Posts Tagged ‘Ministry’

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Cerritos Kidz

Karen Rouggly Monday, December 12th, 2011

Wow! Can you believe it’s finals week? We can’t here in the MAS office! It’s been a great semester filled with some wonderful ministries! All of our office has been so blessed by the highlights of ministries throughout the semester. It’s been wonderful to see God at work in our student ministry coordinators, our volunteers, our community partners and our cities. Here’s some highlights from another fantastic ministry, Cerritos Kidz. This ministry gives APU students the opportunity to participate in community development through relationships with Azusa’s youth. Volunteers will have an opportunity to tutor local children, lead a wide variety of activities, facilitate an on-site library, conduct language classes with families, and participate in community meals. This program is an excellent way to live out the mission of Christ through relationships with others.

Check out this Article on Cerritos Kidz!

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Ministry and Service exists to educate and mobilize the APU undergraduate community toward an active response in service that advances the work of God in the world. Azusa Pacific University sponsors a plethora of local and global programs, which prepare students to become capable leaders of service in diverse settings. To stay connected with what is happening in the local community, “like us” on Facebook (Ministry and Service) or “follow us” on Twitter (@apumas). Every year, over 1250 students serve through City Links, over 500 students participate in on-going ministry, and Justice Week.

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Sixth grade, Spending, and Service-Learning

Kelsey Bjugstad Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

Hi, I’m Kelsey. :) You might be familiar my face or name because I blogged my freshman year. I’m now a junior Communication Studies major and Psychology minor. I’m taking a few of my major classes and finally finishing up my general education classes. My last general education class I’m taking, other than bible courses, is Analytical Inquiry. Analytical Inquiry fills my math requirement and I’ve really been enjoying it. It’s an alternative to College Algebra for non-science majors. We focus on a lot of case-study math, such as learning about auto loans, inflation, and taxes. I love learning math that I know I’ll be using after college and can even currently apply to my life.

Another really great part of the class is the service-learning aspect. Service-Learning is a program at APU that allows students to learn by serving the community. We were able to teach a local sixth grade class how to use the car loan formula in order to pay the best price for a car. We looked at buying cars at high and low APRs (loan interest rate for the year) and rebates.

I really enjoyed our Service-Learning project. Not only was volunteering in general fulfilling, actually being able to teach the kids something relevant was extremely rewarding. While the two girls I was teaching only got through half of the worksheet because of time constraints, it was so fun to encourage, help, and teach them. Math is one of my worst subjects so it was nice to be able to understand the material and teach it to someone else. It was nice to see how excited the girls got when they started recognizing patterns in the formula and getting ahead of my instructions. I taught two girls at once which was great because they were able to help each other as well. One of the girls caught onto the formula a bit faster, while the other seemed to get a little behind and didn’t want to ask for help. I really admired the girl who picked it up quickly and yet I could relate so much to the one who needed just a little bit of guidance.

I really wish we could have had a little bit more time. It was so nice to have a break from my schedule and homework assignments to go teach the sixth graders. I’m really hoping future classes take advantage of our Service-Learning program. It was great! :)

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Door of Hope

Karen Rouggly Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

Hope everyone is getting ready for a wonderful Thanksgiving! It feels like this semester has just flown by, hasn’t it? It’s been a great journey thus far and one of the highlights here in the MAS office is serving in our ministries! This week – I wanted to highlight for you Door of Hope! At the Door of Hope, located in Pasadena, students will have the opportunity to serve and build relationships with families who are transitioning out of homelessness. Through after-school tutoring, free babysitting, work projects at the facility, and other activities with those living at the Door of Hope, volunteers will be challenged and encouraged in their life, faith, and concepts of love and justice. Here’s a sneak peak into Student Ministry Coordinator Alicia Dill’s daily life at Door of Hope:

 

“When I started volunteering at Door of Hope last Spring I had no idea what a huge impact it would make on my life. Door of Hope is a privately funded, faith-based outreach located in Pasadena that focuses on serving homeless families. I knew that I wanted to get connected with a ministry and Door of Hope fit into my schedule so I signed up to be a volunteer. Quickly, I feel in love with the organization, the kids, staff, and families that live at and are involved with Door of Hope. I am now the Student Ministry Coordinator and have the opportunity to get other APU students involved with the organization.

Each day you go to Door of Hope is definitely an adventure. Homework is a consistent task that has to be done each day, but you never really know what creative measures you will have to go toto get the kids to be motivated to do their homework. I remember standing on the stairway a few weeks ago with a young boy who was about to run upstairs to his room in hopes of avoiding his homework and convincing him that I was about to tell him a huge secret that he could not tell anyone else. “Did you know that journaling and writing now will help you get good grades in college?” That’s all it took. Before I knew it he was journaling away, eager to have me read his journal entry once he was finished. It is in those small moments that I get really excited about the ministry and service that is happening at Door of Hope. In the midst of the chaos and craziness, the volunteers are helping to develop the kids for tasks and challenges that they will face later in life. However, the Door of Hope afterschool program is not all about the homework. Now that we have a larger volunteer team, we are able to do more activities that help foster relationship building and mentorship between APU students and the kids at Door of Hope. We color with the kids, we tell them Bible stories, we play sports, we carved pumpkins on Halloween, and we have even been able to go on a few“field trips” with the kids. We were able to take a couple of the kids on a hike at Eaton Canyon earlier in the semester and a few APU volunteers were able to accompany the kids at a movie screening on the roof of Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles.It is exciting to see all the growth that is happening in the program and in the lives of those in the program and in the lives of the volunteers.”

Thanks for reading about Door of Hope and we wish you and yours an amazing Thanksgiving this coming week!

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Ministry and Service exists to educate and mobilize the APU undergraduate community toward an active response in service that advances the work of God in the world. Azusa Pacific University sponsors a plethora of local and global programs, which prepare students to become capable leaders of service in diverse settings. To stay connected with what is happening in the local community, “like us” on Facebook (Ministry and Service) or “follow us” on Twitter (@apumas). Every year, over 1250 students serve through City Links, over 500 students participate in on-going ministry, and Justice Week.

 

 

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Note to Self

Megan Monday, November 21st, 2011

I could reiterate this fact a million times, as much as I have said it plenty before, the statement stands true that I could not imagine myself anywhere else besides right where I am. As we are nearing the end (sort of) of the Fall semester I am still astonished at how fast this past year and 3 months has FLOWN by. I feel like it was just yesterday I was stepping into a university (and a whole ‘nother world it seemed) of things that were so new to me. I thought lately about what I would tell myself 15 months ago as I was nearing move in day at APU, if I knew what I know now.

This post is pretty out of line of what I usually post, more deep perhaps, but nonetheless I felt it may be beneficial/exciting for those that are thinking about coming to APU or maybe even JUST found out they got accepted to APU for next school year (Congratulations by the way!) Know that everyones experience here differs, I tried to encapsulate the fact that I would not be myself without being here, yet it hasn’t always been the easiest of times. Life is life, after all. I do know though that if you end up here by the hand of God, view it as a blessing on the daily, and seek out why He wants you here, you will never be disappointed. NEVER. And you will be like me in the fact that you will never go a day wondering how life would have been if you ended up somewhere else. You will never have wanted to end up elsewhere.

Dear Self,

You are stepping into the future that you yourself never had planned in your wildest dreams, it can only be said to be God’s hand at work instead of your own. You had your own plan for your life, God said no, and as much as it didn’t make sense and it was tough to release your grip on your own life plans, it will make sense in a couple months time as to why you are at APU and not anywhere else. As nervous, anxious, and overwhelmed as you are, rejoice and yet be still because all that nervousness will fade once you truly come to grasp how great of a blessing God is about to place in your hands.

You are entering into a world of self discovery, growth, leadership, incredible friendships, and learning. You are going to step into the school as one person and step out of it another person entirely. God is going to use you in ways that you cannot even fathom right now. You are going to struggle, fall short, endure hard (and sometimes long) trials, but at the other end is such a hope and restoration found in Christ. He is going to bless you with a community of friends, of sisters and brothers, of FAMILY, that will never let you feel like you are doing life on your own. They will encourage you, uplift you, motivate you, inspire you, and love on you endlessly. You will be poured into at this university more then ever before, and you will be given amble opportunities (that you will take) to pour into others.

You will learn the definition of success that turns out to be one you could have never foreseen it being. You will live out that success by experiencing true joy and developing even more of a genuine, real faith.

You will allow yourself to be vulnerable with people like never before, you will serve until you have run dry and then serve some more, you will travel the one place you never planned to (Africa), and you will see sides of California that you never thought existed through a leadership position you never would imagine you are about to be blessed with (Alpha).

God will teach you what a woman of God looks like, what a man of God looks like, and what your life may look like in the end. You will be overcome with stressful exams, tough classes, endless projects, and long essays. But you WILL look back time and time again and realize how blessed you are for the education you are receiving. You will be blessed with an incredible roommate freshmen year that only God could have hand picked for you and you will be blessed sophomore year with two incredibly Godly woman to love and pour into your life. Why you ever stressed out with who you were going to live with is beyond me.

Please make the most of your time at home, days that you are stressed and miss your family you will wish you did. Please eat a lot of home-cooked meals and build the high school friendships you desire wholeheartedly to keep. Please don’t stress out about making friends, because when you set your two feet on APU’s campus you will never have to worry about who to sit next to at lunch or who you can come to during hard times. You may grow distant from high school friends you never ever thought you would, but you will grow immensely close to the most incredible friends that you could not (even in your wildest of dreams) have picked out for yourself. You will never have to sit at lunch alone (expect random people to sit next to you because they will here) and you will rarely even have to open your own doors (thats what happens when your surrounded with men that know the name of Jesus).

Please pray that your stress and anxiety would be replaced with peace. There is no use in stressing out about being about to enter into the most incredible, life-changing years of your life.

Love, Self

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Azusa Food Banks

Karen Rouggly Friday, November 11th, 2011

This week’s focus is on the APU partnership with Azusa Food Banks! This article follows a day in the life of Cory’s Kitchen and Foothill Community Church! Take a peek inside:

“Canyon Christian Fellowship Church ministers to over 200 families each month in need of food through the food bank provided by Cory’s Kitchen, a food distribution ministry.  Every Monday three groups of students work alongside this food bank for 2 hours.  The first group arrives at 2pm and helps unload all of the food delivered in trucks to the site. They begin the distribution of groceries into paper bags; they set up chairs where the community members will sit while waiting for their number to be called after registering to receive food.  A second group of Azusa Pacific University students arrives at 5:00pm. They help with the final tasks of preparation before the community members arrive at 6pm to start the distribution process.  Such tasks may be taking eggs, milk, and frozen goods out of freezers and refrigerator and bagging them. They also organize and package any extra donations from local stores, such as flowers or perishable foods from Fresh and Easy. At 6pm Maria, the pastors wife and coordinator of Cory’s Kitchen, greets all of the community members present. She begins with leading a devotional and closing with a prayer. Those that help at Cory’s Kitchen are aware that some people come not only in hope of receiving groceries, but are also seeking compassion and comfort that can always be found in the Lord our Savior. After the prayer and devotional, the community members move through each station in the food bank. There is a student volunteer is at each point in the distribution site. They help with various tasks including: distributing the bread, desserts, and flowers (if any) to each community member, placing different bags of food into a big container, and carrying the items to the customer. The last group of students arrive at 7pm and finish helping in the distribution process, which ends at 8pm.  Then they help with the clean up process which involves wiping down countertops, folding chairs and tables and putting them away.  Before leaving, all of the volunteers from the church and APU students get together in a circle and Maria presents words of appreciation. She also presents some of the highlights of the night, such as having a hairstylist give free haircuts to men, who have been refused service at barbershops because their hair was unwashed or due to their odor.  Finally we close in prayer and offer all the work of the day to God, something that is always heartwarming.

The Azusa Food Bank ministry is also partnered with the soup kitchen at Foothill Community Church.  Every Saturday this church provides a hot meal to members of the community, which includes mostly single men and women who are homeless.  One group of students arrives at 8:30am and begins the food preparation.  This usually involves preparing salads, coffee, drinks, or heating up food on the stove and baking.  At 11:30am the first group shifts end and the second group of students arrive, after which the doors open for the community members to come in and sit at a table inside the cafeteria.  Some of the students stay in the kitchen and help serve the food, while others are in charge of taking these plates of food to each person at their table.  Students also make sure that there are always drinks available and provide seconds to anybody who wishes, when available.  At around 1:30pm the clean up process begins.  Some of the duties include dishwashing, which can be very fun using the nifty dishwasher. They also clean countertops, sweep, and clean tables.  On site there is also a clothes closet where students also aid in the sorting of clothes and hanging them up on racks, while also helping direct the community members.

It is wonderful to see the students come partner with these food banks in Azusa and commit their time, energy, and enthusiasm to this cause. It is truly humbling to think less of ourselves and more of Him, to care for the less fortunate, the widowed, the orphaned, and all those who are in need.”

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Ministry and Service exists to educate and mobilize the APU undergraduate community toward an active response in service that advances the work of God in the world. Azusa Pacific University sponsors a plethora of local and global programs, which prepare students to become capable leaders of service in diverse settings. To stay connected with what is happening in the local community, “like us” on Facebook (Ministry and Service) or “follow us” on Twitter (@apumas). Every year, over 1250 students serve through City Links, over 500 students participate in on-going ministry, and Justice Week.

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LA 101

Karen Rouggly Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

 

LA 101

A couple of weeks ago – our office hosted our first LA 101 educational experience of the semester! This trip is always a highlight for APU students who enjoy learning more about our neighboring metropolis. Hear about how this trip went:

Imagine a city. In fact, imagine a sprawling metropolis; street lights, sirens, walls garnished with graffiti, monumental religious buildings and the busy ethos of urban life. A diverse array of foods, creative and progressive organizations, and stratified inequalities give Los Angeles its distinct character. These realities are a glimpse of what LA 101 explores.

This past weekend, 5 students joined us for 4-days to better understand life in this city. Staying in Koreatown, we spent our days examining food justice issues, the daily manifestation of the judicial system on LA’s streets, economic and housing inequality, and the role art plays in expressing and building cultural identity.

One of the unique aspects of this trip was the opportunity we were given to interact face-to-face with Lincoln High School students who built and are currently working on a community garden at their school. We met up with the Director of American Friends Service Committee, Anthony Marsh, who is currently teaching a class at Lincoln Heights on fostering community peace. Through examining the food disparity within their own community, the students’ garden serves as a practical response to what they are learning. We had the opportunity to join the students during the class on Thursday afternoon. After spending some time talking with Anthony and the students, we then tended the garden together. This small facet of the weekend provided us with a starting point to examine food equity in LA.

Ministry and Service exists to educate and mobilize the APU undergraduate community toward an active response in service that advances the work of God in the world. Azusa Pacific University sponsors a plethora of local and global programs, which prepare students to become capable leaders of service in diverse settings. To stay connected with what is happening in the local community, “like us” on Facebook (Ministry and Service) or “follow us” on Twitter (@apumas). Every year, over 1250 students serve through City Links, over 500 students participate in on-going ministry, and Justice Week.

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