MINISTRY UPDATE: OCTOBER 2021
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Giving Tuesday is less than two months away! Will you join us?
Recently, two of our faithful partners inquired about the possibility of donating stocks to Shores. After consulting some friends who work in finance, we opened a brokerage account with Fidelity. Individuals and companies can now donate from their brokerage accounts directly to Shores of Grace. If you are interested in donating this way, consult your financial institution, as there can be significant tax benefits for donors. We have included our brokerage account information and instructions for donating below:
Name of Broker Company: Fidelity
Broker Address: PO Box 28016, Albuquerque NM 87125-8016
DTC#: 0226
Our Acct Number: Z40-291341
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Shores Philly Update
Here in Germantown, PA, we have just begun hosting our Family Meals again! We will be hosting them every other Thursday at 6:00pm. We have been reaching out to other churches in the area to help us with meals and face-to-face ministry. We have been praying for a renewal of hope and joy in our community. We have seen a great increase in gun violence in our neighborhood, particularly in the four blocks surrounding our house, but we know that we carry the power and authority to change the atmosphere.
It is easy for us to want our churches to be filled up every Sunday. However, in getting to know people, we start to understand why this doesn’t happen so easily. Many people have been hurt by the church. Some feel as though they have to get their lives right before stepping into a church. Some feel as though they don’t have the right clothing. Some feel that the people in the church see them as dirty. There are many reasons why people don’t feel welcome, despite the congregants in a church saying, “You are welcome here.”
We hope that by once again opening up our home and inviting others to the table, we can show others the love of Jesus in a very simple way. We hope to be a stepping stone in their paths to growing in relationship with Jesus. Our home here in Germantown literally sits between the street and the church. What better way to begin a journey to become closer to God?
I’ve been reading a book recently called “The Dinner Church” by Verlon Fosner. He makes a very strong case as to why sharing a meal with others is such a powerful form of ministry. Sharing meals with others is how Jesus and the early church ministered! Everyone was invited, all were welcome. Sinners sat with saints and all were treated as equal at the table. This is our heart’s desire as we enter back into this season of communion with our neighbors and friends.
Our Hope Park outreaches continue every week. There has been an increase in chaos and hunger in the streets of Kensington. We ask for your prayers to cover Todd and Joanna Keim, the leaders of our Kensington ministry. They do a beautiful job of loving the people in that neighborhood and the Holy Spirit is in the middle of all of their effort. We are seeking God for even more Holy Spirit.
At the end of October, we will host a student from United Theological Seminary where Luke is pursuing his Master of Divinity degree. The master’s program requires each student to travel and experience a culture different from their own. We have the honor of hosting one of the women in Luke’s program for a week here in Philadelphia. We will be exposing her to many museums, church services, different neighborhoods, and hands-on practical ministry both in Kensington and in Germantown. We ask for your prayers as we plan for her week with us, and if you are in the area and would like to hear her amazing testimony, watch for updates on the Shores Philly Facebook page.
We thank you for your continued prayers and support. When the body of Christ works together, the Kingdom advances. We thank you for joining us in making all of this possible. Text by Luke and Alisan Billman, Shores Philadelphia
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Shores Recife - Children's DayOn the 12th of October, we celebrated Children's Day in Brazil! Within our ministry to the communities, we have been doing discipleship with the teenagers and wanted to bring Children's Day to them in a different way since they are older.
Jesus told us that unless we change our ways and become like little children, we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 18), so we had an evening where they could play like children, worship, and hear the Word! In times like today, where it is easy to grow up too quickly and lose our innocence, it was beautiful to remind them to seek being dependent on our Heavenly Father, to run to Him for help, to trust that He loves us and takes care of us, to wonder at all the things He has made, to find good in others, to be humble, and to have joy, just like a child would! As we prayed for them, we could see many being touched by God's love.
We pray that all of us would learn to live humbly and joyfully as children of God, and to always be in awe of Him and His creation!
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Praises“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.” - Psalm 9:1 - Nearly all of our teenage girls at Vila Betania are in professional training courses and working “jovem aprendiz” jobs (governmental teenage apprenticeship program)!
- Praise for our amazing missionaries and staff who serve faithfully every day and without whom Shores would not be able to do all that we are doing.
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Prayer Requests“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” - Romans 12:12 - For finances for the lot for the baby home - we have half of the funds and need $60,000 more
- For God’s justice and peace - in November, we will have Children’s Court hearings for all of our girls at Vila Betania, so we need prayer warriors praying for these things specifically!
- For the renovations of the new home to remain on track for early January so that we can move the girls into the new home in January
- For the Amor do Pai (Father’s Love) Conference in Brazil on the 23rd of this mont
- For the return of our schools in 2022
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