The Contents:

1. Character
2. Commission
3. Calling
4. Compassion
5. Commitment
6. Conformity
7. Celebration

I look forward to using this with a group of people.  Any takers? info@cascadesandiego.org.

Here is the first lesson on Character:

The resale shops are more than a place to find great deals. They are more than a place to find a new treasure from what was someone’s cast offs. The shops more than just a nice way to recycle, repurpose or redeem old stuff. They are more than providing a place for people to volunteer and show the love of Christ. It is more than a place for kids to work and get an introduction to responsibility in the work place. The sesale shops are also more than a way to generate revenue for the Missions programs of our church.

It is of course, all those things. But through the lens of “calling and vocation,” it is a place where many people can steward who they are and what they have been given by the Lord and use it to help the resale shops do all that it does.

Particularly impressive is how Gayle and her army of volunteers are able to take whatever shows up at the back door as a donation, and display it in a way that makes the stores look amazing and dignified. In some ways, what happens at the resale shops is like what the Gospel does to people: new lives, second chances, restoration and redemption.

A central and helpful shift is reflected in the idea that merely saving souls and escaping an evil material world (while true), actually reflects a dualism that does not help Christians understand how to live on earth in redemptive ways.  God’s redemption, renewal, and restoration is certainly focused on people, but not as an end.  God’s interest includes employing people who are being redeemed, renewed, and restored, as means to redeeming, renewing, and restoring a good creation that has been ravished by sin.

Q Ideas is a wonderful entity that captures the work of creative pioneers and innovators (thinkers, theologians, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, social activists, pastors and poets), seeking to illustrate how to come alongside God and help the world and it’s people flourish. Cascade was represented at the Q Los Angeles Experience this past week (April 15-17, 2013) and here is a glimpse.

Liberty in North Korea – We heard from people working on human rights issues in North Korea, describing the incredible oppression, poverty and hunger that drives people to escape the country in the face of death and slavery.

Saving Innocence - Kim Biddle delivered a powerful talk about the objectification of women through pornography, among other factors, and how this leads to so many the many ills that affect our children. Her organization works to rescue and restore victims of sex trafficking.

Praxis Labs - As attendees, we served as the jury to award $100,000 dollars in awards to three startup organizations.  Praxis Labs is an incubator that seeks to create new models for social and cultural change.

Mark Burnett – Yes, that one, the guy behind all those TV shows like Survivor, The Voice, The Apprentice, and most recently the History Channel sensation, The Bible.  It was lovely to hear his heart about how his faith implores him to work toward unity, especially in how Catholics and Evangelicals were able to work together in the creation of series on The Bible.

Just about every presenter began a deep rethink about how our faith should inform our thinking on matters like:

• How to contribute to peace in the Middle East between Palestinians, Jews, Arabs and Christians.
• A very different approach to homelessness just up the street in Orange Country, called Village of Hope.
• Ever wonder if our aid to the developing world may be a terrible way to solve persistent poverty?  Poverty Cure (along with many, many others) is certainly rethinking it. Take a look at this video.

As you might imagine, there was so much more.  Watch the first morning here and click on the “live” link.

We have already mentioned that God is up to some great stuff as he draws the faith community and area educators together. Area principals have identified the great need to help parents parent, especially during a time when everything is so different.  While social media, the internet and technology in general have created a very different environment for families today, good sound parenting principles are timeless.

We are very pleased to announce that RBCPC and Cascade will be hosting a parenting workshop with the author, speaker, and coach, Diana Sterling. Diana will be a featured workshop speaker at the “What I Wish My Parent’s Knew” event on Feb 12th.  In anticipation of the response to her message, we are offering the general community as well as the RBCPC congregation the opportunity to better our parenting skills.

Come and attend this four-week workshop that will give you very practical tools and perspectives that will radically shift your thinking and approach toward your children.

“The Parent as Coach Approach is a must-read handbook for parents. I use this approach in my own family.” Jack Canfield Author Chicken Soup Series

A few Cascade committee couples and some leaders involved in the clergy/school initiative have been attending Diana’s class.  I’ve experienced first hand how the tools you will learn will be very helpful in your parent/teen relationships (Geoff).

The essentials are below, but you’ll want to click through to Diana Sterling’s site to read the “take aways” and endorsements.  You can also download a flyer for this event to pass along to others.

Where: Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church, 17010 Pomerado Rd. San Diego, CA 92128
When: March 5, 12, 19, 26.  Tuesday evenings 6:30-8:30-pm
Includes: Workshop with workbook, complimentary signed copy of The Parent as Coach Approach
Investment: $147 per person or $197 per couple. Need-based partial scholarships available.

Call 505-247-2902 for information.

We are partnering with Corazon, a ministry that has been doing this for year. I’ve especially appreciated their ongoing community work where these homes are built. Receiving families are involved in service projects with their neighbors in their communities, earning credits toward receiving a home of their own.

Here are some of the particulars:

• Date:  Saturday, March 2nd (Actual departure and return times we’ll know when we get more info.
• Cost per RBCPC participant:  We are asking each participant from RBCPC to send out 5 letters to friends and colleagues to ask for their financial support of this project.  We must raise an average of at least $150 per participant, but are hoping to raise more.  Excess funds raised will be donated back to Rotary to help jump start future projects.  Cascade will match funds raised to help make this project possible.
• Preparation:  We are planning a meeting to prepare folks for the experience, unify the group, and to give help/guidance on fundraising, which will be scheduled during the month of February.  Date of this meeting is TBD.
• Number of spaces available is limited, so please sign up with Cascade ASAP.
• Current U.S. passports required! http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/eacs_sheet.html

Here at Cascade, we are thrilled to see how God is at work. We love the idea of being able to find a way to come alongside area educators as servants.

In recent polling, students communicated a desire that their parents would be able to understand the world that teens experience, along with its many challenges and stresses.  After some planning, it was decided we would host a learning event for parents. There will be an eye-opening keynote address addressing the challenges kids face, along with those ever-present statistics.  This is followed by five very practical workshops to help resource parents to navigate the teens years.

We would love to fill the 800 seat Poway Center for the Performing Arts.  Not just so parents could get great info and find new ways to shepherd their teen.  We think God is up to something very unique in this relationship of the faith

community and schools.  We’d love to make a bold statement of support that God is up to something in our community.

Would you join us?

The event is free though tickets are required to make sure we have enough room. Request tickets at info@cascadesandiego.org

Tuesday, Feb 12
7p-8:45p
Poway Center for the Performing Arts
15498 Espola Road, Poway

In the app, under the “Resources” section, there is a “Serve” tab where you can find you way to the posts from Cascade.

Here is the link to the app at the iTunes store.

If you need some technical assistance to install the app on your iPad or iPhone, this video below may be helpful.

In casting this understanding of the tsaddiqim, we are encourage to similarly steward our vocational power.  For the many of us that find ourselves in San Diego, relative to the rest of the world, we are those “at the top.”  This presentation encourages us to think about vocational stewardship.

Vocational Stewardship – The strategic, intentional deployment of all the dimensions of our vocational power to advance foretastes of the Kingdom of God.

It is this stewardship or our many and varied callings that is the critical link between our discipleship and God’s mission.  We must understand how we have been graced with many gifts, abilities, training, relationships, and circumstances (to name a few things) in ways that allow our city to rejoice.

WWTD? What would the Tsaddiqim Do?