COMMON GRACE:
Connecting, Supporting and Mobilizing Churches
to Effectively Reach their Communities

www.commongracephilly.com (website under construction)

Common Grace assists ministries in their work to cooperate with each other and reach the urban community. In order for each part of the body to be effective, all parts need to work together, be equipped and value each other’s gifts. In order to accomplish this, Common Grace connects, supports and mobilizes church and community leaders as they seek to spread the gospel and address the needs of their communities.


Many exciting things are happening among Philadelphia churches. Nes, along with Coz Crosscombe (co-director) and Bill Krispin (research developer) are involved in a variety of activities that build on existing networks and encourage more of God’s people to be equipped for the kingdom!

One

“One,” the collaboration of several church youth ministries which Nes initiated several years ago, just celebrated its annual youth retreat at Camp Andrews October 23-25. Through Nes’ new role at Common Grace, he worked with other “One” youth pastors and leaders to bring together five neighborhood churches at the retreat. The speaker for the weekend, Carlos Borges, is a public school teacher and a church planter from Chicago. His message was titled: “Sheep in Da Hood: Hearing the Shepherd’s Voice.” These area youth groups will also come back together on December 11 for a youth rally. Youth rallies will be held in 2010 for these youth ministries to continue meeting together.

Reload

Another project Nes began working with before transitioning to Common Grace has continued. Reload, a training ministry of Urban Youth Worker Institute (UYWI), is a one-day conference to train, mentor and connect urban youth workers. The purpose is to encourage local ministries to network as they play a key role in organizing their own conference. Nes has facilitated the Philly Reload for several years and will continue to do this under Common Grace. The next Reload conference is March 20. It will be held at an exciting young church called Epiphany Fellowship. Epiphany is located just blocks from Temple University with a growing and ethnically diverse congregation including many college age folks.

Connection with pastoral networks

Common Grace also connects on a regular basis with a few pastoral networks in Philadelphia. Partners in Harvest is a network made up of African American pastors in Philadelphia. Kingdom Builders is a group of Anabapist urban leaders who pray, work at common concerns and fellowship together. A church called “In the Light Ministries” hosts a prayer time for a variety of area pastors. Common Grace regularly attends all of these groups to build relationships with existing networks in Philadelphia and seek ways to work together.

Demographics

Through a contract with Esperanza USA, Common Grace has been able to complete demographic reports for nine Hispanic nonprofits. These reports give them a clearer picture of their communities and how to serve them.

Timoteo Flag Football League
www.Timoteofootball.com

Nes will be assisting the Timoteo Flag Football League in a transition next year. Bill Campbell, the founder of Timoteo, is preparing to move his family to France in a new ministry. Nes will be taking on the commissioner role for a year. During the year, new leadership will be developed by raising up young men from the neighborhood. Nes and Coz are also working with an organization called The Simple Way, a community of faith in the Kensington neighborhood, that will adopt Timoteo as their ministry.