CCM Newsletter - May 2012

INVESTMENT TOOLS
We know that when we have the right tools to accomplish a task we feel more equipped for ministry.

It may seem expensive to have some of these resources on hand, but try to remember sometimes these can be ‘investment tools’ to leave God’s message of care and comfort with those you minister to. Other ‘tools’ will be a means of training and equipping others to feels confident in ministry. CCM identification badges are available for your members to wear when visiting as a means of introduction. It has become more difficult to fill the Sunshine Bags with the items you perhaps included in the past. Food items are being scrutinized by hospital and nursing homes across the country.

SUNSHING BAG MINISTRY
Supplies and Purchasing is working on items with Salvation Army identification which can be included in the sunshine bags. A sample pack of items will be sent to each DHQ shortly containing a variety of the products that may be available. Items will include tissue packets, brush/combs, toothbrush kits, sugarless cookies and candies, teddy bear, lap blanket and socks. A bulk-order form will be sent out in September for your Christmas Sunshine Bags. Don’t forget bookmarks, blessing cards and The Christmas Story pamphlet are available to tuck into the Sunshine Bag.

NURSING HOME MINISTRY
A few tools that are available from the SonShine Society who offer resources for nursing home ministry—www.sonshinesociety.org . Songbooks with large print and music written in lower keys are available in accompaniment editions and print only editions. Three books are available; SonShine Songs & Scriptures (Victory Edition), Heaven, Heart & Home and Heavenly SonShine.

Hope & Help and Onward & Upward are resource and devotional books containing sermonettes, poems, etc. Strength & Peace is a devotional walk through the scriptures, Genesis through to Revelation with commentary.

Letters To Live By offer study guides for Bible studies of the epistles.

ANOTHER RESOURCE COMPANY
Another company with tools that are available is from CTA—Christian Tools of Affirmation. This is not an advertisement for their products, only creating an awareness of their resources.

The CTA resource website is CTAinc.com. If you have used this resource in the past, I would encourage you to revisit the site as they continue to update and add new resources. Although this is an American site, Canadians can order through Sperling’s Church Supply in Waterloo. Many of these tools can be less than the cost of a greeting card.

While there are many categories available on the website, I would invite you to review the Care Ministries category, then Care & Comfort. There are bookmarks with scripture references, scripture card wallets, and booklets for illness, difficulties and grief.

Also available is a children’s soft covered book “Remembering My Someone Special: Jesus Gives Me Hope:, to help 7-12 year old process their grief in a healing way.