FMSC - Story of A Miracle

Miracles happen all around us, even though we often fail to see or understand them. I just learned that one such miracle occurred at the FMSC Woodbury Mega MobilePack. I knew that the shift Five Oaks Church had participated in, the Saturday 6:00 - 8:00 pm shift, broke the record for the most meals packed in a single shift EVER in the history of FMSC. I did think that was really cool. I just didn't understand HOW COOL it really was.

Last night, November 10, I attended the FMSC debrief of our Mega MobilePack event. We went over every aspect of the event from a 3000' view. Discussing volunteer recruitment, marketing, fund-raising, etc. We all learned a lot about putting on an event of this size and scope, but all that took a back seat when we opened the floor to hear personal stories from that weekend in October. We heard a behind-the-scenes story from Lisa Engh that just floored us. I hope I can do it justice here. 

Saturday afternoon, after the 12:00 - 2:00pm shift ended, several key volunteers and senior FMSC staff were eating and going over the numbers of the event to that point. They came to the sobering realization that with the number of shifts left, and the number of volunteers scheduled to work each of those shifts, the event was going to fall short of the 4 million meals goal.  Up to that point, the 10 completed shifts packed an average of 215,714 meals. Paul Dopkins, from FMSC, who has supervised many, many MobilePacks made it clear that a great shift might produce meals in the high 290,000's, but even that was extraordinary. Only 1 of the prior 10 shifts had breached the 290k mark, and 5 of the shifts had fallen short of packing 200K meals. There were only 6 shifts remaining and some of those shifts had low volunteer commitments. The team came to terms with the fact that they would fall short of the goal by approximately 500,000 meals.  

That is when Laura Bernard, the Mobile Operations Manager for FMSC, spoke up. She reminded everyone that they had seen miracles happen before at these events. Though this would require a bigger than usual miracle, it was not beyond God. The group huddled and prayed. That is when God showed up.

The next shift, in the same two hour time frame as the rest, packed 356,832 meals. Unheard of!! Then it was our turn. Over 500 Five Oakers came together to pack meals on that Saturday evening. We did have a full shift, with 1,200 volunteers, but we finished packing an amazing 385,128 meals! Again, that is a FMSC record! 169,000 meals over the average and 100,000 more meals then what an extraordinary shift was expected to pack. It was impossible and defies explanation. Other full shifts had worked hard, had every bit of the same heart that we had, but the outcome was much different. Lisa described it as a real loaves and fishes type miracle. The real miracle lies in the difference between the expected outcome and the 4,066,200 meals we ultimately packed. By hitting and surpassing the goal another 1,551 children will be fed for an entire year. God will see His children fed!   

We never know when God is using us to do His work and we rarely understand when we are in the middle of something wonderful. I certainly didn't at the time.

- Jerry Meras 

    

       


The Take-Over...Shhh!

I feel like I should follow up the title with a sinister little laugh! Mwahahaha!

I feel like I should follow up the title with a sinister little laugh! Mwahahaha!

 

This weekend, Children's Ministry has a  sneaky plan to take over the churches Instagram account, shhhh..... Be watchful for what's happening down in the Tree House Children's Ministry this weekend as we tell our story through sharing pictures with you. You may even see someone you know!

As you watch the pictures unfold our weekend story, whisper a prayer that the children of our church would fall in love with the Word of God and that our Heavenly Father would draw them closer to Him. 

 

Celebrations and Thanks @ Impact Ministries

Hello Five Oaks,

Last night I met with our Impact Coordinators, and as part of our meeting, we went over all the Impact projects and events that Five Oaks Church has been involved with recently. The list was impressive! I am so thankful that God chose to use me in the position of Missions Pastor for Five Oaks Church. Just thinking about how blessed we have been to bring Christ to so many and to have the privilege to make a differences in people's lives from our quiet little corner of the world.

This is a short list of the events we celebrated:

  • Summer Mission to Camp des Cimes in France - My wife, Patti, led her first service team of 8 short-term missionaries to work the Youth English Camp from July 2 - 21.
  • Haiti Mission Trip - The Schlegel's led a team of 12 to the All God' Children Orphanage outside of Mirebalais, Haiti. From August 8 -15, they taught Spiritual Gifts, delivered food to local villages and helped grow the church in Central Haiti.  
2015 Haiti Team.jpg
  • Karen Backpack Drive and VBS - This past August, Five Oakers packed 100 + backpacks with school supplies and toys for the children of newly arrived Karen refugees from Burma and Thailand.  The Bryant Small Group also hosted a VBS for the Karen children at the Brittany Apartments in St. Paul.  127 children attended the VBS and 23 made first time decisions.


  • Hearts & Hammers - On September 19, a large group of Journeymen, their family and friends got together and rehabbed a home for a couple in need.
  • Team World Vision - Twin Cities Marathon -This past October 4, Five Oaks once again partnered with TWV to run the TC Marathon and raise money for water projects in Africa. The Metro area TWV teams together raised over $500,000 for clean water. Many of the runners were first time marathoners including our very own Dan Lukas. 
  • Feed My Starving Children - Woodbury 4 Million Meals Mega MobilePack - On October 10, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm, over 500 Five Oakers came together to pack meals for FMSC. Together with other volunteers, we packed just over 385,000 meals in a two hour period. That is still a FMSC record for number of meals packed in a single shift. Those meals are now on their way to Haiti and Nicaragua. By Sunday night, Woodbury had come together to pack 4,066,200 meals. That is over 11,000 children who will fed every day for a year!   

- Jerry Meras

 

Meet Sam...the best detective beagle around!

The 1st-4th graders have been digging in to 'How to Study the Bible' with their friend Sam, the detective beagle, as they learn to ask the 5 W's and an H using the scriptures of Titus 1-3.

We are creating a unique opportunity for them to win their very own Sam by learning the books of the New Testament! 

This weekend your 1st-4th graders will be given a bookmark with the books of the New Testament on them. When they have it memorized, they can recite the list to their leader and if they get them correct, their name will be entered to win their very own Sam to take home!

They can enter up to 2 different times if they recite them to their leader in 2 different weeks and they have until Dec. 19th to do so! 

So, make a cup of hot cocoa as you sit with your kids and learn the books of the New Testament in order ....and if you're anything like me, you'll be learning right along with them! 

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Prison Fellowship Opportunity

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Prison Fellowship leads classes at the correctional facility in Stillwater on Tuesday and Thursday nights designed to equip men with skills necessary for successful reentry upon release.

Materials such as Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey;  Chip Ingram; Love, Sex & Dating by Andy Stanley; Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny; Celebrate Recovery; Authentic Manhood; Multiply by Francis Chan and others are used to equip the men.

If this speaks to you, you are welcome to accompany Kevin Gjertsen for a visit to see this ministry in action.  Kevin can be contacted directly at gjertsen127@gmail.com or cell phone (651)600-1880.

Here's what Prison Fellowship says about their in-prison ministry..

"There are fewer places darker than a prison cell. There, separated from all that they ever knew or loved, men and women struggle with feelings of despair and hopelessness. As they search for some sense of meaning and purpose for their lives, they wonder if anyone outside the walls of the prison knows or cares about their struggles.

But even in the darkest places, there is Light.

For nearly 40 years, Prison Fellowship has been going into correctional facilities, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those behind bars, and offering the hope of true transformation. Through the use of Bible-based programming, and with the help of thousands of committed volunteers, lives are being changed, hope is being restored, and darkness is being replaced with the promise of a future."

It doesn't work without you.

Serving. More than just a nice idea, it’s a part of discipleship! Our Connections Ministry, once called First Impressions, meets many needs: to help make the weekend services happen, to create a warm and welcoming environment for all who attend, and to show the spiritual gift of hospitality to one another. But did you know it’s also something God says is part of being a growing, maturing follower of Jesus?

God calls us to serve one another and to offer our whole lives as an act of worship to him. Throughout the Bible, he tells us how much he values caring for the stranger in our midst, for the widow, the orphan, for our neighbors…..and to love each other as we love ourselves. When we make the time and effort to meet one another’s needs, we are creating spaces in our lives to see him work in amazing ways. 

Are you experiencing the joy of serving someone else and discovering your gifts along the way? Are you giving your kids the blessing of thinking of other people and seeing how God uses them to make someone else feel welcome?

Five Oaks needs YOU to find a place to serve, but the best part is, you will receive so much more than you give. Connections is in need of volunteers in several areas. Below are the ministry areas and the number of openings we need yet to fill for this ministry year:

Acorn -- 7
Greeters -- 9
White Glove -- 5
Safety & Security -- 3
Ushers -- 9

If any of these areas sounds appealing, for a once-per-month serving commitment, please email me at cjorgensen@fiveoakschurch.org to see how you and your family can get involved. You WILL make a difference.

Thanks,
Carol

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Want to Know What is Going On with IMPACT?

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Impact Ministries at Five Oaks Church is very active in helping spread the Gospel locally and throughout the globe, helping grow Christ's church, caring for the needs of the poor, the aliens among us and the disenfranchised. 

A secondary mission of Impact is to grow Five Oakers spiritually by exposing them to the multitude of blessings available in service to others. To accomplish these things, it is extremely important to get information to those that can make a difference. That is YOU.       

Have you ever wanted to know WHAT opportunities exist through our Impact Ministries? WHEN those opportunities take place? And HOW you can serve? 

Also, WHICH missionaries do we support? Or WHY we support certain missionaries, serve in certain countries or partner with certain local organizations.  

Director of Outreach, Jerry Meras, is available to come to your Small Group and answer your questions. Talk about this opportunity with your Small Group leader. When your Small Group is ready, all you need to do is email Jerry at jmeras@fiveoakschurch.org and invite him to one of your upcoming meetings.”