China Impact Blog

Here is the vision of our city team in China:

“We are incarnational participants in our community developing people into healthy disciple makers and church leaders to reproduce healthy churches to the ends of the earth.”

Each member of the team has a different passion. Below is one:

"My passion is to invest in wom­en, families, and children. With a background in education, God has used me to train Sunday school teachers and to walk alongside women and moms. I love working with the church’s next generation of leaders—kids! I love teach­ing them God’s Word and helping to develop their character and education so that they can effectively lead tomorrow’s church.”

What can you do?

Pray for the impact of the Guang Hua Church Family Retreat taking place August 26 - 28, 2016 -- that those who attend would be strengthened in carrying out God’s mission with the learning and encouragement that they received.

Kevin Johnson - China Impact Coordinator

Serve in China from October 27 - November 7, 2016

How do you reach a country of over one billion people?

One neighborhood at a time!

What does a neighborhood look like?

 Not what you might think.

Our in-country partners have a vision to "Ignite church planting movements in every apartment complex in our city.”

What can you do?  What can your Small Group do?

First PRAY!  Check announcements for opportunities pray for China!

Second GO! Watch for details on a short term trip to China, October 27 - November 7! 

To get involved or for further information contact our China Impact Coordinator, Kevin Johnson,  kevindawn@comcast.net.  

FMSC Meals to Our Haiti GVCM Orphanage

We have wonderful news! Five Oaks is sending a full container of food (272,000 FMSC meals) to the GVCM All God's Children Orphanage outside of Mirebalais, Haiti!! This past March, Feed My Starving Children designated the All God's Children Orphanage as an official food distribution site.  Five Oaks Church will be sponsoring the shipment of one full container of FMSC meals to the orphanage each year. The circle is now complete. We will pack the food at Five Oaks Church during our FMSC events, ship containers to the orphanage, and finally send teams of Five Oakers to help distribute that food to malnourished children in Haiti's Central Plateau. The first container is scheduled to ship May 2016.

A little history and background: Back in 2005, Five Oaks Church began its partnership with Global Vision Citadelle Ministries, led by Pastor Yves Prophete. At the time GVCM was renting some land and a small shack to house orphaned children from the area of Fedja, Haiti. The conditions for the orphans was deplorable. The one room shack served as sleeping quarters, school and pretty much everything else for the kids. We committed helping GVCM acquire land and to building an orphanage building. Here is a photo of the old orphanage:

Between the first building mission in January 2006 and August 2009, when we cut the ribbon of the main orphanage building, over 200 different Five Oakers traveled to the building site in Haiti and gave of their TIME, TALENT & TREASURE to make the orphanage building a reality. Many of those people volunteered several times over several years.  

The mostly complete main orphanage building.

We continued to send building teams for a couple more years building the orphanage wall and support buildings. The All God's Children Orphanage is now a complex of buildings serving newborns to 17 year-olds. There are, as of today, 106 orphans housed there. The orphanage is the main school for 225+ local kids, and a school of 14 deaf orphans was moved to the campus. Five Oaks has since transitioned from sending building teams to sending teaching and evangelism teams. That effort continues to this day. Our next Haiti Mission will be from July 30 - August 6, 2016. Five Oaks Church has also supported the welfare of the children, the orphanage / school operations, and staff with ongoing financial support.  

The All God's Children Orphanage campus.

Approximately 3.5 years ago I started working with Yves Prophete, and various FMSC staff to forge a partnership between FMSC and GVCM. Five Oaks began packing meals with FMSC in 2008 and it seemed like a natural partnership to get those meals to the GVCM orphanage in Haiti. Haiti is the poorest country in our hemisphere and indeed, many FMSC meals go to Haiti. The bulk of those meals, however, go to Port-au-Prince. The orphanage is in Haiti's Central Plateau and we could not find a local distribution point near that area. I will not bore you with the details and red tape, but now that partnership is a reality. With the 272,000 meals the orphanage will receive, we know that the orphans and school children in the area are protected from the recurring famines that sweep through Haiti. The food also gives GVCM pastors and missionaries license to enter villages throughout Haiti to spread the Gospel.  

I consider this development the most important brick we laid since we set out to Impact Haiti back in 2005. The orphans are housed and now we know that they are fed. Glory be to God for orchestrating all of this!!

- Jerry Meras, Director of Outreach

Haiti Child Sponsorship Drive a HUGE Success!

I want to take a moment to send out a gigantic "Thank you!" to all who felt God's calling to care for the orphans of Haiti! These kids truly are the least of these. For the past two weekends we displayed photos of the orphans from the GVCM All God's Children Orphanage just outside Mirebalais, Haiti. We asked our congregation to select an orphans photo and story and to make a financial commitment of $35 a month to provide them with food, clothing, medicine and an education.

So many of you came through in a HUGE way to help provide a future for children growing up in our hemisphere's poorest country. Over the past two weekends we saw 19 orphans gain sponsors! That brings the Five Oaks total to 35 sponsored orphans. We more than doubled the number of kids we are supporting monthly.

These are the things that make a tangible difference in our world. I am so proud to be part of a church that is truly concerned with being the hands and feet of Christ to a hurting world. I am so proud to call Five Oaks my church home!

I want to thank Ron & Lesley Schlegel, our Haiti Impact Coordinators, and Sarah Bowers, who has an incredible hearth for these kids. Sarah provided us with the photos and stories and tracks our GVCM ChildVision sponsorships.

The opportunity to sponsor an orphan in Haiti is always open. Contact Sarah Bowers,  sarah@gvcm.org, and she will answer all your questions, introduce you to your child and set-up your sponsorship.  

Below are some photos of our newest sponsors. We were not able to get pics of all of our sponsors. If I left you out I sincerely apologize. You are all heroes to me.

Psalm 82:3 (NIV) - Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

- Jerry Meras, Director of Outreach

Serve in Bucharest, Romania

April 16 - 24, 2016

Serve the 'Least of These' in Bucharest, Romania this coming year. Impact Ministries is partnering with the Ruth-Project School in Romania to offer an exciting Global Missions opportunity. We will take a team of 6 - 12 mission-minded individuals to serve and work with the 400+ Roma (Gypsy) children at the school and in the Ferentari district of Bucharest. The Roma are among the poorest people group in Romania and throughout Europe.

The Romanian government has identified Monday, April 18 - Friday, April 22 as Field Trip Week. In addition to other activities, during the school week we will help guide the children through museums and other cultural activities.

The Ruth School is committed to giving education to the marginalized and disadvantaged, particularly for those coming from Roma (Gypsy) families in order to help them reach their highest potential. Through education, the Ruth School seeks to assist in the inclusion of Roma in society as well as their future educational endeavors (high school, vocational schools, etc.)
In addition to the educational opportunities offered by the Ruth School, there was more that attracted students to Project Ruth. Due to poverty, many children started to attend the school simply because of the hot meal offered by the foundation. Noticing all these things, The Ruth School organized the following services for their target group: an educational program based on the MECT curriculum, programs of education, a hot meal at the school and basic medical care as well as hygiene program. For more information on the Project-Ruth School click here: http://www.projectruth.ro/

Cost is $2,200 per person. We will help you gather support to serve. You were made for mission. Pray about this opportunity. To sign up or for further information email Jerry Meras, jmeras@fiveoakschurch.org.

2015 Haiti Short-Term Misison Trip

This past August, Five Oaks Church sent 12 short-term missionaries to Haiti to work with our partner Global Vision Citadelle Ministries at the All God's Children Orphanage outside of Mirebalais. We have partnered with GVCM since 2005 and continue to support their efforts to spread the Gospel, care for orphans and grow the church throughout Haiti. 

About Haiti:   

From a historical, cultural, and political standpoint, Haitian people have struggled for survival amidst controversy and opposition. The Lord is making a difference through His Word and His people. There is much more that needs to be done.

• Haiti – the poorest nation in the western hemisphere
• Land size – about the size of the state of Maryland
• Population – 7.6 million
• Most Haitian people live on the margin of social life in inhumane conditions

Below is an update from Haiti Team Leader, Ron Schlegel:   

Haiti Trip Update

A Five Oaks team just returned from another successful trip to All God’s Children Orphanage in Haiti.  Time was spent mentoring the children on Godly traits and helping them learn their spiritual gifts.  The team also worked on small projects at the orphanage and handed out rice and beans while preaching the Gospel to remote areas of the country.  A videographer followed the team to capture all the activities.  If you wish to learn more about this trip, or come on a future one, please write to Haiti@FiveOaksChurch.org.