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

 

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!

Grace. Me?

"O what love
No greater love
Grace, how can it be
That in my sin
Yes, even then
He shed His blood for me."

Sitting in my office listening to Kari Jobe singing...

...such stinging words of grace.

It's the day before our 19th CG event.  Unbelievable to me.

We weren't sure we'd get through one let alone nineteen!

What a privilege it has been to serve God through the gathering of women (CGgirls) who love Him, who are unsure of Him, who are disappointed in Him, maybe even disappointed in the women you see in the mirror.  No matter what you think, the seats of CG are filled with women who fit all of these.        You are ALL welcome to CommonGround tomorrow night.

Is that you today?  Even if you go to church every Sunday but you know church has turned into a club.   Are you wondering how did I get here?  Is the path you are now walking heavy with compromise, shame and guilt?

How did a once surrendered heart get so stinkin far from God?

If that's you, please come tomorrow night?.   Let the One who knows you (not just the you others see, but the real you) be your Healer.  Will you let Him close enough to caress the hair from your eyes,  lift your tear stained cheeks upward, and remind you: It's you,  It's always been you.

"Yes, even then He shed his blood for me."

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?

In Christ

 

Kara Spence shared the Word with us at Friday's event and many of you asked for the list of scripture that she used in her message.    This is a great dose of  Truth in a world that offers a non-stop offering of counterfeit.

Rom 3:24 – In Christ I am justified as a gift of His grace

Rom 6:3-4 – In Christ I have died to the power of sin over my life and have been raised into a newness of life

Rom 6:11 – In Christ I am alive

Rom 6:23 – In Christ I have eternal life

Rom 8:1 – In Christ I now cannot be condemned

Rom 8:2 – In Christ I am set free from the death that comes from sin

Rom 8:10 – In Christ my spirit is alive with righteousness

Rom 8:11 – In Christ the same Spirit that rose Jesus’ dead body from the grave lives powerfully inside of me!

Rom 8:39 – In Christ the love of God is in me, a love that cannot ever be separated from me

Rom 12:5 – In Christ we are all part of one body and belong together with each other in unity

Rom 15:17 – In Christ we now have a reason to boast because God is so incredible to us!

1 Cor 1:4 – In Christ I have the grace of God in me

1 Cor 1:30 – In Christ I have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification (set apart as pure and holy), and redemption

1 Cor 15:22 – In Christ I will be made alive

2 Cor 2:14 – In Christ I will always be led in triumph

2 Cor 5:17 – In Christ I am a new creature, my old life is completely passed away and I live in new life

Gal 2:16 – In Christ I am saved because of faith and not the religious rituals of the old law

Gal 3:14 – In Christ all of God’s promises are fulfilled

Gal 3:26 – In Christ we all become His children

Gal 3:27 – In Christ He has clothed me with Himself, I am not exposed the Savior of the world covers me!

Gal 3:28 – In Christ no one is better than the other, we are all equally valued

Eph 1:3 – In Christ I have been blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places!

Eph 1:10-11 – In Christ everything is complete and I have a massive inheritance waiting for me

Eph 2:6 – In Christ I have been given a position of honor with Him, I have been seated with Him in the heavenly places!

Eph 2:7 – In Christ I am given the riches of God’s grace and kindness

Eph 2:10 – In Christ I am created for good works that God has already prepared for me, I don’t have to do anything but just walk in them

Eph 2:13 – In Christ I am no longer distant from God but have been brought in close to Him

Eph 3:6 – In Christ even the outcasts are accepted as God’s own!

Eph 4:32 – In Christ I am forgiven

Phil 2:1 – In Christ I find encouragement, consolation by His love, fellowship with the Spirit, affection and compassion

Phil 3:9 – In Christ I don’t have a righteousness of my own, I have His righteousness instead!

Phil 4:7 – In Christ I have peace that cannot even be comprehended which protects my heart and mind

Phil 4:19 – In Christ ALL of my needs are met because of the riches of His glory

Col 1:4 – In Christ I can cultivate an atmosphere of love for others

1 Thess 5:18 – In Christ I can be thankful

1 Tim 1:14 – In Christ I find an abundance of grace and faith and love

2 Tim 1:9 – In Christ I find the grace that God has been preparing for me from the very beginning, I was prepared for!

2 Tim 2:1 – In Christ I find salvation and eternal glory

Need a reason to come to CommonGround this Friday?

Ok...well, here are some Reasons you should be at commonground this Friday...

1.  Gathering with  other Kingdom minded women to worship the Living God.

2.  Have you heard?  Kara Spence is bringing the word!

3.  We're celebrating our 15th CG with 15, yes F I F T E E N  giveaways!

4.  We're collecting shower curtains, cleaning supplies, and bed pillows for Faith Recovery Center in Lincoln Park!

5.  Baby, its cold outside!  We've got a coffee and cocoa bar with your name on it!

6.  We're announcing our April Outreach, Project 327,  you won't want to miss this launch!

7.   You'll meet lots and lots of women from 30+ area churches!

8.  We miss your sweet faces!

9.   Amazing Afterparty!

10.  Rumor has it...CG Hoodies will be on sale!

Friday, January 25th 7pm -  We can't wait!
Connection Church
3855 Sheldon Rd
Canton, MI 48188

Kara Spence, speaker for Jan 25th CG event!

Happy New Year CGgirl!

TWENTY THIRTEEN is here and we have some fantastic news to share!   Kara Spence will be sharing the Word of God with us at our next event and we couldn't be more excited.   Kara is a dynamic voice in this generation and you will be encouraged and challenged to chase harder after Christ after listening to her.   Bring ears to hear! Kara has a passion for teenagers, if you  have any in your sphere of influence this is a great opportunity to invite them.    We want to fill this place next week!   You can read more about Kara below.

We'll be collecting items ( Bed Pillows, Shower Curtains and Cleaning Supplies) for the Faith Recovery Center in Lincoln Park that evening.   Along with the CG Worship Band, we'll have 15 giveaways in celebration of our 15th CG!,  and the fantastic after party will be in full swing with coffee/cocoa bar and appetizers galore!     See you at 7pm - Connection Church - 3855 Sheldon Rd  Canton, MI 48188

[caption id="attachment_803" align="aligncenter" width="228"] CGgirls Speaker Jan 2013[/caption]

Kara Spence is a full time student currently working on her Masters of Divinity in Theology with the goal of a PhD in Apologetics.  She is passionate about teenagers and has been a youth leader and mentor to teenage girls for the past decade.  Raised in both England and the US as well as gaining a 3 year Pastoral Leadership Diploma in Australia has a passion for travel and sharing the gospel to various cultures.  She is currently developing a program for teenagers to overcome their struggle with depression and plans to write theological books for teenagers to grasp the deep truth of the Word in a simple way in the near future.

Hope 4 Western Wayne County 2012

CGgirls!   Remember all of those school supplies you so generously donated and bagged?

We collected 943 bags filled with school supplies.   WOW!  That is pretty amazing, isn't it?!

God came through with the difference.   I'll share that in a moment.

Serving at Hope4WWC was a tremendous blessing. 

Hats off to the early birds who met at 7am to load up all the school supplies!

We saw many other CGgirls serving at the event as well!   That was exciting to see...truly taking God's love from the pews to the pavement.  Amazing!

It was a beautiful day filled with beautiful people. 1, 100 guests came through and it was wildly fantastic!

When you choose to serve something wonderful happens.   You think you are going to help others but what happens is we change when we serve.  God is brilliant isn't He?   It's a beautiful thing to serve God by serving others.

Here's what some of the CGgirls had to say about Saturdays event.

"It was the most touching outreach I've ever served in, and each of us were there for the very same reason - to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Little did I know how much each guest would bless me! Hearing their stories and to see how thankful they were for what we were doing.... truly an unforgettable experience."  Beth Woodard, Connection Church served in the Grocery area.

"We serve a mighty God. I met a lady that was so pleased with her family portrait, she wanted to came back to the welcome area just to show me -- tears filled her eyes as she explained how she never had been able to afford a photo like this -- as she was walking to her car, she continued to look at the portrait -- I asked the other ladies to look as she was walking --- tears filled our eyes as I told her story --- her children were teenagers -- priceless -- it was my honor to serve with Harvest Bible Church --- Thank You Lord"   Cheryl Jones, Allen Park Nazarene Church served in Guest Services.

As for me, one of the highlights came when a young man visited our School Supply area and said, "I heard you were short some bags from your goal of 1000"  quickly followed by, " Tell me what you need and I'm going to get them for you."   This young man (in his 20s) went out and bought items to fill our remaining 57 bags.

Ladies, we got the 1000 --  we got the 1000!  Praises to God from whom all blessings come -- what a day!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to all of you who brought items to donate, who came and served, who prayed for this wonderful outreach.  100 people gave their lives to the Lord on Saturday. 

Life is beautiful.  Isn't it?

Extraordinary life? Yes, please! Pick me!

Hello CGgirls!

We have some catching up to do...so grab a seat and let's do what girlfriends do...

How are you?   I hope you are reminded today what a wonderfully made woman you are.   Even if you don't "feel" it... you are.    Who says?  He does.   In fact, God says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.    Maybe you needed that reminder today.   I know I did.

You know what I've been thinking lately?   I've been thinking about how God invites us into a story (His by the way) that is so stinkin' more exciting then the one we would have created for ourselves.   I saw this and thought... yeah.. that's perfect!

I'm so thankful  God calls us to do things that are "other focused" and  "out of our comfort zones"  it makes life so much more of an adventure.    Who needs normal?  :)

Here are some highlights of what's going on in and through CGgirls:

• 
  
  I had the tremendous honor to serve and speak at a Women's Retreat for the wonderful ladies of  Allen Park Nazarene.  What a fantastic group of women!    I've never seen such an atmosphere of bonding and great community.  It was so great to share God's Word with them.  Upon arrival I was told, "These ladies won't run from Truth, so if you bring Truth, you'll do just fine."  WOW - they were not lying.   I love this group of ladies -- and to top it off - they are coming to the next CG on Friday, July 27th!   They said their goal is to bring 27 ladies on the 27th!    Meet my new friends:  
  Speaking of our next CG event (can you believe, its our 13th!!!)  So excited to be partnering with Hope 4 Western Wayne County.   CGgirls are walking by faith and have committed to bringing 1000, (yes, you read correctly - don't rub your eyes you'll ruin your makeup) O N E T H O U S A N D school supply kits.  We've got a big God and we believe very strongly that where you find unity, you find power.   Women from all over Metro Detroit will be coming to the next CG event (Friday, July 27th 7pm)  and bringing with them the following:  Glue sticks, No. 2 pencil packs, 24 pk of crayons, pack of washable markers and 2 pocket folders.    Wanta join the fun?  Who doesn't!  :)    Apparently we aren't alone in this:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A big shout out to the fine folks at Ask-Services for collecting school supplies for our outreach!

A box of school supplies mysteriously showed up in my office last night.  CGgirls are wildly generous!  Love, Love, Love seeing God's activity in your lives!

If you are available on Saturday, August 18th and would love to serve during this crazy good day of outreach called HOPE 4 Western Wayne County - they could use your tender hearts that day.  Or maybe your heart could us some tendering?
Over 5000 families are being invited to participate in a day (in Westland, MI) that includes: groceries, health fair, Kids Zone, a BBQ Lunch, family portraits, hair cuts, school supply kits, and live entertainment.  

Sign Up to serve that day!

• 
  
  Remember our PCL girls?  Project Crazy Love?   We adopted 14 girls in foster care for Christmas last year and God absolutely blew our minds with providing over 1,100 gifts for them.   Well, we're continuing the conversation with our monthly PCL Birthday Club.  We go to their home bringing birthday love each month:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  We would love for you to get involved with this monthly outreach!  You can stop by the CGgirls: Serve! table at the afterparty to find out more info!
  
  
  
  
  Who wants a normal life?  Not us!   
  
  
  
  
  We're excited about Friday Night.  I hope you call a girlfriend or two and bring them along with you.  We'll have dynamic live worship, giveaways, an afterparty with great appetizers, coffee/cocoa bar - all free!     We call it a Girl's Night with a God Focus.  Be there?
  
  
  
  
  With deep appreciation & affection,
  
  
  
  
  Tami
  
  

Recap: April's Event - A M A Z I N G!

We are still glowing from all that God did in and through CGgirls at Friday Night's event.  Here are some highlights from Friday Night!

• Our spotlight focus was on Royal Family Kids Camp.   Amazing ministry for foster kids ... RFKC is a camp held each year for foster kids.  Crazy good stuff is going on through RFKC!    CGgirls collected 505 items for RFKC and really blew us away.   There were enough items to cover 5 years (Yep, FIVE years of camp!).    When the body of Christ works together something really wonderful happens, doesn't it?


• 150 women from 32 different churches gathered together at CG  and it was incredible to see so many new faces!  Really, really cool!  Thank you ladies for getting the word out about CGgirls!  Invite, Invite, Invite!


• We had four churches represented in our Worship Band -- Connection Church,  Trinity Church in Lansing,  Oak Pointe Church and Rivers of Living Water.   Isn't that fantastic?


• We announced a very special outreach focus for our July 27th event.   CGgirls will be partnering with Hope 4 Western Wayne County  -- a HUGE outreach happening on Saturday, August 18th in Westland.   H4WWC will be providing incredible outreach to 5000 people.   Stay tuned...more on the blog this week!


• We had 14 women sign up for the CGgirls:Inspire! Women's Leadership Network  that we are creating.  Very excited about this!  Leave a comment on this blog if you'd like to receive more info!


• Talk about a full circle moment...our PCL girls were in the front row on Friday night.  How stinkin' cool is that?!

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CGgirls: April Event's Roll Call!

Ya know whats beautiful?  Women from 32 different churches gathering on their common ground to worship the Living God!

   It was exciting to see so many new faces!   CGgirls are continuing to get the word out about CG and that is wildly fantastic!  Love, love, love!

1.  Faith Assembly - Belleville
2. Connection Church - Canton
3. Community Baptist
4. N.Monroe Church of God
5. Church of Jesus Christ
6. Immanuel Lutheran
7.Detroit First Church
8.Southpoint CCC
9. Allen Park Church of the Nazerene
10. Gilead Baptist
11. Newburgh United
12. Northridge Church
13.Rivers of Living Water
14.  St. Mary's
15.Metro South
16.Downriver Christian
17.Harvest Bible Church
18. St. John's Lutheran
19. Vineyard Ann Arbor
20. Ward Church
21. French Town Missionary Baptist
22.Elevate Church Monroe, MI
23.Oak Pointe Church
24. Calvary Baptist Church
25. Bethel Community Church
26.Westland FMC
27.Detroit 1st Church of the Nazerene
28.Mr. Hemon Baptist Church
29. Solid Rock - Plymouth
30. St. Isidore - Macomb Twp.
31. Ressurection Church
32. Faith Baptist - Dearborn Heights

Generous. You are!

Something really cool starts to happen the week of CG -- a spark of generosity occurs within the women known as CGgirls!  I just spoke to a CGgirl and she said very excitedly, "I went a bit crazy on the crafts and the princess barbies!  They should be delivered tomorrow from Amazon!"

Another CGgirl, dropped these off this morning:

I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be tomorrow night then here! 

Invite your girlfriends and let's have a party!  Connection Church 3855 Sheldon Rd. Canton, MI 48188 7pm

Pink Toes optional!

 

April Spotlight: Royal Family Kids Camp

Ideas usually start as an answer to a question.

In 2009, we asked this question:

What would happen if women left their generational and denominational differences at the door and just became girls who love God?   We would find our common ground. On our common ground, we could harness that unity and take God's love from the pews to the pavement and change our world!

No longer just an idea, it's happening.  See how God is doing remarkable things through CGgirls. Up for an adventure?

Our next event will be on Friday, April 20th 7pm at Connection Church in Canton, MI.   Our outreach spotlight will be Royal Family Kids Camp!  We are collecting the following items that night for children attending this year's camp!

• Barbies & Clothes (all ethnicities)


• Sports Balls (footballs, basketballs, and nerf sets)


• Craft Kits (Jewelry making, art kits, play doh)


• Building Toys (Legos or Kinex sets)

Here is a quick video showing a glimpse into Royal Family Kids Camp!

CGGirls: Roll Call!

 

Rollllll Callll.... on Friday Night, women from 29 different churches gathered together for a Girl's Night with a God Focus!

1. Detroit First Church
2. Pineview Church
3. Connection Church, Canton MI
4. Allen Park Nazarene Church,  Allen Park MI
5. Life Church, Canton MI
6. Metro South Church
7. Northridge Church, Plymouth MI
8. Rivers of Living Water, Taylor MI
9. St. Paul's Lutheran, Livonia MI
10. His House Christian Fellowship, Eastern Michigan University
11. WFM - Westland, MI
12. Huron Hills Church
13. Garden City Presbyterian, Garden City MI
14. Westland Free Methodist, Westland MI
15. Elevate/Frenchtown Missionary Baptist
16. Faith Baptist
17.  Downriver Christian Church
18. Northwest Christian Church
19. Calvary Baptist Church
20. Faith Baptist Church, Adrian MI
21. NCA
22. Parkside Church of Christ
23. Faith Assembly, Belleville MI
24. The Crossing, Farmington MI
25.  Downriver Church of God
26. Harvest Bible Chapel
27. Southpointe Church
28. Beacon Baptist
29.Cornerstone Christian Church,  Jackson MI

Happy New Year!

CG Girls,

I'm enjoying some afternoon coffee with Casting Crowns piping through the speakers and realizing today is winding down quicker than I expected.  What are you up to?  I was thinking...and you know I like to think...if I could have you all over to my house tonight for coffee I would.  I'm in the mood to talk about my favorite subject: Jesus!

If you came by tonight ( admittedly that would be ALOT of coffee but we'd manage somehow!) I think I would tell you this:

• I'm stinkin' excited about getting together with all of you in just a few weeks!   I want to celebrate what God is doing in CG with the women He is choosing to use to do it!  Yep, thats you!


• Over Christmas week, a CG Girl drove past the house where our Project Crazy Girl's live and guess what she saw?  She saw a Christmas Tree in their window -- with ALL of the note cards that you wrote hanging on the tree! Is that not totally amazing?  When I got the text with that msg on it -- it absolutely made my day.


• Tomorrow's to-do:  going through over 400 photographs that our beautifully gifted CG Photographer,  CaSandra Maynard took at PCL.    We're putting together video to show you at January's event.


• Which reminds me to buy waterproof mascara.  Why can't I remember to do this? :)


• I'm really digging the fact so many of you are inviting your friends on FB to come out to the next event in Jan.


• Have you been flickin' your BIC in the new year girls?   Because. Ignite. Consume.   Have I ? Yes ma'am.


• I hope you have January 27th inked on your calendar!   It's our first event of 2012 and we can't wait!  CGGirls will be partnering with Care Packages for Troops Michigan Chapter and collecting the following items for troops in Afghanistan:
  
  
  
  
  
  • Individual powdered drink mixes (kool-aid, crystal light,etc.)
  
  
  • Socks for men/women: white or green crew socks
  
  
  • Puzzle Books
  
  
  • Healthy snacks (protein bars, nuts, beef jerky, crackers, etc.)
  
  
  • Ramen Noodle Cups, Microwaveable Mac & Cheese Cups
  
  
  
  
  
  

Knowing how incredibly generous CGGIRLS are -- I can't wait to see God move through you!

Only a few more weeks and we will be having a Girl's Night with a God Focus....we call it CommonGround!

Be there?  Me, too!

 

Project Crazy Love: Success!

The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.  Proverbs 21:31

I've been wondering how to capture what happened on Saturday at the Project Crazy Love (PCL) luncheon in such a way that those who weren't there would "get it"... I'm not sure its possible, but let's try.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."  Psalm 139:13

Our prayer all along has been that our PCL girls would walk away from this lunch with a deeper understanding that there is a God who knows them and loves them.   We believe, wholeheartedly,  God answered that prayer. 

CGGIRLS adopted 14 foster care girls for Christmas with a staggering 1, 120 gifts donated.

For those keeping score at home:  Thats approximately 80 gifts each.   Honestly,  the sight stopped us in our tracks when we would go into the "Reindeer Room"  gift holding tank.



The luncheon was amazing!   All of the CG Teams: Wrapping, Decorating, Food Prep, Drama/Worship Team, The Mighty ELF teams were absolutely amazing!   On site that day, we had women from Connection,  Life Church,  Open Arms,  Metro South Church, Rivers of Living Water, and Westland FMC!  Working side-by-side together...that in itself is a beautiful thing.  :)

"You mean I can have as much chocolate as I want??"   -  PCL Girl!

Oh and did they ever!  Cotton Candy was even dunked in that fountain!  :)

For me personally,  I was not prepared for how deeply the "encouragement tree" would affect our PCL girls.   Looking back now we see it was the Lord's hand leading us to put that tree up.   Those notes of encouragement (168 in total) that several of you wrote during the last CG event deeply ministered to our PCL girls.    When I say deeply...I mean... DEEPLY.   Tears.  Lots of them.   The PCL girls could not believe that women who did not know them would care enough to write them.  They were sincerely touched.  Watching that unfold has profoundly changed so many of us who witnessed it.

"I never got a card before in my life."

"I feel like they know me."

"How could they know thats how I feel?"

"I'm keeping every single one of these cards and hanging them in my room"

All of the girls opened up the one gift under the tree with their name on it.  Thrilled to receive their "one" gift.  They jumped up and down and screamed!  :)   Some of the girls, never took their robes off the entire time!  We loved how God worked it out for the PCL girl who loves Tinkerbell to receive the Tinkerbell robe and the two roommates and best friends got matching robes.  :)

And then the gift explosion happened!  One by one each ELF came in calling out a PCL girl's name and all of their gifts came in like a flowing river.  It was amazing!  A few of the PCL girls were so overwhelmed they sat and cried before opening any gifts.  It was almost too much for them.   We aren't able to post any of those pictures publicly (a complete recap video will be shown at the next CG on January 27, 2012)  but hopefully you'll get the picture painted for you just by these comments:

"All of this is for me?"
" One would have been enough."
"This is my favorite movie!"
"I get a bible with both the New and Old Testament?"
"Someone wrote me a note in the journal...see!"
"SpongeBob is my husband ... I love this movie"

All of the girls received the book Redeeming Love and they would yell out, "BOOKCLUB!" when one would open it.

"How did you know I loved the color Pink?"
"This is my birthstone!"

CGGirls, remember those Old Navy Hoodies?

"Is this new? I can't believe I got something new!"

"I love this smell.  It's the store smell."

God showed them in a very personal way they are not forgotten.  Not only are they not forgotten -- they are loved and a treasure of great value.

I can't thank you enough for all of your generous donations,  the tireless hours spent shopping, wrapping and preparing.

We wanted God to be honored with putting our very best effort forth and I believe that happened.   We believe PCL was completely authored by God.

So thankful that He chooses to use us when writing someone else's story, aren't you? 

The PCL girls came back to the Christmas Play at Connection Church that evening and gave me this beautiful thank you note:

"Dear CG Girls,  Thank you so much for the lunch and all the presents!  We appreciated it alot and it meant so much to us. I don't think words can explain.  It really brightened our day and showed alot of us that there is a God.  And there are people who care about us.  Thank you so much!" 

The "Wonder"

Girls, I hope this doesn't ever get old.

The outpouring of generosity towards these young ladies in fostercare that we are adopting for Christmas has really blown us away.

I really hope we don't ever lose the wonder of seeing the activity of God move in and through CG Girls.

won·der : to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel

Some of our Project Crazy Love stories that have added to the wonder:

• CGGirl's coworker made scarves for all of the PCL girls and her husband decided they needed gloves too and bought 14!


• CGGirl decided we shouldn't have to buy anymore shirtboxes and got Kohls in Canton to donate 100 of them.


• When our CGGirl shopping for hoodies at Old Navy with our donated giftcards could only get 12 of them, her Mom stepped in and purchased two more to make it a beautiful 14!


• Our gift total so far: 1,004.

I once read this quote and I've never forgotten it, "Mercy saves us but grace throws the party" --  and in a few weeks we are going to throw an amazing party for 14 young women.

14 young women who have no idea:

• They have been planned for and thought about for 17 months.


• We teared up when we finally got their first names.


• They have captivated the generous hearts of women all over Metro Detroit.


• Their names are going before the Creator of all life in prayers daily.Aren't you so glad you are a part of a movement of women who are taking God's love from the pews to the pavement?

Me, too!

PS - There is still time to contribute to this outpouring of love...contact  Tami (at) Connectionchurch (dot) info or leave a comment below!   We would like to get all fourteen girls pedicures or manicures and are collecting toward making that happen!

CG Appreciation Dinner

We celebrated last night.

Celebrated the wonderful, fantastic awesome people who served in 2011 at a CommonGround Event.  

We can't do this without them is a true statement.  We wouldn't do it without them is a truer statement.   

We showed this recap video last night and wanted to share it with all of you, too.

Last night wasn't just about an enormous Mexican Buffet,  Pie Table, Brittany Ball leaving us speechless with a song, or the gameshow, "Deal or No Deal, CG Style" where we gave away a bunch and I mean a bunch of gifts.    Ok...yes, it was all those things...but it was the laughter and the conversations that people who are united with a common purpose can only understand.

Wanta get involved with our January event?  We've got openings on our Set Up Team (Friday 9am - 12noon day of event),  Inventory Specialist Team (helps count and pack up the items that are donated),  or the Clean Up Team (Friday, 930pm -11pm night of the event.)

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Like Sunshine on a Cloudy Day....CGGIRLS!

As Project Crazy Love is ramping up...the days get longer and the struggles with putting together a big event seem to get stickier.  It never fails that when we need encouragement it comes.  Isn't that one of the neatest things about serving a very personal God.  He just "gets us" -- and as women that is a miracle in itself,  amen ?  ;)

We received this note today on FB:

I am moved each time I've come (to CG) and floored with everything from the band (AWESOME!), to the treats, to even the details of counting the gifts and churches who attend.  (I'm a cheeseball, I know) Thank you for hosting this event and allowing me to be a part.  I can't wait for January to be floored again.  LOVE LOVE LOVE Commonground.

Awww...  :)  That made our day!

Guess what?  We are cheeseballs, too! We love seeing the impact that God is making through our collective effort.  Stats are important to us...big KUDOS to Kim Ryan, our CG Inventory Specialist, who tackles the enormous job of counting all the items as they are brought into each event.   Give that girl a calculator and clipboard and just stand out of her way... :)