Look who's coming for lunch...April 5th

Photo, U.S. News & World Report

"Brick by Brick, He Fights the Inner-city Blues"

Allan & Susan Tibbels are coming to Indy for the 'Faith Community Forum' (downtown) [continue for details - RSVP required by April 1st]

But then they'll be coming to the cafe for the lunchtime meeting of 'Transform Indiana', starting at 11:30am. Everyone is welcome.

The Tibbels are having great impact in Baltimore's inner-city, and serve as one of the fine examples of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA).

So come be with us for lunch next Tuesday (April 5th).

Helping Neighbors...

Some more of our friends of the cafe are in the news... Chris & Mary Provence. Most of you would recognize Chris from our morning Bible Study, and as an active participant in CCDA Indy 2005.

[Great article, Russ!]


Russ Pulliam, Columnist, IndyStar

"Chris Provence moved to the poverty-stricken neighborhood for convenient access to drugs. Now, he stays there to share the freedom he gained from drug addiction in 1998. But he's not preaching on street corners in the neighborhood around 24th and Guilford near the Monon Trail. He and his wife, Mary, are helping their neighbors buy homes." [continued at IndyStar.com]

[Also visit their ministry site: RebuildingTheWall.org]

[Also visit CCDA Blog]

Sister Elease's church home... on the move.

[This article is about the church that Sister Elease attends!]




"New Life, a predominantly black church, has reached a deal to buy the Northwestside facilities of Traders Point Christian Church, a predominantly white church that's moving to a site in Boone County."

"It's a win-win situation for the kingdom."

"The deal announced recently is making this a special Easter season for both congregations. But the shuffling will cost a lot of money for both churches."

[continue at IndyStar.com]

Video Bloggin'...

Too cute. [continue at Superhua's blog]

Transform Indiana... What's the latest?

Transform Indiana... What's the latest?




Connecting the Puzzle Pieces
By Becki Jenkins
President/Director
Missionary Connection

Over the years, working in various ministry capacities, I have wondered why Churches, ministries, faith groups and outreach initiatives do not unite. As a whole, we as the collective body of Christ tend to do our own things in our own buildings in our own little spaces and claimed geographical territories with little connection with our brothers and sisters locally, nationally or internationally. It seems that every new Church, ministry or faith based group that pops up recreates the wheel, by duplicating outreach initiatives and resources, all acting as if there are none of these resources already available in their communities and that their particular ministry is didactically unique and singular in relation to the outside world.


for the rest of the story: http://mcconnect.blogspot.com/



What's New with Missionary Connection?



Church on Wheels:

Missionary Connection has just began a ministry initiative that takes the Church to the shut in or shut out. A bus is being converted into a Church on wheels providing physical and spiritual help in our streets and our communities! The bus will also be used as a traveling school of various educational offerings. If you or your Church would like to use the bus or other resources,please contact Missionary Connection: becki5789@msn.com.

Living Bread to the World:

Missionary Connection provides baked goods: bread,treats, unleavened bread and many other items at a low cost to raise money for community programs. If you would like to help,please contact: becki5789@msn.com or support The Unleavened Bread Cafe at 30th and Central with your patronage. Ask about Living Bread to the World through Missionary Connection baked goods.

Save your cans,lend a helping hand!

Missionary Connection is particiapting inan on-going program of saving your aluminum cans to help local community programs. We will pick up. If you or your business would like to participate,please call: 317-471-0156 or e-mail: becki5789@msn.com.

Baltimore to Indy... April 5th

Photo, U.S. News & World Report

"Brick by Brick, He Fights the Inner-city Blues"

The Tibbels are coming to Indy for the specially combined sessions of 'Faith Community Forum' and 'Transform Indiana'.

Don't miss them... [location: Sagamore Institute, April 5th]

[continue]

U.B. Goin'....

I love the folks at the cafe. All of 'em. And now that we're a little bit underway with the "U.B. Bloggin'" computer-training program, maybe it's time to add a new available training-item to the program, for those who might want it...

After all, so far, we tell folks that we can train 'em in 3 weeks on the 3 important aspects of the internet...

1. U.B. Surfin'
2. U.B. Emailin'
3. U.B. Bloggin'

And it's fun, especially if you love people. Our trained friends will tell you what we always say... "It's not WHAT ya know that's as important as WHO ya know."... because if you know the right kind of people, they can help you learn anything you want to learn. [And the cafe has the 'right' kind of people!]

So people that love ya and want to help you learn computer skills will tell you... these 3 skills above are the most important ones on the internet.

But important as those are, there's nothing more important than the 4th module...

4. U.B. Goin'

Goin' where? Goin' how?


U.B. Goin' to heaven... if you want to, and if you learn how.

But it's like surfin', emailin' and bloggin' -- what's important is... that you want to do it, and you're willing to learn the RIGHT way.

Bill Gates doesn't ask your opinion about how to surf.... because opinions may be interesting, but the only thing that counts is... are you doin' it the right way. Right?

Same with heaven. Opinions are interesting, but the only thing that counts is... Are you doin' it the right way? And the 'right way' of course, has to be GOD's way.

Thankfully, He loves us way more than Bill Gates loves us. And He's provided a way that's way simpler than surfin', emailin' or bloggin'.

He loves us so much that He humbled Himself came down to earth 2000 years ago and lived as one of us. And even though He was perfect, He allowed Himself to be cruelly tortured and crucified... as a sacrifice, to pay the penalty for our sins. And He rose again from the grave and was seen by over 500 people... to demonstrate His power and authority.

And several of those who saw Him do miracles, saw Him die on the cross, and even saw Him after rising from the dead.... they wrote about Him... and died at the hands of folks who hated Jesus... rather than 'give in' about what they had seen and known to be true.

Do you know anyone who willingly died instead of telling the truth? I don't. But many of the writers of the New Testament did just exactly that. [And some of the Old Testament writers, as well.]

So these friends of Jesus.... Did they record what Jesus said about how 'U.B. Goin'??? Yep. Lots.

Take John for instance -- one of Jesus' closest friends. Look what he said about why he went to the trouble of writing down what he observed:

"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. "

And of course it was John who wrote down Jesus' words that are famous throughout the world:

John 3:16... "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes [trusts] in him shall not perish, but will have eternal life." [clarification added]

Actually, if you want to read John's book about Jesus, you can even do it online. It's pretty short. Read it for yourself. Learn what Jesus said about "U.B.Goin'" (or U.NOT.B.Goin').

CCDA Indy Planning Meeting...

We had a great CCDA Indy 2005 planning meeting/breakfast at the cafe yesterday. They've decided to meet the first Friday of every month, at the cafe (8am).

This is the local group associated with the national organization... "Christian Community Development Association". Our local 'host committee' is preparing for the national convention coming to Indy this November. Lots to do. Come join us at the cafe when we meet April 1st.

Gizoogle... Don't try this at home... LOL

Too funny! Gizoogle attempts to translate any website into an ebonics version. Here, try a sample search for IndyChristian.com.

With the growing controversy about the TNIV changing the meaning of the scriptures, this was a timely piece of comic relief.

[But beware -- it doesn't always come out pretty! Cover your ears & eyes at times.]

[hat-tip, Pastor Tim Bayly]

Picture Bloggin' ?

[part of our ongoing 'U.B. Bloggin/Learnin' program]

Some of our new bloggers have asked... "How do I add pictures to my posts?"

Like this...

Unfortunately, at the moment Blogger.com doesn't support (easy) picture posting in our blogs. [Give 'em time -- no doubt in the future they'll facilitate picture posting too.]

So here's my simplest advice (esp. for Microsoft Internet Explorer users):

• Find an existing picture already on the web.
• Make sure it's ok to use it at your blog. [That is, don't violate copyright laws -- which is a separate topic all by itself. In most cases, common sense and a conscience will help guide you. In most cases, the pictures you'd like to add to your blog are people you know and/or their logos... and they'd be easy to get permissions from.]
• You need to know the exact URL for the particular existing picture (example). But how do you know the exact URL when you just see a picture in a webpage? (example) Easy. Just RIGHT-click the pic, and choose PROPERTIES. Notice the URL is shown. [Highlighting through that URL and copying it, is a handy thing so you can later paste it into your code.] Caveat: If it's a long URL, you may not be seeing the whole thing, unless you highlight all the way through it.
• Now, as you're writing your post and hoping to include that picture, look at the two little TABS Blogger gives you to work with, just above your white posting area. You're probably in the COMPOSE tab, so switch to the EDIT HTML tab (briefly) so we can add a line of code -- Then we'll come back to the COMPOSE tab, ok?
• In the EDIT HTML mode, look for wherever you think is the most likely place to insert your code -- don't be afraid to experiment.
• Then type the following, within little 'tag' brackets < >
  img src=http://indychristian.com/images/Neil3.jpg
  [except use the URL of the picture you want to appear in your post.]
• Switch back to the COMPOSE mode tab... and La Voila!!!... your pic should appear.
• Resize it to suit yourself. If you're not familiar with resizing, you can leave it as is, or you can play with it and learn, especially clicking on the little diagonal arrow that appears when you hover over the very corner of the pic... then dragging it, to resize.
• Also... you can hyperlink a pic just like you can hyperlink a piece of text. But that's another lesson. **smile**

Good luck. If you have trouble -- come see us any Saturday morning at the cafe (10am til noon)

And don't forget, Orangejack Blogging University is always there to help.

They've got a great section on photo-blogging. Give it a try.