Clear Creek Christian Church • 2015

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The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So... what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

And when it’s all over, many of us are left with presents to re-turn, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

Clear Creek’s Alternative Christmas Market, now in its sixth year, seeks to restore some [Biblical] sanity to the Christmas season. Instead of senselessly consuming, shoppers at the Market contribute to worthy causes, in honor of those on their shopping lists.

The actual gift will go to some needy person; your re-cipients will receive Christmas cards and ornaments to com-memorate the gifts given in their names.

This approach “leverages” your spending to have a long-term positive impact on people in need. This year we have ELEVEN projects in over SEVEN countries! Our ministry partners assure us that 100% of the funds given go to their designated purpose.

As we celebrate the season of His birth, it is our prayer that Christ is glorified as we give these gifts in His name. May you and all whose lives are touched by your generous gifts be blessed.

Merry Christmas, and thank you for shopping with us!

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1. Baby care items - $25Crisis Pregnancy Center- Bloomington, INWhen a woman finds herself in a cri-sis pregnancy situation, worries press in from all sides: What will people think? Will the baby be healthy? Should I try to raise the baby – and if I do, can I provide a good life? Or should I bless a family looking to adopt? The Crisis Pregnancy Center helps women navigate this maze of decisions by offering support, love and the grace of Jesus, whose own “crisis” birth was announced by a herald of peace.

In order to help the mothers-to-be focus on the important issues, CPC helps provide for the simple material needs. You can provide an essential piece (and “peace”) of mothering equipment with a $25 gift to provide diapers and other essential baby-care supplies – leaving one less thing for a new mom to worry about!

“Children are GOD’s best gift, the fruit of the womb His generous legacy. “ - Psalm 127:3

Learn more at www.cpcbloomington.org

2. Pajamas - $20Wheeler missions Ministry- Bloomington, INYou don’t need the Farmer’s Almanac to tell you winter gets COLD around here. You don’t need fuzzy caterpillars, or long-range forecasts or new apps or old knees. You know what winter is like in Bloomington.

But can you imagine what winter is like if you don’t have a place to call home? If tents and tarps and culverts are all that stands between you and “out there”?

Wheeler Mission is on the front lines of providing relief to the homeless and under-resourced population of Monroe County. The Biblical book of James says that providing for the physical needs of others gives cred-ibility to our faith. Men come to Wheeler looking for basic shelter, and they find much more: Encourage-ment, acceptance, opportunity, and training in the way of Jesus.

For $20, you can help give credibility to the Gospel message by providing pajamas for men who come seeking shelter from the winter cold – men who have been overexposed to the elements and underexposed to the hope that only God provides.

“Whatever you did for someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.” - Matthew 25:40

Learn more at www.wheelermission.org/who-we-are/backstreet-missions-merger/

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3. mosquito nets - $5Asia - south America - AfricaTiny. Annoying. Fatal. The world’s most deadly creature, the mos-quito, kills more than 627,000 people each year, primarily in Africa, Asia and South America. Malaria is preventable, and increased prevention and control measures are dramatically reducing the malaria burden globally.

The risk of contracting malaria can be greatly lessened with the use of an insecticide treated bed net. Though preventing the malaria infection is inexpensive by American standards, it’s out of reach for families in the develop-ing world who watch helplessly as their children suffer and die. Your gift of $5 will provide protection from the mosquito bites that spread malaria.

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, for those who love your

name may rejoice in you.” - Psalm 5:11

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4. Bibles for the persecuted Church - $10the voice of the martyrsMore people are persecuted for faith in Christ today than in any period in history – and yet, the church is growing at an unprec-edented pace. Why? Because God’s word is powerful – even unstoppable!

We are grateful for our brothers and sisters around the globe who take the Bible into “closed” areas, despite resistance, hostility, and physical violence by governments and leaders of other faiths.

Voice of the Martyrs, in addition to advocacy on behalf of persecuted believers, is on the front lines of pro-claiming God’s truth by distributing Bibles and announcing the Kingdom of God among those who would otherwise never hear the message of God’s love. What a joy it will be to meet these brothers and sisters in

heaven, and to hear them proclaim the praise of our heavenly Father who saved them – who they came to know because some-one brought them the Word of God! Your gift of $10 will purchase two Bibles –and will impact generations who will hear, believe, and give their lives – often literally – to follow God.

There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in

Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one

way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live

God’s way.”

- 2 Timothy 3:15-16

5. prevention of sex trafficking - $50tiny hands international - nepalSlavery is not a thing of the past. An estimated 30,000 people are trafficked into India from Nepal and Bangladesh every year - with the average age being 15. Girls are forced or deceived (often with promises of money and marriage) to leave their homes, sold, raped, tortured, and imprisoned. Those who do not succumb to disease or violence are seen as outcasts and rejected by their own communities even if they manage to escape.

Partnering with local churches across the Nepal/India border who share a passion for anti-traf-ficking has become the corner-stone of Tiny Hands International. Through transit monitoring along border crossings, bus depots and other transportation hubs, trained staff watch for suspicious activity

and question suspected traffickers and their victims. Trafficked women and chil-dren are intercepted, offered counseling and rehabilitation. Suspected traffickers are investigated and progress continues in prosecuting offenders of such horrific crimes of injustice.

A gift of $50 will provide for one week of safe housing and rehabili-tation for a trafficked victim and one day of transit monitoring.

“Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the

wicked” - Psalm 82:4Learn more at www.tinyhands.org

6. Clean water well - $50CMF - lodwar, KenyaMore than 1 out of 6 people in the world today lack access to safe drinking water… that’s roughly 1.1 billion people... almost 20% of the world’s population.

The nomadic Turkana people of arid north-west Kenya are always at risk. Through the ministry of the Christian Missionary Fellowship, dozens of wells have been dug and hand pumps installed, providing clean water for entire communities. This also provides opportunities for the church to testify concerning God’s goodness and love. Our team from Clear Creek worked with this project in 2010 and saw firsthand the joy of

villagers who were drinking clean water for the first time. We wit-nessed the community development made possible by the water as they are able to grow crops, sell produce, improve their lives, and change their culture.

A complete well costs $2,500 – and Clear Creek’s Global Outreach Team will com-plete any partially-funded wells. Your gift WILL result in a completed project!

Won’t you consider giving a $50 gift this Christmas to help make clean water available for one village?

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. ” - John 7:37Learn more at www.cmfi.org

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7. Child sponsorship - $35Missions of Hope Int’l - Nairobi, KenyaOpen sewers. Lack of clean water. Joblessness. Crime. One room shacks of mud, scrap wood and corrugated tin are packed

side by side as far as one can see in this urban slum. This is the Mathare valley of Nairobi, Kenya; home to nearly 1 million people living in an area less than 1 square mile. When a family can’t afford to send their children to school many will turn to the streets for begging, stealing, prostitution or drug dealing in order to survive.

Missions of Hope International recognizes that education is fundamental to escap-ing poverty. Today there are 17 schools now scattered within Mathare, providing educational opportunities and a brighter future for the children.

Through child sponsorship, each student receives a Christian education, a warm meal each school day and medical care when needed.

Won’t you consider a gift of $35 to provide a child with a month’s school tuition and the opportunity to know Jesus?

“He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; He will crush the oppressor.”

- Psalm 72:4

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8. Childrens home - $40Mission to unreached people - ThailandIslam and Buddhism dominate 98% of the population in Thailand. Of the 2.7 million Muslim, 90% are Malay. Our ministry partners in southern Thailand, the Ottenhofs, work among the Malay people group in a diverse ministry: community-based development, pastor training for church planting, orphan care, Bible translation and literacy training.

Most recently they have be-gun a new partnership project with local Jesus believers who have come from a Muslim back-ground (fruit of the Ottenhof’s ministry!). Recognizing an ever-increasing number of needy children, or-phans and street children from poor Muslim

areas in Phuket, they will be opening a children’s home in 2016.

A gift of $40 will provide a month of good nutrition for one of these children. What an opportunity to be a part of the continuation in ministry…offering both physical and spiritual food!

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...” - James 1:27

9. Medicinal Trees - $40Namikango Mission - MalawiTrees are an important part of any small African farm. They can provide fruit, firewood and fodder for livestock. They prevent erosion and protect and shade the earth from grueling temperatures and harmful winds. All trees are good; but some trees can actually bring health and healing, through the medicinal properties in their leaves, seeds, pods, bark and roots.

Christian Missionary Fellowship trains Afri-can nationals to plant churches – often in remote, hostile areas – far from home, from friends, from health care, and confronted with an endless array of needs. With the knowledge of medicinal trees from God’s natural pharmacy, these church planting families are able to minister in their commu-nities, addressing some of the health care needs of the people. Just as Jesus used physical healing to lead into spiritual teaching, a medicinal arbor provides the opportunity for the church planters to share the Gospel.

Your gift of $40 will provide church planting families with seeds, tree seedlings and training of their health-enhancing properties– planting physical seeds for spiritual fruit!

“He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to

preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” - Luke 9: 2

10. Equip pastors with HIV Training - $30CMF - TanzaniaCCCC has partnered in church planting in East Africa with Gary and Judy Woods for close to 2 decades. Over the years the Woods’ have seen the devastation brought by the AIDS virus. HIV doesn’t affect just individuals or families but whole communities, leaving single or grand-parent led homes, orphans, lack of in-come causing economic decline of society as a whole, poor

agricultural production and spiritual poverty and discrim-ination. The virus is not selec-tive, attacking rich and poor, male and female, young and old, churched and un-churched. As HIV continues to spread, with neither a vaccine nor cure existing, prevention remains the key strategy.

Working through the local churches, God’s chosen vessel to bring hope and healing, the Woods will be training local church leaders in HIV/AIDS. Your gift of $30 will help pro-vide lesson translation, training materials and transport necessary to thoroughly equip pastors and church leaders for the task of educating their body of believers against the ravages of HIV.

“For He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have

no one to help.” - Psalm 72:12

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11. Syrian refugee crisis - $40World Relief • The Syrian CircleIn 2011, peaceful protests were met with violence from the Syrian government, instigating a complex and violent civil war that persists to this day. Nearly half of Syria’s population of 22 million is thought to be displaced or killed. Of those, 4 million Syrians have now taken refuge in neigh-boring countries. Finding little stability there yet unable to return

home, many refugees have taken unimaginable risks to travel to Eu-rope and the US for the opportunity to rebuild their lives in peace and se-curity. Others who are physically un-able to make the journey have no choice but to wait in an increasingly dire situation.

The situation on the ground can be very fluid, suddenly and radi-cally changing. The needs also vary by location, requiring varied responses. Your gift of $40 will be used through the Syrian Circle for the following projects: 1) Humani-tarian aid through direct interven-tion and partnerships; 2) Short term trauma counselor training and trauma counseling, evangelism and discipleship; 3) Solar-powered and cell technologies for Bible and Biblical materials/training, educational and health curriculums, and 4) Training and discipling Muslim background believers so they are equipped to reach their own people with the Gospel.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life”. - Proverbs 13:12

Learn more at www.thesyriancircle.com