Wanted: Basketball Players Who Love the Lord.

Why is it so hard for some people to come into North Tulsa to help the children?  

I've had many people tell me they were AFRAID to come into our area because of all the crime they hear about in the news.  Others have said they didn't know HOW to help.

These two reasons have kept many people home in other parts of town who could have made a great difference in a child's life.

Second Timothy 1:7 tells us not to be afraid "for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  

The fear stuff does not come from God.  Another force is bringing in the fear.   

When we are allowing God to work through us, everything changes.  We have a spirit of power.  We have a spirit of love.  We have a spirit of a sound mind.

With a spirit of power, we know that God gives us the ability to overcome the things we would be afraid of that we see on the news.

With a spirit of love, our fears vanish and we see others through God's eyes.  Love empowers us to get over ourselves and go into all the world where we need to go.  

With a spirit of a sound mind, we can identify HOW to help!

For instance, I found that my favorite way to show love in my North Tulsa neighborhood is to play my favorite sport: basketball.  I love playing basketball, I love the kids up here, and I love sharing the wholeness that God offers to all of us.

So, I play basketball with the children and youths wherever I can.  I encourage them on every shot they take, every steal they make, every spin move.  Then I talk to them about their passions in life, their school, and their dreams.  

Before long, we are talking about the hope that God brings them in fulfilling their life dreams, about how He created them with unique gifts/skills/talents to carry out those dreams, and how He is with them every step away to encourage them in their toughest times.  

I have found that all of God's creation has one thing in common: everyone wants love.  Love comes in the forms of quality time, words of affirmation, service, thoughtful gifts, and appropriate touch.

Have you thought of how you could help a child in North Tulsa?  

The Tulsa Cornerstone Assistance Network's "YOUTH WORKS" initiative provides ways for people, companies, churches, foundations, civic groups, schools, etc. to bless the children of North Tulsa in many ways.  

If you would like to help, whether it is through basketball, reading, arts & crafts, cooking, teaching, field trips, or sponsoring the initiatives, email me today and I'll give you a personal tour of our sites and share with you many ways you can help in our community.

Now, back to the courts!

Chris Beach

President

Tulsa Cornerstone Assistance Network

cbeach@tulsacan.org

918-734-0471

Samantha is a mom who loves her children dearly. They don't have to grow up like she did ... she insists on it. When Samantha was 7, she tried to take her life. Fortunately, she didn't succeed. Fortunately, she was able to get rescued from her heavily drug addicted mom. Unfortunately, she went from one foster home to another for nearly a decade.

Now that Samantha is an adult, she wants everyone to know how important it is to take time to help those who are severely hurting in life. Recently, she gave her life to Christ at Parkland Baptist Church, a church that has shown her very deeply the love of Jesus Christ that she has always wanted.

When Parkland picks up furniture for Samantha this month, it will be yet another step in showing Samantha just how loved she is. Thanks to the many people who donate furniture, churches are able to show true love to families who were supposed to have love from their parents ... but drugs, alcohol and all the vices associated with such lifestyle, rob the life out of children (usually for the rest of their lives).

Leading up to April 4, 2 Works for You, Mathis Brothers Furniture, and a host of other supporters will be collecting furniture at Mathis Brothers, Victory Christian Center and other churches to help this community help more families that are deeply hurting.

If you would like to donate furniture, finances or volunteer your time through this campaign, we invite you to go to furniture2families.com today and be a part of furnishing hope to thousands of families just like Samantha and her children. You'll be happy to know that you could change several generations with your outpouring of love!

When ORU Alumni director Natalie Bounds walked down the aisle to marry her sweetheart in June, she and her husband-to-be Mike Adams knew their combined furniture items weren’t all going to fit in their new house.

Out of the kindness of their heart, they wanted their extra furniture to be put to good use.
That’s when they heard about Cornerstone Assistance Network’s furniture drive to help needy families … families so poor that their homes are void of chairs to sit on or beds for their children. They immediately knew what they wanted to do.

“Mike was aware of Cornerstone,” says Natalie. “When we talked about it, we were both in agreement that it was a worthy cause. Mike new there were many needy families out there and Cornerstone has their finger on their pulse.”

After contacting Cornerstone, Natalie and Mike put all the items to be donated into their garage to prepare for the pick ups.

When Cornerstone volunteers arrived to the home of the newlyweds to pick up their furniture, they were overjoyed to find found a full load. Bunk beds, couches, chairs, beds, tables, washing machines, and driers were all waiting in the garage to be picked up.

Not surprisingly, the next family in poverty served through the furniture ministry was a family who needed each and every item that was donated.

“When I emailed Cornerstone, I knew they would make sure that the furniture went to the right home. We felt such peace about the transaction. This ministry feels very personal … and we believe that’s what the whole point of the ministry. It seems to be that you minister to everyone … even us furniture donors!
If you would like to donate furniture to help furnish hope to a family in need this winter season, please contact us at 583-3670.

Turkeys for Tulsans

It has been a year now since we last provided Christmas dinner to more than 1000 families all across Tulsa County. What joy it was last year to fill home after home with armfulls of love... turkeys, groceries, and in many cases, even Christmas gifts.

This year, we are ready to do the same, but we will add one very important step: after we deliver a turkey to a home, they will be offered a chance to receive help throughout the year to leave poverty once and for all.

When you give this year, please take time to prayerfully choose whether you will give to provide turkeys or if you will provide turkeys plus additional household support.

http://www.tulsacan.org/suppdonr.htm

Additional support can include household furniture, appliances, clothes, tutoring programs for the children, car repair, medical assistance, discipleship classes, job training, or a host of other services geared to transforming lives from poverty to purpose.

And don't forget the value of your TIME. We would like to invite you to serve as a mentor of one of these families over the next year. If you would like to serve as a mentor, you will be invited to attend a class on the third Monday of every month. There you will learn how to show God's love to someone who is lost, hurting or broken, how to minister healing and justice, and how to encourage them on the road to a whole new life!

Thank you for all of your past support. Please keep it coming as we take gradual steps each year to go deeper and deeper in this life-transforming ministry of Jesus Christ.

Yours truly,

Chris Beach
Executive Director
Cornerstone Assistance Network

Anna Falling
Executive Director
Tulsa County WORCS

Chris Kelly
Program Director
Spirit 102.3

Thanks to Spirit 102.3 for generously sponsoring this blog!

Welcome to our blog site

Hello Friends,

In an effort to keep you informed of what God is doing through Tulsa Cornerstone Assistance Network and the Community Sharehouse in our churches and community, we have started this blog site. Please check back often and log onto our website for more of the latest about Tulsa Cornerstone Assistance Network and the Community Sharehouse, and how you can become involved.

Blessings in Christ Jesus,
Chris Beach
http://www.tulsacan.org/