2016

Alternative

Christmas Market

2016

Alternative

Christmas Market

We believe that Christmas can [still] change the

world… but first it must change us

Clear Creek’s Alternative Christmas Marketplace, now

in its seventh year, is not a fundraiser for the church.* It is

not a clever way to increase giving. Instead, it is an

invitation to restore some [Biblical] sanity to the Christmas

season. Instead of senselessly consuming, shoppers at the

Market contribute to worthy causes in honor of those on

their shopping lists. By putting money you were going to

spend anyway to productive use, you leverage your

generosity to have a lasting impact!

The actual gift will go to meet an actual need, while your

recipient receives a card and ornament signifying the

nature of the gift. This year we have nine projects, in

seven countries, on four continents. You have family and

friends who value others’ needs over their own wants. For

those loved ones, a marketplace gift tells them that you

have noticed who they are. By requesting gifts from the

catalog rather than the mall, you are telling them who you

are as well!

As we celebrate the season of Christ’s birth, it is our

prayer that He is glorified as we give these gifts in His

name. May you and all whose lives are touched by your

generous gifts be blessed.

*Our ministry partners assure us that 100% of the funds given go

to their designated purpose.

Outcast. Marginalized. Stateless. Due to their ethnicity,

the Rohingya of Burma were stripped of their citizenship.

Denied the most basic of human rights and brutally

persecuted, massive streams of refugees have fled to

neighboring Thailand. The ‘Ro’ are Muslim, practicing a

mystic folk (animistic) Islam.

Our ministry partners in

southern Thailand work

among a small community

of Ro, bringing the love

and hope of Jesus. They

minister to new Ro believ-

ers and seekers, providing food, medical care, education

and small business start-ups. Since the Thai government

has been carefully monitoring andrestricting ministry

activities for our partners, “alternate means” of channeling

support for the Ro are necessary. Did anyone say

Alternative Christmas Marketplace?!

By partnering in ministry among the persecuted Ro of

Thailand with a gift of $40…you are offering food,

health care, education and a new life in Jesus!

“He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food

to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free…

Psalm 147:7

Because of the sensitive nature of their ministry, we are unable to

publish the names of our ministry partners. However, our Global

Outreach team has been in monthly communication with them.

Refugee care Refugee care -- $40$40

ThailandThailand

Diaper bags Diaper bags -- $50$50

Hannah Center, BloomingtonHannah Center, Bloomington

When facing an unplanned pregnancy, many women

find they need extra support and care. The Hannah Center

of Bloomington offers love and compassion during these

most challenging times in a woman’s life, providing a safe

home environment for both mother

and baby to grow and learn.

As a comprehensive residential

program for pregnant women and

teenagers, Hannah Center

residents have access to caring

and informed staff, quality prenatal

and pediatric care, life skills training and assistance in

achieving longer-term educational and career goals. With a

family-centered focus, mothers-to-be come to realize they

“don’t have to do it alone”.

To ease the financial burden and offer a

peace of mind to new mothers, Hannah

Center helps provide for the simple

material needs of newborn care. Your gift

of $50 will provide one new mother with

a fully stocked diaper bag…leaving one

less thing for her to worry about!

Children are GOD's best gift, the fruit of the womb

His generous legacy.

Psalm 127:3

Want to learn more or volunteer? Go to

http://www.hannahcenter.org/

Mathare Valley, Nairobi, Kenya: nearly 1 million people

living in an area of less than 1 square mile. Excessive

poverty. Open sewers. Crime. Hopelessness. When a

family can’t afford to send their children to school many will

turn to the streets for begging, stealing, prostitution or drug

dealing in order to survive.

Mission of Hope International recognizes that education

is fundamental to escaping

poverty. Today there are 20

schools scattered within the

Mathare slums, providing

educational opportunities and a

brighter future for the children.

Through child sponsorship, each

student receives a Christian

education, a warm meal each

school day and medical care when needed.

Clear Creek has sponsored 2 students, Conjestina and

Moses since they first began school at Hope. Our visiting

team had the joy of meeting them a few years ago, further

building our relationship across the pond!

Won’t you consider a gift of $35 to provide a child with

a month’s school tuition and the opportunity to know

Jesus?

“He will defend the afflicted among the people and save

the children of the needy; He will crush the oppressor”.

Psalm 72:4

Child sponsorship Child sponsorship -- $35$35

Mission of Hope Mission of Hope -- Nairobi, KenyaNairobi, Kenya

Dining Essentials Dining Essentials -- $20$20

Wheeler Mission, BloomingtonWheeler Mission, Bloomington If you were to open your pantry right now, what would

you find? What about your refrigerator? Most likely canned

mushrooms, too many condiments and fuzzy leftovers you

forgot to eat!

For most of us, “I don’t have anything to eat” means we

don’t like any of the choices which are available to us. But

for a large number of people in our community, “nothing to

eat” means just that.

Our partners at Wheeler

Mission are on the front

lines of providing relief to

the homeless and hungry

population of Monroe

County. Through Geno’s

Cafeteria, they dish out

hundreds of warm meals every week, along with healthy

portions of encouragement, acceptance, and dignity, all

given in the name of Jesus.

Your $20 gift will help fill bellies and warm hearts by

providing quality, durable silverware and serving trays

for the patrons who dine at Geno’s. Each gift will be a direct

link to hundreds of meals, thousands of smiles, and

countless open doors to newfound faith!

Whatever you did for one someone overlooked or

ignored, that was me - you did it to me.

(from Matthew 25)

Learn more about Wheeler Mission at http://wheelermission.org/

A college girl, intoxicated and alone, is victimized by a

predator. Two young men, high on drugs, go from yelling to

shoving to killing. A businessman, too drunk to find his way

home, stumbles into traffic, endangering himself and others.

Faithful Christians in cities across the United Kingdom,

moved by compassion for their

lost and searching neighbors,

have decided to act in very prac-

tical ways to combat the perils of

living on the

ragged edge . Dubbed “Street

Pastors,” they patrol the tavern districts on weekends,

showing the grace of Jesus by dispensing bottled water,

coffee, ponchos, flip-flops for girls who have lost their

shoes, and medical intervention, advocacy and safe escort

for intoxicated tavern-goers, protecting them from

exploitation.

Through our partner missionary , your gift of

$15 will purchase supplies for Street Pastor

Survival Packs in Cork, Ireland, where the

ministry has led to a significant drop in violent crime, earned

the praise of city leaders and police, and united Christians

from all kinds of churches - truly a beautiful thing!

What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to

love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

(Micah 6:8)

Learn more about Street Pastors by watching

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1iSRi2lPAc

Street Outreach Packs Street Outreach Packs -- $15$15 Cork, IrelandCork, Ireland

Mosquito nets Mosquito nets -- $10$10 Worldwide Worldwide (Christian Missionary Fellowship)(Christian Missionary Fellowship)

One wouldn’t think an insect so tiny could create such

havoc around the world…but the diseases transmitted by

mosquitoes are alarming: Malaria. Dengue fever. West Nile

virus. Chikungunya. Yellow Fever. Multiple strains of

encephalitis. And the lastest, Zika.

Malaria kills more than 438,000 people each year,

primarily in Africa, Asia and South America. Malaria is

preventable, and increased prevention and control

measures are dramatically reducing the malaria burden

globally.

The risk of contracting malaria can be greatly lessened

with the use of an insecticide-treated bed net. Though

preventing the malaria

infection is inexpensive by

American standards, it’s out of

reach for families in the

developing world who watch

helplessly as their children

suffer and die. Your gift of

$10 will provide protection to a sleeping child from the

mosquito bites that spread malaria.

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them

ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them,

for those who love your name may rejoice in you”.

Psalm 5: 11

More than 1 out of 6 people in the world today lack

access to safe drinking water…that’s roughly 1.1 billion

people...20% of the world’s population.

The nomadic Turkana people of arid northwest Kenya

are always at risk. Through the ministry of the Christian

Missionary Fellowship, dozens of wells have been dug and

hand pumps installed, providing clean water for entire

communities. This also provides opportunities for the

church to testify concerning God's goodness and love.

Our team from Clear Creek worked with this project in

2010 and saw firsthand the joy of villagers who were

drinking clean water for the first time. We

witnessed the community development

made possible by the water as they are

able to grow crops, sell produce,

improve their lives, and change their

culture.

A complete well costs $2500 – and

Clear Creek’s Global Outreach team will

complete any partially-funded wells. Your

gift WILL result in a completed project! Won’t you consider

giving a $50 gift this Christmas to help make clean wa-

ter available for one village?

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. ”

John 7:37

For more information, go to

http://www.cmfi.org/wherewework/missionary/gmmorden

Turkana, KenyaTurkana, Kenya

Clean water Clean water -- $50$50

There was a day when Western missionaries took their

culture with them – so churches all over Africa, Asia and

South America all looked like little replicas of American or

European churches. And, with varying degrees of

success, it worked - but then,

someone had the idea….

Gary and Judy Woods, who

worked for years to build a

mini-American church in Kenya, one

day realized: The African church

should be an African church! As they began empowering

African Christians to plant churches that made sense in

their culture, a movement began!

Today Gary and Judy recruit and

train African pastors, who are

planting churches in dozens of tribes

and reaching thousands of people!

For $25, you can purchase two

chairs to furnish the pastor

training center in Arusha, Tanzania, enabling generations

of yet-to-be-found pastors and their wives to be equipped

to lead churches across East Africa.

Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to

do his work and build up the church, the body

of Christ. Ephesians 4:12

Want to know more? Go to

http://www.cmfi.org/wherewework/missionary/gjwoods

Pastor Training Pastor Training -- $25$25 TanzaniaTanzania

Myanmar (formerly Burma) is moving toward democracy

and peace , but discrimination and religious persecution are

very-present realities. Arrests and torture by government

officials and military officers have rendered religious

freedom unattainable. Christians, denied permission to

preach or hold church services, gather in small numbers

within homes of believers.

Taunggyi Bible College is training and equipping

Christians from the different tribes of Myanmar, sending

them out to reach their own peoples with the Gospel.

However, Burmese Bibles are difficult to acquire in the

country, and many students learn

orally without the written Word. Imag-

ine how much greater the impact in

this 92% Buddhist nation if they had

God’s Word in hand.

What a joy it will be to meet these brothers and sisters in

heaven, and to hear them proclaim the praise of our heav-

enly Father who saved them – who they came to know be-

cause someone brought them the Word of God! Your gift

of $10 will purchase a Burmese bible - and will impact

generations who will hear, believe, and give their lives –

often literally – to follow God.

There's nothing like the written Word of God for

showing you the way to salvation through faith in

Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15 (MSG)

Bibles for students Bibles for students -- $10$10 Taunggyi Bible College, MyanmarTaunggyi Bible College, Myanmar

Item

#

Description

(and recommended gift amount)

Total #

of gifts

Amount

given

1 REFUGEE CARE - $40

2 DIAPER BAGS - $50

3 CHILD SPONSORSHIP - $35

4 DINING ESSENTIALS - $20

5 STREET OUTREACH PACS - $15

6 MOSQUITO NETS - $10

7 CLEAN WATER - $50

8 PASTOR TRAINING - $25

9 BIBLES - $10

TOTAL AMOUNT

Name

ORDER FORM – 2016

Envelope #

(Optional, if you would like a year-end giving receipt.)