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.

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

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!

Care & Compassion: Cancer, who plans for it?

Wow!

Once again,  we find ourselves shouting T H A N K Y O U , CGgirl! 

"How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?"
1 Thessalonians 3:9

You were an abundant, over-the-top, way cool,  unbelievable blessing to Margie Kelly & her family.

When the word got out about this Care & Compassion opportunity,  we knew CGgirls would be generous but we were blown away by the tidal wave of generosity that came in for Margie Kelly.
Margie (wife and mom) has been recently diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer.    As she would say, "The fight is on!"

Just a few moments ago,  Mike Kelly came up to me, hugged me hard and said with tears in his eyes, "THANK YOU!  We made a whole date out of going through the box! "

What I love so much about the ministry that happens through the hearts and hands of CGgirls is this:  Most of you don't personally know Margie.   Most of you will never meet her this side of heaven.

But you loved anyway.      You sacrificially loved anyway.
Because God loves.  

Brave.

Today, right now, this minute, you have all the BRAVE you need.   Jesus.

July CG event: Worship Leader Announced

CGgirl, Summer is in full swing.   We hope you are enjoying the sunshine and your hair is winning the battle against the humidity.  :)

We have some really great news... Liz Webb will be our worship leader for the next CG Event,  Friday, July 26th at 7pm!

Liz may look familiar to you ... she is a part of our CG Worship Band and has been singing for the majority of her life.

" I've been married for 6 1/2 years to Patrick. Mom of 3 mini CG girls Emma, Ellie and Clara. I have been attending Connection Church (and Tri-City) for nearly 24 years. I have serving on our worship team for 14 years!"

Need a worship night?  Yes.   Want to gather with women from 30 different area churches?  Yes.

Want to Take God's love from the pews to the pavement by bringing: Lip Gloss, Stickers, Composition Notebook, Flip-Flops, and Dove Bar Soap?  Yes, we're going to bless 146 girls currently at Vista Maria!

Let's gather together at 7pm on Friday, July 26th - - Join us!

Do you need to be reminded today?

CG Girls are generous.

Yes.  Yes, you are!

In the last 24 hrs alone,  CG Girls donated to Project Crazy Love:

•  Bunch (and by bunch I mean a WHOLE LOT!) of wrapping paper, boxes and scotch tape!


•  Lipgloss, Kohls, Target, and McDonald's gift cards!


•  Money!

I just opened a note with a Target gift card in it from a dear CG Girl whose husband is out of work,  they are living with her parents and they just had a baby!    Is that not one of the most tender reflections of  God's love through giving that you've seen in a while?  We are blown away by God's provision for these young women in foster care.   God is stirring us up!

pink tees, prayer and God

Girls,  commonground will be here in 12 days.  Can you believe just 12 days!!!   Yikes!  I mean...YOWZA!!!  :)

Here are a few updates for you....

T-Shirts 
Its been so cool to see so many of you get on board with buying CG t-shirts!   Today it was like CG central - lots of calls on the tees and drop-ins to purchase the shirts.   They are in production and we will have all sizes availablefor sale on Sunday at 9am at the WM's counter.  Also this Sunday is the day we wear our pink and wear it proud!! :) 

Prayer
So many of you have asked how you can help before the event and what we need is PRAYER.   Honestly,  we have no idea what we are doing...we're taking each day as it comes and God has been so faithful to us.   The single greatest need we have "pre-event" is prayer.  

• Please pray for Amy Voss, as she prepares the worship portion of the evening. 


• Pray for women who will be at CG -- their hearts focus that their conversations would be sprinkled with creativity and courage.  


• Pray for God's continued direction and spirit of servanthood to be at the core of our leadership team.  (These girls are rockin' right along side me:   Nancy Barra, Alene Hoffman, Jen Karolak and Katy Reitz)

God
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.   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.  

How is God preparing you for commonground?