Concord Chronicle

When I was in business, one of the lessons I learned early in my career was that the success of a business depended only slightly on the quality and efficiency of higher executives. However, without the the cooperation and enthusiasm of individual contributors at the lowest levels in the enterprise it was doomed to fail. One of the business books I read at the time called this “the power of lower participants”. If you wanted an appointment with the CEO of the company you had better be on good terms with the seemingly unimportant assistant who kept the CEO’s calendar! That assistant very often wielded veto power over crucial strategic decisions! And this pattern repeated at all levels within the organization.

The Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Corinth seems to need to encourage the believers there to overcome their inferiority complex by reminding them that:

“God has selected [for His purpose] the insignificant (base) things of the world, and the things that are despised and treated with contempt, [even] the things that are nothing, so that He might reduce to nothing the things that are,” 1 Corinthians 1:28 (Amplified Bible).

Paul here employs a very interesting choice of words. He seems to be equating the least capable believer to a “base thing” utterly without value to the world! The Greek original is even more rich and subtle in its meaning since the word for “base thing” is built from two words that mean “well born” or “nobility” or “highly privileged” but then turns it into a negative. For those of us born with a plastic, rather than silver-spoon in our mouths, this word describes us - but it is cause for rejoicing! Why? Because we have been chosen!

Notice that God has specifically “selected,” that is he prefers, people that the world thinks are valueless and contemptible to be the change agents to accomplish his purposes. These folks have no hifalutin notions about rights and privileges. For them the future can only get brighter. Their path can only be upward because they can’t be any lower in the world’s estimation! Their mission, sent from God, is to reduce the things which the world and its systems values so highly, to nothing; or literally, out of existence!

We live in a world which tends to treat human beings as an homogenized commodity, only there to be used, abused and discarded as without further value. But God has in mind a different kind of economy which turns the world’s values upside down! Listen to the words of Jesus: “The last will be first”, “Love those who despise you”, “A master must be a servant”, “If you want to be rich give away everything you have”, “a child will be the leader”, “you are strongest when you are weak”, and I could go on and on (and on)!

In Acts 17:6 we read:

“When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also…’” Amplified Bible.

So being “world turners” (revolutionaries?) has been, and still is, our purpose since the Lord himself gave us our mission.

How can we accomplish this?

Listen to what Jesus said:

“By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another,” John 13:35 (Amplified Bible).

So let’s get over our inferiority complex and love one another and lavish love on those the world deems unlovable and worthless!

Or as Commissioner Harry Read wrote:

“We're going to fill, fill, fill the world with Glory

We’re going to turn the world upside down!”

In these times of wars and wickedness; fires, floods and pestilence, this is surely what the world needs!

Remember, the best things in life are not things at all!

Blessings on you and yours,

Jim Black

THIS WEEKEND: For the youth who weren't able to go to the Divisional Youth Retreat with us, you can still "join us" virtually. See livestream schedule in the flyer below.

SUNDAY:

9:30 am - Praise Team Rehearsal

10:00 am - Combined Sunday School

11:00 am - Worship Service - In-Person and Facebook

4:30 pm - Divisional Youth Retreat Delegates Arrive at Corps

MONDAY: Office Close - Labor Day

TUESDAY:

10:00 am - TSAMM Training for Volunteers

6:00 pm - Men's Bible Study - In Fireside Room

6:00 pm - Women's Bible Study - In Library & Zoom (Hybrid)

7:00 pm - Songsters Rehearsal - In Chapel (Masks required)

8:00 pm - Senior Band Rehearsal - In Chapel

WEDNESDAY:

10:00 am - El Sobrante Home League: Bring Your Own Craft

THURSDAY:

10:00 am - CAMEO: Grandparents Day Program - Hybrid Meeting, In Library

12:30 pm - Prepping for Senior Day - Volunteers needed

FRIDAY:

10:00 am - Del Oro Division's Senior Day - Concord

6:00 pm - YouthForce: Bowling - Clayton Valley Bowl

SATURDAY:

9:30 am - 1:00 pm - Divisional Youth Music Day - DHQ

Date: September 12

Where: Concord Corps

Time: 10:00 am - Sunday School; 11:00 am - Worship Service; 12:15 pm - Potluck

We will have an Olympic Theme for our Rally Day Sunday. For fun, we'd like families to come to church dressed alike - choose a color, represent your culture/country, or in a theme. During the service, we will recognize our volunteers and kick-off our programs for the year. We will provide hotdogs for lunch afterwards. Please bring a side dish to share if you are going to stay and eat. There will be a few games, races, and prizes. We hope you can make it!

Note: We initially planned for the food and fellowship to be outside. However, it does tend to get hot around that time of day. Therefore, we will most likely be indoors. This may play a factor on whether you want to stay and participate. You are always welcome to eat outdoors.

Yes! God-willing, the men will have an opportunity to go to camp this year. Save this date:

Date: October 29-31, 2021

Theme: The Race to Victory, Hebrews 12:1-3

Cost: $75 per person

The activities will include the 19th Annual Del Oro Games: Basketball Tournament, Go-Cart Racing, Cardboard Boat Race and more. There will be an EDS (Emergency Disaster Services) Training, Canteen Cook-Off, Bible teaching, and fellowship. Don't miss out! See Major Gwyn to register. Registration is due October 15th.

WILDFIRE RESPONSE

Please remember, you can also find the latest on TSAWildfireRelief.org. That’s where we are sending donors to make gifts to general EDS. You can access response photos and video here.

Caldor Fire

• El Dorado County
• 143,951 acres
• 12% contained
• Started August 14
• 650 structures destroyed 37 structures damaged

Our Response

• Stockton Crew (demobilizing after dinner tomorrow) (Oroville & Garden street crew to take over their sites on Sunday)
• 150 meals/day at Cameron Park Community Center in Cameron Park
• 22 meals/day Rolling Hills Church in El Dorado Hills
• Santa Rosa Crew (ending their service after breakfast on Monday, Yuba team will replace them starting with lunch on Monday)

o 540 meals/day at Green Valley Community Church in Placerville (to begin cooking out of Lion’s Club Kitchen on Monday)

• We are on standby in Reno to serve meals for evacuees

Monument Fire

• Burning in Trinity County
• Started July 30
• 160,148 acres
• 22%
• 50 structures destroyed, 3 structure damaged

Our Response

• Eureka Crew
• 60 meals/day Fire House Pavilion in Fortuna (Dixie and Monument Fire evacuees)
• 27 meals/day Willow Creek Bible Church in Willow Creek
  

Dixie Fire

• 5 counties; Shasta, Butte, Plumas, Tehama and Lassen Counties
• 750,672 acres
• 46% contained
• Started July 14
• 1,273 structures destroyed, 92 structures damaged (you can find a map of homes destroyed on TSAWildfireRelief.org)

Our Response

• Redding & Eureka
• Evacuees from Dixie and Monument fire are being served in Red Bluff & Fortuna. See above for details.

Hurricane Ida Response

Emergency response teams converge on impacted states as impacts continue

As the initial effects of Hurricane Ida are being felt, The Salvation Army is activating a massive operation to meet immediate need through feeding, sheltering, emotional and spiritual care, and other services for survivors and first responders. Their network of trained disaster staff and volunteers are on the ground in Louisiana and surrounding states. With more than 7,600 centers of operation across the country, The Salvation Army is uniquely positioned to mobilize and serve communities before, during, and after a natural disaster strikes.

Hurricane Ida made landfall on Sunday, August 29 as a category 4 hurricane and brought with it sustained winds, torrential rain, and dangerous storm surge to New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and additional communities along the Gulf Coast “We are looking at a major relief operation that could span many weeks,” said Emergency Disaster Services Director of The Salvation Army’s Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi Division, William Trueblood. “With the numerous assets being sent in from surrounding states, we are well prepared to start helping those in need. Power is still out in most of southern Louisiana and roads are continuing to flood, but we are working to overcome those obstacles and make the most impact we possibly can. Financial donations are always appreciated and go a long way toward helping us reach those hit hardest by the storm.”

A digital media kit with b-roll, fact sheet, photography and other assets can be found here. For more information, please contact bwash@lermaagency.com.

Disaster Preparedness Overview (August 30, 2021 | As of 3 p.m. ET)

Staging centers for relief supplies and assets have been established in Beaumont, TX and Jackson, MS

These locations are available for in-person visits if you are interested in capturing mass preparation efforts

• Three incident management teams have been deployed to Louisiana, two staging from New Orleans and one in Gonzales.

Over 140,000 meals are already prepared for distribution as soon as today

• As many as 55 mobile feeding units are being deployed to serve food, drinks, and emotional and spiritual care to survivors and first responders.
• Each mobile feeding unit can serve 500 to 1,500 meals per day.
• The Salvation Army is working in partnership with the Southern Baptists who will be deploying three field kitchens with the capacity to serve 15,000 meals
• Fixed Corps locations are being prepared to provide feeding and other needed support to those affected.
• Salvation Army disaster personnel are collaborating with federal, state, and local emergency management agencies and other partners to respond to and monitor potential impacts and evolve response efforts as needed.

For more information on The Salvation Army’s continued response, visit salvationarmyusa.org. To make a financial gift to support Hurricane Ida relief:

Visit give.helpsalvationarmy.org

Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)

Text GIVE to 52000 to donate $10 automatically through your cell phone bill

From Commissioner Colleen Riley, Territorial Secretary for Spiritual Life Development: Attached you will find prayer requests from Territories around the world for the Month of September. It is a privilege for us to pray for these areas of focus for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are grateful to International Headquarters, for their focus each month on different Territories around our Army World. I would be remiss if we did not lift the people of Afghanistan and Haiti to the Lord at this time as well.

We serve a Sovereign God. He is a good of strength and of clarity, not of confusion. As you lift your prayers to Him, be reminded that He hears and answers!

CARIBBEAN TERRITORY

Territorial Leaders: Commissioners Devon and Verona Haughton

Prayer requests:

Pray for our Territorial, Divisional and District leaders to continue sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and keep the fire burning in the Caribbean Territory.

Pray for the Territorial strategic plan to be effective.

Pray for the young people in the Territory, especially in English speaking countries, to respond to the call of full-time ministry.

Pray for the new session of Cadets, “Reflectors of Holiness” to grow spiritually and develop their leadership capacity during their training. There are 9 Cadets in this session. Pray for the Cadets who need to increase their English language competency.

Pray for the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic – each of the 16 countries vary in pandemic impact. Pray for:

• Those who have lost loved ones and for recovery of those who remain ill.
• Pray for the accessibility of vaccines – especially in Haiti.
• Pray for Officers who are facing specific challenges in their ministry units due to the pandemic.

Pray for the strengthening of the family unit and the positive impact of ministry strategies to assist families who are struggling.

Pray for the country of Haiti during this time of chaos and the ministry of TSA in that Division.

If you would like to order a t-shirt, it is $7. You can wear this at corps or divisional events or when you are out running errands. It is a great way to advertise our women's ministry during the week. The color is "sangria" with a "cameo" logo and the words "Come And Meet Each Other" (which spells CAMEO).

Place your order here: https://form.jotform.com/212447811954156

Email: annmarguerite.jones@usw.salvationarmy.org
Website: https://www.salvationarmyconcordca.org
Location: 3950 Clayton Road, Concord, CA, USA
Phone: (925) 676-6180
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/saconcord