was busy, but the team did an amazing job bringing the love of Christ to the people. At one house church 30 people packed into a small living room just to hear from us. We later found out that 15 people received Christ!

Please continue to pray for Cornel (pictured with me to left) and other church leaders and followers of Christ. Also, many of the churches had only 1 or 2 bibles for the whole church! If you would like to support our bible drive click here.




None of this is possible without YOU! thank you for your continued prayer and financial support! We love and appreciate you!

~Steve and Stef

Newsletter, Spring 2009

Elijah House Graduation!

Praise God for another successful E.H. Course. Stef led another life transforming course with attendees from 4 different churches. Graduation night was a powerful night of worship and testimonies!

Stef recently returned from a E.H. training that will release her to teach the course live, allowing her to teach the principals of the course in a more relevant way for a diverse community. Thanks to all who supported her trip!

Please Pray:

• Pray for wisdom in course and leadership development as Stef looks to continue the course this fall
• Pray for the emerging leaders here in Coatesville who will assist in bringing this healing ministry to others.

Zambia, Africa

Please keep the Zambia team in prayer. I'll (steve) be leaving on July 30Th for 2 weeks in Kaombe village, Northern Zambia with 11 other team members. We will be assisting with the water project, running a VBS camp for 160 kids, and generally we assist with a revival at one of the local churches. We are trusting God to do a mighty work and bring hope instead of despair, life instead of death, healing instead of sickness and the great news of His Kingdom from house to house and village to village!


Pray for:

• Team unity and health
• Pray that the logistics for the water project would work out smoothly.
• Pray that seed of the Gospel would take root and bring about a great harvest for the Kingdom

Family Update

We had a great time at our annual Wilson Family beach week! Ian was excited to learn how to surf with Uncle Don (only surface wounds were inflicted!). It's a blessing each year to see family and bask in the sun.

Ian is currently in a summer reading camp and will be going into second grade this fall! He loves summer time swims and playing with the neighborhood kids. Luke just turned 5 and is excited to head into Kindergarten this fall and a chance to be in Ian's big school...And Maddie continues to steal our hearts with her smile and laugh. She's 17 months and walking, talking, and holding her own with 2 big brothers.

We ask that you continue to keep us and Coatesville in prayer especially in this season. The weight of a declining economy weighs especially heavy on a community like Coatesville where many families and children are in desperate need for the necessities of life and the faith to believe God will see them through.

We encourage you to be strong in the Lord and His mighty power! It is He who has called you and equipped you to walk in victory through Jesus Christ~ Don't look to your circumstances but to the author and perfector of your faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Much love!

Steve, Stefanie, Ian, Luke and Maddie

Newsletter, Winter 2009

The past few months have been challenging and rewarding here in Coatesville. Check out the below snap-shots of what God has been doing~

FIRES

When devastation hits a small city like Coatesville, it impacts the whole community. After the 15 homes that burned down on Fleetwood St. and attracted national attention, both the government and Church community responded with an aggressive counter strike of compassion and provision. At New Community we took on the PR by setting up a web site as a central communication piece for county and faith based communication, and also took on the entire furniture collection and distribution effort.
To date we have collected furniture for and moved into new apartments, over 13 families! Endless hours from committed volunteers, often giving up work days, free time and much more to help the families has made the entire process a blessing to those displaced. Please continue to pray and assist as we still need to collect furniture and move in approx. 8 more families effected by the fires over the past year. for more info click here.

SUPPORT

You guessed it~ The economy has effected all of us...and were feeling the pinch. We are currently at 70% of our GCM monthly goal. This means that any reimbursements are frozen, and starting next month we will not receive a full pay-check. Please be praying for us as a family as we creatively try to make ends meet. If you currently support us on a monthly basis and are willing to increase support, or send in a "special gift" we would greatly appreciate it! If you do not currently support us and are willing to consider please e-mail me at: stevethomaswilson@gmail.com

Its easy to begin or increased support, or send a special gift. Click here and enter "Steve Wilson" in the search option. Then click on "give" you can create a GCM ID and Password and your on your way!


ELIJAH HOUSE

Stef has been busy minstering through prayer with individuals weekly and this past week started leading another round of Elijah House prayer ministry; a life-transforming course that helps people overcome and heal from past struggles, releasing them into the freedom that Christ desires for us all. Keep Stef in prayer as she starts this powerful 13 week training course~ she has 25 people signed up!


ROMANIA

I was recently invited to go with a missions team to Romania (all expenses paid!)...and I'm leaving this Friday. We will be visiting numerous churches and orphanages. I will be doing a lot of preaching/teaching as well as looking into the possibilities of how Hope Beyond Borders can be involved in the region in the future. Pray that God would do a great work in and through our team and that the Gospel would go forth with great power, yielding a lasting harvest for our King!

PRAYER

We covet your prayers in this season. As those that walk by faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross, we do not bow to the spirit of this age. Recession is a reality, however we do not walk as those without hope. Instead, In every thing we give thanks: for this is the will of God concerning us in Christ Jesus!

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please continue to lift up the many families trying to regain some form of normality in the aftermath of the fires.

Pray for our family as it has been an intense season of ministry~ Between the fires and general economic conditions, the needs of coatesville families has intensified. Many are without the basic needs that we often take for granted.

Pray for the Romania Trip

PRAISE REPORTS

Last month we had 5 people give their life to Christ at our services at NCCC!

Through the fire relief efforts, churches and para-church ministries that at one time would not partner are working together to bring relief!

Madeline Danielle turned 1 year old!

We can't thank each of you enough for partnering with us as we continue to labor for the Gospel. May God continue to richly bless you!

Steve and Stefanie