Child Care Center Staff Assist Fallen Roofer

BOWIE, MD (September 5, 2012) – The quick thinking of Redeemer Child Care Center (RCCC) staff helped stem the bleeding from an injury suffered by a roofer who fell to the pavement.

The worker was bleeding badly from what turned out to be a severe scalp gash. Staff from RCCC thought to use bandages the church had made through Church of the Redeemer’s Rip-N-Roll mission ministry.

Rip-N-Roll is a ministry that turns bed sheets into bandages that are shipped to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are used in medical facilities operated by the Congo Covenant Church.

Staff, including Idalia Rodriguez, kept the worker calm. Rodriguez was able to speak to him in his native Spanish. She also served as an interpreter when paramedics arrived.

The roofer is expected to make a full recovery.

Modesto Church Project Benefits Victims of Violence

MODESTO, CA (September 5, 2012) – Modesto Covenant Church raised $12,000 during its “Monster Rummage Sale to fight the monsters of abuse and violence,” said Jeff Norman, pastor of adults and missions.

About 80 volunteers staffed the event that benefited the Stanislaus Family Justice Center (SFJC). The center is a partnership of governmental agencies and non-profit groups that provide coordinated services to victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

According to the SFJC website, “The core concept is to provide one place where victims can go to talk to an advocate, plan for their safety, interview with a police officer, meet with a prosecutor, receive medical assistance, receive information on shelter, and get help with transportation.”

Church member Becky Lee initiated the church project and worked almost full-time for two weeks sorting and pricing merchandise and organizing the volunteers, Norman said. The church’s Justice Action Group (JAG) sponsored the sale.

The church’s justice group was formed in 2009 in response to the denomination’s Department of Women Ministries Break the Chains project. The group seeks to inform the congregation about human trafficking and other justice issues and to provide opportunities to work for justice locally and globally, said Norman.

Redeemer Covenant Church Holds Different Kind of Service

TULSA, OK (September 5, 2012) – Members of Redeemer Covenant Church didn’t attend church in the traditional fashion on Sunday – instead, they fanned out across the city to engage in acts of kindness.

Nearly 400 volunteers participated at 10 locations. Activities included packing grocery bags to give to people at a nearby apartment complex as well as singing at a local hospice.

“We have often talked in our church that the church is not within the walls of the church, but the church is the body of Christ, so we are trying to go out in the community and show them the love of Christ,” member Lana Roskamp told a local media outlet.

City Employees Help Churches Sponsor Heritage Festival

BROOKLYN PARK, MN (September 5, 2012) – City employees helped Redeemer Covenant and La Bendición Covenant churches conduct the Hispanic Heritage Festival that the congregations sponsored. Several hundred people attended.

“City volunteers ran games for children and provided a play area, which gave our members the opportunity to directly serve other people,” said Pastor Steve Larson. Mayor Jeffery Lunde addressed the gathering to thank the churches for sponsoring the event.

The festival celebrates the similarities and differences that exist among the 21 Latin American countries. Different stations educated attendees about the customs, food and dances of each country. Ambassadors from several Latin America countries judged a folkloric dance competition.

“The festival is an opportunity for us to express to our diverse community that cultural heritage is something to celebrate,” Larson said. “Through the sights, sound, and food we have the great honor of helping people celebrate their culture and find a place that they feel at home with us.

Rich Eckhart, deacon of youth ministry, said, “It used to be that we had to look at a map to find the mission field – now we look out our window.”