New Bra? Yes, please!

CGgirl...you can't pull one over on me.  Summer is winding down.  One trip to Target and I see school supplies are out in abundance,  kids back-to-school clothing sales are everywhere -- I know a wind down when I see it.

In so many ways, it feels like summer never even started this year.

Looking at the calendar I see a special date coming our way.  October 17th  will be our next CommonGround event.   This one really touches our hearts.

Why?  Because we want all women to win.  We see so many women living in defeat through bad choices and broken hearts.   I bet one or two popped into your mind as you read that -- maybe it's even you.

If we can help girls change lanes; we want to help! 

In October our outreach spotlight will be Alternatives for Girls.

This wonderful organization helps homeless and high-risk girls and young women avoid violence, teen pregnancy and exploitation, and helps them to grow strong and make positive choices.

We're collecting the following items:  Construction Paper, Crayons, Colored Pencils, new bras (all sizes) and new socks (all sizes). 

Recently, a woman contacted me and shared with me some good insight.    She grew up very poor most of her young  life and when she would get bras they would always be used, worn out of shape.

She said she never forgot what it was like when she finally got a new bra.    It made her feel like a million dollars.

A good reminder, huh?

What do you say?  Let's go find the prettiest bras for these young ladies and let's make them feel like a million dollars!

CG events are open to all women (ages 13+) and if you've never experienced a cross denominational event before where women from over 30 Detroit-area churches
gather together to worship the Living God you are missing something....really special.   Spread the word and join the party on October 17th, 7pm at Connection Church in Canton.

Roll Call: WOWZA 37 Churches!

CGgirl, are you ready for this?   Final Roll Call from our May Event!  

Allen Park Church of Nazarene
Calvary Baptist Church
Church of Jesus Christ
Community Baptist
Connection Church
Crosswalk Church of the Nazarene
Fairhaven Church
First Baptist Wyandotte
Forest City Destiny Church
Free Will Baptist Church
Gilead Baptist Church
Grace Bible Church
Harvest Bible
Kensington Church
Life Church
Massachusetts Church
Merriman Road
Metro City Church
Morningstar Church
Northline Baptist
Northridge Church
Oak Pointe
Oakwood Church
Parkside Community Church
Praise Baptist Church
Redeemer Community Church
Rivers Worship Center
Solid Rock Bible Church
St Clement Orthodox
St Joseph Catholic
St Mary Parish in Wayne
St Raphael
St Simon & Jude
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Lakes
Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor
Ward Presbyterian

 

Come As You Are ... This Friday Night ... Really.

Five years ago (May 1, 2009)  we hosted our first CommonGround event.  Doesn't seem possible does it?   

We've seen God do UNBELIEVABLE things during the last NINETEEN events.    Remember...

• when God unleashed a spirit of generosity on CGgirls and you donated 1,120 Christmas gifts for 14 girls in foster care?


• when God provided an offering that supernaturally paid off all of our start-up costs?
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• when God nudged CGgirls to donate enough camp items for Royal Kids Camp to cover years of camps?
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• when God directed CGgirls to fill a church van (literally!)  with donated blankets and socks to help homeless men stay warm?
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• when God asked CGgirls to lay down our preconceived notions about women far from God who dance in strip clubs to collect items to fill gift bags for them?
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• when God knew CGgirls would meet the immediate need of a family whose Mom was diagnosed with cancer by collecting $2,000 in gift cards in two weeks?
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• when God knew a women who miscarried her baby two days before would come to a CG event (not knowing  our guest speaker would be a woman who delivered a still-born baby) and a time of intense healing began within her.
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• when God asked us to start a 60 day prayer challenge called Brave Girl Boots and 150 of you committed to doing it.  Drawing closer to God in the process.
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• and so, so, so much more.

Because of God's kindness and grace we're celebrating our TWENTIETH event this Friday night.  There will be live worship,  Heather Costa will be sharing her story,  we'll be collecting items (see below) for homeless Veterans,  20 prizes and a fantastic after party with women from 30 Detroit Metro Area churches.

Come As You Are.   It'll be a night you won't forget.  

We'll leave you with the same thing we wrote five years ago before our first event.

"The vision of commonground is one that we can’t claim as our own.  We feel very strongly that we are following His direction.   Jesus.  Period.  By Him, For Him, With Him.   Great efforts to serve our communities really don’t mean much if they aren't done for the Lord.   Only what is done for the Lord will last.  "

Ask God to prepare your heart for CommonGround.   If you are coming just for the music, the message, the prizes, the afterparty...you might miss Him.   Ask Him to prepare your heart.
He is extending the invitation.  We're just planning the party.

He is Risen!

Brave Girl Boots -- Play it safe?

On March 4th, CGgirls launched a 60 day Prayer Challenge called Brave Girl Boots.   It's been so rewarding to see God move in and through women's hearts and hands.  If you've participated, you've been brave. Beautifully, brave.  It's hard to believe just over a week remains of this challenge.  We've been praying daily for God to plant a seed of vision.

Why are we surprised when He answers our prayers?  I believe He planted one in me on day three...turn this BGB challenge into a published devotional book.  I shared with my husband and we began to pray.  What we believe as confirmation came the next day and two more times over the next week.  Honestly, I feel the same mix of scared confidence that I felt when God asked me to start CommonGround (CGgirls).  ​At that time, I prayed Acts 5:39 "But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."  And God has shown His power in such huge ways through CG, I know in my heart-of-hearts He put the vision of CG in my heart and head.

Here I sit again.  A seed of vision planted with no provision for it. What do brave girls do?  Do we play it safe and ignore it?  Nope.  We get those boots out, put them on and move forward in the knowledge they have.  Yep, I'm praying Acts 5:39 again and drinking ALOT of hot coffee.

We plan on securing the funding for publication through a three-week fundraising campaign selling t-shirts online.  We need to sell 200 shirts to cover the cost of publishing.  The fundraising campaign starts on Monday, April 21.  The shirts will say, "Keep calm and put your brave girl boots on" with a cute pair of boots on it.   (Big shout out to Christa Alberts for making my idea come to life in graphic form).

 If you've been encouraged by BGB or believe in the work God is doing through CGgirls, I hope you'll do three things:

1.  Pray.  This vision is huge. The purpose? Encourage women everywhere to be brave.  One page at a time.

2.  Buy a shirt.  $20 plus s/h.  (I'll send you the link as soon as its live on April 21st.  Not only for yourself, but for anyone you know that needs a reminder to be brave. Not only are you helping to fund this book, but you get a cute shirt, too!  Shirts will be shipped at the end of the three week campaign, if our goal of 200 is reached.  You will not be charged for a shirt if the campaign doesn't meet its goal.

3.  As soon as its launched, help us spread the word through FB, Twitter,  Email, YDTS (yell down the street!) I believe if we do our part by getting the word out, God will do His part.

It's a blast walking with Jesus, isn't it?   I can't tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you.  You've championed the work God has done through CG from the start, we believe this is the next step.  We'll keep walking until we know differently.   If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

For Him,

Tami

Giirrrlll, are you coming?

(Photo Credit: Lisa Hildebrandt) 

May 2, 2014 Outreach Spotlight

We are announcing the outreach focus for our May 2, 2014 event!   

Really, really excited about this!   One in seven homeless people have served in the military. We are going to do our part to help. CGgirls is setting a goal of 1,020 snack kits to fill that evening. Invite, Invite, and Invite some more! We're also in need for someone to donate  1, 020 gallon size ziplock bags for that evening. If you have any contacts that would be able to help with this, let us know!