April 19,  2018
Thrivent Faith Build 2018
YOU are invited to share God's love
through a special Habitat Faith build this summer. 

Faith Build brings local churches together to raise walls, funds and prayers to build a house in partnership with a low-income family in the Lincoln community. It's an opportunity to live out our church's ministry, engage your congregation and see the miracle that occurs when God touches the hearts of new homeowners and the volunteers who worked alongside them. 

We have done PresbyBuild by ourselves. This is an opportunity to work with ecumenical partners. Thrivent Financial is providing 50 percent of the home cost. By joining the generosity challenge, your church members have a concrete way to put their faith into action;  build community within your church; empower members to serve in the community and build community among Christian churches. 

Volunteer your time helping with construction or non-construction activities:
  • Volunteer on-site
  • Provide lunch for on-site workers
  • Create a welcome home basket or other special items
  • Form a prayer group for the Faith Build
  • Participate in Ground Breaking and Dedication Ceremonies
For more information contact Christina Zink, Development Director at czink@lincolnhabitat.org or (402) 235-8942
Good Reads


 
Click to Image above to order

Ever look around your life and feel overwhelmed with gratitude for everything you have? Sure, nothing is perfect, but if you have a safe place to live, food on the table, and clothes to wear, the reality is that life is pretty good. That's not true for many people in the world, and you may wonder, "How do we live in a way that honors God and shows gratitude for the good life we are living in the midst of a world full of pain and brokenness?"

All our daily choices have an impact on the earth and the people around us: choices about where we shop, what we eat, what we give away.. But can we really do anything to help? Can we find joy in our own lives when there is so much pain in the world? Sorting out the answers gets overwhelming and complicated very quickly.


 
Habitat Homebuyer Profile


Abdelkarim, Sailwa and their four sons, Mohamed, 11; Ibrahim, 9; Salih. 7; and Ahmed, 2 have been renting their three -bedroom, 1 bath home since 2010. The home has a lot of structural damage and the landlord doesn't take care of the landscaping. The family takes care of the lawn and trims low having branches, but during heavy winds a tree branch fell and landed on their car breaking windows.

The family of six shares one bathroom with no exhaust fan. The A/C does not work; there is one window air conditioning unit that works in a bedroom. The family sleeps together in the room when they need to cool off in summer months. The windows are hard to open to let in any fresh air and the home has a slight moldy smell.

The basement is unusable because of a hole in the wall. The family battles against insects, spiders, mice and snakes. They've tried to get rid of the with traps and home pest control but the problem remains. Their youngest son was potty=trained until he saw a snake in the bathroom. He is now frightened to use the bathroom, especially alone. The home was one of the worst in terms of condition that the selection committee visited.

Abdelkarim works as a taxi-driver in New York City half of the year and attends Southeast Community College in Lincoln the other half. He makes enough money in NYC that while he is back in Lincoln he can attend school full time. He is studying Business Administration with the goal to transfer his credits to Bellevue to become a CPA. Sailwa works part-time at Goodwill, manages the home, and takes care of the kids.

Abdelkarim and Sailwa applied for the Habitat Homebuyer Program so they could build a future for their children. They need a safe, decent home to raise their growing sons. They look forward to being good neighbors by taking care of each other, helping each other out, and becoming part of the family.

Abdelkarim and Sailwa's family will be the homeowners for the Thrivent Faith Build 2018.
Update from Calvin Crest

For almost 60 years, Calvin Crest has provided sacred space and Christian programming for children, youth and adults. The ministry that occurs at this place has impacted many. To honor this long history, please join us in our 60th Anniversary Celebration on August 25. Check out www.calvincrest.org/funday for more information about this free family-friendly event.

Please check out our 2017 annual report to learn more about what exciting ministry happened last year. You can find it at www.calvincrest.org/annual-report.
Keep Thinking...

In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none;  and whoever has food must do likewise." 
-Luke 3:11
Photos from the Presbytery