GINGER CREEK WORLD ENGAGEMENT

Passion for God…
Compassion for Others

“You will receive my power and will be my witnesses,

telling people everywhere about me,

both near and far, to the ends of the earth.” (Jesus)

THIS IS GOD’S PLAN.

Do you want to make a difference?

Are you ready to make a difference?

JOIN a ministry team or ask for more information? CLICK HERE.

GLOBAL TEAMS

MEXICO

MEXICO – Are you ready to make a difference? Scripture tells us to be part of crossing borders and cultures and taking the Gospel of Christ to the nations of the world. To have a world vision in our Christian walk, it is important to experience life outside our comfort zone and culture. Ginger Creek’s newest mission initiative is giving you that opportunity to make a difference. Outreach to Mexico has been in the hearts, minds, and prayers of many Ginger Creekers for years. We have prayed for God’s plan and purpose for GC in Mexico and that prayer has been answered. Through God’s divine wisdom and providence, GC will be sending a trip team to Doctor Arroyo, Mexico, in partnership with Dayspring Outreach Ministries.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Is God speaking to you about getting involved in GC’s new field of service in Mexico? You can partner with the work in Mexico by praying, by going as a part of the Service-Learning Team trip, or by giving financially to towards the expenses of the trip or for the scholarship of someone who is participating in the next SLT trip. Make a difference today by clicking below to receive more information. (Dock and Norma Caton)

PUERTO RICO

PUERTO RICO – Outreach to Puerto Rico began in the winter of 2017 when God spoke to two men from Ginger Creek to help after Hurricane Maria devastated the entire island and 3000 people died. Since that first trip, we have been back as a church five times. Our most substantial connection is with the Palmas Community Church at Ground Zero in Humacao on the east coast. They began reaching out to individuals, under-resourced churches, and communities when Maria wrecked the island and they have continued that ongoing ministry to this day.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? GC teams can serve alongside these Puerto Rican churches with hurricane and earthquake disaster relief by bringing skilled and semi-skilled manual laborers to the island to do clean-up and re-construction, by praying and encouraging, counseling and moral support, providing bilingual translation, and donating funds toward trip team travel and supplies. For more information, scroll down and CLICK. (Paul Hamaker)

HAITI

HAITI – God’s Littlest Angels is a nonprofit organization serving the country of Haiti. GLA’s mission is to provide exceptional neonatal care, and a haven to Haiti’s smallest, sickest, and most vulnerable children as local pastors lend spiritual leadership. GLA works with Haitian social services, offering long-term residential care to children awaiting adoption. We also provide short-term care to children and infants who need medical assistance and hope to return home to their families once they are stable and doing well.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? GLA offers opportunities to partner with the work in Haiti through sponsoring a child, education sponsorship, and NICU sponsorship, plus other sponsorships. Due to the country’s current political climate and insecurity, all mission trips to Haiti are on hold at this time. For more information, scroll down and CLICK to get more information. (Becky Leib)

NICARAGUA

NICARAGUA is the 2nd poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Since 2009, GC has established long-term partnerships with two churches in Managua as they minister to their communities’ spiritual, physical, economic, and educational challenges. In recent years, these two Managua churches and GC finished a 5-year financial partnership to lead the development of the school, church, and community into sustainability by reaching their God-given potential to THRIVE instead of SURVIVE. Achieving that goal transformed hearts, lives, families, churches, and communities. Since 2015, a group of dedicated Ginger Creeker’s has regularly written to and prayed for 26 children and their families in the remote, poorest of the poor village of Las Mariítas near the northern border. Through the regular giving of Ginger Creekers into the weekly tithes and offerings and with funds from the end-of-year SEEDS giving, GC has financially sponsored these children, their families, and their village through the FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY development program. This small, remote village of hard-working Nicaraguan families is on target to “graduate” early from the FH development program in late 2023 and become self-sustaining! To God be the glory!

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Become a GC Pen Pal and brighten a child’s life in Las Mariítas by writing and encouraging them to love and follow Jesus, study hard in school, and fulfill God’s good plan for their future. Over the years, Ginger Creek trip teams have traveled to Nicaragua to walk alongside and serve local spiritual leaders, their churches, and the community. You can also consider joining a GC Service-Learning Trip Team or donating funds toward a mission trip. Scroll down and CLICK for more information. (Dock and Norma Caton)

LOCAL TEAMS

Administer Justice is the largest faith-based legal aid organization in the country. It was founded and is headquartered in Elgin, IL. It serves vulnerable people in local communities with the help of a lawyer and the hope of God’s love in the community of the Church. Ginger Creek participates in doing justice for our church neighbors through a team of Ginger Creekers who volunteer in the Ginger Creek Legal Clinic on campus.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? You don’t need to be a lawyer to “administer justice.” Serve others through their legal issues as a good listener, interpreter, encourager, or deliverer of hope. We need you today if you can type, organize, create a positive atmosphere, listen, interpret, share God’s love, and encourage or pray. (Kevin Drendel)

Hesed House in Aurora is the second-largest homeless shelter in Illinois. Each day, Hesed House is caring for families with children and adults of all ages who require shelter. Ginger Creek has been a partner with Hesed House for nearly 20 years by providing and serving meals every month to nearly 200 guests.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? You can help monthly by serving meals at Hesed House or by donating funds for the meals. (Reggie Smith)

Safe Families for Children seeks to keep children safe and families together. Safe Families for Children is rooted in faith, fueled by radical hospitality, disruptive generosity, and intentional compassion, to build a network of caring and compassionate volunteers to support families facing social isolation. Our goals are to prevent child abuse and neglect, reduce the number of children entering the child welfare system, and support and stabilize families. Ginger Creek has a partnership with Safe Families for Children and there are so many ways to become involved in this ministry where you can MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? We need individuals and families to become hosts to provide temporary homes for these vulnerable children. You can also serve by providing services such as transportation, babysitting, car repairs, helping families move, etc., or by giving resources such as meals, clothing, formula, diapers, etc. Let your biblical hospitality, generosity, and compassion shine as we come alongside and support families in our community that are struggling to survive. To volunteer or get more information, scroll to the bottom of this webpage, and CLICK. (Brad & Stephanie Booton)

The Garden Ministry at Ginger Creek was started in February 2020 when a garden plot was created on the church property – a beautiful and serene environment so volunteers could work, enjoy each other’s company, share stories about Christ, spend time with our Lord, be in the Word together and share with others the abundance of the harvest that the Lord provides when we plant the seeds, tend the garden and give to people who need it. Simply put, we serve God and others by GROWING FOOD AND FEEDING PEOPLE.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? The Garden Ministry is where you can MAKE A DIFFERENCE by helping bring food security to hundreds of local families. All it takes is an ability to weed or water, plant, harvest, or deliver our food to those in need. To volunteer or get more information, scroll down and CLICK at the bottom of this webpage. (Michelle DeRaedt)

W.A.T.C.H. Ministry was started in January 2022. The acronym stands for Women Assisting Through Changed Hearts. We are Women Assisting those in need across our community, nation, and even internationally. We are conducting this ministry Through Changed Hearts given to us by God’s grace when we committed our lives to Him and received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Our ministry’s core focus is on serving and helping fund campaigns against human trafficking. We currently support WAR International in Michigan and a local safe house in the Chicago suburbs, Naomi’s House. Human trafficking is a growing crisis in our world, and in 2023 we plan to expand our support to two additional organizations. We also partner with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) food packing events, and we organize Christmas toy drives for underprivileged children. The rewards and blessings are great in this ministry, and we would love for you to share your gifts in this mission with us. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few -Matthew 9:37

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? You can make a difference by helping us organize these events, or volunteering for hands-on service opportunities for the underprivileged. To volunteer, scroll down and CLICK at the bottom of this webpage. (Tanya O’Connor)

Veterans Outreach of Illinois is a nonprofit with a biblical mission to bring encouragement and support to homeless veterans in our community. At the same time, we are working towards and goal of providing a community house with individual living spaces and a two-year program for each vet to gain job skills, learn social services, take college classes, and much more. We firmly believe this will help them get what they need to excel, enter the job force, and be given the chance they deserve for their service to our country.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? We have many ways for volunteers to help immediately to encourage homeless vets in our community — making blankets for them, making token items to encourage and inspire them, VOI event-planning, grant-writing, media marketing assistance, VOI membership, VOI board membership. Volunteer by clicking at the bottom to receive dates and locations for current hands-on activities or for general information about VOI. (Jeannette Herbord)

Second Saturday Serve began as a helping hand, providing food to our community. On the Second Saturday of each month, now volunteers gather in the lobby of Ginger Creek, pack food boxes that become staple for the adults and families we serve in our community. The food boxes are then delivered twice a month, which gives us the opportunity to establish a relationship, pray with them and for them, bring them the Gospel, and invite them to church. In the early part of the pandemic, Second Saturday Serve became a lot more meaningful as it partnered with Hesed House by making homemade meals for those in the Hesed House (Lighthouse) program for individual adults and families who had found housing in our community and were no longer guests at Hesed House. Over the past two years, Ginger Creek has fed more than 250 people throughout our community.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? You and your family can help pack food boxes in the church lobby or help deliver them, share a smile, build a relationship, share a prayer…or donate food or funds for the items that we pack. (Brian and Tina Farbelow)

Wayside Cross Ministries is a Bible-based, Christ-centered shelter and recovery center in Aurora, IL.

Wayside Cross is dedicated to helping the homeless, addicted, abused, at risk, and imprisoned experience the transformational hope of Jesus Christ. We are looking for compassionate people who are ready to make a difference in the lives of others during their most desperate times. You can help bring hope to those in need and help restore their God-given dignity.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE? If you desire to serve Christ by serving others, we invite you to make an impact by volunteering to pray, give, help with day-to-day maintenance and care of the residents, become a mentor, help Wayside graduates with job placement, host or sponsor an event, start a collection drive program. Volunteer and make an eternal difference in the lives of others. Scroll down and CLICK at the bottom of this webpage to volunteer or get more information. (Larry Canaday)