Guest Speaker on Human Trafficking - Sunday Morning, July 18th - 10:45 am

Sandie Morgan will be our guest speaker Sunday morning, July 18th, at 10:45 at Anoka Wesleyan. Her topic will be the local church's response to Human Trafficking. We invite to you attend.

Sandie is a Registered Nurse and has served on the board of the International Nurses Association in Athens, Greece where she lived for ten years. It was there that she discovered human trafficking while doing a story for Lydia Living magazine. She also serves as Director of Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice and is adjunct professor of Family Violence and Human Trafficking. www.vanguard.edu/gcwj. Sandie served as a Human Trafficking Dialogue Facilitator at the National Association of Evangelicals Global Leaders Forum in Washington D.C. and was invited to the first Whitehouse Roundtable on Human Trafficking. She has hosted the Senior Director for Global Projects from the US State Department for the first Economic Roundtable on Human Trafficking in Southern California as well as in Athens, Greece at the Athens Bar Association, as well as current Human Trafficking Ambassador Luis CdeBaca. Sandie Morgan is Administrator of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force enlisting the local community in partnership with law enforcement against the modern slave trade. As an advocate for victims of human trafficking, Sandie guest lectures in universities, community groups, and churches. Sandie has been interviewed by the LA Times http://articles.latimes.com/2008/01/10/metro/me-parsons10, the OC METRO Business Magazine http://www.ocmetro.com/NEW_SITE/metro031308/women.php. the OC Register, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/trafficking-229036-morgan-human.html KOCE – Real Orange, and other media. Developing community grassroots awareness is critical to ending slavery. She partnered with other members of the OC Community on an awareness video, The Cost of Demand which can be viewed at www.live2free.org. Changing the way we think about the forces that drive demand for human trafficking is her goal. She says, “The modern salve trade is a business fueled by demand. Consequently, to some degree we are all part of the problem or part of the solution. We contribute to demand by turning a blind eye to pornography and sex tourism or by making choices that reward companies that keep their bottom line under the rest of the market by the use of slave labor.”

Block Party and VBS in August

Mark your calendars now to attend two special events in August! We will be having a neighborhood Block Party as part of National Night Out on August 3rd from 6-8 pm! There will be food, games, music and fun! Come join us at 1930 Branch Avenue in Anoka!!

Vacation Bible School will be August 8-12th at Anoka Wesleyan from 6-8:30 pm for ages 3-99! VBS is always such an awesome time...plan on coming and inviting a friend! Cost is $3.00 for five days of a great time at "Crocodile Dock"!!!!

Remodeling Updates

The elevator lift is now complete and will take individuals to the sanctuary, the entryway, and the fellowship hall! It is regularly used each week! Ken has also completed the ramp for the front entrance, so no more step! The church is now handicap accessible! The next projects will be to replace the front entry doors, create a handicap restroom, put stairtreads on the concrete stairs, and replace the sound system! It's exciting, isn't it! Thank you for your faithful support in these projects! May the Lord receive all the honor and glory! I'll post some pictures soon!

Welcome, Jeff and Becky!!

On Monday afternoon, Jeff and Becky Poe moved to Anoka! They will be ministering to the young adults and the youth of Anoka Wesleyan! We're so excited to have them here! Jeff and Becky are recent graduates of Bethany Bible College in Sussex, Canada.

Did you know that there are 48 million young adults in the United States? We, as the church of Jesus Christ, want to empower this generation to use their gifts for the benefit of people and the purposes of God...to help them unlock their potential!

Be praying for Jeff and Becky as they start their new ministry!!!

Memorial Day

We were able to attend the community service this morning which was very touching and respectful. How grateful I am for the men and women who have served our country...and how humbled I am by those who have given their lives for our freedom. As the Gold Star parents laid the wreath for their child at the base of the memorial, I must admit my heart ached for them for they know the true price of freedom. The speaker for the program shared that our solders are ordinary men on an extraordinary mission to make a difference in our world because of freedom. During one part of the program, those from a particular area of the armed services were to stand..the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, etc... I watched as young and old proudly stood to their feet...men and women who have been willing to be used. It was a sobering time.

I often wonder about those men who signed the United States Declaration of Independence..under the words "We hold these truths to be self-evident."...the list of names of men who were willing to stake their fortunres, their honor, and their lives on a few convictions that changed the world.

Jesus changed the world with a few who were willing to die for what they believed. He began with only twelve men...men that He chose to be with Him. These twelve were indeed special for they walked and talked with Jesus for those three years of His ministry...they learned from Him in person! And at the end of Christ's earthly mission...He sent these apostles out with the good news of the Gospel. We recently studied the first part of the book of Acts...the beginning of the Church after the visitation of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. I had goose bumps as Doug shared from that portion of Scripture. But don't stop with Acts! Continue on in the Word, and you will see as multitudes heard of Jesus and followed Him, some went on to change the world!
And the neat part is that this is still what God is doing today -- He still uses people -- people who are willing to be His instruments for change in the world...ordinary people on an extrodinary mission...willing to make a difference in their world because of the freedom from sin offered through Jesus Christ! He uses us when we are willing! It doesn't take great people to do great things...just ordinary people on an extraordinary mission in service to an Omnipotent God! Are you one of them???

Pledge of Allegiance

In 1892, Francis Bellamy, a minister from Boston, first published the Pledge of Allegiance. Originally the word "God" was not in the pledge. But on June 14, 1954, President Eisenhower signed into law a provision that added the words "under God" to the pledge. Later President Eisenhower commented, 'In this way we are reaffiarming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war.'

May This Be A Blessed Easter

As grateful as I am for the blood my Jesus shed on the cross, I am even more thankful that my Savior did NOT stay there. He not only paid the price for our transgressions -- He rose again! Jesus' sacrifice made it possible for you and I to enjoy the exquisite delight of union with Christ and also to experience the abundant life He promised!!! In the craziness of this present world, have hope for an amazing tomorrow! Jesus, thank you for the gift of salvation! Have a most blessed Easter!