June in Local Missions

Summer is here, and with it come some incredible opportunities to meet the needs of our city while being discipled in compassion! June is a very special month—there are two major events celebrating immigrants and refugees in our community.

‍

Saturday Serve | Global Sounds | Park Volunteers

Global Sounds is a community event held in the heart of South Omaha that celebrates the diverse international populations residing in the area. Bands and musicians from various cultures come together to turn Upland Park into a giant dance floor!

‍Even if you don't volunteer, we would still love to invite you and your family to the event! It's a fun time full of music, food, vendors, and all the cultures that make Omaha beautiful!

‍

Saturday Serve | World Refugee Day | Food Court Volunteers

The World Refugee Day celebration is an event led by refugees in the city to honor and teach about the refugee experience. We'll assist in the "food court" area, serving foods from various cultures, greeting, cleaning, and filling in for any other requests from the team!

‍Even if you don't volunteer, we would love for you to join us on World Refugee Day as attenders! It's a free event open to all, featuring art, food, performances, and informational fairs.

‍

Hands From Home | Abide Better Together 5K | Breakfast Burrito Volunteers

This month, we're excited to support Abide's annual 5K by providing breakfast burritos for the runners. Through the 5K, people from all over the city who might otherwise never spend time here get to experience North Omaha firsthand!

‍

Updates

ESL End of Semester

Our ESL classes wrapped up their semester in May! Our hardworking volunteers showed up week in and week out to provide education, community, and loving presence to the foreign-born in Omaha. This group of Christian brothers and sisters made kingdom impact in Omaha through what some local partners consider the city's best ESL program! Our students experienced transformational care from our ESL team—not just in language development, but also in spiritual growth, including gospel presentations and invitations to church!

If this sounds like something you'd like to be involved in, the ESL team is looking for volunteers to help teach and assist with classroom activities on Tuesday nights, as well as to drive a van for the women on Thursday mornings. This is an incredible opportunity to get involved with ESL just in time for volunteer training on July 17 and 18!

Sign up to volunteer here!

‍

Last Month in Local Missions

During May, we helped our school partners at Catlin with their end-of-year carnival! Our volunteers ran games and booths to celebrate the Catlin community. One of our volunteers at the carnival, Caleb Harthoorn, was kind enough to give us some of his thoughts about serving with Local Missions!

Q: What made you say yes to volunteering?‍
A: I really love the opportunity to serve. It's really good for my own soul to not put myself first and care for the needs of others. It's fulfilling getting to care for other people, and I love being around kids!‍

‍Q: What was your favorite moment?‍
‍A: In general, it was amazing to be able to encourage the kids. It was amazing to be able to cheer them on and champion them, even in small moments.‍

‍Q: Why do you think volunteering matters?‍
‍A: We get to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We get to live out the gospel in really practical ways, and it is so good for my own soul to lay down putting myself first. It's a great opportunity to think about others and lay down our lives for them.‍

‍Q: Why should someone give this a try?‍
‍A: Volunteering is an opportunity to be the Church to those around us. It's a joy to be obedient to what Jesus has called us to, and as we're obedient to care for other people, just like the early Church in Acts, we're caring for each other really well. We love people through our actions, and our obedience draws us closer to Jesus because we're acting like Jesus! It's a blessing to have the opportunity to serve, and it fills my soul. It fills me up, it's encouraging, it's fun, and it gives me the opportunity to meet other people and learn about different ways of life. 

‍

Devotional‍

‍There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. —Galatians 3:28

In Galatians, Paul proclaimed that there are no longer Jews, Greeks, slaves, free, male, or female in Christ. However, how can that be when Paul is asked to be a minister specifically to the Gentiles? How can that be the case when Revelation 7 describes multiple cultures and languages in the throne room? In this passage, Paul specifically describes three human relationships that carry a cultural hierarchy. In Galatian society, Jews considered themselves above the Greeks, the free above the slaves, and the males above the females. More than likely, Paul chose these relationships to illustrate that the difference in power was removed in Christ, not the distinction between these groups. In Christ, we are all heirs of God—no matter our ethnicity, status, or gender (verse 26).In June, we have the opportunity to celebrate the many cultures and ethnicities that make up our great city. As we engage with these celebrations, let's remember that these cultures and ethnicities are co-heirs with whichever culture or ethnicity we most identify with. Let's celebrate as distinct equals, united in Christ!

Thank you for all you do! You're making Omaha more like Heaven.

‍

‍Danté Edwards
‍Assistant Director of Missions
‍dantee@cccomaha.org