Paint-a-Thon and Serve day

We are excited that the Paint-a-thon and Serve day is coming soon. We have 2 homes to paint and one yard to clean up this weekend. We are working with the City of Glendale, and Rebuilding Together to paint these homes in Granada. We are so thankful to have so many people who are willing to serve. It is hard at this stage of development to find people who are still willing to put feet to their faith and continue to serve people in need. It is important to remember our commitment to the neighborhood and to remember the things that brought us there in the first place. So we will start at the church at 7:30am and carpool together into the neighborhood. If you can’t join us then pray that everyone will be safe and that we will be a blessing.

An East side Block Watch

We are getting some excitement on the East side of 67^th. A new block watch has formed and they had their first meeting last week which was a great success. Our asset mapping results showed that many of our friends in Granada Estates want to see crime reduced in the neighborhood. Now we are starting to see several new friends who have started to take a lead in that area. They are encouraging other neighbors to do their part as well. Finding leadership in the area has been a huge need and we are excited to see some progress. This is part of our goal, to help improve what the people of the neighborhood want to improve. Working together is the key.

Preparing for the Paint-A-Thon on October 26th

We flyered the neighborhood with the application to get houses painted. 2 have signed up and we are waiting to hear if they are qualified. Our next step will be to send out our house leaders to a meeting in Tempe where they will get instructions and everything they will need to successfully paint a house.

Since there are two possible houses we are going to be looking at other options that are needed in Granada Estates.

-Go door to door to get other people to qualify. This isn’t the safest of neighborhoods so there needs to be a group going together.

-Painting the house numbers on the sides of the streets. This wasn’t a satisfying activity as people were in groups of 4 but they were spread out.

-Painting one of the buildings of Cactus High School. This has to be done on the 19^th or another date in November or December. This would also require some skill for the prep work.

-Flyering the neighborhood with Halloween alternative invitations. Only 15 people are needed.


Please pray for this event as our intern Lindsay will have a lot to do to get this organized. She will be working with the city and Neighborhood Transformation as well. Pray that the people we help will be receptive to developing relationships and that our work will make them proud of their homes. Pray for safety and for a good job done for these homeowners.

Empowerment

Changing our neighborhoods, one small group at a time, is a wholistic approach to neighborhood transformation. It is easy to do things for people but that sets us up as superior and them as needy. What happens is a codependent relationship develops that is unhealthy and will lead to dependence that can’t be sustained. A better approach is to get to know your neighbors and their real needs. Giving them the tools to be a success on their own helps them and us develop as people and builds self-esteem as well as interdependence. Those who have been helped in this way tend to be more likely to help others do the same. It is viral as we empower others. So how do we start to do that?

The very first step is to get to know neighbors. These are people that God has placed around you for a reason. Maybe it is a shared hobby, a shared experience or a personality that will sharpen yours. God just asks you to find out, like unwrapping a hidden blessing.

In order to empower you and give you the tools for success, you can take advantage of training just for this purpose. You will learn how to connect with your neighbors, then create a community and as a group transform your neighborhood.

The material is a 5 week online course with multi-media presentations where you can interact with others who are trying to do this in their neighborhoods as well. You can do it in the comfort of your own home and at a time that is convenient to you.

Each week runs Wednesday through Tuesday. At the end you will write a paper on how you and/or your church might apply what you have learned. You can check in and join the conversation and ask questions or discuss the topics of that week which are below.

Schedule
Wednesday, Sept 11	Introductions and getting to know each other
Wednesday, Sept 18	Chapter 1 - Background for Transforming Neighborhoods Chapter 2 - Physical and Spiritual Integration
Wednesday, Sept 25	Chapter 3 - Poverty and Hunger Chapter 4 - Secular Development
Wednesday, Oct 2	Chapter 5 - Christian Community Development Chapter 11 - Urban Under-served Neighborhoods
Wednesday, Oct 9	Chapter 6 - Focus on Assets Chapter 14 - NT Helps in Church Planting and Church Growth
Wednesday October 16	Chapter 9 - Training Programs and Materials (LePSAS)
Application Paper

Cost is$40 for the course plus a $10 for the Text book Multiplying Light and Truth

For More Information or to Register go to Liza at equip@efca.org or (952) 955-6542

Nextdoor.com

One of the things we try to do in Granada Estates is to help people know their neighbors. Below is a way technology can help. Check out nextdoor.com and be the first to put your name on your neighborhood website. 

Nextdoor.com

When neighbors start talking, good things happen.

    Build a stronger neighborhood

Connect with your neighbors to stay informed and share useful local information.

Keep the neighborhood safe

Look out for each other and send updates to keep the neighborhood safe.

Share goods and recommendations

Find a great babysitter or trusty dentist. Borrow a ladder or sell that old bookcase.

Becky

We want to extend a big shout out to Becky. She was the assistant principal of one of our Granada Estates Schools. This year she has been transferred out of our area. 

 Becky allowed us to come and paint the play equipment at her school. This was our first foot in the door to really benefit one of the schools. We had a great time as families with children from Faith Bible Church were serving children and families in Granada Estates.

 Becky has helped us identify families in the area with needs and has been a huge supporter of our efforts in Granada Estates. We thank you for your dedication to the work we are doing there. We know you will show the same care you showed here to your new families in your new school. We will miss working with you.