Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Over $1Million of Faith-Work Served!

I'm excited to announce that we have just passed over the one million dollar mark in value of food distributed through the Family Table CAP program in the past four years. Thank you, Jesus! This really marks an important point in time for this outreach. There are so many people involved in a success like this so I want to acknowledge some of the key players in this miracle of God.

First of all, without the precious Holy Spirit we would never have been in position to see this as an opportunity from Heaven. Thank you Holy Spirit.

Dr. Larry Keefauver, who in his apostolic anointing and wisdom, recommended that we start this kind of program and connected us with Harvest Time International in Orlando. Thanks Dr. Larry.

Pastor John Murphy of Harvest Time International, Orlando, FL, who freely opened his ministry to us, trained our start-up team, provided our very first truckload of food and helped us many times since. Thanks Pastor John.

The CMCC family of believers who responded with an initial offering to finance the start-up of the CAP program. You guys are the best! Without your sacrifice, CMCC could not have grown from a veritable house-church in 1991 to a major ministry epicenter, smack in the middle of town, feeding the poor, teaching children, preaching the Gospel and blazing the light of God’s love. Thank you all.

Our original CAP start-up team; Nick and Kathy Malaxos and Mike and Chris Tuch, who all took a week off from work to drive to Orlando with me for training at Harvest Time International. This group of committed Christian neighbor-lovers set up the original store and tended the program for the first full year of operation. Without Nick, Kathy, Mike and Chris there would be no CAP today. Much gratitude to these faithful friends of Jesus.

Mr. Terry Henderson, who, when he saw our functioning CAP program, provided funding and leather furniture donations to sell, to get us to the next level. Thank you for everything Terry and Ruth. You are well loved!

Randy and Letty Johnson and Tracy Larokko, who diligently worked the phones for months and months, at first with no results, to break through and create the vital business connections necessary to receive the food to stock our shelves. Thank you, I really appreciate all your hard work.

Our food suppliers. Thanks to the many stores, wholesalers and manufacturers who have entrusted product to care for needy people in our region. Hannaford, Price Chopper, C&S, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, LaBella Pasta, Mountainside Creamery, Kraft, and A&P come to mind as well as many other fine organizations who have kindly befriended us.

Thanks to the dozens and dozens of workers from our church and the greater community who have given so many hours of labor and contributed in so many ways. If I begin naming names, I will surely offend some hard working saint by forgetting to acknowledge you, so please forgive me if I do not. The Lord knows those who are His (2 Timothy 2:19).

Local businesses like Hubbell Brothers, the Cheese Barrel and many others, who have been consistent supporters of the CAP program through goods, services and financial donations. Thank you all so much.

Stephanie Seminara, whose excellent leadership and incredible hard work brought the program from mom and pop status to the current region-wide resource. Proverbs 19:17 “He who has pity on the poor lends tothe LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.” Thanks Stephanie!

Finally, thanks to the more than 600 families, totaling over 1500 individuals who are currently members of the Family Table Community Assistance Program. It is an honor to serve you.

The Family Table CAP is, in my mind, the perfect expression of James 2:14-20: What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, "but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

The Family Table: Over one million dollars of faith-work served!

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