Care Fair Extravaganza!

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.  ~Plato

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.  ~Leo Buscaglia

It is 11:41 am, Monday, July 26th, 2010.  Since 7:oo am this morning it has been action packed at the Isaiah 58 warehouse.  Volunteers were right on time, last minute touches were put on school supply packages, signs were posted, parking was created, pallets of water were put into place, jump houses were blown up and the spirit of expectancy and enthusiasm was high.  No one has been disappointed!  Since 9:00 am the I-58 Salon has been hopping with all of our hair stylists in place, 28 haircuts have been given, 200 school supply packages have been distributed, 216 boxes of food have been placed into the hands of those who need them, 160 hotdogs and hamburgers have been cooked and devoured (thank you Chef Jeff!), shoes have been given to those who needed them, countless little faces have been painted and 60 volunteers are taking a much needed break in the shade gearing up for the afternoon!  All that and it isn’t even noon yet! Wow!  Our supplies are quickly being depleted with countless folks coming for school supplies.  The Care Fair has been made possible by donations and your continued support and ongoing donations would be greatly appreciated.  If you would like to drop something off in the way of school supplies, underwear and socks for school age children from the ages of 5 to 18 we would be beyond blessed to receive and distribute them.  Remember when you lend to the poor it is as if you have loaned to God and pure ministry is taking care of the fatherless and widows.  We have an amazing opportunity to be a blessing to our community and we are so thankful to be in position to accomplish this.  An added blessing has been hosting the team from Operation Blessing who came to take part in our distribution today.  we pray God’s continued blessings on their ministry and for the opportunity to partner with them.  Once again, thank you for your ongoing support for the Care Fair and the extended mission’s outreach at Word Alive.

Happy Sabbath!

See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath.  Exodus 16:9

Sir John Lubbock
Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.

As hard as it is to believe it is time for Sabbath.  July, the seventh month of the year, has been a time of rest, restoration and refreshing for Word Alive over the past ten years.  It is still a huge leap of faith but one we lovingly embrace and keep jumping into every year.  So many God things happen while we are on the Sabbath break that there is no denying that being obedient to this principle really does keep our hearts wide open for the blessings and favor of  God to continue flowing.  As many of you know the dust from the Connection project had barely settled when what could have been a devasting electrical fire occured in our main sanctuary.  Even though it has proven to be another major construction process we have seen God in every aspect of the project and really enjoyed our time back in our original sanctuary.  When we come back in August we will really enjoy our new environment and prayerfully the dust can settle before we are off and running with any more projects. 

 Remember the Care Fair is the last week of July at Isaiah 58, starting Monday the 26th through Thursday the 29th fro 9:00 am until 3:00 pm each day.  It is going to be a tremedous blessing with haircuts, school supplies, blood pressure checks and out door activities for the kids. Call to schedule a free haircut for your children ages 5-18. 

Our very own Netherland Holiday, Chaplain extrodinarre, accompanied our medical team, headed by Nanette Mudiam to Haiti for  a week to meet the medical needs of Haitians devastated by the recent earthquake.  Over 600 patients were attended to in orphanages and clinics and the whole missions trip was deemed an unqualified success. Please keep the nation of Haiti, and the teams, ministry and medical, in your prayers over the next months.

Be Be’s Bargain Boutique will be open from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm Monday through Saturday throughout the Sabbath so please drop in and keep those donations coming.  Stay in touch via Facebook and let us know about all of your God encounters. Happy Sabbath!

Thank You!

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. 

 Maya Angelou

Giving is true having.
Charles Spurgeon

The announcement of our Care Fair in July has sparked an enthusiastic response from Word Alive.  We are the very happy recipients of school supplies, new underwear and socks and we are just getting started.  There are several weeks left to continue bringing in needed items and our offices will be open at the Church the first week of July as well.  If you need to drop items off during the Sabbath please do so that first week. For any further information please call us at 256-835-0058.  Our offices at Isaiah 58 will be open throught the first week of July and BeBe’s Bargain Boutique will be open throughout the entire month of July.  We are pleased to announce that there will be a Farmer’s Market added to our space as soon as late planted gardens begin to be harvested.  We are so blessed by our local farmers and look forward to having great organic vegetables into the Fall of this year.  We will keep you posted on the dates we will be open.  Facebook has been a great way to let all of you tech savy 21st century communicators know what is happening at our warehouse and Boutique.  Every month we share all of the creative ways that we are able to meet the needs of our community and God just keeps opening doors for us.  On the 17th and 19th of June there will be events for local vendors and artists downtown Anniston for a special event and Super Saturday.  We participated last month and it was tremendous fun.  We had the opportunity to see a lot of folks in the community and to really see how much work goes into making this event happen.  Get out and support these local events and you will really enjoy yourselves.  Great job Dan Pullman and Rod James! We were in Gadsden for First Friday and that was a huge event.  there are so many great events taking place and we want to attend all of them.  We hope to see you there!  In the meantime don’t forget to bring donations in the form of socks, underwear, t-shirts and school supplies for children ages 5-18.  The Care Fair will  last from July 26th until July 29th.  Haircuts for school age children will be provided from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm each day.  There will be nurses on hand to check blood pressures and a hygienist to check teeth.  If you know of anyone who needs this service provided for them and their  children encourage them to call and schedule their haircuts as soon as possible.  Each child will also receive a back to school package as long as supplies last.  Once again, thank you so much for your ongoing support!  We really couldn’t do it without you!

Bebe’s Boutique, Salon, Care Fair, Donations & More!

Important News/ Care Fair Announcement/Schedule Changes

Big Changes at Isaiah 58

“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.” Mahatma Ghandi

There is such life giving wisdom in these two quotes.  At Word Alive International Outreach everything that we believe can only happen when change is implemented.  Changed lives are what we live for.  Because we are people whose lives have been completely transformed by our relationship with Jesus Christ we understand the powerful redemption that change brings.  In the past eight months there have been many changes in our Isaiah 58 department with the addition of a new partnership with Feed the Children in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and HIS Ministries in Bedford, England.  The addition of  BeBe’s Bargain Boutique with clothing, furniture, household items and appliances has been a wonderful success and as it continues to grow we look forward to becoming even more established and meeting the needs of our growing community. The next area that we began to experience growth in was in the realm of creativity with many very talented and gifted artists coming to  the forefront.  From these relationships being developed we have created a new line of jewelry, one of a kind hand painted tables and pieces of art, a greeting card line, decorative hand painted stemware and an online website for your shopping convenience.  Our artist’s studio stays busy and the very air seems to crackle with the vibrancy of creativity. The list really could go on and on about all of the gifts and talents being put into use but it will be a blessing for you to stop in and experience BeBe’s for yourself.  All of these incredible changes have been effected but one of the concepts that has been dear to our heart for several years has been to develop monthly Care Fairs.  We have had one big Care Fair that was a huge success but we plan to do that on a monthly basis right here at Isaiah 58.  As of this week we are completing  I58 Salon where we will be able to provide free haircuts for children and provide dental hygiene items, underwear, t-shirts and socks.  Our first Care Fair will be when we return from the Sabbath, the last week in July, Monday the 26th through Thursday the 29th.  We will be announcing this in church and to our patrons at the food distributions for May and June. This opportunity to serve our community has been in development and we are very pleased to see it being established as well.  We are eager to begin receiving donations in the form of new t-shirts, socks and underwear ranging in sizes from kindergarten ages to senior high.  All of our stylists will be volunteers and we are hoping to schedule them at least one month in advance.  As a creative art form cutting hair is one of the most expressive ways to demonstrate individuality.  We are putting out a clarion call for all stylists who view their gift as an art form to please contact us at Isaiah 58 to sign up to participate in our first Care Fair the last week of July.  Be assured the rewards will be great.  We look forward to hearing from you in the form of a donation or to sign up to participate and remember, it is up to us to be the change we want to see in the world.

He Is Risen Indeed!

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.
William James

Resurrection Day was a celebration indeed!  All of our planning and prayers certainly came to life as literally thousands, somewhere between ten and twelve thousand to be exact, poured into the Oxford High School Football Stadium.  We are not sure who was more excited, our team, the congregation or the first time attendees.  All in all it was an amazing experience with all of us praising our God for the miracle that is Jesus Christ.  What a demonstration of praise it was!  The worship team brought it on home and then Coach Grass encouraged us to really understand how great a gift salvation is.  His message of faith, hope and Love was shared with extreme passion and conviction.  As Pastor Kent ministered the practical application that we have all found ourselves in the position of needing a Savior the Presence of God was tangible as souls began to flood the platform area to receive Christ as Lord.  It was absolutley beautiful to behold.   The helicopter did bring a rather extreme element to the event but for kids of all ages it was pretty awesome.  We haven’t ever celebrated Resurrection Day with eggs but I have to say the community at large sure seemed to enjoy the novelty of it.  The grand prizes were certainly a hit and it was very rewarding to see the reactions of those who were the prize winners.  The food distribution went incredibly well especially considering how large the crowd was.  Our volunteer team is simply the best and we thank God for them.   Our thanks and appreciation goes out to everyone who participated in the event and the clean up efforts afterward.  The whole day was perfect and many lives were touched as the Kingdom of God was expanded.  We are looking forward to continuing to serve our community and to reach people at the point of their need. 

On another very exciting note we are expanding our shopping area at Be Be’s Bargain Boutique.  We have added almost three thousand square feet for a funiture department and in the next few weeks will expand our services to include a Salon.  Prayerfully our plumbing for this venture will be installed  in time for summer haircuts.  We have really enjoyed the store throughout the winter and are certainly looking forward to Spring and Summer.  We are receving donations at our Highway 78 location so as you spring clean remember that you may have someone else’s hidden treasure hiding in your garage, basement or attic.  We look forward to seeing you here.  Also, don’t forget to check out our on-line jewelery line.  All items are one of kind so if you see an item that you like place your order and we will custom design your piece for you.

Ressurection Day Celebration!

April 4th, 2010 is going to be an amazing celebration of the Ressurection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Word Alive will meet in the Oxford High School Football Stadium at 10:30 a. m. and this event promises to be action packed.  Pastor Kent will bring a great word and our very own praise and worship team under the direction of Luke Varvell will lead us into the presence of God.  this community outreach will culminate in 20,000 eggs being dropped in from an interesting source.  After the eggs are collected 2,500 boxes laden with delicious food will be distributed to those who would need to participate in the distribution.  The whole day will be for the glory of god and we cannot wait to see everything that god has planned for us.  As a congregation we are all so excited about being in one service together and we are so appreciative for Oxford High and we pray God’s continued blessing on them and their staff.  happy Ressurection day!

Creative Update

 I tell you, the more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.  Vincent van Gogh

Creativity is the word for Word Alive this winter.  Our new Dream CD is anointed and such a blessing.  Congratulations to Luke and all of the team who worked so diligently on bringing it to completion.  If you haven’t gotten  your copy make sure to stop by the book store and pick one up.   Our corner for BeBe’s Boutique has proven to be quite a success especially with the addition of CeCe’s Creations.  We have had so many artists sharing their talents that  at any given moment we could have jewelery being designed, canvases being painted, and custom designed appointments for house and home being created, all taking place with amazing music underscoring each new design.  It has been a beautiful winter wonderland with new relationships being built and others being renewed.  Our artist’s community nourishes our spirits and nutures our souls.  If you would like to participate by expressing your talent or dropping off projects that you started but just didn’t get a chance to finish we welcome your gift. 

On a practical note we are experiencing such provision in our food resources.  In January we had six trucks from Operation Blessing, joined arms and partnered with Feed the Children, not including our own distribution we handed out 3,001 boxes to varied ministries, four Recovery Houses, and two Senior Centers in the amount of 120,000 pounds of  food! Wow!  What a great God we serve!  Please continue to pray that we are in position to meet not only our community’s needs but the nations of the world.

On that note, our very own Netherland Holiday and Caleb Mattox are being trained as First Responders to work with the Red Cross for natural disaster relief.  Upon completion of their training they will be licensed chaplains and will be allowed as First Responders into any disaster area in the world.  We are working with HIS Ministry and Premiere Foods in the United Kingdom to have shipments sent directly to disaster relief areas.  Please keep this aspect of the ministry in your prayers as it is our goal to provide resources to nations in need.

There certainly are many things to share so stay tuned into Facebook, Twitter and the various blogs that are up at all times.  We are seeking God’s direction in every area of this ministry and really cannot wait to see what He is going to next!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

We cannot believe how quickly January is flying by. So far it is a really Happy New Year. As we reviewed last year’s Isaiah 58 contribution to our community we were so blessed to see that in 2009 we fed 33,000 people with over two and a quarter million pounds of food!  The provision that came through our doors was nothing short of miraculous and we are in awe of God’s ongoing surprises in the way of connections for new food resources.  With the addition of Be Be’s Bargain Boutique and Ce Ce’s Creations we are finding more and more creative ways to develop our resources and provide an ever expanding environment where shoppers and buyers can experience a wonderful atmosphere and find great bargains for their families.  Ce Ce’s Creations was birthed from a desire for creative gifts to be developed and for those with hidden talents to come to the forefront and begin to flow in artistic gifts that may not have been stirred in a while.  The result has been fantastic and we have developed a jewelry line that is whimsical and affordable.  Many of our items can be found in the WAIO Bookstore so make sure to stop in and take a look at all of the fun goodies we have for sale.  the best part of this latest venture is the artist community that has been created where ideas flow and designs begin to materialize almost out of thin air.  It is another miraculous aspect of Isaiah 58 that continues to bless and bring out ideas that turn into new blessings.  We are having a blast stirring all of this creativity.

For those new to our post the following letter brings us up to speed about the history of Isaiah 58. This letter was written by Netherland Holiday in response to a request from a benefactor who would like to make a donation to our program.  As you read it please come into agreement that God’s perfect will be done and if it is His plan this donation will be in the amount needed for us to heat and air condition our warehouse space.  That is our most pressing need to date and we believe that God is making a way for that to happen.

‘Isaiah 58 is a ministry of Word Alive International Outreach which was begun in December of 2000 by Pastor Kent and Beverly Mattox to provide free food, paper products, hygiene and medical supplies,   and baby products to the community.  This ministry has eight distribution centers throughout Calhoun, Etowah and Talledega counties with all products being disbursed from our main location on Hwy 78 W   in Coldwater.   Bulk items are also given periodically to approximately 30 other food assistance programs in Clay, Cleburne and Jefferson counties.In 2009, 3,000 families a month were fed from the main church center with an average of 18,000 people served each month from all locations.   Isaiah 58 partners with many helping and social service agencies including, among others, Alabama Department of Rehabilitations, Department of Human Resources, Family Service Center, Domestic Violence agencies and Substance Abuse Facilities. The organization and distribution of all products at the main center is made possible by a group of 30-50 volunteers who come weekly to sort and box supplies for the public.  These volunteers make this happen by working in an unheated, non cooled warehouse space 75 feet by 100 feet long.  One of the needs this year is to be able to heat and cool this area.’

This is going to be tremendous year for missions at Word Alive and your contribution in any area is greatly appreciated.  Keep an ear to the ground for upcoming donation notifications for clothing, furniture and household appliances.  We are growing and so is our capacity.  We will keep you posted as to when we will be recieving donations so keep your eyes open for treasures you aren’t using any longer when spring cleaning begins!