short intro to signs of christ ministries

Signs of Christ Ministries : 

Signs of Christ Ministries A MINISTRY TO MINISTRIES Isaiah 43:18-19 Behold I will do a new thing: Now it shall spring forth: shall ye not know it. I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. To give drink to my chosen. **Signs of Christ Ministries wishes to thank Oasis of Hope -Pastor Frank Alexander for his support of this project, as well as Pastor J. Laverne Tyson of New Beginning Ministries. MINISTRIES MINISTRIES MINISTRIES Signs of Christ Ministries: CHARGED TO: “Sound the call, structure ministries, provide a staging area for ministry growth and development”. And PROVIDE A VEHICLE OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS, SERVICE PROVIDERS AND GOVERNMENT SPONSORED SOCIAL SERVICES

SIGNS OF CHRIST MINISTRIES : 

SIGNS OF CHRIST MINISTRIES The church, as many have come to know it, refers only to the local gathering of bodies. The biblical reference however, is to the saints of God (the corporate of baptized believers), having the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. The separate and fragmented efforts and agendas of the local churches too often hinder the effectiveness for which we must struggle to meet the “Calling” that is lain squarely on the shoulders of the body of Christ. God has revealed that in our local congregations, there are members having a special calling to a specific ministry. Yet too often because there is not a sufficient number of other saints in the same congregation having the same zeal or concern over even due to a lack of encouragement to pursue their calling, aside from the local church agenda, the “Calling” is too often suppressed and unfulfilled. The need I which God has shown and called His children is not for a new church or new denomination, but for a new thing. That is a new way of accomplishing the work of the church, by the church. This vision is to independent ministry efforts instead of the “red tape” , usual procedures of the traditional local church. Including the many thumbs of well meaning elders that too often have been caught up in the “In House Only” ministries that minister only to the “who-so-ever is here” and even more tragically, re-cycled Christians. Surely there is a real need to care for the sheep of the family of God. Consequently, we all must confess, that the real work, according to the commandment of Christ is to GO! “ Go outside the walls of the church and into the hedges and highways. This work can no longer be set aside for the sake of convenience, inconvenience or agendas. Certainly there are many churches that have stepped up their works in outreach, but the truth of the matter is that the local and individual church arms are simply not equipped enough to do the full work of the corporate church. There must be a new system put in place, providing a new means and order by which God will call the body of Christ to its accountability and labor. Signs of Christ is composed of saints with unique callings already in the corporate body of Christ. God has not left us without remedy or ill-equipped to accomplish the monumental task at hand. Consequently, we will do it as a corporate church and not a short-armed fragment. Signs of Christ Ministries will sound the call to those who are willing and ready to form support ministries and equip-ministries that will have one common goal which is "to work the fields where the harvest is ripe and ready”. This ministry in all of its efforts, shall not be limited to race, denominations differences or local church affiliations, but grow in contrast, with an expanding army of independent ministries and ministry staging areas. Each ministry have autonomy in their own unique calling. Our emphasis is not be in control but free, with the liberty to follow that which one believes God is requiring of their life. Rev. Ralph Parrott - Founder September 8, 2001 Why The New Thing?

SIGNS OF CHRIST MINISTRIES : 

SIGNS OF CHRIST MINISTRIES No longer Do We Have To Go Alone; But We Do Have To Go!

SIGNS OF CHRIST MINISTRIES : 

SIGNS OF CHRIST MINISTRIES Index The Preamble Page 1 Signs of Christ Ministries (II Corth.,5:17-19, 6:1-10) Why Independent Ministries Page 2 The need to go beyond tradition, (Isaiah 43:19) Why This Ministry Page 3 & 4 A calibration of ministries to holistically meet the needs of many (Jeremiah, 29:7,James 2:14-16) A Call Out to the “Called” Page 5 & 6 Building a bridge to ministries (John 117:, Isaiah 55:10, Eph. 2:10) Our Plan Page 7 An organized Administrative Hub Our Goal Page 8 An Overview A Visual Look at the Vision Page 9 - 12 Charts & Graphs (Hab. 2:2) Five Resources of Ministry Workers Page 13 - 17 A mine to work (Neh. 4:6) Administrative and Staffing Needs Page Job descriptions Financing & Income Development Page (1 John 3:17-18) Ministry Follow Up and Information Page

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SIGNS OF CHRIST The Preamble 1

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SIGNS OF CHRIST “THE NEED FOR AND WORK OF THE INDEPENDENT MINISTRIES” We believe that no matter how well greased or oiled social programs are, rehabilitation the homeless and the downtrodden must start with the renewing, refreshing and restoring of the inner man. Many have multiple needs continue to fall through the cracks of services and service providers. Others are simply turned off or turned away by sophistication or specifications of a system that focuses on treating the visible symptoms void of the offering or implanting soon element of hope. We believe that hope must be born out of genuine love, care and compassion. As a faith based organization, our mandate is to love as Christ loved us. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry and rescued many from their afflictions, tournaments and physiological imprisonment. Our commandment is to go and do likewise. It is not for us to prove or to defend faith born out of the demonstrations of love as the most important element of change. In every family, office or workplace including the presidential office, there are living example of renewed hope born out of faith. Our society has long expected that matters which deal with the psycho/spirit of man and the champions of brotherly concerns would be the Christina Church. The truth is that too many of our church leaders have turned their attention to internal agendas that focus on the growth and development of the “in house ministry”. However, there are yet millions within our congregations with the heart to form ministries to meet and address the cries of others outside the weekly assembly. These ministries, when formed, are called “Independent Ministries”. It is our charge as Signs of Christ Ministries to aid in the developing and equipping of these ministries. Founders and cooperatives, of independent ministries, sense a diving calling to go beyond the traditional work of the church body to improve the life and condition of the un-churched. We bare a deep conviction that the change necessary to move an individual toward restoration begins with love and end with hope, trust and faith. We whole-heartedly agree that well-trained and equipped independent ministries are vital to the success of any out-reach ministry. In our efforts to become a collaboration vehicle and hub for the many working arms of outreach and resulting services, we will develop the mechanism to summons and encourage independent ministries, skilled, professional and lay volunteers of every kind to step into their purpose. We are focused on providing a consecrated and focused organization committed to identifying the unmet service needs but also providing training for caring workers and volunteers which will minimize the gaps and loop holes between services and care providers. 2

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SIGNS OF CHRIST Why This Ministry? Isaiah 61 Because the Lord has anointed Jesus, the Christ to preach tiding unto the meek; he has sent him to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive, and to open the prison to them that are bound: to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.“ 3

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Signs of Christ and Choose to Thrive Ministries Why This Ministry? Identifying the Needs In our communities there are many persons including children who go without the basic daily needs. Many survive under harsh living conditions or a place to call home, while others are deprived of health sustaining food, and hygienic necessities. Many have simply fallen through the economic gaps, without employment. Others wander aimlessly on our streets or sit idle day in and day out without hope. Too many are impoverished because of bad choices that they have made, be it gangs, drugs and/or alcohol dependency, lack of self control or running away from home. Our children are being indoctrinated with gangster ethics, violence and sexual liberties without morals or regards for personal, family or generational consequences. Too many teens and pre-teens are passing through out school systems void of concern for their economic future and the responsibilities that are soon to be placed squarely on their shoulders. Thousands of our mentally and physically handicapped have e been released into our neighborhoods with no ability to care for themselves nor having others that or committed to their care. Some are sitting on our curbs or bedded under life’s overpasses. We find the dropouts, the lost, depressed and hopeless, having loss their self-esteem, drive and motivation nor having any sense of direction. These are just a few of the needs that must now be aggressively addressed and resolved in all our cities. A Recycling System of “Band-aid and a Fish” Homeless initiative programs that find temporary housing, food and handouts are continually recycling people, “in here tonight and there tomorrow.” The over burdened system as we know it can only “cosmetically treat”, with a cot and a meal and hope that the needy will move to another location or just go away. The empty housing projects and overloaded welfare systems of the sixties and seventies still stand as evidence that this “band-aid and a fish’ system is just that and no more. 4

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SIGNS OF CHRIST “A Call Out to the Called” Isaiah 55: 10-11 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it 5

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The Call to the People of Ministry God Needs a Few Committed People Signs of Christ is looking for men and women that are ready to take a bold stand as Gods’ ambassadors. The call is for you whom are ready to accept the challenge to go beyond tradition and accept the call to be different and stand out in a crowd in order to be led to a place and a way that we have not traveled before. Our burden is to bring your calling, your concern for ministry, your talents and zeal for the work to which we are called into a cooperative structure with others who are like-minded and concerned. This structure, as a mandate from God, will allow us to co-organize, co-plan, co-build and co-labor, buts most of all co-minister. Certainly, your autonomy must be guarded, and your individuality protected. Our plan “as we believe God has commissioned”, is not to take your ideas and plans to build for us a ministry, but rather that we commit ourselves to working together for common purposes and goals. As we network and collaborate, we will build the foundations and bridges to stability from which we and those that follow will cross over into the joy of successful ministry. Rather than fragments, doing it alone, we will become cooperatives working together. The unity and oneness of purpose and commitment to the mission that yet lies before us will allow us to reach operating levels of freedom and success that alone we could only dream about. By simply working together, we can build a fore with muscle and the ability to not only assault the enemy territory but also to bring salvation, help and hope to the hundreds of loss, trapped and hurting should across our cities. Secondly, we will be providing a staging area and an example for others to become a labor force in the harvesting of soul to God. Saints, it is time that we employ the lessons learned by the ancients at the Tower of Babel and the enterprising secular world of today. Collectively, we can build faster and more efficiently thus become more effective in reaching our potential than we could or will working alone. God has revealed some awesome plan s and objectives for us. There are properties, monies, enterprises and opportunities beyond this secular worlds’ imagination that God wants to give to us which will confound the unbelieving world of the power of his Holy Spirit. There are both spirits of anointing and of prosperity that have fallen on the servants of God. However, we must move while it our time and the appointed season 6

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Our plan is to develop an organization that will........ Sound the call to independent ministries and structure ministries to come together and provide a staging area for ministry training, growth and development. Become a vehicle of collaboration, moving faith based organizations, out reach ministries, service providers and government sponsored social services into a coordination of oneness. Advocate a holistic system of ministries and services including homeless prevention, low-income housing and transitional housing. Introduce an assessment and enrollment program customized to meet the needs of the total man psychology, spiritually and physically. Provide a projected outcome of restoration, restoring the enrollee to a productive , self sufficient, tax paying citizen. 7

The Goals of This Ministry is to… : 

Build a bridge of cooperation and collaboration between ministry workers, service providers as well as skilled and lay volunteers. Solicit training, training vouchers and fee/tuition assistance for those committed to working in areas of ministry service or outreach, where specific training is needed or required. Set in order, an effective holistic approach that will address the total person inside and out, regardless of where we find them and what condition they are in. Provide campus and other means of stable housing during intake, evaluation, training and recovery. Provide an individual needs assessment as an aid to enrolling them in a “personalized schedule of programs that will address their particular needs. These programs are designed to aid them in the rediscovery of self, self-worth, value and self discipline first. Connect the enrollee and coordinate with available resources such as substance abuse counseling and various types of in-kind services when needed. Partnership and work closely with others to provide transitional and low income housing as well as pre-homeless training and assistance. Solicit and maintain a housing inventory for the purpose of “Building Trades OJT”. This training program will be for those interested in employment in the building trades. These rehabbed houses will also provide temporary shelter, income and ministry support. Provide on-site office space for employment/training agencies such as Work-One to help assist with the efforts of providing employment and training services. Collaborate with business that can provide employment opportunities in entry-level positions of manufacturing, warehouse, general clerical, maintenance/housekeeping etc… Offer job etiquette training before, after and during employment as well as assist in career planning, transportation, and childcare expense. Make available case management and follow-up to help keep the enrollee on track and achieve the projected goal. The Goals of This Ministry is to… 8

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SIGNS OF CHRIST A Visual Look at the Vision Habakkuk 2-2 And the Lord answered me and said, write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 9

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The Vision To Unite, Support and Encourage the Formation of Independent Outreach Ministries & Collaboration with non-faith based industries Service Providers Each autonomous ministry exercising its own calling, receiving support, recruitment and other needed resources' from the core “Signs of Christ Ministry” staffing and connections. SIGNS OF CHRIST Independent Ministries 10

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Office Of Personnel Recruitments Personal Financial Development Alternative Foster Care Children Of Incarcerated Parents Marriage & Family Relationships School Kids Edu. Needs & Awareness Senior Living Assistance On Site Job Training & Employment Personal Awareness & Development Life’s Transitions Social Assimilation Substance Abuse Outreach Teams Growth & Development Job Procurement & Development Halfway Housing for Prison Release Homeless Family Units & Assistance Homeless Vets Assistance & Intake Transportation Assistance Social Assimilation Mental & Physiological Treatment & Placement The Office of Personnel Recruitment Supplies the Man Power to Fill the Voids in the Ministries Staffing and in the Cooperating Service Providers 11

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SIGNS OF CHRIST “Fellow Laborers in the Vine Yard” Exodus 17:11-12 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 12

GOD HAS REVEALED : 

GOD HAS REVEALED The Called or Elect Those Carrying a specific God Given Burden for People in a Condition or Situation. Having a plan idea vision and/or dream as to what they must do. An awareness that their calling is beyond the traditional church walls There Calling in inescapable SIGNS OF CHRIST Five Basic Groups From Which the Ministries, Aids and Volunteers will come 13

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The Bleeding Heart Having tears of heart for people in certain conditions or situations Often having had like or similar experiences; empathy for pain of others Having a strong desire to do something to aid others to escape their situation or change their lives Waiting for the right vehicle hoping that they might become a part of the change or rescue process SIGNS OF CHRIST 14

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Concerned Lay People Having a sense of obligation and responsibility to do something to help others Having no plan or idea; will seek others that do which in turn might feel a sense of accomplishment Those that are pray fully asking for direction as to what to do SIGNS OF CHRIST 15

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Professionally Skilled and Talented Those in a particular profession because of a desire to help people with particular needs; will make their skills available on a limited basis without pay Those having a sense of gratitude for their successes and a heart set on given back Those simply seeking the gratification that comes from helping others SIGNS OF CHRIST 16

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Those Who are Seeking to Contribute Having recourses but limited personal time Seeking to share resources with an organization that will address the needs in the areas of their heart felt concerns Seeking an opportunity to back a good cause An opportunity to invest as a tax write off SIGNS OF CHRIST 17